“Nthawi yobwerera yakwana”

“The time to return has come”

Zambia, our neighbor to the west, and cultural look-a-like, has won the Africa cup of nations. Huzzah! Zambia, we are celebrating with you!
I was walking to work this morning (walking and not bicycling because its too hot to wear pants and I flash people when I ride a bike while wearing a short skirt…flashback to flashing the village headman in Mulanje way back when) when my neighbor pulled up in his mini bus and gave me a ride to work. It was nice.

In other news, Peace Corps is rolling through town today, I’m trying to decide if I’m going to send them up with my bicycle or not. I have a few hours to decide.
As of now my office mate and former landlady is playing the same song over and over again as I take a picture of my fanta bottle (fanta passion is delicious! It tastes like passion fruit). She’s complaining that I haven’t taken a picture of her so I won’t be able to show everyone in America what she looks like. She’s not a good person but I feel for her because her husband cheats on her. Ok, I just took a picture of her…and of everything else. Diana keeps complaining about how I don’t take enough pictures.

I know I’ve been here too long as I just spoke this sentence after someone in the office offered to make me tea:

“Eyai, Sindimakhonda tea upanda mkaka” or “No thanks, I don’t like tea without milk”

Good news! I finally bought the cement to fix my well yesterday!

Seven bags of cement. Large stones and river sand have already been collected. The driver who was with me whined so much about having to do physical labor (because when it came time to load the bags into my house the only people around were my 84 year old and 21 but pregnant with malaria neighbors….not much help) that I ended up buying him beer once we got back to the office. Either way, it’s here, it’s safe in my house, and its going to help a lot. Once people started to find out that the cement actually arrived, they started coming back to my house telling me any number of the following:

“Mulungu akudalitse” or “God bless you”

“Mulungu akupatse nzeru” or “May God give you intelligence”

Ect. Ect. Ect. You get the picture; needless to say, they were grateful. This is the first time I’ve done a project and been thanked for it. I don’t know how to handle it. At any rate, the cement is here, not we just have to actually do the project….we’ll see when it gets done. Just call me the community mobilizer! I will organize this project so hard people won’t know what hit them.

Then my neighbor lady (the old one, not the pregnant one) woke me up this morning banging on the door. I thought there was a problem so I rushed out to the door. She was begging body lotion because her skin was dry…..not a fun way to wake up.

I saw this sign in Blantyre..evidently they have a problem with people rushing up and down the completely open staircase.



"Chigumu" which is cake made with maize flour and banana's (which sounds much more delicious than it is as it is dry and gritty even freshely baked. They bake them in cut off sweet and condenced milk tins.

Cement.

Cement. BIGGEST THANKS EVER to Dave and Irma!

When I talk about soya pieces, this is what they look like.

The 99 kwacha shop.

This is the old lady who lives next to me. She's Zulu, from Johannesburg but came to Malawi in 1964 by train to be married. She never went back home to South Africa even though her husband passed away in the 1980's because the chiefs asked her to stay. She has no contact with any of her family. She's the one who woke me up wanting lotion. I don't know her name, everyone just calls her "Agogo" which means "Grandmother". She's hilarious. She sweeps my backyard every day to keep me safe from snakes. When I told her not to sweep, I want grass to come and I'm not affraid of snakes, she said that she needs the exercise so that she doesn't walk like an old lady... My landlady is Agogo's only surviving child of four daughters.

Agogo sits on her porch all day long. She tells me that she's my "moronda" or "gaurd".

My neighbor, Davy, brought a picture of himself for me to take a picture of so everyone back home could know what he looks like when he's all dressed up. He wants me to take another picture of him on Sunday when he's wearing his Sunday best.

This is what Africa does to headphones. I just got these in September. It has to be at least my 6th set since I've been here. I hope these last a couple more months.

Eggplant (Mabilingano)! I eat this more than i will admit.

This is my old landlady, and current office-mate, Mrs. Shawa. She's the mean one.

Co-workers co-workers co-workers!

Another co-worker...he's an accountant.

The market across the street from my office.

The market across the street from my office.

This is the UNDP car that the District Commissioner rolls around in. Thanks United Nations for donating cars to the people who can already afford them!

More co-workers

This is them posing for the camera. People here don't normally smile for pictures...

Some of my co-workers.

Working hard, or hardly working?

