House help

Well, we succumbed to peer pressure.  On our first day in Africa, and many times thereafter we were told that we should think of hiring “house help.”  Apparently, we would be thought of a stingy if we didn’t.

Well, after living in Kenya, I saw many people who hired women or men to help clean the house and cook.  I just never thought I would be that person. 

Yet, life here is very dirty (you should see my black feet!) and hard to clean.  We don’t have a swifter here, and houses need to be mopped everyday.  So, I finally agreed that I would get a PART-TIME maid.

To begin the process, we decided to get a maid that could work part-time for my friend Lavonne, and part-time for us.  There was already a maid on campus whose former employers just left, so we were asked to interview her.

We talked to her, and she seemed very nice until she wanted a higher salary.  She was offered  30,000 Kwacha for the month. (This is about $82.)  I know this seems like very little, but apparently this is a really good salary in Malawi.  Well this woman was not satisfied with that and told us that she wanted between 35,000-42,000 ($96- $115).

As I sat there and listened to her request (she was being offered a full-time contract to be split 3 ways), I didn’t say a word.  To me, this was not a big difference that we were talking about.  So, I thought she was being reasonable.  Yet, the others I was with were saying that it was way too much money.  Thus, I went and talked to my teacher’s assistant.

My teacher’s assistant is a Malawian and knows figures better than me.  She also has a maid in her home.  Here it is normal for even Malawians to have maids!  So, as I asked the price, she said that her family pays her full-time live-in maid less than 10,000 kwacha ($27) a month!  She also told me that even people with college degrees are barely making 35,000 a month!!!

Wow, what a shift in thinking!  I went from thinking that this woman might be seeking a fair salary, to understanding that even though it is not a lot of money, she was asking for something unreasonable.

In the end we talked to some other families on campus.  We found a woman whose husband is the tennis instructor here.  She is very kind, trustworthy, and a hard worker.  And her salary . . . 16,000 kwacha a month ($43 dollars), of which I only pay half!!

*On a side note, we were told not to pay her more that that rate, because her husband only makes a little bit more than that.  We are planning on raising her salary, or paying her extra in food as we go.

Project Juembo

A few years ago, one of the kids at our school had an idea.  She had been to many of the villages surrounding us and seen the poverty and lack of school supplies.  She then went to the USA and got people to donate backpacks filled with school supplies, T-shirts, shoes, socks, hygiene products, and a small toy. 

She called this “Project Juembo.”  Juembo is a chichewa (the local language) word that actually means sack.  There is not a word for bag or backpack.  So, Juembo is really something similar to a small plastic Walmart bag and the name of the non-profit that this girl started.

Today, we went with Project Juembo out to a village on Lake Malawi.  In this village a young man has started an orphanage.  We were able to bring about 200 backpacks to the kids in the village.  All of the children had been registered and assigned backpacks before we got there. 

So, when we arrived I helped to start up games with the village children.  We started playing duck, duck, goose . . . we changed the words to the Chichewa language, and since a duck and goose are the same thing in Chichewa we played duck, duck, chicken.

After a few games, Frisbee tosses, and dance circles, we began handing out the backpacks.  We got the children one at a time, had them put the new shirt on and hold up the backpack, shoes, toy, and a thank you sign.  It was really fun.  The kids were so excited about the new stuff they got.  For these children, this is the first brand new clothing item they have ever owned.  Here, when you get clothes you buy them in the second hand market.  So, they have never ever owned new shoes or new clothes.  Most of them weren’t wearing shoes either.  So, after the picture I would help the children put their new shoes on.

The Children in the Orphanage

Waiting patiently

After some received backpacks

Checking out the cool stuff

She was very happy!

Chris and I with some of the kids.  It was so dusty there, we were quickly covered in dirt!  (Notice my face!)

My friend Lavonne and I

This girl's name is Patricia.  She wanted to hold my hand the entire time.  

It was great to be able to help with this outreach.  They go out about 2-3 times a year, and I can’t wait to help next time!

Lions, and Tigers, and SPIDERS oh my!

Our school has some pretty nice facilities for Africa.  We have separate buildings with a long outdoor corridor that connects the buildings.  Behind them there is a playground and a nice outdoor pavilion.

The pavilion is open with a thatched roof.  It is rumored to have owls, but not much else.  Owls are thought of as really bad in many parts of Africa.  In Kenya and in Malawi, when an owl is present outside a building, they think someone is going to get very sick or die there soon.

Well, that has never happened, but on the first day of school there was an interesting assembly.  It was for all of the middle and high school students.  The principal was up speaking about how he had to adjust to drinking tea in Africa, and suddenly the students started screaming.  He thought they were just shocked at what he said, so he continued.  Yet, the screams also continued and they started pointing at him.

Suddenly, a teacher ran up to the principal and hit a huge TERANCULA off of the principal!  As he was talking the huge spider had landed on him, crawled over his shoulder, and started going for his neck!  Now this, gives me the heebie jeebies!

