Sorry for being a less-than-satisfactory blogger. There’s just not much to tell at the moment. In between terms several of us headed up to north to Mzuzu to indulge our chitenje-buying habit (Tanzanian market was actually open this time!) and to a friend’s site by the lake. We had a good time, ate well, and spent far too much money.
We’re well into Term 3 and I’m typing exams again (fastest school year ever), the new group of education and health volunteers are coming soon, and we’re busy planning for Camp Sky. Consequently, I’ve stopped gallivanting around to 4 other schools for the time being.
I have yet another chicken story to share. We had a PTA meeting the other day to talk about the developments happening at school. Of course all 3 hours were in Chichewa, so most of it went straight over my head. The best part of the meeting was, of course, the chicken. One of the teacher’s hens roosts in the Form 1 classroom, which is where the meeting was being held. Chickens wandering into the classroom is a normal, everyday experience, but this one wanted to lay an egg. For those of you unfamiliar with egg-laying chickens, let me tell you–they’re noisy. One of the parents had stood up to speak, and he paused mid-sentence, picked the chicken up and threw it out the window, then continued with his speech. This would have been hilarious on its own, but the chicken kept coming back! People shooed the determined little thing out the door several times and the second time it went out the window one of the teachers grabbed it and carried it away. We could hear the miserable creature squawking all the way out of ear shot. Best all-Chichewa meeting ever.
Since I have so little to say, I’ll spice things up a bit by uploading a few pictures instead. Sorry, don’t have the patience to do more than this. First, an old picture of what my back yard looks like during the rainy season. Next, for anyone who wonders what nsima looks like and how you eat it, feast your eyes on this. Here’s the toilets we’re building at school, complete with the ever-present goats. And finally, one of the few decent pictures I took at the baptism ceremony.
June 25, 2010 at 4:18 am |
We are soo spoiled! I can’t imagine living in the conditions that people in other countries do. Uncle Harold and I’m doing fine. Lots of small health problems and aches and pains. Just getting old. We’re trying to fix this house before it gets bad and keep up with the gardening. We got in a short trip to New England this month and not doing much more traveling except for craft shows in No. Ca. starting in Sept. Maybe we’ll go to San Fran before then and see an Impressionist exhibit from the Musee D’Orsay at the DeYoung Museum. Yes, we’re blessed and know it! Take care! Love to hear what you are doing.