Music and Leaving

The last few days I've had a several songs that have been a mental soundtrack to my life.  "Leaving on a jet plane"  "Last dance"  "And now you're gone, gone gone".  The music world abounds with songs about leave takings.  Saying goodbye to someone you love.  Saying goodbye to something you love.  Saying goodbye to a finished chapter in your life.

I'm not good at goodbyes.  And I hate extended goodbyes.  That was hard in Samoa.  It was like pulling off a band-aid, one millimeter at a time.  It was slow and painful.

Leaving Malawi is easier.  I've been here three months, not 26 months.  I like the friends I've made here and hope to stay in touch, but I haven't had time to learn to love them and for them to have become woven into my life.

And leaving is coming so quickly.  I'm pooped because of the level of work and activities the last few weeks and am ready for a vacation, but it's also been a good distraction.  I suspect it won't really hit me until I'm cooling my heels in the Lilongwe airport, waiting to take the bus out to the plane.

There was a moment last Saturday, when I said goodbye to Paul's family.  Luckily, his kids didn't really understand that it was the last time we'll probably be together.  To them, it was just "see you later" as they hugged and kissed me.

I should be packing right now.  I hate packing. It's not really that hard nor that time consuming, but I build it to epic proportions in my head.  I've actually already done the tough part of packing - in my head.  My big suitcase will carry souvenirs, gifts and the clothes I brought and never wore (it does NOT get cold enough in Malawi for winter clothes).  One roll aboard bag will hold the clothes/gifts for my visit to Armenia.

The other roll aboard will carry my computer, a change of clothes, toiletries/drugs and my airplane necessities.  They include a small down throw which was a Christmas gift years ago (thank you, G &V!) and is great on chilly planes.  Mr. Kindle, of course, to keep me amused with reading and games during layovers.  Noise cancelling head phones which make a HUGE difference.  After going through two sets of Bose (expensive) head phones, I found a pair for this trip which were $79 and very close to Bose performance.  They're made by AblePlanet.  I'll also have my sleep mask, hand lotion and saline nasal spray.  Yes, I've got this flying thing down to a science.

I don't want to leave Malawi.  I really like it here.  But I'm ready to be home for a bit, spend time with friends and make some money.

If you know of a job for a "young at heart" woman with consulting, teaching and volunteer experience, keep me in mind.  Currently I'm eyeing an open position for assistant manager at the Taco Bell in Lake Mary.  Close to home, not the head honcho and I'm guessing I'd get all the free tacos I could eat.  Could be a dream job.

I'm a Grandma!

From left - King, Memory, Queenie, Annie, Paul and baby Favour

Learning the peace symbol

"She's taking a picture of ME!"

First, let me apologize for the continuing sporadic posts.  I can't decide which is a greater challenge - time but no internet or no time but access to WIFI.  I think it's the later.

But on to the Grandma business.  Those who know me know that I have no children, sadly.  Luckily, some of my friends kids have adopted me as a second mom...or at least a kinda aunt.  It's also why I loved teaching in Faga so much - all that love from all those kids.

I've missed then more than I can say.  I'd give anything for a huge group hug from teachers and kids alike.  I haven't had as many opportunities here to just grab a kid and start hugging or tickling.  People are so funny about that.  Especially in airports.  And really funny about it in US airports.  Kidding, of course - I learned a long time ago to keep my mitts of strange American kids.  I still think the Samoan habit of handing a baby to anyone willing to hold it is great.

I'd been talking to my colleague and friend, Paul, about teaching his kids (and him!) to swim.  Unfortunately, I haven't found a local pool with enough of a shallow end to make it safe.  As an alternative, I suggested a day at Gelato Carnival.  doesn't the name say it all?  Creamy frozen treats and a carnival.

Let's be honest, the carnival is mostly a trampoline and big plastic jungle gym.  But to these three kids (8, 5, and 3) it was as good as Disney World.

After a quick stop at the house so I could meet Paul's wife and new baby (they couldn't come today but will join us next time, I hope) to take family photos, we headed to the Carnival.