Some of my co-workers cracking themselves up over something.

Fanta Passion is DELICOUS!

This is the game called snake on my phone. It looks like this. I had to stop playing because I kept having dreams that snakes were chasing me. My top score is REALLY high though.

Sometimes I do this...I'm getting better. In this game, when you win, the cards bounce in VICTORY!

Termites like books too...

Thanks for reading!

Atsikana ndi Asimayi

"Girls and Women"

I might not do much in these past couple months of my service, but if I do anything, it will be on my long walks to and from the office every day, walking with young girls knocking off and going to school throughout the day. They might not remember what I’ve done for work, but I at least will have crammed their young impressionable and tender minds with my strange, liberal thoughts of gender equality and self progression. I find myself saying these same strange things over and over:
Topic Numero Uno: The troubling eternity that is hopelessly inescapable village life and its relation to education.

“Usamatamangire chikwokwati, anyamata, chiyani chiyani. Pitirizani ku school, Khalani serious. Ukamaliza, udzadziwa moyo wa bwino kwambiri. Sudzadandaula za zokudya pafupifupi, sudzatunga madzi tsiku ndi tsiku, kutaya nthawi ako kuyesesa kupeza nkuni. Zimenezo, eyai. Usamavitike choncho eyai. Ndimakufinira moyo wa bwino.”

Translation:

“You shouldn’t be always running toward early marriage, and chasing boys, what what. Continue with school and be serious about it. After you finish, you can know a very good life. You won’t have to worry about food all the time, you won’t have to fetch water every day, or waste your time looking for firewood to cook on. These things, no. You shouldn’t be troubled like that, no. I want you to have a good life.”

Topic Numero Dos: Relationship/Marriage/Gender equality in terms of sexual and physical abuse (Of course addressing this topic is why I had to leave my old site, and why it is so important to me. I breach the topic often, but tread lightly.):

“Mudziwa chiyani? Kwathu, mamunayo, amakamenya asamayi, apolice, amamumangira, amapita ku jail mpaka zaka zambiri. Amakafuna kugona ndi akazi wake, ngati akazi safuna, ndi chimodzimodzi kuguirira. Amapitaso ku jail. Kathuwaso, anthu, amakalowa mu jail, samathuluka sanga ingati kuno. Kuno, amakalowa mu jail, mawa amathuluka. Amangosalamo umo nthawi ayithali kwambiri. Ifeyo, asamayi, tisamawope asibambo. Tikhale limodzi, kuchezana, kuguirizana, kugayirana, basi, osati kumenyana, eyai.”

Translation:

“Do you know what? Where I’m from, men, after they beat a women, the police arrest them, they go to jail for many years. Even after they want to sleep with their wives, if the woman doesn’t want to, it is the same as rape. They go to jail for that too. Where I’m from after people go to jail, they don’t get out quickly. It’s different from here where when people go to jail for these things, they get out the next day. They just stay in there for a long time. We women, we shouldn’t be afraid of men. We should be together as one, chatting, agreeing, sharing, that’s all, not fighting each other.”

Note: The most devastating part of this conversation (which, believe you me I have every week, minimum) is that women are always SHOCKED to find out that in America, men go to jail for raping and beating their wives, and not only do they go to jail, they stay in there to rot until we decide they’re decent enough for society again. When I say shocked, I mean open mouth, jaw dropped shocked. The response is immediately, “that would never work here” or “do you hear what she’s saying? “ like every single women is being beat and raped by her husband (which is common here I know for a fact. If I had a nickel for every time I heard a man say, “it’s her duty to satisfy me, she can’t refuse, she’s my wife,” I would be sickened by how rich I would be) and the thought that someone doesn’t have to live like that is shocking to them. It breaks my heart every time.

I’m sure these girls get sick of my lectures but they like talking to the crazy white girl so they have to listen to them. As far as I’m concerned, one day, even if its way in the future one of them will listen to me.; On that day, but not before that, my entire two years of service to this country will be justified and I will feel, in my soul, through an internal, intercontinental, sisterly bond, that I did something worthwhile, and I will smile and be proud. I feel for these girls who will grow up to be troubled, trapped, abused, un-liberated.

