So when I used to read these blogs, I would see a post like this and be like "yay, more updates tomorrow." Now that I'm in this situation, I understand that "soon" is a relative term, so while I have every intention of making a big post and putting it up here tomorrow, I also realize that if it doesn't happen for a week, it'll still feel like "soon" to me.
Training is going. A quick fun story, all of the education volunteers' headmasters/mistresses came to Dedza to meet their future volunteers and travel with us. After a two-day workshop, we had a soccer match, Malawi vs America. The Malawi team was made up of trainers and Headteachers, but with the likes of Cam in goal (the dude that wrote the Chibuku article) and Lauren at striker, for the first time in Peace Corps Malawi history, America won. We limped off the field very proud.
Anyways, just thought I'd let everyone know that site visit went great, and most importantly, this will be my last blog post (or day) as a PCT (Peace Corps Trainee). Tomorrow morning is swearing-in and myself along with 21 of my new best friends will all become PCVs (Peace Corps Volunteers). All 22 of us passed the LPI (Language Proficiency Exam), which is quite impressive and has not happened in anyone's memory. Basically, Ed12 is the best training group ever. In case you're keeping track, I did say 22 people passed, meaning we reached our goal of 100% swearing-in.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Saturday, August 04, 2012
Tambala No More
So, we find out our sites on Thursday! It'll be really cool seeing as the Ed'11 group will be at the college for MST (mid-service training) and we'll be there for a "Hub Day" so we will get to find out and then pick the brains of those that live close to our future sites. Then we move out of home-stay on Sunday.
Anyways, I got a funny story from this week. A couple days ago, after dinner, I was talking with my family about the chickens around our compound. Our conversation went something like this (spanning three languages, but for your benefit, I have translated everything to English).
Me: "So the rooster woke me up last night at around 2am and I was like 'Ahhh, silly rooster!"
(Side-note: the chicken coop is next to my room)
Bambo (father): "Ohhh, roosters are very loud. I do not like them. They make you wake up and do work."
Me: "I don't want to wake up. I like sleeping in."
(Side-note: by sleeping in I mean 6am)
Mayi: "Hahaha, you like to sleep."
Bambo: "Sleeping in is good."
Me: "I will not have any roosters when I get my own house."
So, two days later, I wake up about 5am and was oddly disturbed. Something was off...no roosters in the yard all morning waking me up. I'm oddly intrigued by this lack of noise. Thinking they simply silenced the roosters somehow, by putting them inside the storage shed or chicken coup, I assume nothing is wrong. That is, until lunch. Guess what was for lunch? You guessed it, CHICKEN!!!
Well, there were in fact two roosters. The other one was not near as vocal. That evening, I see Bambo shooing the rooster into the storage shed. I guess this is a good way to keep your last rooster alive without causing noise. Lucky guy dodged the knife, right?
Wrong. This morning, there was a rooster plucking in the kitchen.
The moral of this story, don't annoy me or my Bambo and Mayi will make me eat you.
Anyways, I got a funny story from this week. A couple days ago, after dinner, I was talking with my family about the chickens around our compound. Our conversation went something like this (spanning three languages, but for your benefit, I have translated everything to English).
Me: "So the rooster woke me up last night at around 2am and I was like 'Ahhh, silly rooster!"
(Side-note: the chicken coop is next to my room)
Bambo (father): "Ohhh, roosters are very loud. I do not like them. They make you wake up and do work."
Me: "I don't want to wake up. I like sleeping in."
(Side-note: by sleeping in I mean 6am)
Mayi: "Hahaha, you like to sleep."
Bambo: "Sleeping in is good."
Me: "I will not have any roosters when I get my own house."
So, two days later, I wake up about 5am and was oddly disturbed. Something was off...no roosters in the yard all morning waking me up. I'm oddly intrigued by this lack of noise. Thinking they simply silenced the roosters somehow, by putting them inside the storage shed or chicken coup, I assume nothing is wrong. That is, until lunch. Guess what was for lunch? You guessed it, CHICKEN!!!
Well, there were in fact two roosters. The other one was not near as vocal. That evening, I see Bambo shooing the rooster into the storage shed. I guess this is a good way to keep your last rooster alive without causing noise. Lucky guy dodged the knife, right?
Wrong. This morning, there was a rooster plucking in the kitchen.
The moral of this story, don't annoy me or my Bambo and Mayi will make me eat you.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Ode to Sima
So not too much more to report. Training is training, and we're chugging along. We had Mock-LPIs (language proficiency exam) today, but I won't know results for a couple days. I think I could've done better, but definitely could've done worse. Palibe Suzgo (No worries)!