Our departure caused a small stir because clearly, not a lot of camera totin' white women roll through the neighborhood.  Once again I was ever so slightly a minor celebrity as kids called to their friends to come and see the mzungu (which means "someone who wanders around" and has come to mean white people).  I asked Paul about taking photos and he said it was fine.  He translated that one girl was screaming "Look, she's taking a picture of ME!"

Adults smiled back and waved and I got a few calls of "Mama" which is what women my age are typically called and a couple "Mama Mzungu", which I kind of like.  I'm thinking I should open a beach dive called Mama Mzungu's, where the house drink will be a Bahama Mama Malamalama.  We could serve a blend of Caribbean,  Samoan and African food.  What do you think?

Back to the story.  We drove the 15 minutes or so to Gelato Carnival and mid way through the drive the baby, Annie, asked to go home.  She missed her mom.  Queenie, the 8 year old, who was under the weather with a flair up of malaria, was hanging in.  She'd been looking forward to this.  King, the 5 year old boy seemed neutral.

Once we arrived and they saw the colorful jungle gym they were interested but not sure how things worked. The staff welcomed us warmly and said the kids could play for free.  I assured them we'd order lunch a bit later.

Loving the trampoline

How fast can I get back up the steps to do it again??

The train hasn't left the station and Annie wasn't loving it.

Queenie and King climbed up and headed for the slide, encouraged by Paul.  Annie was hanging on to me (we bonded quickly) until I put her on the trampoline.  She thought that was kind of cool but wanted to be with the big kids.  Paul put her on the smallest slide.  She slid.  She grinned.  She climbed the stairs and slid again.  Repeat, repeat, repeat - for about an hour.

The kids caught on quickly and when they were joined by a few other kids, it just made it more fun.  After riding the kind of rides you see outside grocery stores (which they thought were awesome), we had a healthy lunch.  Ok, it so wasn't, but I wanted the kids to sample a variety of junk food.  Pizza, spaghetti, french fries, hot dogs.  Due to not feeling well, Queenie didn't eat much, but the other two made up for it.  And they insisted on using forks, including the 3 year old.

After lunch, they played on the slides and trampoline some more while we waited for 2:00 p.m. when the "rides" opened.  First, the train.  Typical, little kids ride - a small train that the kids could sit in, going slowly in a circle.  Two kids, our baby and another young boy, were not excited at the process.  The other boy's father said "They're crying now but in 30 seconds they are going to love it."

He knew his kid, who was beaming by the end of the ride, but not Annie, who screamed in terror the entire way.  I felt horrible but Paul was just laughing and taking photos.

I asked the older kids if they wanted to do the train again but they declined.  Instead, we headed for the "Ferries Wheel".  A little kids version of a Ferris wheel, but one I thought would scare the bejeebers out of Annie.  Actually, no.  The train was terrifying, but apparently either Annie has no fear of heights or was just resigned that the mzungu planned to kill her today.  King, on the other hand, was not a fan and happy to get off.  They all enjoyed watching it go around again after they got.

After a bit more time on the slides and trampoline, we headed to the area to get ice cream cones for the ride home.  Sun shining, kids smiling, eating ice cream, wind in our hair.  What could be better?

Spoiling kids, leaving them dirty and exhausted on a sugar high with mom and dad.  I felt like a Grandma today.

Annie and I bonded.  

Teaching them bad eating habits.

The train scared them but this was ok??

Food in Malawi

I love food.  I love a variety of food.  Malawi delivers.  In Blantyre here are my "go to" restaurants:

Veg Delight - fast food Indian - short on ambiance but HUGE on taste.  Some of the best, most creative vegetarian Indian food I've ever eaten.  Anywhere - including in India.  On Glynn Jones Road.

Gelato Carnival - in the first place, how can you not be intrigued by the name?  The place has a bakery with excellent sweet and savory options, as well as a menu with amazing options.  Thai?  Check.  Chinese?  Check.  Italian?  Check.  Sri Lankan?  Check.  Japanese?  Check.  Mexican?  Check.  I'm sure there are some that I'm missing, but you get the idea.  The menu covers the globe, including corn dogs and onion rings. I haven't tried them all but the pizza is the best I've had in Malawi and the Chinese and Thai were pretty good.  A bonus - they have a great kids' playground, which includes a bounce house on Sundays.  No extra charge for the fun for the kids.

