My unexpected little house is somewhere I’m beginning to
understand I will see a lot of when I’m in Lilongwe. Night falls very quickly around here, almost at
6pm on the dot and clearly there are no streetlights. Unless you are in a taxi the advice is very
much to be home before dark – so the aim is to be back by 5.30 pm. Before I came, the recommendation was very
definitely not to use the minibuses, here that’s exactly what you have to do –
there is no other affordable option. So
at the weekends it appears we walk pretty much everywhere in daylight hours,
but the journey home from work involves the minibus experience. I was very grateful to be following other
volunteers who’ve done it all before on my way home from work tonight. It didn’t stop me losing a shoe, a fingernail
and almost my dignity trying to get off tonight! Can’t quite believe how many people they pack
in them!
Once it’s dark outside, my curtains (!) are drawn, the
evenings feel very long. I will have to
get used to living at this pace and with this level of solitude.
That said, the girls in the compound have been absolutely
great. With their help I’m slowly
getting my head round the nameless streets of Lilongwe, I’m also learning the
best places to go for all the essentials to make that allowance go a little
further! I’m yet to explore the Chinese
supermarket but that and the flea market are next on the list. I need to make my place feel a little less
bare and unloved!
So far, so good. My
fellow VSO volunteers are all lovely. I
can’t wait to see that lake I keep hearing so much about. Started work the actual placement today –
no-one told me I had to curtsey when I met the Minister. Oops!
I’m also the only women in there who is not wearing 4 inch heels and a
suit jacket – maybe I didn’t quite bring the right wardrobe. I have to say I didn’t do a lot – hopefully
it won’t always be like that or 4 months will never be enough – which is
exactly what the Minister said to me (that 4 months is too short, not that I’m
not doing enough work!)
And finally, a photo or two of home sweet home – it was a
great sunset tonight – or the bit I could see over the wall looked pretty good!
Photo 1 - my huge room called the West Wing in the guest house
Photo 2 - Genki, the intrepid Japanese assistant teacher and I outside the guest house
Photo 3, 4 and 5 - home sweet home
Photo 6 - the little bit of sunset I could see!
Missing everyone at home – Dog and Puppy (yes they really are called that) who live on our
compound are no substitute for Herbie!