Yet, when I was talking to my co-workers about this, I was warned of another spider that is about as big as your hand and called the camel spider.  This huge spider is more unusual though, see it is attracted to SOUND!  So, when people scream, it actually comes towards them!!  Let’s just say, I am not looking forward to meeting that spider any time soon! EEEKKK!

NO WEE WEEING OUTSIDE

Well today was the official first day of school.  It was a good day and we went over a lot of rules and procedures.  I was surprised, because it was the first time that NONE of my student’s cried while at school.  They were all very excited and basically told their parents to leave.  It was a funny first.  I am pretty strict when school starts so I thought maybe they would all want to go home, but many of them were begging their parents to stay at school! 

The funniest moment of the day happened while my class was writing our classroom rules.  One little boy raised his hand and said we should have the rule “No wee weeing on the playground.”  At first I thought I just didn’t understand this Malawian boy, so when asked to repeat what he said, he said it again.  He also said that this was a very good rule.  All the other children turned and agreed with him.  I laughed about this a lot, but then later I thought that this might be a good rule.

See, here in Malawi, and in several places around the world, it is acceptable for people to use the bathroom anywhere on the side of the road.  In fact, while I was leaving the grocery store last week, I saw a man using the restroom on a busy main road!  One of our Malawian teacher assistants said that when she was in South Africa, she heard men saying that they couldn't wait to get back to Malawi just so that they could go to the bathroom anywhere they wanted.  They were sick of the bathroom rules in South Africa! 

So, despite my laughter, I realized that in Africa . . . . No wee weeing outside is a VERY GOOD RULE!

A World With “OUT”

Today we experienced being “out.”  Here in Africa, that is a normal part of life that most Americans find hard to understand.  Let me explain.  .  . 

Today we had the privilege of being driven to the store and not having to take the mini-bus (a,k.a. public smushed transport).  Well as soon as we left campus we were headed to the petrol station to get fuel for the car.  Well apparently, there has been an off and on shortage of fuel.  So the first gas station that we pulled into was OUT of fuel.  The second station did have fuel.  So we got the typical unleaded gasoline.  It was just $10 a gallon!  The couple that we were with said that it normally costs $12. 

In Malawi, the fuel prices are posted once a month.  They usually increase at the beginning of the month.  So stations actually try to run out of fuel so that they can get more money when it is the time of the month to buy fuel. 

Anyways, we got fuel and then went to a couple of shops.  We were excited because we visited one grocery store that sells cheese.  Yesterday, we went to two big grocery stores, and both were OUT of cheese—they had none of any kind.  Many stores here don’t even sell cheese, so we pay a premium when we can get it.  We love it though, so some things we will splurge on. J

Once we came home from dinner we began cleaning our house and making supper.  We had some yummy chicken that I had made a few days earlier. We were very lucky to have chicken, because Malawi has been having a chicken shortage and all the stores were OUT of chicken!  Today, they had small chickens at the store, so I bought three to put in our freezer . . . just in case the shortage continues.

After dinner, I was started to clean up and take the remaining chicken meat off the bones.  When I was finished I went to wash my hands . . . nothing.  The water was OUT.  The water shortages are a normal occurrence in Africa, but at that moment I was not happy about having greasy chicken hands.  Yet, at the same time I was grateful.  As I mentioned earlier we were cleaning before dinner, and I was finishing unpacking.  I had just unpacked my giant bottle of classroom hand sanitizer and left it by the sink.  I had thought that maybe we would need it.  Sure enough, I needed it less than an hour later.

I know, you are probably thinking “Who in the world would want to live in a place with no water, and no CHEESE?!”  Yet, despite the OUTS that we have and will experience in this place called Africa, we are happy that we came, and grateful to be here fulfilling the calling on our lives.

For a life without cheese is much better than a life lived without knowing Christ! 

(As I type this, we just experienced another OUT moment.  Our internet just went out! But, at least it wasn’t the electricity . . . that was two nights ago.)

Homemade Yumminess . . .

Well, living in Africa teaches you what you can and cannot live without.  For me, I can live without many things, but I do like to try to still enjoy yummy American food.  Thus, I always ship my spices and my pyrex measuring cup and spoons with me!  It is hard to cook when you don't know all of the metric conversions!  So, I learned this early in my life, and thus have never really had a hard time while cooking.

Anyways, since I live in Africa, I thought it might be fun to try out some recipes that just take too long in the states.  So, I made some . . . chocolate chip banana bread, this I have made before, cinnamon rolls, and onion bagels!! 

I am very proud of my bagels.  I had no idea you had to boil those suckers!  Anyways, mine came out delicious and taste just like the ones I have had in the states.  Yum!  Here are some pics of my masterpieces!! J

Bagels mid-process

Finished Bagels!

EWW EEE EWW AH AH . . . I met the Witch Doctor and this is what he said!

Today, we were sent on a scavenger hunt all over Lilongwe, Malawi.  Well, this fun hunt included stopping in front of the prison, meeting the “Watch Doctor”, Going in the market, across the “troll bridge”, and meeting the famous witch doctor. 

