3 Months at site…
So I’ve been at site for 3 months. Wow, amazing it’s been that long already. In just a couple of weeks, I will officially have been in Malawi for 6 months, tying the longest I’ve ever lived outside of the United States (or Florida, for that matter). So here are some things I’ve learned over the past 6 months:
· Everything is ‘Just OK’
· ‘Feel Free’
· Delicious meals can be made over fire
· Cooking can be fun, on the weekend when I have the energy
· Lilongwe is expensive
· The nicest resort in Malawi is no better than site without the right people
· Most westerners are in fact dumb Azungus, just not the ones that live here (and this does not make it acceptable for children to shout that term)
· The Kindle could be the greatest invention in the world, followed by the MP3 player that plays videos, in my case the Zune
· Electricity is a luxury, don’t ever forget it
· Running water is a luxury, don’t ever forget it
· Cell phones are everywhere
· Facebook is everywhere
· While I was once able to burn hours on the internet every day, I now find it boring after about 30 minutes once a month
· Mail is amazing! Especially when there are pictures
· With a little perspective, you realize who is important to you
· Tea’s addictive properties rival crack
· Good booze can be made with rotten fruit and a 20L plastic bucket
· Draft beer should never again be taken for granted
· Florida isn’t hot, ever
· Freshwater fish < Saltwater fish
· The lake is like one giant bathtub
· Sprite is cold, even when warm
· Laundry with a machine doesn’t even count as work
· Water is precious (at least when you have to carry it on your head)
· Drinking tap water is not always safe, especially in a big city
· Drinking straight from the bore hole isn’t always dangerous
· Mango season literally means it will rain mangos
· The Gators are amazing, a fact you don’t actually have to see them play to know
· Spite is more work than it’s worth, with exceptions (thanks Dad for reminding me UGA still deserves nothing good to ever happen to them)
· Clay pots are like refrigerators
· Dehydration is always just around the corner
· ‘Chop my money, and I don’t care’
· Geckos can provide hours of entertainment
· Cats can be useful
· Chickens are the worst, except for maybe goats
· Checking on a tree every day will not make it grow faster
· The black-market isn’t actually that sketchy
Hmmm, can’t think of any more off the top of my head, but hope that entertains ya’ll for a couple weeks. I’m in Lilongwe right now for IST (In-Service Training), hence the new pictures I’m going to put links to at the end of this. I’ll be going to Likoma Island for Christmas, which will be amazing! I don’t know when the next time I’ll have a chance to post will be, so if I miss it, Merry Chrismahanakwanzika and a Happy New Year!
PST
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10102668299039151.3701808.2036002&type=3&l=bc932b20df
My life as a PCV
My life as a PCV
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10102979924843541.3757055.2036002&type=3&l=8ffc337b60
My pets
My pets
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10102979917114031.3757054.2036002&type=3&l=0ce7e7beb9
My favorite meals since arriving
My favorite meals since arriving
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10102979895681981.3757050.2036002&type=3&l=b4b126c5c4
Care packages I’ve received
Care packages I’ve received
