Sika | September 4, 2009
I don’t think I’ve written about the routine of handwashing here in Malawi. I love ritual–I find it soothing–and this is one of my favourites. In Malawi, because nsima is eaten with the hands, hands must be washed before the meal and then again after to remove the last remnants of the nsima and ndiwo [...]
Sika | September 3, 2009
I haven´t written about my last weeks in Malawi partly because I still don´t have pics uploaded for some posts I´ve already written, but mostly because I´ve been in a serious state of denial: refusing to say good-bye to people I know I won´t see again; planning multiple trips back to Zomba so I can´t [...]
Sika | August 20, 2009
This is only of interest if you’re doing the traveling. There are NO flights from Cuamba to Nampula or vice versa. There havenºt been for years. The train runs both ways every day except Monday. BUT, there´s only one second class car, and that runs to Nampula W,F,Su and to Cuamba Tu,Th,Sa. You canºt get a [...]
Sika | August 20, 2009
I was walking from Kris´house to meet her for lunch, and I got the usual “azungu! azungu!” that drives me crazy. One older kid was not just doing the normal excited speech that we get, but actually yelling, and seemed a bit angry. I studiously ignored him because I do not respond to kids shouting ”azungu” He [...]
Sika | August 17, 2009
I donºt have time for good updates right now, so just a couple quick things. Kris says to one of her coworkers, “She is going to Mozambique.” “Why?” Kris answered, “Kuwona [to see]. She wants to swim in the ocean.” “Sure?” “Yes.” “I hear it has salt,” he says, looking quite worried for me. “She [...]
Sika | July 15, 2009
Foreigners are often put off by the way many Malawians act when they are grieving the death of a loved one. It seems overly florid and put on: Many volunteers have the experience of a family in mourning being totally quiet until a witness is present, who then watches them bursting into tears and wailing [...]
Sika | July 15, 2009
I have lots of things to post about. And I’ve been taking lots of pictures to go with the lots of things I have to talk about. The problem being, those pictures somehow object to being put online. That’s the only thing I can figure considering power and/or internet outages have been frequent, along with [...]
Sika | July 2, 2009
First, I must explain what took me so long (yes, before I explain what the “it” is.) You see, I never had one until Honi moved in. I’ve said before that rather than stress about power outs at dinner time, I kept food I could eat cold. But, a combination of Escom’s escalating stupidity in [...]
Sika | June 22, 2009
Derek recently said that you don’t really need any other forms of entertainment other than following politics here. I can only give a brief summary, because it’s taken me too long to write this post, and so I’ve forgotten details. Ok, so let’s start with the media, in the recent election, was for the most [...]
Sika | June 18, 2009
There was an article recently about the high cost of poverty in the US. While I thought the author for that article could have come up with better examples, it was interesting and reframed some random thoughts I’ve been having about Malawi. It’s really expensive to have anything here. For one thing, Malawi (the country [...]
Sika | June 16, 2009
In a country known for its interesting fashion sense, I saw what is perhaps the best outfit ever. Believe me when I say this guy has a lot of competition here. To start with, while gender roles are even more rigidly adhered to here, the whole concept of pink being a girl’s colour seems to [...]
Sika | June 10, 2009
Someone pointed out to the prison officials at Zomba Central that an old, tattered, faded Malawian flag might not be the best thing in the world to have flying at a government institution. So, they decided to replace it with a fresh, clean, bright and shiny Malawian flag. So bright and shiny in fact, that [...]
Sika | June 8, 2009
Edith asked me to come to PST (pre-service training) for the newbies. I was excited because I was pretty sure Zomba was getting Marla, and I thought it would be nice to get to know her a bit better. Also, I hadn’t had/taken the chance to spend more than a few hours with the Health [...]
Sika | June 8, 2009
Is what I would be saying if the (Raging, y’all) Flames had beat Burkina Faso in Kamuzu Stadium on Saturday. It would be premature even then, what with the Flames’ historically lackluster performance, but now, after the game, I know I will never be saying that. I think the fact that the Flames did not [...]
Sika | May 21, 2009
There are many many funny signs in Malawi. I have mental notes to go track down and photograph lots. But this one, the idea of living withough photographic record of its brilliance was too much to imagine, so I took a picture of it on my camera phone. And then read it again and again. [...]