There are actually many witch doctors that have “medicines” set up outside of the bus terminals.  Here they have rocks, sticks, potions, and some other unusual things set up.  You just go to them and tell them what is wrong with you and they will prescribe something for you.

The witch doctor I met was rather nice.  He had a pile of sticks and rocks, and told us what several things meant.  Here are some of them . . .

1)    A STICK- you rub it down the middle of your skull and it should relieve your headaches

2)   A brown liquid with sticks floating in a bottle- it is suppose to be very helpful for male hormones

3)   A porcupine skin- if you carry this with you it is suppose to protect you from armed bandits

While my team did not buy and of these things, we did manage to get a picture with this man and to ultimately win the race!  Here is the doctor:

The Troll Bridge Toll Bridge

Today I went to town to get some materials for my classroom.  This was my second time to town, but first time guided by a Malawian.  We rode the mini-bus into town.  These are a type of public transportation.  They are basically 12 passenger vans that they try to squeeze 20 + people into.  Plus everyone’s stuff! (See photo below.)

Well, once we rode into town and got off of the mini-bus (they will drop you anywhere along there route).  We walked about 30 minutes to the fabric shop.  This shop is located in an area of town they call “Over the bridge.”  This is a densely populated area of town with tons of shops. 

We stopped at this Galaxy Textile shop to get some fabric.  Outside the shop and on many streets you will see tailors working to make clothes.  (Look closely at the picture and you will see them!)  It costs just a few dollars to get anything made here!

Inside the shop, I met the owner’s family.  His kids are actually starting at our school this year, and one of them may be in my class!  We will have to wait and see though.

Well, after we stopped at the shop we were going to take a short cut back to the mini-bus stop.  So we went through the market.  The markets here are similar to flea-markets back home.  Everything is used! (Except the food)  Yet, that is where everyone shops.  There are very few shops that sell new clothes.  Most clothes are used clothes shipped over to be “given” to Africa.  African merchants just go and buy one of these bags of clothes, and then resale’s whatever he gets.  It is kind of funny.

My Malawian guide, Pempho (pronounced Pimpo), also told me that the market (sometimes referred to as the “bend-over boutique” since you have to bend over to see what kind of stuff they have) has really good shoes.  Apparently the people get shoes in and then take them down to the river to wash them and resale them. 

The funniest thing about the shoes was that she was telling me about the TOMS shoes that she bought there.  I told her how expensive they are in the USA because they are giving a pair to Africa for every pair that people buy.  She thought that this was a great idea, but all I could think of was, “Hey, you live in Africa, why don’t they give you a pair?!” 

Yet, despite the humor I found in it all, she did tell me that in one village she went to she saw many people wearing TOM shoes, so she was assuming that they got them for free.  (HOPEFULLY!)

Well, after we conversed about the shoes we had to cross the bridge.  But not just any bridge, but a Toll bridge!  Oh, and this bridge is what you must imagine when you think of TROLL bridges.  It was wobbly, made of sticks, and had big holes in the middle.  One wrong step, or too many people, and you could end up in the river below . . . maybe with a spare shoe!

So, we inched across the bridge and at the end we paid the troll, I mean the toll. And then we had a yummy pizza lunch!

See, even in Africa they have pizza!  Yet, the funny thing is that the Troll bridge is literally just a little bit behind the modern pizza place.  

Re-Entry

Well, I guess it is time to rejoin the blogging world.  As you can see it has been awhile  . . . well like a year since I posted.  I tried my hand at the teacher blog (see http://3rdgradetravelinteacher.blogspot.com/), but I had no time for that. 

This past year, from June 2012-July 2013, my husband and I moved back to the USA from Saudi Arabia.  It was a crazy year full of TONS of work, family illness, and stress, but thankfully we made it through that.  Now, we are just beginning a new chapter in our lives.  We are living in Malawi, Africa!

At the end of our school year in Saudi, we found a wonderful opportunity to work in Malawi with a school here.  We were really excited about going to Malawi, but then when we went home to the USA, a lot of things seemed to come up.  Thus, we made the choice to stay for a year in the states. At that time we thought it would be for one year, and then we thought it would be for many years. 

We worked for a year in Florida, and experienced a lot.  Yet, for us Florida had never really felt like home . . .  just an in-between stop.  So, at the end of our school year in Florida, we packed up our things and moved them to my parents in Kansas.

Yet, we were still unsure what would be coming this next year.  We were hoping to stay in Kansas with the great people we met, yet we had the feeling like that was not the final stop yet.  Thus, we emailed many companies, schools, and the like.  Yet, it was the school in Malawi that kept coming to mind.  We emailed last, knowing that if they wanted us we must go.  And sure enough, they had the space.  So, two weeks later, we found ourselves on a plane flying into Lilongwe, Malawi.

Thus, this blog will focus on the new things that we discover on our journey through the heart of Africa.  We will try to post about things that you might find interesting or unusual.  Hope that you enjoy.

P.S. Comments are welcomed and appreciated!!