Bombay Palace - More Indian cuisine but this time in an upscale environment.  Don't let the outside of the place put you off. It's lovely inside and the food is very good.  Not huge portions for the price, but delicious.

Hong Kong - A Chinese restaurant that's been around for years.  I like chatting with the manager, who's an American from California.  Ants on a Tree and Orange Chicken are outstanding.  The batter on the orange chicken is very light and crispy - really well done.

Ali Baba - A fast food place in the CBD.  I really like the chicken schwarma (small) which is a sandwich roll.   Fresh and tasty - and at about $2.00 USD, you can't beat it.  Their samoosa (the Malawian spelling) is also tasty and the burgers are good.

Street food behind the Total Station - if you're in the Mandala district, close to the car dealership, there's a Total gas station.  Behind the station is a set up where they serve local food for 600 Kwatcha - about $1.30 USD.  It's tasty and filling.

Mandala House Cafe - The Portuguese kebabs are outstanding!  Lovely setting and good place to meet up with expats.  Too expensive for locals but you can still get a good meal for about $ 7.50 USD.

Blue Elephant - My experience here was somewhat tainted because they were doing construction on the building while we were dining.  They have a pub menu.  I had the t-bone steak and although very thin, it was tasty. And the baked potato was great.

Grill 21 - The restaurant attached to Ryalls hotel is lovely.  White linen table cloths, white glove service and an interesting menu.  Expensive by Malawi standards, but dirt cheap by US standards.  I had a HUGE and perfectly cooked t-bone steak which was served with a baked potato, steamed veg and a bleu cheese sauce - for about $10 USD.

Ryalls casual restaurant - There's another restaurant at Ryalls and the food is equally good although the menu is more limited than Grill 21.  A friend and I shared the spicy pasta and the bleu cheese pasta and both were excellent.  There were enough leftovers for a good meal the next day.

Village Green - A lovely garden setting and a varied menu.  I've eaten there several times and the food and service were consistently good, although if you are in a hurry that might be an issue.  Of course, that is true of most Malawian restaurants, in my experience.  They have a good burger and a nice pizza.  The spicy pasta is also excellent but when they say it is topped with cheese, don't believe it.

Cafe at Villa 33 - This is the restaurant on the compound where I live,so I may be biased.  They serve a good burger but my favorite is the lasagna.

Nyambo - Head to Shoprite - turn right at the roundabout.  Turn right at the next roundabout and look for the restaurant.  It is excellent local food with lots of friendly locals to share it with.  You pay $750 Kwatcha (about $2.00 USD) for rice, pasta or nzima; one meat (I had delicious liver but there was also goat, beef and chicken); and two vegetables, plus beans.  The guy at the next table shared his homemade (by the restaurant)  beer with me.  Lovely place and great experience.

On the M-1 to Lilongwe, I have two favorite places but can't tell you the names.  They are in the large town that is mid-way between Lilongwe and Blantyre.  The first place looks like a welcome center and they specialize in beef liver and goat.  For very little money you can buy a baggie of liver or goat - spicy, salty and delicious.  Great for snacking as you continue your drive.

The other place is just up the road in the same town.  It is on the right as you come from Blantyre.  They serve grilled chicken with nsima and stewed pumpkin leaves.  $2.00 for a full lunch.  Open air and delicious.

Think You Have It Tough?

I've been crazy busy with work and travel related to work, which explains (but does not excuse) the lack of recent posts.

This one will be brief because it's 7:30 p.m. and I haven't had dinner but I hope it will whet your appetite for more.

This weekend I traveled to just north of Lilongwe for a meeting.  Along the road I noticed vendors selling gravel.  I also noticed the children who were busy pounding a large rock into a smaller rock to create the gravel. They are doing it as a way to get food to live.  If your child is whining because you won't buy him/her the latest electronics, I suggest you tell them to go pound rocks.

I've made a few Malawian friends.  I can meet Americans in America. I'd prefer to spend time with the locals while I'm here.