In other news, I can tell it’s time to move along, away from Malawi as the following songs are popping up more and more frequently on my playlists by no intention of my own (much like before I came to Malawi):
“So Long, It’s Been Good to Know You” –Woody Guthrie
“Gotta Travel On” –Au Go-Go Singers
“Hard Road to Travel” –Jimmy Cliff
“Midnight Rider” –The Allman Brother’s Band
“Wagon Wheel” –Old Crow Medicine Show
That kind of thing. Oh subconscious, you are what you are and you know its time.

Bad news. Yesterday, I accidentally deleted all the music off of my ipod. 7000 songs! 30GB! All gone! Ironically enough, I was trying to back them up on my hard drive but before I did that I decided to delete a playlist. Due to the computer being slow, I just closed the program, only to find later that there was nothing on my iPod. I’m upset about it but trying not to lose my cool. I keep reminding myself that it’s all backed up at home. Thanks goodness! At least I have space for all that Malawian music I like, now...
Yesterday, to distract myself from flipping out over the one thing that has been keeping me relatively sane, I made mango wine. Two weeks until its ready. Something about squishing the life out of each mango and then throwing the pit at the goats that wake me up every morning baaaaahhhhhing, made me feel better.

In other other news: How about that super bowl game? How about that halftime show? Huh? Huh?

Chaka Chino

“This Year”

2012, the year the world ends (just kidding…yes, we get that here too).

This year, though new, has already proven to be an interesting start to the year I leave Malawi. After New Year celebrations had died down and I had been in Lilongwe for about 8 days, I got sick. Malaria. I got better, after a bit. A friend of mine told me that I have now been “baptized by mosquitoes. Welcome to Malawi!” how chummy. Here’s what happened:
I was sitting on the computer working on my grad school applications (completed and submitted, now) when I started to feel…funny, is the best way I can describe it. Within the hour I was feverishly shivering on the couch. Since I was in the PC office, I went into the medical office for them to take my temperature. They said I had no fever and to go sleep and take lots of fluids. I went back to the lodge I was staying at and slept for hours under all the blankets I could manage to scrounge up. The next day I felt bad but mobile. The day after that, the same thing happened but more severe. Shivering, sweats, spinning, incapacitated. This time, however, I had a fever. They put me in the bed in the back room so I could lie down underneath blankets (something about them not wanting me moaning and shivering on the couch in the front room, strange).
Evelyn (our wonderful nurse whom we love): *petting my face* “Oh you feel bad, I know. I’ve never seen Amy sick before!”
They took a blood test, ++ Malaria. The best we can figure is that I must have missed a dose of my doxycycline while traveling all night from the islands (which works out given Malaria has about an 8 day incubation period). Anyway, they gave me Cordium, or “La” for medication. The first night was bad but after that I started to feel better every day. Now, I feel great (so don’t worry, Grandma).
So they had me shut up in the back room of the medical office trying to sleep while my grad school deadlines were ticking away. Sleeping when you have stuff to do doesn’t work, no matter how sick you are.
Jail-brake.
There’s a loud Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz sound that goes off when that door opens. I was trying to make my way to productivity when I had been caught. All I saw was Evelyn running at me yelling, “My patient!!!” After I spent the next 5 minutes explaining about the applications and deadlines and how I promise not to die and if I get worse I’ll come back, I promise but for now I have to get work done. She was concerned but finally let me go after making me take aspirin, a bottle of water, and a blanket. Back to work.

Nobody told me that the first night after you start the medication is the worst part because I was “lost” in the next building, working. As it turns out, as the parasite is leaving your body, it releases toxins, causing the patient to want to puke her brains out. Fortunately, my good friends Tom and Colin were with me. They made me soup. I slept eventually. That was the worst of it. I just took things slowly for the next week.
Since then, I finished my applications.
Next up Close of Service Conference! 21 people in, 15 out. We learned all sorts of handy things, like exactly how to end our service (in paperwork), how to say goodbye to people in our communities, what to expect upon our return home, ect, ect.
76 Days and one wake-up left before I leave Malawi (a bit shout out to Bri’s dad for this new counting method).
So here I am living it up in the Chiradzulu, living the village life, for two more months. Then I’m gone, like a bat in the night, back the land of plenty, to forget this funny language I’ve managed to learn. I have told my co-workers when I’m leaving and that, no, I will not be extending my contract, no matter what you tell me.
“But Amy, think of all the good you could do with women’s development and empowerment in the village with your Chichewa!” (not my primary project making this suggestion somewhat random).
“I’ve already been here two years that’s commitment enough for now, besides, I’m tired of living without a fridge. Maybe I’ll come back someday if I can manage to find a job that will provide that…and after I see my family.”
In other news, my neighbor is pregnant. I thought she was gaining weight. After I confronted her I found out that not only is she expecting, but she’s 6 months pregnant! The baby is due in March, she wants me to name it. The second I found out she was pregnant, I gave her my vitamins and my extra mosquito net. Now I have to think of a name. She said she wanted to get pregnant before I leave so I can name the baby and she can remember me forever….how’s that for attachment. I told her that was sweet but stupid and she’s too young for babies. Evidentially, she ignored that advice. It also turns out that at the time I told her that, she was already pregnant. Life is funny like that, but, she’s happy, so I’m happy for her. She’s twenty-one.

