differences

Living alone took some getting used to…I’ve done it before but here I was used to having others around. It was hard to know what to do in the evenings and cooking for myself has always been a challenge—here I just have leftovers because I think that is easier than cooking each time. Not so many trips to the market but enough to have fresh foods. After about 3 weeks I’d gotten used to the quiet (not that I let it be quiet often—most of the time I had music playing). A malawian nurse moved in below me—this is her first job out of school (I think) and she seems very nice. I wonder if I’ll still get to use her porch when I host a cake party…
Two weeks ago I got two new flat mates. Klaasje and Marieke are from the Netherlands and are staying for 7 weeks. They are having to share the big room because the third bedroom has been taken over by bees and I haven’t figured out how to get rid of them yet as I think they are coming in through the roof and have made a hole in the ceiling to get into the room…they are very nice. Marieke is a nurse and is working on the pediatric ward at the hospital. Klaasje is working with James as well—more on a financial part I think or at least numbers of some sort of bookkeeping, but also interested in the youth work and coming to the trainings and seeing all that is going on. It has been strange having new people in “my” house but good too.
I’m not up at the Guesthouse as often as I was last year…the volunteers and medical students there are more short term and they aren’t all cooking and eating together. I’ve been up for group dinners and that is always fun and I’ve been up to eat with some of them (also fun, but strange to have others just sitting around us not eating). I’ve had them to the cottage for dinner as well. So still hanging out with them just not the same as last year (when I was there almost every night).
Language training—I can’t remember if I’ve said anything about this yet but I’ve been working out of a book called Intensive Chichewa with Beria—Barbara Nagy’s housekeeper…I think I’m slow but I also think some of it is sinking in…and the first 2 weeks of May I will be staying at Malingunde (where the training I went to last year was) with a South African woman who came here 40 years ago and has really become a part of Malawi. She has agreed to have me and to help me to learn as much as I can—intensive language and culture course. I’m really looking forward to it!