Summer and the annual wet season is to start about the end of October and lasts until sometime in January. During the period, most harvesting is non-existent, and people would have already bought and stored most of their basic staples to last through the season. Vegetables and most local produce is still supposedly available, with prices for some rising and some falling. We continue to eat fairly well; a lot of fresh foods. Our staples generally include oatmeal, bananas, soya, beans, greens, carrots, onions, tomatoes, eggs, oranges, and bread/peanut butter. We have been fortunate to have received some great mailed items, from fiends in the States, including tuna packs, protein bars and chocolate to supplement what we can purchase locally. The other issue, of course, is what we can afford on our limited budget. However, we actually feel great, healthy and fit, probably due to the fair amount of walking that we do daily. Not having a vehicle, other than bikes that have proven to be too risky on the city streets, we walk everywhere, probably averaging 5-6 miles each per day. Not complaining. Additionally, we have just started our first batch of homemade wine! Can't wait. We had been given a nice Peace Corps cook book compiled by fellow, past volunteers that includes some nice options for preparing dishes from very basic and readily available items. One was wine from lemon grass. We opted for blackberries.
Meanwhile, life goes on. Our work hasn't changed much; Noel is still managing the information/resource department at his NGO, and Kaye is monitoring the masters student activities in the hospital and working with them on their research projects.
The people of Malawi are very nice, although we have each experienced a faux paux with communications that have cost us a few kwachas! The basic problem is that, being “whites”, the locals assume that we have money to burn and sometimes get taken advantage of. If they only knew of our actual income. The next major social event being anticipated and to experienced here is the Thanksgiving get-together that will be hosted at the US Ambassador's home, similar to the 4th of July gathering. A lot of US government folks and good food.
That's about all for now. We think of all of our friends regularly, and hope that all are healthy, safe and employed (or otherwise happy and prosperous). Do stay in touch and let us know what YOU would like to know about us and our lives. It's difficult to guess from here, as things are so different in a lot of ways, yet so similar in others.
2 comments:
It is great to hear from you, two. It is a great job you are doing there. When I read your writings, I fell as if I am watching a real National geographic documentary. THANK YOU for sharing your life with us :)
It is really wonderful to read your posts and to attempt a mental picture of what you are experiencing. Are there tools that I can send you? Do you have time for reading? Knitting?
Autumn is at a glorious peak in Michigan, and rapidly coloring the foliage around here in North Carolina. Frances and John's new granddaughter, Inga Halley Drake, is gorgeous and healthy.
Leah came for a two week visit from Alaska and I finally got myself over to a school to volunteer and I'm loving it. Personally life here is good, but concerns about the war(s) and economy continue to create unease on a broader basis. I wonder what kind of world news you get there.
I share Zeynep's thanks to you for sharing this part of your lives.
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