A very lovely Malawian proverb... And let me tell you... we've finally gotten the rain we've all been praying for, and with it has come A LOT of mud. So trying really hard not to complain. But its everywhere. We had a late start to the rainy season... There was this weird 2.5 weeks in October, usually one of the hottest and driest months of the year, when we had really cool temperatures and a ton of rain. Then nothing... until the beginning of January. And now... 3 days this past week I was basically trapped in my very small house because of torrential downpours. I haven't seen the sun for more than 30 minutes in over a week (SAD in the tropics anyone?). I've been the cause of much amusement with neighbors and friends; I had several severe cases of cabin fever and started wandering around in the late afternoon when the rain became a drizzle. "Mutowe mvula" or "You should run from the rain" they all yelled at me... Either way. Its nice to not worry about crops failing because of too little or too late rain.
So... Merry late Christmas and a Happy New Years to everyone who reads this! I hope the holidays were family and fun filled. A bunch of us went north to the lake and then to the tropical island paradises of Likoma and Chizumulu Islands. We relaxed, ate delicious food, were visited by Santa (actually the amazing and thoughtful Miss Sara Lane... thanks again!), hung out at one of the coolest bars I've ever seen (a series of decks and patios placed among boulders right by the lake... the owner claims that decks disappear and appear as the water level changes over the years... crazy!)... New Years was also at the lake... dance party funness. While I was up in my second favorite region of Malawi (sorry... the South still rocks), I got to hang out at some other volunteers sites as well... Which is always a great way to see other parts of the country.
Our COS (Close of Service) conference was a blast as well... I have an official date: April 13th is my last "official" day as a PCV. From there, I'll be heading on a "COS trip" which will include Vic falls, Zanzibar, and hopefully a climb up Kilamanjaro. Then flying home!!!!
In village life.... I'm super glad to be back. I really missed my house... my friends... my neighbors... my work... my routine... everything. First couple days back got to hang out with my awesome site mates. We had a sushi themed dinner that was absolutely amazing. Discovered that when you haven't ridden your bike more than 10k in over 6 months, going longer distances and then climbing up half a mountain will take more out of you than expected. Also, attended my first funeral in Malawi of an older gentleman who lives next to my borehole. The man, Mr. Mbisa, was super friendly, and never failed to say hello when I passed every day. He was a Jehovah's witness, and somehow managed to procure English (as opposed to Chichewa) versions of the Watchtower magazine most months to give me. Since cell network at my site sucks, I usually sat at this tea shed in the same area as the borehole and his house to check messages and have family phone call day on Sundays. He always sent one of the neighborhood kids over with the magazine, and while I wasn't necessarily interested in reading them, the fact that he thought of me really touched me. He passed away this past Tuesday; he had been sick with malaria and when treatment at our health center wasn't working, they transferred him to the boma, but he didn't respond to the treatment there either. The funeral was a very moving experience. In some ways, it was very similar to ones I've attended in the US, but in other ways, very different. For instance, women sit inside with the deceased one throughout the morning while the men sit outside. Often close family members are crying or wailing, but people don't physically comfort them. Instead they simply sit close by and silently offer their support. When you come to pay your respects, it is customary to show your respect by contributing money to assist with the funeral expenses (they actually record who and how much was contributed and then read it later as a sign of gratitude). Around noon, the service starts.; people are still segregated by gender. Then things begin to be more similar to American funeral- people sing hymns, read eulogies, read bible passages, etc. Suffice to say, it was a very moving experience...
Finally, a huge thank you to all of you that have helped my library projected by contributing money, getting the word out or both!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! As of today, the project has "disappeared" from the Peace Corps website... that hopefully means its fully funded (I'm being cautiously optimistic) and we can get started on it. I'll know for sure on Monday (the Program assistant in charge of the grant is in the field today so won't know till then). Please keep your fingers crossed that this is the case (and not that something weird has happened)! If so, I have just enough time to complete this project before I leave... so Yippie!! Until next time... lots of love and hugs to everyone out there!!