Now, I’m sitting in my office while two men are talking about relationship issues. Cultural exchange is interesting. I’ll say no more on the subject except this, the man seeking advice from the other man just informed me (at my inappropriately bringing up the batman which seems to happen to me a lot) that batman is the anti-Christ. I don’t think I will associate with him anymore. Batman! Can you imagine? The things you hear here, they never fail to surprise.
So I’m here, finding things to entertain myself (mostly Kurt Vonnegut books) until it is time to say goodbye and make my way out of Malawi for the first time since 2010. Eventually, I’ll go back to my old village and say goodbye to all the people there. Judging by how hard it was for them to say goodbye to my parents and Diana after just a few days, I don’t see it being easy. I love them, and they love me. They keep calling me asking when I’m coming. I’ll go, I’ll go. I want to go every week; I’m just trying to keep my distance for the sake of the volunteer who is there working now.
So that’s pretty much what’s been going on here. If you’ll excuse me, I need a break to go and buy bananas. We’ve been paid, you see, so I can, yet again, afford banana’s (or I will at least after I go to the bank tomorrow, I was just lucky enough to find some loose change in my wallet). No bananas, only mangos. Mango mango mango. There are only so many mangos a girl can consume in a period of time, and this year’s mango season’s mango tolerance is less than that of last year. I still like them, but a banana is nice. Did you know that time flies like an arrow? Also fruit flies like a banana. Also, Amy likes a banana. I wonder if bananas are as delicious in the land of plenty as they are here? I doubt it. I should eat nothing but bananas for the next coming days so that I’m sick of them by the time I get home and will, therefore, never need to be disappointed. Unhealthy re-adjustment idea, this is.

I’m still hung up on this batman thing. I stand up for batman.

Feel free to stop reading if you have better things to do, from here, I digress. I’m on lunch break and have nothing else to do but ramble in your direction.

Did I ever explain the title change up top?
Adventures of Amy Adventures of Nambewe
Nambewe, is my Malawian name. It’s a clan name, with the Na-indicating that I’m female. Had I been a man I would have been Mbewe. But I’m NAmbewe: female. Anyway, being given a traditional clan name is a sign of respect and cultural integration. I’m proud of it. Others call me Nachisale, which is a different name. Others call me Emma. That’s not a nickname, that’s a mispronunciation of Amy. I’ve come to like the name Emma, though because that’s what the people I love in Mulanje call me.
Other noteworthy accomplishments: Nokia phones have a game called snake. I am a snake master.
Prepare yourselves for me, I’m almost home! Then again, it’s been explained to me that almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades…so we’ll see what happens.

Christmas!

For Christmas, me and six of my closest friends here in Malawi went to the beautiful islands in the northern lakeshore. We all met in Mzuzu, then traveled together to Nhata Bay. After taking, what seemed like a lifetime-long, trip on the Ilala (which I did not get to drive this time) we arrived at Likoma island. There we spent the next few days relaxing on the beach, swimming, and enjoying ourselves, when we weren't fighting off whip scorpians....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whip_scorpion Gross. Lets just say that we were all really careful about tucking in our nets, even me.

