These past three months I have learned more than I could ever have imagined. I have been fortunate to grasp a better understanding of this beautiful and interesting country. Therefore, I have decided to make a light-hearted list of some of the things I have learned along the way. I hope you enjoy!
1. People will call you Madonna if you have blonde hair and wear sunglasses.
2. If you want to get chores done like sweeping, gardening, drawing water, etc. that you don't feel like doing yourself just ask the kids to do it, they will gladly do just about anything, especially if you reward them with a pencil or "masweetie".
3. The azamayi (Malawian women) are superwomen. Seriously, they can do just about anything.
4. If you want to show people that you are becoming a Malawian, tell them that you love to eat nsima (the staple food here) and that you know how to cook it, even if both of those statements are completely false.
5. If you want to cure a bad mood, go and play netball with the girls and the amayis in the village.
6. Malawians will find a way to put Obama's name or face on just about anything (skirts, bread rolls, bags, buses, tshirts, etc.)
7. There are never too many people to fit inside a car or on the bed of a pickup truck.
8. Just the sight of a white person will make some infants and toddlers either cry or scream with terror.
9. ALWAYS tuck in your mosquito net unless you want to wake up to a cockroach crawling around your face.
life in the village
For those of you who would like an idea of what my day-to-day life looks like in the village, I will give you a snapshot...
I wake up around 5am every day just before the sun rises (which are absolutely amazing here). I then make myself breakfast which is usually coffee, oatmeal, rice porridge, some bananas, or else a peanut butter and jelly sandwich if I am lacking the motivation to start a fire on my mud stove. Then, if my two cats (Chips and Chambo) are begging me, which they almost always are, I give them some small fish. After that I sit outside on my hammock as I do devotions, journal, read, and prepare a list of things I need to do for the day. I am usually interrupted at least a few times by kids on their way to school as they peek through my fence and try to talk to me, or else they just simply stand there and stare at what I am doing. Then I do some chores such as sweeping, drawing water, doing dishes, chasing the goats and chickens from my garden, doing laundry, etc. After that I go out and chat or at least say the traditional morning greetings (it's "madzuka bwanj?" for those of you who are interested in learning some Chichewa). Also, I try every to do at least one thing that is related to my service as a volunteer. This includes visiting local fish ponds or irrigation sites, meeting community groups (ie- HIV/AIDS support groups, orphan care, youth clubs, etc.), chatting with the chief in charge of my village, going to the local primary and secondary schools, meeting with a bunch of ladies in my village who started a Village Savings and Loans group, going to farmers' fields and learning about what they are growing, working on my garden, planning for my demonstration medicinal garden, and much more! Also, I often ride my bike to the local trading center that's only about 3km from where I live and I buy vegetables and fruit that are in season as well as rice, candles, firewood, and the occasional Fanta.
My afternoons and evenings consist mostly of doing home improvements and decorating. I also try to be intentional about simply walking outside of my house and attempting to talk in Chichewa and the phrase "pang'onopang'ono", which means "little by little" has been my slogan here for the pace at which I am learning. It's the most helpful chatting with the kids sine a group of them will just sit with me and when I point at something they will tell me what it is in Chichewa. It's like a game to them and they love it. Sometimes I will play netball or soccer or else I will just chase the kids that are too little to play in the pickup games. After that, just before the sun goes down, I will take a bucket bath and then cook myself dinner. So far I have perfected cooking rice, omelettes, chips, and vegetables. I am trying to branch out but again, "pang'onopang'ono". It gets dark by about 6pm so I head inside my house to escape the mosquitoes and sit in my hammock and read. And in case you were wondering, yes I do have two hammocks, one outside and one inside, and they make life here so much nicer! I will read, sew, do some research on potential projects, write letters, journal, etc. Then by 8pm I am tucked nicely inside my mosquito net!
So that's basically my life here in Malawi so far. It will stay pretty similar to that for the next two months since the Peace Corps requires that we not start any projects during that time. The purpose is for us to focus on integrating into the area and although I know it's extremely important, I sometimes feel like I'm doing nothing here. I know that isn't necessarily the case and that I need to take the time to get to know my community, and to have them get to know me and trust me in return, to learn the language, to try and figure out what the needs of the community are, and finally how I can help to address those needs. And along the way I have met some really great people and been able to experience many things that I would have not been able to in America.
Also, I do have a cell phone and although it is too expensive for me to call America, I can receive calls for free. I suggest using Skype since that seems to be the cheapest option. If you'd like my number feel free to email me at kkutzner@gmail.com or just ask anyone in my family and they will give it to you! I would love to hear from you all!
