September

---

Hey!
So I arrived in Lilongwe this past Wednesday. I came up with some people from the office, so that was a nice way to travel...Beats the matola!

Anyway, so I have been very busy. 2 weeks ago I had to teach 20 hours of Nutrition. It was my first time meeting these kids (I say kids but they were all my age, maybe older), and then they were stuck with me 4 hours a day in the MORNING all week. I am sure they LOVED it.

But, they found out that I used to do tae kwon do, so they really want me to teach them. I haven't decided yet. If I did start it would not be until January, but I am still on the fence about it. I can just picture us kicking trees and smacking each other with bamboo stick like out of Fight Girl or an 80's Juan Claude Van Dam movie. I don't know if I am that hard core.

Some of the teachers said that I should also play net ball. I am not sure of the rules, but it seems to be similar to basketball, minus the dribbling and the backboard. This is a maybe. With stunting (related to malnutrition) I am taller than most Malawians, but I am not sure if I am stronger/faster. Actually I am sure I am not. I will get owned. Maybe it is a bad idea.

So, after 20 hours of Nutrition, I managed to keep all 37 or so of my first year students alive, maybe not interested. So I think it was a long, but successful week.

Becky, my site mate, came and visited me over the weekend. That was nice. We splurged and bought cold sodas (coke, fanta or sprite) at the market and we even went to a 'restaurant'. It was a traditional Malawian 'restaurant'. First, the only option for food was nsima, masamba (vegetables) and luckily goat. And water to drink. It was good. I did see a rat running through the rafters though. That was peachy. And they did charge us twice as much because we are azungus...Hiram, my VSO counterpart from Kenya filled me in on that later. Not so nice.

That evening I busted out the mac and cheese, and we watched Pursuit of Happyness on my laptop. And my kitten ate a lot too. While we were outside Zuze saved us from a giant lizard (he ate it) and later he devoured a flying monster cockroach. It was a good day.

Monday and Tuesday I wrote my exam for Nutrition that I will 'Invigilate' next week when I return from Lilongwe...I hope to leave on Monday. It has gotten VERY hot at my site so I am happy for the break...Nsanje is the hottest place in Malawi. Ugh. At night, when it is supposed to be COOL, my fan (yes, I know, I am not having the 'true' Peace Corps experience because I am one of the only volunteers with electricity about 60%!o(MISSING)f the time...) feels like a HAIR DRYER. Just awful...

Sorry, no pics though. I left my computer at the house, and the pictures with it...Next time!

---

Comments

[shannon]

rats
are the rats as big as NYC rats??? i see those pretty regularly too!