One told me today that he is paying off his "not finished" house by paying $20 a month.   The house doesn't yet have electricity or running water but is his dream home.

Another friend, who provides a service for me, asked me to only give her a small portion of what I owed her.  Instead, I'll save the money for her for the next month.  That way, her abusive husband won't have access to the cash.

Malawi is one of the poorest countries on earth.  Inflation has been insane here recently.  People starve.  Life expectancy is low because of disease and other factors.

In Samoa, friends could call family in New Zealand, Australia or the USA if they needed money.  That's not the case here.  In Samoa, food was always available.  That's not the case here.

I see people here working in ways that Americans wouldn't, just to stay alive.  I feel humbled and awed by the spirit of the Malawian people.

Back to Work

I hope you enjoyed the long weekend.  I did, although it didn't work out exactly as I'd planned.

We ended up working all day Friday and then I did a bit of shopping/sight seeing on Saturday with the folks who'd come to do a year-end evaluation of the program.  After dropping them at the bus at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, I headed home, planning to do some Skyping and blogging.

Clearly, I hadn't read the paper, so didn't know that extensive power outages had been scheduled for the holiday weekend so that maintenance could be done.  No computer, no television, no stove, but I had a good book so spent my time reading.  And getting a massage.  Life is tough.

I'm still enjoying Blantyre.  The weather is ideal - think San Diego - not too hot, not too cold.  And now that the major training is done I'm feeling much less pressure, although I still have a full plate at work.

Off to take my malaria pill and head to work.  Another beautiful day in Malawi.

Veg Delight

I'm a carnivore.  I like meat.  I enjoy vegetables too, but mostly, I prefer meat.

Imagine my surprise to discover my new favorite restaurant in Blantyre is a vegetarian restaurant.  It is called Veg Delight, is in the heart of the CBD and is reasonably priced.  Most important, the food is amazing.

I read some positive reviews but heard from a co-worker that the food seemed "iffy" when she visited.  I think, from what she described, she was thinking of a different place.

Veg Delight isn't fast.  Orders are made as you place them.  And,  everything on the menu may not be available.  No worries, just go with what the owners recommend.  I promise, it will be outstanding.

Our first visit to the small place was for take away.  It took a bit longer than we expected, but the owner suggested that if we hadn't been there before, we should have the specialty of the house while we waited for our order.  We agreed and a few minutes later he brought out the most amazing dish.  It is hard to describe.  There was a crispy round shell, stuffed with peanuts and vegetables, all topped with a sweet/savory sauce.  It was amazing.

When we got back to work and tasted our mains, we were equally as happy.  Fresh, delicious and cuisine rather than fast food.  For the price of American fast food.

We liked it so much we ordered food for lunch the next day.  This time, we called ahead to save some time. Unfortunately,  the one picking up the food didn't have enough money.  "No problem." said the owner.  "Consider it a discount."

The second meal was equally delicious.  Today, day 3, we headed back to Veg Delight for take away to be eaten later this weekend.

The owner's wife was helping us and when I told her I just wanted whatever she thought I might like, she explained that she'd made a special curry that day.  One that she usually only makes at home.  She yelled something to the staff and the next thing I knew, there was a sample of this curry.  Perfect.

I can't type anymore because I'm about to reheat the curry that this woman made today.  Vegetarian.  Delicious.  Inexpensive.

I love Malawi.

The Safari Continues

After cocktails, we headed out again to spot more game.  This time, with the help of a spotlight.  The most exciting, to me, was seeing three hippos who'd come into the park from the river for the night.  We went back to camp for a quick wash up, then rode off the the sister facility, Mzuu Camp, where we joined the guests there for a barbecue and traditional music and dancing.

Have I mentioned it was hot and humid at Liwonde?  Much warmer/more humid than Blantyre and reminded me of Samoa.  I had my trusty ili (Samoan fan) with me and I made friends by lending it out.

After the dinner and entertainment, we headed back to the lodge for an early evening.  Our wake up call was at 5:30 a.m. (when a hamper filled with cookies and coffee was delivered to our tent) and the next safari started at 6:00 a.m.

Sunday morning, 6:05 a.m.  There were hundreds of impala.  Here are a few.