After three wonderful days on Likoma Island, we arranged for a sail boat to take us to Chizumulu island. The boat left at 3am and got us there just before 5am, which meant we got to watch the sunrise over Likoma Island as we slowly sailed away. It was incredible. After arriving and walking across the island (barefoot because my flip flops finally died and it was too hot for close-toed shoes) we made it to the Wakwenda retreat lodge. It was a beautiful lodge on he beach with lots of large rocks to jump off and the most beautiful bar I've ever seen in my life(probably should have taken a picture of it).
Four days on Chiradzulu with delicous food and good friends and we were on our way back to civilization. We opted not to take the Ilala on the way back (because its miserable and expensive and slow and terrible in every way) and ended up taking a boat called "Malungo" (which translates to "Malaria") . We were nervice about taking the slightly sketchy cheaper boat but it ended up being fine. Not only did we pay less, but there was air flow, and we got to watch local music videos at volumes that will blow your ear drums wide open. I don't think anyone I was with enjoyed it, but I had a great time...especially when the people who run the boat found out the seven of us are American's and insisted on playing the song "Barack Obama" over and over again (my local favorite, because of its rediculousness. Its played in buses and bars and everywhere that plays music here all the time. You can enjoy it here (it is not a waste of your time, you won't regret it, regardless of how you feel about him)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPIMkDjzAlc

We made it to Nkhata Bay safely, and what seemed like quickly after we realized that the entire purpose of the top of the boat was for dance parties.... We stayed in Nkhata Bay only long enough to get transport into Mzuzu. Transport problems, as usual. We arrived in Mzuzu tired, hungry, crabby. Sleep. The next morning, we all had delicious Chipati's and eggs for breakfast then headed our separate ways. Five of us headed to Lilongwe, two went down the lake shore road to Nkhota Nkhota. Getting back was the first time I have ever had an easy time with transport in the Northern Region, thanks to a very friendly bishop who took three of us.
That was my last trip to the North. Goodbye Northern Region.
Since I've been back I've been in Lilongwe working hard on Grad school applications (deadlines are closing in). I'm feeling pretty good about things. I opted to skip out on a party in the north and the south and the central, so I could stay and work to make my applications as strong as possible.

It looks like I am here in Lilongwe until my close of service conference on the 9th of January when I'll go to Senga Bay...then again, I might try to escape Lilongwe for a bit, depending on how efficiently I work. That's a long time in the city. We'll see what happens.
HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE!! To all of my friends and family, I love you and miss you and, though I'm enjoying myself here in Malawi, I'm excited that this is my last Holiday Season away from home. I look forward to celebrating with you next year...regardless of where I'll be (which is still a mystery).


Here's how my Christmas was, how was yours?


Waiting on Christmas Eve where there was network (the cell tower was on the island in the distance, Likoma Island)


Hanging out...enjoying island life.


Everyone waiting for lunch to come.

This is what I stared at for a week, how's the weather in America?

Working in Lilongwe at the Peace Corps office (disregard the fact that facebook is displayed, I actually have been working). Note: these photos are out of order.

Mom, Dad, and Diana, this is what I was looking at when we were talking on the phone on Christmas Eve. Standing at the top of the hill on Chizumulu Island, taking phone reception from Likoma Island (in the distance).

Sol waiting for his parent's to call him.

Colin and Bri waiting for calls from home.

Playing bananagrams.

Bri really likes rice and beans.

Christmas eve lunch...only at the fanciest restaurant.

My hair has officially turned blonde. Waiting for our christmas beans and rice to come.

Katy likes dogs.

Bri and Sol.

I wear my sunglasses at night, so I can, so...I....cann

I tried to keep the sunset pictures to a minimum, but come on, its incredible..

