New Accomodation

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For the past few weeks I have been staying at the Dee and Tee lodge. I enjoyed staying with the Kumdana’s and am very grateful they were able to put me up for 2 months, but with family arriving for Christmas, they needed the extra space. I was going to move out into different accommodation shortly anyways, I had been looking around at the options, but the move was just a little quicker than I had expected and so I was left feeling a little off balance by it, however in the end it worked out fine.
So after a night of quickly packing everything (kind of funny at the moment my entire life fits into two bags), I moved into Dee and Tee on the 15th December. The lodge was K 1,500 per night which was alright for the short term, but for 6 months would have ended up being more expensive than I could have comfortably managed. The lodge itself was great, my room was the right size for what I needed (though this doesn’t say much as for me this means a bed and a bathroom), breakfast was included and dinner available, and there were two great little hut things outside that I often ate my breakfast and dinner in. The owner Mrs Nthala was lovely and I got to know her sons Daryl, TK and Ian. We hung out, watched films, and we went out on Christmas day, as well as trying to meet up for new years (unsuccessfully as Zain went down again). I hope I’ll be able to keep in touch and they’ve said I’m welcome to come round see them.
I’m now staying with Mr and Mrs Chtata and their two children, Dumisani (9) and Persilla (3) at their home in Napari, close to the Studio K stage. Mr Chtata’s father is a member of the St John Malawi Council, but works in Lilongwe with Malawi Tobacco, this is why they’ve offered for me to stay in their home while I’m here. I moved in on the 30th December, the room I’m staying in is joined to the main house but with a separate outside door which is great, it has its own bathroom with a shower. I am having meals and watching TV with the family in the main house. Mr Chtata and Dumisani, as well as the uncle Funai, are big football fans supporting Liverpool and Manchester United and on Saturday and Sundays often sit watching the matches on the TV. I’ve been wanting to going a gym for a while, when I mentioned this Mr Chtata offered to take me to the gym he goes to, the Wanders Club, this is great as its better for my budget than the gym I was going to join at the Medical School Sports complex and I have been going for short runs with Dumisani (although for a proper workout I really need to go out alone).
I think I’ll now be staying at their home until I leave in June, it’ll be good to have a constant place to get settled unto while I’m here.

Tionana

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