Happy Birthday to My Wonderful OLDER Sister!!!!!

No translation necessary.

Not a whole lot has happened since my last post but I'm here with access to internet so I might as well post, right? In the words of my Genius cousin, Jenni, "you know if you post more often you won't have to write as many words." Thanks Jenni <3.

So last week went by like any other week where I'm just going to work and not traveling a lot (which is actually kind of rare for me these days). The only exception was the weekend. Over the weekend I went to Mulhako Wa Alhomwe, which is a massive festival (it is estimated that about 40,000 people attended) in Mulanje celebrating the Lomwe people, a tribe located mostly in the Southern region of Malawi as well as in parts of Mozambique. There was traditional dancing, song, food, dress, ect. Seeing as how many cultural practices particular to different tribes in Malawi are being lost and forgotten (even the language of the Lomwe people, Chilomwe, is unknown by most people my age and younger, its only the older generation and the traditional authorities who know it), it was very interesting to get to see, first hand, the reincarnation of tribal and traditional pride, especially in a place when those things are lost or undermined by Westernization.

The festival was Sunday, since then I've been working all this week, until today. Today I head toward where I will be for Halloween...but more on that after it happens.

It is hot here. It was 90F inside my bedroom last night at 11:00pm. Hot. I bought the thick candles so they wouldn't melt and bend over like they did last year. Hot. I don't mind it though like i did last year, I found a fridge I can use while I'm at work so I can drink cold water. The only part of hot season that REALLY bothers me is that vegetables don't last. They wilt and then rot within one day...now I never thought these words would leave my mouth (or my fingers, as it were) but there's only so many peanut butter sandwiches a girl can eat. Also, thing about the humidity, I'm drinking at least three Liters of water per day and still only peeing once...I guess I'll try to push for more (but not too many seeing as how I'm going to be on a bus for the next 12 hours).







They're not actually working, they're looking at pictures...but look how professional they look. My officemate and another co-worker.



A friend of mine in the office, Yami, the assistant forestry officer.


Yami was playing with my camera. This is me sitting in at my desk being the most productive human to ever live.




The ride back from the Lomwe festival of course everyone in the car wanted their picture taken. Everyone here always wants their picture taken.







President His Excellency Bingu Wa Muthalika.


Some Mozambiquan guy wanted to show off his knitted bottle at the festival, he didn't do that great of a job. "Pobregado! (Portuguese for Thank you)."




I didn't think I had enough pictures to be enough for this post so I just took this of myself.




Aaaand, this is where I'm sitting at the moment, in the blue chair.

I'll post again after I get to Lilongwe for Peace Corps and USAID's 50th Anniversary celebration. Sorry this wasn't very exciting, but at least now you have a glimpse into my every day life instead of just the exciting stuff.

Ndine Nkalamba Sopano

"I'm an old person now"

Lets start waayyy back. Mom and Dad left and it was sad and lonely for a while. I was used to constant attention, then they left. That feeling, however was short-lived since i jumped right back into the crazy life that is of a Peace Corps Volunteer. After they left, I made and attempt to go back to the south and failed because of a bad hitching day. Day number two of trying and I made it down in no time. Coincidentally that day I also was invited to meet with the new US Ambassador with some other Volunteers from the southern region. She is phenomenal and seems eager to work and in and with our little organization which means good news for us, or it at least can't be bad. I spent the weekend in town seeing as the demonstrations were switched from active anti-government rallies to silent protests in the form of staying home from work for three days. Town was safe, we had official Peace Corps transport, and it was a great weekend. After that I headed back home and back to work. That weekend was lake of stars which was great, as expected. What could be bad about a giant hippy-music festival in the middle of Africa right on the lakeshore? That's right, nothing.

After LOS, I got violently sick (no doubt from the water at the festival since i was cheap and refused to buy bottled water). Four days at home on the couch, unable to move. I called the doctor. Gastroentinitus. Medicated. Now, I've never felt better. I was only home and at work for a few days before I headed to Blantyre and celebrated my birthday with some people from my group. Another girl from the central region came down and her and Bri and I went to my house for the night. The next morning we got up, and hit the road toward Liwonde, only stopping briefly in Zomba to pick up some groceries for the week. From there it was on to the park for the water hole count.

