Sika | June 7, 2010
At the airport, waiting for the flight to Tete, my ticket said the flight’s at 11. The electronic sign when I came in said the flight was at 11 and on time. But when I got to check-in there’s no sign for Tete check in. I ask and am told check in starts at 10:45. [...]
Sika | May 27, 2010
I was feeling better, but still sick, and so I refused to accept my wake up time of 6am and puttered around (pretending I was going to do yoga) and then took a nap. John arrived while I was adjusting the toe loop on my damn stubborn left Chaco, and so I finally had someone [...]
Sika | September 1, 2009
Unfortunately, it hasn’t even admitted it has a problem. Eventually (please, god, in the immediate future), it will realize it is out of control and harm reduction isn’t working. I hope it will then join Westlife Fans Anonymous and break the brutal cycle of its horrible addiction. Preferably before my brains liquefy and splash out [...]
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 30, 2009
On the way here this morning, we drove by the Chatha Coffin workshop and joinery, probably for the millionth time. It just occurred to me that the name of that place, when translated, is Finished Coffin workshop and joinery.
Sika | June 11, 2009
Besides when I go to the chip stand and small children literally run screaming from me? When I go to the chip stand and find fried plastic in my egg. Mmmmm, bonus plastic!
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
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. [...]
Sika | March 25, 2009
There is a problem, I think, with the way we live in America. This time, I am talking about how divorced we are from the physical world in which we live. We can start with the fact that having lights on until the wee hours confuses the hell out of your body, which then fruitlessly [...]
Sika | March 25, 2009
I just ate a yummy white guava that I bought at the market when I went in on the 10 o’clock (read: 10:40. Ish.) bus. In one of my last couple of bites, I saw a brown area, which upon closer examination, was inhabited by a worm. The worm had an interesting reddish-brown head, which [...]
Sika | January 14, 2009
To say that yesterday, I bought an "All-Purpose* Mosquito Killing Bat." That, um, looks like a tennis racket. With electricity. Unfortunately, all the mosquitoes in my house apparently heard about this and decided to bail, thus thwarting me in my attempt to kill about a million of them last night. But they’ll come back, and [...]
Sika | November 11, 2008
Do not get pregnant. Do not give others pregnancy. Each room [in the hostels] has two keys. You and your friend get one. I keep the other one so I can come in whenever I want and snatch a hotplate or find your illegal visitors. Some people, especially the men, like to go around at [...]
Sika | October 7, 2008
Yulie and I were walking from the stage to my house and two guys said "how arle you?" I was trying to decide if they were the harasser types when one of them said, "What? You don’t speak English?" Before I even thought, I said, "No." Long pause. "Oh." And they walked off. Yulie and [...]
