Tinalandilidwa Ndi Manja Awiri

"We were welcomed with two hands"

Chuck's puppies....last one, I swear!

One of my old landlord's (right) cows. I do not enjoy being close to an animal that could break my femur without trying very hard. Can't wait to see some elephants!!

That tea you drink, this is how its picked. This is one of Andrew's sisters plucking tea leaves.

Andrew's family

Andrew's Mom insisted on having her picture with Mom and Dad.

These are not this child's flip flops. Old Navy flip flops however, are a big hit in Malawi.

This is where I used to charge my cellphone.

My old neighbors making breaks. They're a riot.

No big deal....its not like water's heavy.

My old nightwatchman selling bread to Spoon.

Monty, my old nightwatchman. He's awesome.

Firewood on head.

Tea.

This is a little boy who sells sugar cane. He always tells me he goes to school but I think that's to avoid my long lectures on the importance of education. He's pretty clever.

My old landlord insisted that we go see his church. We interrupted choir practice. When you see my mother after she's home safely bug her about seeing videos. They're incredible.

This is Mom and Dad's gift from Andrews sisters and mother. They gave me some too so I wouldn't feel left out. This the 4th variety of banana we've received as gifts.

Spoon reading to her mother. She was really excited about the bible my folks brought her. Excited is actually an understatement.

A select few members of the greatest Village Development Committee in the history of the world!!

Mom was excited about the cookies.

The School Committee gave Mom and Dad a bunch of tea leaves to remember them by.

This is the headmaster of Bangu Primary School, Mr. Jailosi showing mom a workbook.

First grade....one of the classes.

This is the same class. Schools here are slightly overpopulated (about 200 people per class, about 2,500 students in the school, about 19 teachers).

Some more members of the VDC here, including the chairwoman, Chrissy Spoon, on the left.

I wasn't going to update again but the internet here is still working (its a miracle!) and so fast that I could hardly help myself. These are from today, the second, and last, day in my old village. The plan for today was mostly to visit the schools, which explains all of the school pictures. Tomorrow we leave Mulanje. We'll give Andrew a ride up to Zomba which is our final destination for the night. We will, however, stop by my old house, meet everyone I work with now, and then continue on to Zomba where we will crash for the night, then drive up the the plateau for some beautiful views. The next morning we'll head to Liwonde for Safari, then Monkey bay at the lake, then up and off to Lilongwe. The past couple days, however, in Mulanje, have been the most important to me. It's been really nice to be able to share what my life has been like here in Malawi, with my mom and dad, especially to be able to share my friends and family here.

Amayi ndi Abambo wophiya

"Mom and Dad arrived"

Please excuse the fact that these are in no particular chronological order. Thanks to my super-bwana status, due to my folks being here in Malawi, I'm staying at a nice hotel with a wireless option. Since its evening, the internet is fast enough to upload pictures.

I headed into Lilongwe on Tuesday and started preparing for my parents' arrival. Friday came before I knew it (I never am really sure how time passes in that city, it just does) and I was meeting them at the airport. Our faith has been re-instated in Ethiopian airlines as they got here safely (though exhausted...proven by the fact that its not even 8pm and they're both snoring away.) with all of their luggage in-tact. We relaxed a bit then the next morning we picked up the rental car I had made reservations for. Driving is fun :). We drove down to Blantyre where mom freaked out at every pot hole (as was excepted, its not like I put them there, though, sheesh). We grabbed dinner at Kips in Blantyre then headed back to Doogle's where we were staying. Mom and Dad passed out early which left me with a bunch of friends and nothing to do. We went dancing. It was awesome. Later that night my dorm bed was stolen so my friends and I got to go sleep in a private chalet. EARLY the next morning I woke up to check on my folks who were just starting to rustle around. We breakfast, then headed to Church. We attended the first church ceremony I've been to since being in Malawi.

After church we headed to the curios market to exchange money and pick up some souvenirs, that was interesting, as it usually is. After that we hit the road and headed to Mulanje where we had pizza with Bri and landed at Kara O' Mula lodge, enjoyed the hiking tails for a bit, then relaxed and spread out legs out a bit.

Early this morning we woke up and had a delicious breakfast, provided by the hotel. After that we hit the road and headed to my old site where there was a meeting with some chiefs, some friends of mine, and the womens group I was working with. There was lots of dancing and singing, obviously. We wandered around seeing everybody. On the way out we were given at least 50 pounds in banana's (I wish I was exaturating), a head of cabbage, and a live chicken with its legs tied together. Classic Malawi. We eventually came back here where we are getting ready to do it all over again tomorrow in Bri's village.

Two village headman and two sub-chiefs. On the left is Sub Chikapa, my sub chief from when I lived there, and Chief Bangu in the pink shirt.

Dad playing at the curios market.

The place we're staying here in Mulanje.

Chuck tied up so she didn't follow me into my old landlady's house.

Chuck's puppies!!

Forgive all the puppy pictures but how cute are they?!

