Happy 4th of July!

I came with the intention of putting up pictures (sorry to taunt you) but the computer at the internet cafe isn't recognizing my thumb drive so you might have to wait longer. In the mean time, please forgive me for my rediculously horrible blogging. I know- fail. On the bright side, story:

So, yesterday morning I headed out of my house at about 6am when the sun was rising. I walked to the road and caught a hitch (two in a row, actually) to my boma. From the boma I took a minibus to Limbe, then another to Blantyre where I got on a big bus headed toward Lilongwe. After being assured that the bus was leaving in the next 10 minutes (so I expected to wait a long time) I sat on the bus and waiting for an hour and a half. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Because, naturally, the bus won't pull out until its full. Finally, we pulled out. Right when we pulled out a man stands up and stars praying for a safe journey and the top of his lungs. He finished, with a hoarse voice, then started reading passages (in Chechewa) from the bible and preaching to us walking up and down the isles. Meanwhile, I'm trying to help the women next to me defend her week and a half old baby from all the luggage that was trying to fall down on them. The preacher got off the bus and we were off and running. A half hour outiside of Blantyre, the bus breaks down. The conductor refused to refund so I could try to hitch or take other transportation so I waiting another hour and a half on the side of the road with a ton of angry Malawians for a new bus to come. It did, eventually and we were on out way again. We (my cite-mate and I) arrived in Blantyre, waiting for a friend who was 20 minutes behind us on a different bus, took a taxi to the hostile we are staying in and proceeded to see and hang out with all the people we haven't seen for 2 months. Also, pizza.

Today-bagels. also, we did things like headed to the office, walked around the city, charged electronics, blah blah blah. This afternoon we'll go to the embassadors house for hamburgers and good things that represent the 4th of July. I'm not sure how long I'm sticking around here but I find myself missing my site (which I'm taking as a good sign this early in the game (2 months). I've officially been in Malawi for over 4 months!! Chichewa is coming along quickly. My counterparts whife has started telling me that its a problem that I understand so much because I shouldn't be able to know what people are saying most of the time when I've only been here 4 months. I take it as a compliment.

In other news, I received a phone call from a really good friend, it made my week (which is big since I ate pizza yesterday). I'm recovering from about 2 solid weeks of diahrea (I know you want to know-especially the Ebenezer crue) so now I have to deal with my counterpart and his whife telling me (in a very conserned way) that I'm shrinking and I need to eat more...try Amy, try (they keep saying). ha. Anyway: Major family, I like anything chocolate and most candy. Reallly, anything you wouldn't pawn off on your younger sibling after trick or treating sounds great to me!

The letters have stated to ROLL IN so a big thanks to everyone who decides to make me happy. I promise to be a better blogger!!! PROMISE! Someday you'll see pictures. Worse case scenario, I deal with the postal system and have someone there post them. We'll see what happens. Aren't you excited?

OH. I SAW A MONKEY YESTERDAY! On the way out of Mulanje, I was in the back of a pick-up truck (very safely buckled in, Mom) and my cite-mate, Bri, pointed it out. So there. I'm in Africa and I saw a monkey.

Also, on top of learning chichewa, I've picked up basic greetings in another local tribal language, Chilomwe. People think its HILARIOUS.

2 weeks ago I fell off my bike because I was looking at a bird. I scraped up my leg but its healing nicely (no thanks to the honey my counterpart insisted on smearing on the cut...that just made my leg sticky like a child).

I killed a turkey. I feel liberated as an ex-vegitarian. I cut its head off then brought it to my counterparts house to share. It was just too creapy...pooping on my floor and looking me in the eye and all. You'd do the same thing. I feel more rugged now...Bear would be so proud!

Anyway, life is great here, its frustrating at times but then I realize how rediculous some situations are and I think its funny again. I miss you all and love you lots! I think about you all the time, send more chocolate!

