Two Go To Malawi

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Over a year after starting to apply for jobs in Africa and hundreds of emails later we've finally made it. We're not quite in the middle of nowhere/small district hospital or clinic as we origionally intended but are in a big busy hospital in a fair sized city full of ex-pats and bars. In true expat form we are now the employers of a gardener, maid and several guards- shared with our neighbours (obligatory apparently unless you enjoy being burgled repeatedly). We're installed in a house that has more bars on the windows/doors than most prisons, and have bought a car the size of a tank. We have taken to drinking gin and tonic to complete the image but have yet to obtain a pith helmet aka Livingstone et. al. - its only a matter of time.
Unfortunately we are on a local salery so the car is very old and battered, and the G and Ts fairly infrequent. This also gives the novel experience of simultaneously feeling guilty about being comparatively very wealthy compared to most people here, while also feeling very poor as our meagre savings dwindle.
Its been a fairly stressful month getting a new life sorted and starting new jobs, but made up for by the excitment of living in Malawi. People are incredibly friendly (right from getting on the plane in Johanesburg); there are novel sights everywhere you look, and the country is beautiful. Downsides are the relentless poverty which is worse than anywhere else we've been (apparently 60% of people live on less than 60p a day), and crime- mostly petty (our potatoe pealer was nicked!) Its also a real pain that you can't really walk around at night (due to the risk of mugging) so you are stuck inside from 6pm (when it gets dark) unless someone offers you a lift or you have a car. Thankfully everyone here has been great at giving lifts so we have managed to keep ourselves entertained - but now we've (just) got hold of the car we're looking foreward to having a bit more freedom.
On the work front on my (Angus's) wards (adult internal medicine), whereas most patients in the UK are fairly elderly, here they are young and overwhelmingly HIV positive. Staffing levels are low, drug shortages common and conditions often poor- between every bed at the moment is another patient on the floor. Patients do get the lots of spiritual input with regular luchtime preaching (a lot seems to be of the fire and brimstone sort, it can be difficult to hear yourself think if you don't get your ward round finished before hand) and sometimes even exorcisms. First day at work was a bit of a shock when I found out that I was now a consultant - rather more senior that I would be in the UK! I am very involved in teaching, which is great, but apologies to the students who were sent to sleep by my first lectures! I'll try to make the next ones more entertaining.
I (Emily) am working on the paediatric wards as a registrar. It is a very well run department, with lots of doctors and nurses. You see a great deal, and I am learning a lot. The other people in the department are great to work with. It is nice to have lots of students coming through the department, as the hospital is attached to the medical school of Malawi. I will start visiting a district hospital soon on a regular basis which will be good to see a different set up. I am also working one afternoon a week as the doctor to a local orphanage (Open Arms).
Outide work Malawi is a pretty good place to live. Blantyre is over 1000 meters altitude so quite cool (cold even) at this time of year. Many laughs were had when my dad asked in an email how we were coping with the heat - we were wearing jumpers and lighting the fire at night.
We have moved into a house owned by an local private primary school- great having teachers as neighbors, but jealousy inducing as they seem to finish work at lunchtime and get huge holidays. We are living next door to Rachel who is great fun, but unfortunately is leaving soon to go and work in Baraine. The other side is Jeanette who is very friendly and expecting a baby soon. The house is a bit bare currently but has lots of room, a fireplace and a great garden complete with mongoose.
Social life is pretty good - a fair few parties and some reasonable bars (we think they may become a bit repetetive after a while though!). There is also some good live music, particularly at a local venue called the warehouse where reggee bands play on sundays.
We have had some good short trips from Blantyre to various great viewpoints for sunset; a small safari park- Nyala (nothing dangerous there so you can jump out of your car and chase the giraffes); and a great weekend at the base of Mount Mulange in Lujeri tea estate. At Lujeri it was nice walking through the local villages (have some good video of Emily dancing and singing with girls from one of the villages - shame we can't show video on the site). There were fantastic views and some great pools on the mountainside to swim in. We stayed in an old colonial house with eight others and made good use of the resident cook and swimming pool - its a hard life!
Within reasonably short distances from Blantyre are beautiful mountains, wildlife parks and of course the lake - we've not been yet but can't wait. In case you've not noticed this is the hard sell bit! We're missing everyone back home so if friends and family want to come and visit - please do!

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