Linda, a good friend of mine with one of the puppies.

This is how big Chuck was when I got her.

Mom and Dad with our gift, the live chicken.

Handing over the oil presses. This is Group Village Headman, Duswa, and the Chairwoman of the women's group.

Dad sharing some words with the crowd, Andrew, Duswa, and the chiefs...the women's group was there too, just not in the picture.

Looking over Mulanje, from the side of the mountain around the hotel.

I've been waiting for this pizza since Diana left in February.

As you can see, Mom and Dad made it here safely.

Shout-out to those who sent gifts for me with my folks, thank you. You will get something more personal from me as soon as possible.

<3 Amy

Sindingakulupirire! Akubwera!

"I can't believe it! They're coming!"

I've started to count the days (not literally, though my Mom has a running countdown for how long until they're here, as well as how many days until I come home to her. Sweet, I know.) Anyway, I've been busy busy planning out they're trip, making sure they get to see everything I want them to see. I'm excited to see them, I can't believe its been over a year and a half. My, how time flies.

Things at work have picked up quickly. I now have a desk and and office (that I share with two other fine, upstanding gentleman). I am working with the district assembly, specifically under the department of planning. This means that I do whatever people want me to do, given that my experience is...not narrowed down to one field, as a result of my nomadic tendencies, I get to do all sorts of things. Currently, I'm helping with different HIV/AIDs prevention/ education projects within the district of Chiradzulu, as well as grant writing, and proposal projections for different things. I also have my hands in editing things like the District Rural water, sanitation, and hygiene program, as well as tagging along on feild visits with who ever will let me come (district development office, social welfare office, UNICEF, literally, whoever will let me come along). I like it. I feel productive.

Anytime I can, I make side trips to beautiful Mulanje to see my old village and keep up with some small projects over there (shallow well digging, women's groups, committees I'm still a part of, ect). All in all, I'm finally keeping myself busy again.

I still haven't moved to the boma yet, the house isn't done yet. I'm going to check on it today and I'm comfortable in saying that I will at least know how much the landlady will want for rent, that is, if she doesn't intentially inflate it as a scheme to get me to live with her so I can be HER Chichewa/chilomwe/chiyau talking monkey. Everyone wants one, weird. I'm making an effort to learn as much as I can in other local languages, because I like the looks on peoples' faces when I say, "Aswerere?" or, "Moseliwa?" or, "Mwatandala?" (other greetings in Chiyau, Chilomwe, and Chitimbuka, respectively.) ect, ect. you get the picture. I've found that I have a knack for languages (all except for english, as you can see from my superb spelling abilities), its just means to entertain myself, I suppose. A stimulated mind is a happy mind, you know?

That's all for now, I suppose. Winter is finally coming to a close, and the warm season is creeping up upon us. I find myself happy with a t-shirt and a scarf, instead of long underwear, scarves, gloves, hats, and still complaints about the cold. It was 80F yesterday, I only had to wear a sweater. It was nice and pleasant in the sun.

I hope everything is dandy back home!

Amy

Zithunzi

Ladies and gentlement who contributed to the appropriate water projects, Bangu well project, this is one of the 9. Inside there is clean water. Look how happy you all made this woman who only has to walk a couple hundred meters, instead of 3-4 kilometers.

This is Andrew, one of the builders, and a friend of his. A while back I posted a picture of a hand-dug well that was covered with bamboo. This is the post-cemented result. Before too long I'll be doing another grant (and it will be posted here) to do 5 more wells to finish one in every village under Group Village Headman Duswa.

This is the house I want to move into

Dance party in Nkhata Bay. This is what Bri and I were doing while our backpacks were stollen. Don't we look excited?

PROOF! Me driving the Illala (ferry).

The Ilala herself, the ferry I drove.

Waiting on the beach for the ferry to come.

Bri reading. Taken from the trail.

Katy on the trail. She really likes hiking.

Beautiful lake Malawi.

Water break

On the trail just starting off toward Ruarwe. Leaving at sunrise. Leaving at sunrise is nice but leaving at sunrise means you have to wake up before sunrise. Before sunrise is night time. Night time is for sleeping. I had trouble. Twila and Bri. That's the lake in the background.

Sarah.

This might or not might be true, I'm unsure. I am, however, glad that the Malawian government appropriatly values their roadsigns.

This is the house I'm currently staying in. Two bedrooms is small. When I finally got all my stuff, it took a couple hours of re-arranging to be able to close the front door.

Well, the time has finally come, congratulations! Pictures for you. I have the whole day to upload them. Unfortunatly, they're the same ones I put on facebook, so those of you who have facebook will be a bit bored with nothing new except the background.

Enjoy!

I'm in Lilongwe now, I got here a couple days ago. I came to pick up oil presses, which are in the country, but because of customs, or something else, are being held hostage. I'm going to have to wait a week or so. That week or so will not be spent in Lilongwe, but at my house, at work, like a good volunteer.