Amy

To make my sister Happy

Almost 3 months ago I landed in beautiful Malawi on a sunny tropical day. We were received by most (probably ) of the PCV's here at 6the airport, introduced to everyone and promptly rushed off to Dedza (an hour South of Lilongwe). We spent a week in Dedza as t a college of forestry learning everything from using a chim to the offensiveness of sniffing food (that one still gets me for those of you who know about the pickle test). After week 0, we were taken to two villages close to t6he college for 5 weeks of home-stay with a family. I was in Chikanda staying with a family of 4. The 2 parents were both 30. I also had 2 younger hose brothers, a 4 year old, Dalandila, who quickly warmed up to me and by the end of my stay refused to leave my side, and a 1 year old who was as scared of me as he was of chickens. I lived in a tiny 1 room mud, thatched-roof house facing my hose families house. Every day, we went to language, culture and/or technical sessions (except Sundays). Those were some of the most interesting 5 weeks ever. I fumbled my way through Chichewa, admired the beauty of Malawi, and danced with some teenage girls every night after sunset to some songs I didn't understand. Homestay, though while it was happening felt like the longest days of my life, went by in a blur in retrospect. T the end of the 5 weeks in Chikanda, there was a going away ceremony..complete with singing, dancing, speeches and the Guli Wankuli (you already know too much).

The next morning we loaded up everything we collected from PC and were taken back to the college for a few days of administrative sessions and debriefing. We spent a few days enjoying each others company, then were dropped off at the Dedza bus stage with direct6ons to our sites and told to go....come back next week.

5.5 hour Minibus ride (bad Idea) one Rockin night in Blantyre, and another few buses later and we were in Mulanje (3 PCV's here) on ashadow visit. My site-mate and I spent a couple days at out other sit6e-mates house seeing the forestry office, boma, ect, then were on our way again to my cie , then Bris, then a Pastoral Center for a week of intensive Language classes. There ,we reconnected with the 7 people in the southern region, I had the greatest shower ever, and we ate like kings for the last time..probably. After a week of getting in trouble for not speaking in Chichewa for a week, we were taken back to the collage for a few more days. We were prepared for swearing in, cleaned up, and taken to Lilongwe where we took an oath to uncle sam and ate until it hurt. We also got to read some lovely letters from families telling (everyone else, at least) how proud they are....mine said that my room is now the sail locker (I love you too, Dad). Late night that night, then early the next morning, we packed up and were dropped at site...alone.

I've now been at site 4 weeks..as of yesterday. I'm learning Chichewa, getting my house the w3 way I want it, learning to do basic lack of electricity and running water things, and figuring out whats needed most in my area. I've made friends in my village now and am beginning to settle in though some days are still really long an d frustrating, I live in a absolutely beautiful place with wonderful people (who are thoroughly confused by the fact that there is no Nsima in the US.).

I'm learning to love the temperature,although Winter is coming and I find myself wearing long pants and a thermal when its 70F. I can bike to my site-mates house in 1 hour (door to door) which is about 15km (I also switched to SI) so that's comforting if things are frustrating (which happens when you're 7000 miles from your family, little kids think you have candy all the time and you don't speak chichewa. but I'm learning. I get about 10 hours of sleep a night and I get 12 hours of solid daylight. I have 2 turkeys whose main mission in life is to fun in my house and poop on my floor (all the time) and a cat who didn't take well to being given away...she returned. I think that's pretty much it.

Every call, letter, e-mail, facebook message, text, thought, totally makes my day.

P.S. I just tried to post pictures but it was unsucessful because of the speed of the internet...this internet situation, however, is temporary. I'll shrink them down when I'm not paying for internet and try again next week...or you can wait until I get faster internet. I'M TRYING MEGAN! haha. Miss you all!! In the mean time, you can e-mail me pictures if you shink them down a TON and e-mail them :0. Missing you!

Hello again!

I promise one day soon I'll actually sit down and try to upload some pictures....someday. In the mean time, go to peace corps journals and read the blogs of the recently inducted volunteers. Thats pretty much what happened to me :). Also, you could call my mom...or ME! Its free for me to receive calls! 265991950393. I would LOVE to talk to people. I think skype is 17 cents a minute or something. I also receive texts for free so if you want to spend 20 cents to make my day...you can :). Just saying. Things are great here, just feeling out the area to figure out what there is.

Missing you all! I talk to my family all the time so if you REALLY want to know want to know hat I"m doing ask my mom.

Greetings from Mulanje!!