Last week was the waterhole count for Liwonde National Park. See pictures. It was fantastic! Basically, everyone was assigned one 4 hour shift per day with the option to choose more shifts (which most people did). There was always a minimum of two people per shift, one volunteer, and one park guard (with a huge gun that they will not let the volunteers play with no matter what they offer). So the parks people made a little hide out house just above each of the three waterholes, normally up in a tree. Its a basic structure, covered in grass (very hi-tech camouflage) with a slit to look out of. I saw Elephants, Zebra, Water Buffalo, Rhino, Bush bucks, water bucks, wart hogs, impala, baboons, monkeys, Elan, Kudu, ect ect ect. It was really a great experience. Not only was it really neat to get to be inside the Rhino Sanctuary inside the park but I got to spend almost an entire week with some of my closes friends in Peace Corps, people I came into country with. We spent the week (night and day) taking shifts, cooking together, hanging out, reminiscing, talking about our experience and how its coming to a close, making Christmas plans, talking about after service trips, ect ect.

Yesterday was my birthday. I celebrated kale kale (already) in Blantyre with some friends who were nice enough to come all the way down to the southern region to celebrate Bri and I's birthdays. We wore party hats and caused scenes and watched Cowboys and Aliens at the movie theater. It was everything I could hope for in a birthday. That being said, when my actual birthday came, yesterday, I went to work like the responsible adult that I now am at the striking age of 25. The world looks different. I am adult, hear me roar. Like I said, my actual birthday was anti-climatic, except for all of the people who e-mailed me and texted and called and facebooked me to wish me a happy birthday. To those of you who thought of me, I would like to say thank you for remembering me even though I'm tucked away in a very far corner of the world. I know its easy to forget someone when they're no where to be seen or heard and I'm very grateful to have such wonderful friends and family.

So life here is what it is. I've come into Blantyre for the day to use the internet. I'm on the hunt for grad schools. Before I need to apply I need to know where exactly it is I want to apply. I am taking a break from my last minute, panicked, intensive school search to appease the complainers and reward the interested with an update (complete with pictures! See below).
Other than waterhole count and my birthday I haven't updated because there really isn't that much going on. Lake of Stars was great, obviously. My birthday was cool, I got a free mini bus ride. Work is picking up, in that I think I have a nice balance of responsibility. I got to go see a movie at the movie theater last week (always a highlight), ect. I did however discover this morning that even though cooking on charcoal is life changing, I can't seem to light it myself. Maybe I should switch to good old-fashioned wood....except I would have to climb a mountain (literally) to get it and I don't have an outdoor kitchen to cook in...maybe I will just stick to karosine, despite the rising costs and increasing scarcity (there are petrol and diesel shortages again in country causing long lines, rising prices, and a very frustrated population...even coke is unavailable these days though there's some debate as to whether that's because of fuel shortages or because the factory only produces one kind of pop per day).

The ticker is still counting down the days between now and my contract being up. Just taking life one day at a time. I am however finding myself at a crossroads between being excited for what will come next after my service, and simultaneous nostalgia for the roller coaster that this time has been.

Ok, I should really get back to trying to figure out what my future will look like (its kind of important) so as a prize for reading all this, you get pictures!!!



This is my desk, this is where I sit and do very important things of a very important nature. Notice the ipod speakers are on. The desk across from me houses the Environment Minister (I can't remember her title, exactly but its something along those lines). There are four of us in the office. Me, her, the acting Deputy of Planning and Development, and the one in charge of the "One Village One Product" project. It's a pretty bwana office, I'm the only one who is ever in it.


Bri by the Shire river, note that she is an appropriate distance away from the crocodile, hippo, and carnivorous-fish infested water.

A heard of bush buck coming for a drink. Those trees in the background are ebony.

Can't remember exactly what kind of animal this one is....weird how the memory fails occasionally.

Elephants. At one point there were about 27 elephants who were hanging out at this waterhole for the entire 4-hour shift. They had no idea we were there as we were down-wind of them which means two things: 1. as I said they didn't know we were there, 2. It smelled. I have videos.



The view from the slot of the shack we sat in. Now you can see that I wasn't using my zoom with these pictures.


There was a monkey jumping on the tent. Hippos and Elephants just roamed around where we were camping. A baboon stole our hardboiled eggs!





Baby monkey.


Some of my co-workers, Jolly and Henry.
At the going away party for my supervisor who was transferred to the northern region.

XXX Amy

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