Sika | February 28, 2008
I took this picture because it gives me the opportunity to explain a few more of those things that are normal to me but aren’t anything you’d think about if you didn’t live here. So let’s start out with the clotheslines. There are three in this photo, although one is barely visible because it’s in [...]
Sika | February 26, 2008
On transport heading home today, Raymond sat in the seat behind the coaster (that would be a bus) door with his knees over the handrail and his feet pinning the door shut as the spring has come out of the latch and the door refuses to remain closed. As he dropped (that would be getting [...]
Sika | February 26, 2008
I yelled at my students today. I do this thing: usually I stay at the front of the classroom, it being quite difficult to amble down the “aisles” between the 74 desks in my class. But if the students aren’t answering my questions I squeeze my way between the desks and pick on individual students. [...]
Sika | February 25, 2008
Sometimes, when I smoosh the life out of a mosquito between my hand and the wall instead of between my hands, I leave the broken and mangled body there as a warning to other mosquitoes. Is that wrong?
I did nothing today. After last weekend’s trip to Lilongwe for our meeting of PC Nurses (or, as [...]
Sika | February 25, 2008
I am listening to the NYC Live version of Bruce Springsteen singing 41 Shots (American Skin), a song, along with Tuesday Morning* by Melissa Etheridge, guaranteed to make you cry (well, ok, by you I mean me) and make you wonder at how we, as a race of humans, have survived this long. It’s distracting, [...]
Sika | February 19, 2008
I have been thinking about what I’m going to do with my life after Peace Corps (can you believe I’ve already been here for 8 months?!?). Specifically, I’ve been thinking about if and how I want to take advantage of the Peace Corps Fellows program. Suddenly it ocurred to me that I might want to [...]
Sika | February 19, 2008
So riding out to Namikango Orphan Care and forgetting my sunscreen (I know, I know, stupid) I got dark again (well, for me. Otherwise known as “normal people colored”–thanks, mama). I think I kind of understand the desire to get darker.
I never see my full body (apparently there’s a good floor to ceiling mirror at [...]
Sika | February 19, 2008
I am in Lilongwe, waiting for transport from my school back to Zomba (they have interviews for the next intake of students here this week). Since I know I am getting a ride to my door, I thought, hmmm, what can I buy that would be a pain to cart on a hitch or a [...]
Sika | February 15, 2008
I wanted to post this Wednesday but the vagaries of the internet prevented me from doing so.
Please read the link below and then use the ACLU script (or your own if it’s better) to contact all the representatives you think might listen, should listen, need to listen.
Honestly, I think this is one of the most [...]
Sika | February 11, 2008
I had a very busy weekend.
Saturday I finally met the mfumu, the chief or village headman, of Matawale. I had asked the Campus Administrative Officer*, Jeremiah, if he could introduce me to the mfumu, but he had never met him. So I asked my landlord, Mr. Makato, and he said he could arrange it. [...]
Sika | February 4, 2008
I was doing yoga* today. I did L-pose at the wall. It’s funny, because as far as I can tell there are two L-poses, one where you make an L-shape with your hands against the wall, and the other where you do down dog facing away from the wall and then walk up the wall [...]
Sika | February 4, 2008
I want to preface this post by saying that usually at the Zomba market I don’t bother to bargain much because usually I get the Malawian price or close to it. And when I find later that I should have bargained more, it’s usually a difference of MK50 or 100 or so. Behind the main [...]
Sika | February 1, 2008
A couple of days ago I was telling my office mate, Jane, that sometimes, when I can’t think of a word in Chichewa, a Spanish word escapes instead. Jane said that doesn’t really help since nobody here speaks Spanish.
But that isn’t exactly true. Malawi may have been an English colony, but Mozambique was a Portuguese [...]
Sika | February 1, 2008
Derek has been teasing me because when I got back from the U.S. I told him I was expecting rain but not the incessant cloudiness, continuous bursts of drizzling, and general dreariness. Specifically, I said, “Dammit, why is it acting like Seattle?”
So, after the umpteen billionth time Derek teased me about how wrong I was, [...]