Car problems? Osadandaula (No problem)!

Ah, the lake....

Oh how I've missed you!

This weekend a group of us headed to Nkhotakota for a quick overnight jaunt to the lake.  It has been months since we'd been to the lake so it was a nice get away...

Destination - Fish Eagle Bay

We all set up our towels in between the tire tracks (not on purpose...perhaps sub-consciously?

B breaking it down for some of the locals (who found it hysterical that the mzungu would dance with them)

In honor of Superbowl Sunday

We love having visitors!!

B stopping in the middle of the road to listen to the engine (and take advantage of a photo op)

World's best place to have a break down (read below)

So....on the road back, we heard from crazy noises coming from the hood.  We stopped to buy some pottery and found that the rattling noise was actually a piece of the the "new" alternator (B had just had it replaced).  

This = a problem!   

Our friend, T, found someone who claimed to know about cars (working inside the pottery shop) and he came out to assist us.  B, being the trusting guy he is, allowed this gentleman to take the alternator OUT...and then proceed to take it APART!  I'm not going to lie, this made me nervous.  But at a certain point, you realize your options are relatively limited. AAA surely wasn't coming to our rescue!

After about a couple of hours they identified the problem and managed to fix it.  If you can believe it, the place at which we stopped had SO many of the required tools to fix a car (they needed a washer to hold this particular piece in place and they found one, only to realize it was too big.  Fortunately, they had a metal sander (or whatever it's called) on-site to fix it!  Amazing)!  We also had a big tree under which to stand (if this had happened on the side of the road it would have been miserable)!

After about 4 hours, we were back on the road and we made it home safe and sound...talk about feeling lucky.  I couldn't believe those guys were able to fix our car (and an important component of the car, to say the least) with such ease (relatively speaking).  Perhaps we should bring our cars to them for all of our mechanical needs?!?

A little culture in Lilongwe...

This past weekend was a weekend of culture!  Friday night one of my friends cooked us a delicious and authentic Indian meal.  I think it was likely a combination of the amazing food and a little bit of whisky that put us into food coma for the rest of the night.

Homemade Indian food (at my old house!)

 On Saturday, one of B's colleagues, fulfilled a promise to make homemade Ethiopian food, complete with fresh injera!  It was probably one of the best Ethiopian meals I've EVER had - complete with a coffee ceremony to boot!

Coffee ceremony, post incredible homemade Ethiopian lunch

After recovering from our Ethiopian food coma, we got dolled up for Lilongwe's annual Burns Supper. I've heard about this event before (it's done all over the world in honor of the famous Scottish poet, Robert Burns), but I had yet to attend one.  It was very interesting, to say the least, and it turned into a really fun evening - including a "toast to the lassies" and a "reply to the toast to the lassies"!  We drank athol brose, ate haggis (just a tiny bit for me), and learned a few traditional dances....

G, the master of ceremonies

B with.....the haggis

My attempt at catching some dancing with my iPhone

Us, pre-dance party!

On Sunday, we had a small gathering of B's colleagues over to help advise us on our Chinkhoswe...or Malawian engagement (although, to be fair, ours will not be as elaborate as what is included in that link!!).  We're planning to have a co-engagement party with two of our other friends who have recently gotten engaged; the plan is to have a big braai (American-style) and weave in some of the Malawian traditions surrounding engagements.  I don't have any photos...yet (but will definitely have some to share in the coming months)!  

Overall, a very cultural weekend - complete with good company, amazing food (well, minus the haggis, which I thought tasted pretty good, but sort of freaked me out), and fun times!!

Closing out 2012

I honestly didn't think anyone read this thing anymore...but apparently I was wrong. After 2+ years in Malawi I started moving out of all of the very interesting things about Malawi and  more into the "look at all of the fun things we do in Malawi"...which sort of felt like bragging.  Let's be real here.  Both B and I have full time jobs - more than full time jobs if you can classify them as such!  I suppose our mantra is to work hard and play hard (but you'd never believe the work hard part if the photos are any indication)!  Regardless, forgive me for not posting anything in the last 3 months.... and with that....here is what we've been up to since October...

A fancy restaurant opened in town.  We frequent it regularly (especially when former Malawi friends return for a visit)

We went to Kili....

And we hiked it!

..and got to watch the sunrise from the summit

(Proof that we made it to the summit - 5,895 m or 19,340 ft!)

Went to Rwanda for work (and got to meet up with some of my favorite people)

Saw a banana that looked like this

Returned to Swaziland and saw some awesome dancing (they're spinning verrrry fast)

Went to a fish market....

IN MAPUTO (and got to spend time with some other dear friends)

Found out we're moving to LIBERIA next summer (but we don't have a photo to prove it, so you'll just have to take my word for it)

Went back to Pumulani

...AND GOT ENGAGED! :-)

Got up close and personal with a hippo in Liwonde

Hosted the xmas party at our house

(and got to see Santa)

Had a classy "red lipstick" Christmas dinner...