These are a type of goose.  According to Maxwell, our game guy, they taste like chicken.

In the center  - a baboon dining on a piece of candelabra tree.

Another baboon in the tree.

These guys were play fighting - getting ready for mating season when they'll fight for real over the females.

Fresh elephant dung.  We knew they were there.  We just couldn't see them.

I loved the candelabra trees.

After the morning driving safari, we enjoyed breakfast and headed out by boat.  We passed these fishermen in front of their village, near the edge of the park.

We were headed to this huge baobab tree.

When I said huge, I wasn't kidding.  Look closely, I'm standing near the left of the base of the tree.  I'm almost six feet tall.

Perhaps the bicycle will give a bit of perspective on size.  This is actually two trees.  A fig tree has grown around the baobab.  It seems to be working well for both of them.

One of the cool things about baobabs is that their trunks are hollow.  This isn't a Keebler elf, it's Aminat in a tree.

Aminat and Rocky decided to climb up the inside of the tree and pose.

Uh oh.  Now that I'm up here, how do I get down?

What the heck is that?  A hippo butt.

More Safari Photos

Inside our "tent".  Most luxurious tent, ever!

Thatched roof on our tent.

One of the widest/smoothest roads we experienced.

You lookin' at me?

The first of dozens of baboons that I saw.  This one is sitting on the limb in the middle of the photo.

Can you see the elephants?  We couldn't either.  

Hippo tracks

After a couple of hours of sighting game, we stopped by the river for cocktails. After sunset we headed back out to spot game by spotlight, after dark.

The bar is open!  In addition to drinks, tasty mini pizzas were provided.

Sunset, safari and gin and tonic.  Ahhhh.

Aminat was enjoying it too!

Magnificent Malawi.

Marvelous Malawi

Saturday morning, my fellow volunteer Aminat and I hopped into our rented Rav 4 and headed to Liwonde National Park, about 120 km from Blantyre.  We had reservations to stay at the Mzuu Wilderness Lodge and go on not one but three safaris.  One by truck, one on foot and one by boat.

 We couldn't have had a better time.  The Lodge was beautiful, the service excellent and the safari experiences were amazing.  We had been warned that because it is the "green season" we likely wouldn't see elephants.  And we didn't.  But we saw lots of other animals and weren't really disappointed by the lack of elephants.

The green season, by the way, is another way to say rainy season.  The rainy season officially ends the end of February and we enjoyed a dry weekend.  Because of all the rains, though, there is a lot of lush vegetation, which is beautiful to look at and creates lots of places for elephants to hang out - where they can't be seen.  Also, because "every puddle becomes a watering hole" the elephants aren't as drawn to the river's edge.

Elephants aside, here are some photos...

Our trusty Rav 4, delivered by Premier Car Rentals.  Parked in front of my apartment at Villa 33.

During the green season, access to the Lodge is by boat.  We weren't five minutes from the dock when we saw this group of hippos.  

The sky goes on forever over the Shire (pronounced Sheer eh) river.

More hippos.  During the hour ride to the Lodge we saw dozens of hippos.

A termite hill.  I thought we had a termite problem in FL.

Approaching the dock at the Lodge.  Can you see why they call it Green Season?

The deck of our room.  I watched the sunrise here on Sunday.

Part of our attached, open air bathroom. Clean, beautiful and the shower was amazing!

After a delicious lunch we climbed into the camp truck and headed out into the park. One of the first animals we saw (after driving about 2 minutes) was this wart hog.

The iconic baobab tree. The bark on the trunk has been stripped away by elephants.

It's an impala!  I said that a lot.  We saw hundreds of impalas.

Gardens at Villa 33

I think I've mentioned that monkeys (I think they're vervet) play in my front yard.  "Front yard" is a bit of a misnomer, since it's actually a gated compound of beautiful gardens.  Here are some photos of where I'm living.

If you look closely in the center of the photo - to the right of the white wall, you can see a monkey hunched over on the vine covered wall.

One view from my porch at Villa 33

My patio

5:40 a.m. - the sun comes up early over the garden.

Beyond the wall is the driveway leading to a main road.