So this report is covering both December and January. December was a super busy month as just after my last report my family came out to visit me which was really nice but meant my usually busy, but laid back schedule, was completely over run. – With my mum and sister around its not possible for anyone to be laid back! Love them very much but laid back only appears in their vocabulary if they are referring to my Dad and I and even then they dont use it very often, as it is such an alien idea to them. We were zooming round everywhere although zooming doesnt really fit in Malawi. Im not too sure how my sister and mum manage in Malawi so well because they are complete opposites of everyone here – you would think they would have an allergic reaction or something, or maybe its more like magnets attract opposites.
Anyway we were busy permanently visiting people the entire three weeks we were here; so much so that we actually added an extra half day to the journey home to visit some friends on the way to the airport. We went the longest route ever from Blantyre to Lilongwe. At least both my sister and I had been to our first stop before and we also had someone with us to direct us if we went wrong. However the second stop was to visit Modesta at her school near Lilongwe. The problem was we had no idea where it was and no one to help and Modestas best directions in the pitch dark was drive for 1 hour and stop. I will be there waiting. When Becky tried to explain that that was not going to work she insisted that there would be no problem as she was wearing white white (wearing all white clothes) and she would have her head torch. Bearing in mind that this is at the side of the main road between the 2 largest cities in Malawi we were convinced that there was no chance that we would find her but by some amazing chance we did and she was indeed wearing white white but no head torch. When asked where it was she turned very surprised and showed us it sitting in her hand turned off. She seemed completely taken aback that we should be expecting anything else. – Yes Modesta a switched off head torch in your hand is extremely useful when someone is looking for you in the dark! We love her to bits.
I think the highlight of the 3 weeks though was having all the kids round to eat at the house. For a week we brought each of the boarding houses to eat with us on the night I would usually have prayed and eaten with them. We gave them rice and chicken which they only get on Christmas day so is was obviously a huge treat as we just doubled the amount of times they eat rice and chicken in a year which is crazy considering how much we would eat it at home. My Mum and Dad had also borrowed a projector, which we used to show them the DVD the Nativity which they thought was amazing, as they had never seen a film before never mind on the wall. They were really cute!
I was then back in Scotland for 1 week in January for a uni interview. It was good to see everyone and especially as it was one of my friends birthdays that week. But I really missed everyone here and it felt like I was gone for ages. – Not sure how Im going to manage when I actually leave. I cant actually bear to think about it just now.
My journey back was supposed to be just under a day and a half, which went completely according to plan until the last leg of the journey, which was a bus journey from Lilongwe to Blantyre. It should have taken about 5 hours but instead took 15 as just over half way there was a break down which completely blocked the road and caused a massive tail back. As it was raining and 9 oclock at night the police said they were doing nothing till morning. Everyone on our bus spent another few hours deciding that the best plan was for us to go all the way back to Lilongwe and then drive down another road which joins the road we were on only a few km down from the break down. This we did and thankfully a load of people decided just to get off at Lillongwe so I was able to steal two seats and get a decent sleep but was still completely shattered when I arrived back home. One of the first things I was asked on arrival was if I was playing football that afternoon; well asked isnt quite the word, maybe informed that it was a fact. And yes I did.
This month we have had our first win at football which probably shouldnt have been counted as we did field a secondary pupil who was home on holiday that day. The thing is we have a very young team and she is young for a form 1 so I feel its ok but then since she scored the goal maybe not! However I think we still would have won since we have the best coach in the entire world! The next day we had our first boarders game which was good but sadly was a goalless game. The only problem was choosing the team as I have so many good players that it was hard to choose the subs and even harder to choose who to change over. Unfortunately the ones I swapped over ended up not speaking to me but all in all it was a good day. The drive back was not the most enjoyable as the lorry was completely full of children so I was sitting on the side. Unfortunately every time we went round a corner all the ones standing up fell into us. This meant it was hard enough to stay on the truck but add to that the fact that the edge I was sitting on kept unhooking and falling down! At this point five of us had to lunge forward or hope someone standing would catch us! Great fun travelling Malawian style!
This month has had many changes of staff. While I was away the housefather of the older boys house moved out and is now working in an administrative role but in his place we received a lovely family who are so nice! I love going to that house now as the housemother always informs me how wonderful I am and how much they love me! In another house the mother became just a cook, as she is needed to stay at her home now. The new housemother is one of my neighbours who is super nice so I am sad that the old one left, although I still see her every day, but I am super happy with the one who has come in her place. The saddest change was Robert Mambea, who was in charge of all the schooling but did a lot more than that has decided to go back to college and get a degree. It all happened so quickly one Sunday he was here and by the next Sunday he was gone. We had a really nice leaving party thing on the Saturday for him which was really sweet. Some of the older kids were sad, as he has been here for ages and really knew them. Unfortunately my Mum phoned me right in the middle of his leaving speech which was bad enough but the worst part was that one of the kids had my phone and they were sitting at the other side from me so it had to be handed right across everyone before it reached me. In the evening we had a video as a treat for the kids. It was Samson and Delilah which I thought was a slightly random one to choose but the kids loved it. Even the older ones were totally absorbed in it so much so that we were surprised when it was finished to realise that it was 10.30. My favourite part was when Samson was fighting the lion and Felicita, who was sitting on my knee got scared and burrowed right into me – it would be cute if she was one of the wee ones, but since she is 14, not quite so cute!
The worst thing of this month was that I got really sick a couple of weeks ago. Ethel, the nurse thought I had malaria because of the symptoms. It turned out that it was just because I had fallen and cut my toe which then got infected. Unfortunately I then picked my scabs from the fall and also scratched my mosquito bites. The flies went from one to the other and spread the infection so I ended up with massive holes in my legs and feet. I had a really big one on my right foot, which caused my whole foot to swell up and then made me sick. Everyone always gets me into trouble for picking my scabs- now I know why!
Anyway all in all its been a good month and I hope that you are all doing well and enjoying the cold as seriously right now I would love to be sitting in some snow and ice as its so unbelievably hot!
Naomi