So Wednesday morning the group of 21 of us took an oath to Uncle Sam partied with the current volunteers that night and were shipped off to our sites the very next morning. This is going to be short post because I'm paying for internet at my market as I'm still working out contacts for the free internet I keep hearing rumours of. So I'm in Mulanje now, where I'll be living for the next 2 years. I'm slowly getting to know people in my village and fumbling through enough chichewa to have small spurts of conversation. Sorry, you won't be getting those pictures today that I promised last time I had internet. Someday, you will see pictures. In the mean time, call my parents if you want information on what I'm up to past what I have the capacity to type in the next 5 minutes....I talk to them more than they want to talk to me. To my friends and family, people I've met in random places, the US government (I know you read this), and the friends of family of the other Peace Corps Volunteers here in Malawi who do almost as much blog-stalking as my family, hello. You should visit Malawi, its beautiful!! That's all I really have time to say. I cleaned all the scorpians out of my house...my turkeys are creepy and my chichewa is coming along quickly. There are SO many letters in the mail. I have a new mailing address: Amy Cross, PO Box 119, Mulanje, Malawi, Southern Africa. Mail me letters!!! or better yet, CHOCOLATE.

Thinking of you!

Amy in Mulanje.

P.S. facebook doesn't like that I'm trying to log-on from Africa so there is no facebook contact until next time I'm in my boma. Sorry Sarah.

Sure as Kilimanjaro rises like olympus over the sarangeti!!

Swearing in on Wednesday. I'll post more when I get more of a chance but I'm here, its beautiful and you should visit! Send me chocolate! I'll post pictures within the next 2 weeks. That's a promise. I'm thinking of you all and love the letters and package (thanks jenni).

Amy

We finally got a letter from Amy!

Hey everyone (Diana here again)
I just wanted to let everyone know that we got our first letter from Amy today!!! She wrote it on Monday March 1st, her 2nd day in Malawi. It sounds like she is having lots of fun, and is excited to really get started in the training. Here is a link to be blog of one of the people in Amy's group, and describes a lot of what is in Amy's letter.

http://intothewarmheart.blogspot.com/

We found it interesting and thought you might too. Hopefully the next update on here will be from Amy herself!

Greetings from Philadelphia!!

Close-up of the pole (the next picture). Layers of rust and paint. It looked like it used to be a streetlight before electricity but who knows. Anything that close to Franklin's grave has to be important and historically significant, right? That's the problem when you're in a city older than your state, to many things to be fascinated by.

This pole didn't have a sign but I was in the historical district and it looked old so I thought I would give it some attention.

Philadelphia is so patriotic, they like to put cement blocks with amendments carved in them around the city.

Me with the Liberty Bell!

The Liberty bell with its old home in the background.

Its cracked....in case you didn't know.

Me and Susan B. Anthony, we go way back. Thanks Susan you know, for the right to vote and the whole suffrage movement thing.

China town (a few blocks away from the hotel).

Warning:This will be my last post from the United States and my last post for 8+ weeks. Try not to cry...

I arrived yesterday in the evening. I took a cab (my first cab ride) to the hotel. My cab driver was REALLY excited that I was paying cash and leaving the country: he asked me to marry him. That kind of made my day. I spent the night unpacking and repacking anxiously. This morning on the today show, they were in Vancouver B.C. showing video of Mt. Baker...there was a slight shock of how much I am going to miss the beautiful Pacific Northwest but not enough to keep my from going (sorry Grandma). I skyped my family a bit then headed out to see the liberty bell. No, I don't know what freedom taste like due to a lot of security but I did get to see it. Oh well. I snapped a few pictures, hit the gift shop for some postcards, then headed back to the hotel where I was meeting some folks from my group for lunch. I finally got my Philly Cheese steak. I think it would have been better if I appreciated steak...but I don't. Oh well, now I can say I've had one, right?

After lunch we had just enough time to come back, change, and meet for staging. 6-7 hours later, I'm an official Peace Corps Trainee (my identity for the next 8 weeks). Exciting!!!

After staging, a big group of us meet for dinner, I had sushi for the first time (I've seen the light) and then headed back here to finalize some packing decisions for the last time. I also found out that people not from Washington think people from Washington live off of sushi. Maybe some people do?

Anyway, there is a group of 21 of us (almost all here) and everyone seems pretty great. I'm excited!! I'm hearing that JFK is closed down so we'll see if we actually get to fly out tomorrow but I'm excited. Once we land in Lilongwe we'll be whisked off to training so we're all going to hit the ground running, despite the jet lag. Ready or not, here we come!!!

P.S. Note on the previous post: PLEASE if you send me something, send ukulele songs...your favorite or something I've heard. As much as I love Bob, there's only so much Dylan a girl can play on a four-stringed instrument before people want to throw rocks at her head. Thanks!