...with some of Lilongwe's finest

Met him.

Hung out with these little monkeys...

...and this big one

witnessed Poi Poi trying to wink

spent time with both grandmas at once!

got some QT with my fave

relished the time we got to spend together

introduced B to the wonder that is Cleveland

and in return he introduced me to the wonder that is Minneapolis

Spent time with B's family at his home

and nearly got dunked in the snow

 So, that's about it.  

Talk about a whirlwind year!  A tough one professionally but an amazing one personally.  Here's to hoping that 2013 treats all of you with every bit of magic that you deserve. 

Lots of love from Malawi, B&L

oh what a difference a year makes....

1 year ago, I was:

• struggling with coming to terms with the fact that I was turning 30, 
• constantly doubting whether or not I made the right decision in turning down a promotion to stay in Malawi to see my project through to the end, 
• concerned that funding for my position beyond the end of the year was uncertain,  
• feeling generally stuck and unsure of what to do next 

B, photo-bombing a perfectly nice picture at my 30th bday

 Fast forward to this year.  Now I am:

• not concerned in the least about turning another year older,
• confident I made the right decision about staying in Malawi,
• managing a team that is 400% larger than last year (and with 400% more funding!)
• excited about what is going to come next, despite the uncertainty surrounding where we'll actually be...

B, basking in the glow of a successfully planned surprise birthday party for my 31st

what a difference a year can make!!!

metal mouth

A few weeks ago there was a Water Board strike.  We were given ample notice (4 days) that the Water Employees Trade Union of Malawi planned to strike unless their salaries were increased.  This gave all of us plenty of time to stock up on water in every type of receptacle we had (last year's strike lasted 3 days - which may not seem like a lot, but i'd much rather be without electricity than water, purely from a sanitation point of view!).

The first day of the strike we decided to go out to dinner.  We figured it was better on the first day than on the 2nd or 3rd or 4th when restaurant staff were less likely to have any means of washing their hands prior to preparing our food!

Fortunately, the strike only lasted a few days and it wasn't nearly as bad as last year.  Apparently there is some rule that even when on strike, water must be running for 30% of the day (or something like that).  However, just because the water was running, didn't mean it was being TREATED properly.

Lo and behold, about a week later, B got sick.  And then our friend T got sick.  And then I got sick.  And then B got sick again.  And I was still sick.

We're almost certain it was giardia and, for once in my life, I willingly sought out medication to fix whatever was ailing my poor intestines.  The medicine of choice was tinidazole.  I've taken tinidazole in the past and my number 1 complaint is that it makes your mouth taste like metal!  However, I had no idea that some of the other side effects included:

Anorexia and...furry tongue!?  Fortunately, I did not become anorexic nor did I grow a furry tongue.  I did, however, get better.  So, I suppose the several days of metal flavoured coffee, metal flavoured salads, and even metal flavoured water was all worth it.

Puddy tat!

Have you seen the BLR video featuring Rick Santorum?  If not, you should (and then you'll understand why the title makes me laugh)

Meet our cat, Snoop:

Snoop thinks she's a dog

Or maybe she thinks she's Jabba the hut?

Snoop loves to be around people but doesn't necessarily love being petted or picked up. Affection is so rare, that when she actually IS affectionate, it is like...the best thing ever :-)

(B inherited her when he moved to Malawi.  We're not really sure how old she is, but she seriously grows cuter by the day.  I've never been a huge 'cat' person, but I sure do love this cat!!!)

s-s-s-s-surprise!

Found this guy in our yard last week. Actually, that's a lie.  Our guard found it, proceeded to wound it, and then eventually kill it before I even knew it existed.  

Although no one seemed to know what it was called (we think it may have been a female boomslang?) we were told that it would "take us down" and that if bitten on the foot, we'd have to tie off our leg at the knee because the venom travels up, "like mercury".  I heard there were a lot of snakes in Malawi but in my nearly 2 years here, I have only encountered a handful.   This will definitely make me think twice about running out to the garden (or rather, having B run out to the garden) after dark!

nerd-tastic.

The recent fuel increase got me thinking.....

Since I arrived in 2010, the cost of fuel has steadily increased.  However, due to an adjusted (and now floating) exchange rate, I am currently paying approximately the same for fuel NOW (in dollars), as I was when I arrived in October 2010.

You can see that the red line has consistently increased (except for that one dip earlier this year); however, in dollars it has actually remained much more stable.  Fuel was the most expensive back in November 2011, when petrol was 380MK/L and the exchange rate was only 165.  Post-devaluation, the price of fuel in dollars has decreased despite the fact that the price in kwacha has increased.....

just interesting....that's all.