I wrote a poem on sima (nsima to the Chichewa speakers) and thought I'd share that, since I'm not being too interesting otherwise. I also will include a story the trainees from my village wrote during a practice class where everyone in the class wrote a sentence for a story, building on what the others wrote. If you're not familiar with the 'toilet' humor of Peace Corps, this will probably be less entertaining for you, but enjoy it anyways.
Ode to Sima
O' sima,
O' sima,
How you amaze me,
O' sima.
Mashed potatoes may look like you,
However you are your own sinister form of goo.
Your taste is hard to compare,
But it is probably most similar to air.
Eating you with my hands is quite fun,
Except you are hotter than the surface of the sun.
Your glue like properties are quite something,
Especially as I curse your name while dumping.
The process to make you ufu is long,
And it ensures any nutrition is gone.
Be it one patty, two, or three,
Amayi will insit it wasn't enough for me.
O' sima,
O' sima,
How I loath you,
O' sima.
Group Story
I awake to the wailing call of a goat and the feeling that someone was watching me. The goat walked towards me. It had knives tied to its horns. I thought this must be a dream. I love nsima, it is good. So I took the leftover nsima from last night's dinner and threw it at the goat. The goat ran away and returned with a while heard of vicious goats. What a time to oopsie-poopsie!
I wrote a poem on sima (nsima to the Chichewa speakers) and thought I'd share that, since I'm not being too interesting otherwise. I also will include a story the trainees from my village wrote during a practice class where everyone in the class wrote a sentence for a story, building on what the others wrote. If you're not familiar with the 'toilet' humor of Peace Corps, this will probably be less entertaining for you, but enjoy it anyways.
Ode to Sima
O' sima,
O' sima,
How you amaze me,
O' sima.
Mashed potatoes may look like you,
However you are your own sinister form of goo.
Your taste is hard to compare,
But it is probably most similar to air.
Eating you with my hands is quite fun,
Except you are hotter than the surface of the sun.
Your glue like properties are quite something,
Especially as I curse your name while dumping.
The process to make you ufu is long,
And it ensures any nutrition is gone.
Be it one patty, two, or three,
Amayi will insit it wasn't enough for me.
O' sima,
O' sima,
How I loath you,
O' sima.
Group Story
I awake to the wailing call of a goat and the feeling that someone was watching me. The goat walked towards me. It had knives tied to its horns. I thought this must be a dream. I love nsima, it is good. So I took the leftover nsima from last night's dinner and threw it at the goat. The goat ran away and returned with a while heard of vicious goats. What a time to oopsie-poopsie!
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Random Quotes
Wow, this internet cafe sucks! However, I will post a couple Cam gems.
"If you want to drink your beer and eat it too,
Chimbuku is the International Beer for you."
"Chimbuku, the beer so nice is asks you to shake it, twice."
"Dedza Pottery:
Wanted,
Our cheesecake.
Dedza or Alive."
http://africaam33.tumblr.com/post/27763745361/malawi-101-chibuku
"If you want to drink your beer and eat it too,
Chimbuku is the International Beer for you."
"Chimbuku, the beer so nice is asks you to shake it, twice."
"Dedza Pottery:
Wanted,
Our cheesecake.
Dedza or Alive."
http://africaam33.tumblr.com/post/27763745361/malawi-101-chibuku
Friday, July 13, 2012
Pre-Service Training
So I'm sitting in an internet cafe in Dedza right now. Go ahead, you can be jealous, but its k5 per minute and while that may be next to nothing, I get paid less than next to nothing.
Just thought I'd let everyone know I landed alive. Malawi is beyond amazing, but training is beyond exhausting. I'm staying near Dedza with a home-stay family. Problem is I'm learning Chitambuka since I'll be living in the north, and my family knows Chichewa. So, serious language barrier.
I'll post more when I have more time, aka after swear-in. Life is good!
I've attached a picture of our group when we arrived in Malawi. We were all very confused and overwhelmed at this time.
One last thing. Please hold off on sending any care packages. If you sent it now, it wouldn't get to me by the end of PST and I'll have a different address to send them to for my actual site.
Just thought I'd let everyone know I landed alive. Malawi is beyond amazing, but training is beyond exhausting. I'm staying near Dedza with a home-stay family. Problem is I'm learning Chitambuka since I'll be living in the north, and my family knows Chichewa. So, serious language barrier.
I'll post more when I have more time, aka after swear-in. Life is good!
I've attached a picture of our group when we arrived in Malawi. We were all very confused and overwhelmed at this time.
One last thing. Please hold off on sending any care packages. If you sent it now, it wouldn't get to me by the end of PST and I'll have a different address to send them to for my actual site.
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