Ujeni

Yes, yes its been a while since I updated last. A few weeks ago I updated, a long update too, with pictures and humor an everything that is nice and sweet in the world. It didn't work. Right before published, the black cloud of ESCOM (Electric company in malawi) kicked me with a blackout. Lost. Anyway, you're not here to listen to my sob story. You're here for the pictures, maybe, or you just want to know what I've been up to. The answer: a lot.
Lets go way back to October.
The last week of October, I headed north. I got on a bus in Blantyre at 1:30pm. The bus broke down 3 times, the last time resulting in a bus change. Due to my position on the bus (the back) I lost my seat after the swap and then had to stand for the next 6 hours. I normally would complain about the standing (ok, maybe I did a bit at the time), but if I wasn't standing I would have been sleeping and if I had been asleep I would have missed getting to watch the sunrise over Nkhata Bay, which was one of the most beautiful scenes I have yet to see in Malawi thus far.
Life here is all about small victories. Its the only way we survive with (most of) our sanity.
I got off the bus at 6am in Mzuzu where I immediately got on a minibus (because the direct big bus filled up and left while I was peeing out sixteen and a half hours of pee. I took a mini bus to Karonga where I got on top of a Matola (a giant Lollie) which also broke down 4 times which made the 3 hour trip last almost 7. I pulled into Chitipa (the farthest north district in Malawi on the borders of Zambia and Tanzania). I stayed there for under 24 hours for a Halloween party then headed back south. I haven't decided if it was worth it or not. As future Amy. On the way back south I was traveling with friends and we skipped down over 3 days, stopping at my friend Sol's site on the way to Lilongwe for the Peace Corps/USAID 50th Anniversary party.
Hitching down to Lilongwe was interesting. There was a mass exodus of Peace Corps Volunteers as everyone was headed into the capitol for the celebration. The party was fine. Important speakers, muckity mucks, good food, open bar, good friends, what's not to like?
After spending a couple days in Lilongwe for the festivities, me and some other volunteers headed down to Liwonde National Park for the second half of the game count (transect walks) for our last battle with Jurassic Park. The transect walks went smoothly, with the exception of the fact that we didn't realize until we walked the width of the park in a straight line that you can't build a road on a river (and Malawi's not good with bridges) so we had to walk all the way back to where we started for transport back to camp. We didn't ration water adequately for both ways. It was a long, hot day.
On the last day in the park, we had to leave earlier than we planned to leave because the rains started and once they fall, the roads are impassable. The park wanted us to stay. We wanted to leave. There was pushing and pulling and mud everywhere and eventually a tractor. 4 hours later, we were free. A few hours after that we were back in civilizationish.
After freeing myself from the bonds of Liwonde national park for the final time in my service I went back to site. I was in Chiradzulu for about a week doing different things, working with youth clubs, writing proposals, planning for world aids day, then I was back up in Lilongwe for the GRE. I have little to say about the GRE except that we got to keep our calculators. That was neat.
After th GRE I was back at site for a bit. World Aids Day came and went. We through a celebration in one of the villages in my district. It was great.

Thanksgiving. Bri and Jeremy and I were in Blantyre hanging out. We watched a movie, Columbiana in the movie theater.

Bri and I climbed Mt. Mulanje with he wildlife club at the primary school in her village. Us and 35kids, the headmaster, and one teacher. That was tiring. When we got to the top, the kids went and collected a bunch of plastic and made a soccer ball so they could play because they weren't tired. I will never have children. Is that normal? Mountains not being tiring? I'm confused.

The next week I went to help do work for an under nutrition study. I was mostly translating and entertaining women (like the chichewa talking monkey I am), it was fun. We got to stay at an Italian Mission so I had delicious food, showers, electricity, it was fantastic.
I got back from helping there 2 days ago and then left early this morning for Lilongwe because my vacation starts tomorrow! I'm going to an island. I'll take pictures.
In the mean time my time has been going quickly writing grad school applications, getting together recommenders, ect. I'm surprised to realize that I only have 4 months left in Malawi. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. What can I say, you're all up to speed. Enjoy the pictures.

This is the view from the top of the hill, just feet down the road is where I work. Way in the distance off to the right behind the hill a faded bump. That's Mt. Mulanje. At least my site is still pretty.


This is how you know its 10:30.




The MSF (doctors without borders) people playing a game on world Aids Day.

Mt. Mulanje.

Mt. Mulanje

Chambe peak on Mulanje.

Wildlife club on top of Mulanje

This is the cabin we all stayed in.

Carlesburg brewery tour (That's what I did for Thanksgiving).

My neighbor, Hendrina, who breaks into my house and mops, frequently. This is where my water comes from.

Transect walks inside Jurassic Park.

Transect walk...before we knew we had to go back to the beginning.

Jeremy making coals out of ebony so we can cook our chicken on endangered woods.

A PCV gutting the chicken.

Bri cuddling a chameleon on the lakeside. Classic Bri.

Chitipa Halloween. We went as Wayne and Garth.

I forget what kind of animal this is.

These too, its really bugging me. Can someone remind me?

This is a tent. This is where we slept inside the national park during the game count. Those tents in the background had to move because the elephants kept wanting to chat.