fishing and fish
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010
headphones
Why is it that as soon as you put headphones on and start your music player people insist on talking to you? It has happened so often and I don’t often use my headphones when others are around as I feel that it does discourage conversation (maybe that is just for me). The first time I remember it happening was on a plane when I was trying to watch a movie. Everyone had their own screen and I couldn’t sleep…I’d already watched 2 movies and had just picked a French one to watch (one I would actually have to concentrate on to understand) when the guy next to me started to chat…2 sentences and then he would stop so I’d put my headphones back on, start the movie, and then he would start again…2 sentences, stop, headphones, etc…over and over. On the ride back from chiwe in the back of the truck the 5 or 6 malawians didn’t talk to me at all the whole way there or back to Lilongwe. When we stopped in Lilongwe I got my headphones out, put them on and as soon as we started driving again one of the guys started asking me questions…my name, pause, what I was doing, pause, when I arrived, pause, how long I’m staying, pause, what he needs to go to the states or Canada, how much a passport costs (I don’t really know as mine is about to expire). And then on the bus back from the lake—it was going to be a long ride and rhona and jane got off pretty early so I put them in and planned to zone out when the guy next to me started chatting…pause…chat some more…pause…chat. Then asked if I was married. I assured him that I was but he didn’t seem believe me. However, he did stop talking to me until he said goodbye when he got off the bus.
If you have any insight I’m sure I’d love to hear it.
If you have any insight I’m sure I’d love to hear it.
lake buses
Rhona has had a friend, Jane, visiting from Scotland and went to Zambia on safari and then to Victoria falls. When they came back into Malawi I was still on holiday so I went to meet them and we traveled up to the north part of the lake. We jumped on a bus in Lilongwe for Mzuzu which we thought would take about 6 hours…8½ hours later we arrived in the dark with no way to continue on to Nkhata Bay. No worries we were able to stay with some Australian volunteers there who were very hospitable to our crashing at their flat and then off the next morning for the lake and 2 days of sun and water. The water was so blue and the fish are stunning there as there are lots of rocks and things for them to hide in. one night we tried the “local restaurant” so named but we should have known being very close to our tourist hostel that the nsima we would get there would not be optimal. Instead it was rock hard and heavy…a sad showing for Jane’s first experience. The next day the hostel put on a free traditional Malawian meal that was really good…Friday I headed back to nkhoma—left rhona and jane at another spot on the lake to do some diving…arrived back with enough time to do some visiting and repacking to go to a wildlife park with the NC group.
Chiwe
The group had been working at various locales…our school, up at the guesthouse sewing, and a medical clinic north of Lilongwe in Chiwe. Since I was off for holidays I asked if I could go with one day (and as I was leaving to travel on Tuesday I was really hoping for an ok on Monday). I didn’t want to take anyone’s spot as they had to take turns as to who could go (4 in the truck cab + the driver) and as there were 4 going I was told I could come if I didn’t mind riding in the back. No problem here…more room (at least that’s what I thought). There were 6 malawians in the back with me as well as some of the supplies to do the work…early mornings are brisk so I broke out the sweatshirt and am quite glad that I did. A stop in Lilongwe for more supplies and the up to Chiwe…all good except for the last 11km…and those were bumpy! But we finally arrived.
We were working on a small house next to the clinic itself. Fixing it up so that a nurse could live there as the clinic needed a nurse. 3 of us were put to work painting the outside, some painted inside and some were hanging doors and making sure the cross beams inside were replaced as termites had gotten to them. Painting outside was not too bad. You did have an audience most of the day and you had to climb up and down the ladder each time as we were doing the top part of the walls but it was a beautiful day. The other problem was that the top part of the wall was “decorated” with blobs or knobs of concrete all over it…so we dusted it off and then painted the wall and knobs with our paintbrushes as rollers wouldn’t do any good over the knobs. We finished painting just as our day needed to end so that we could get back to nkhoma at a reasonable time.
The sore legs came after that day…the hike up the mountain. Holding myself in place in the back of the truck both coming and going. Climbing up a ladder to paint for a day. Sore for only 2 days this time (4 last time up the mountain) so I must be in ok shape.
We were working on a small house next to the clinic itself. Fixing it up so that a nurse could live there as the clinic needed a nurse. 3 of us were put to work painting the outside, some painted inside and some were hanging doors and making sure the cross beams inside were replaced as termites had gotten to them. Painting outside was not too bad. You did have an audience most of the day and you had to climb up and down the ladder each time as we were doing the top part of the walls but it was a beautiful day. The other problem was that the top part of the wall was “decorated” with blobs or knobs of concrete all over it…so we dusted it off and then painted the wall and knobs with our paintbrushes as rollers wouldn’t do any good over the knobs. We finished painting just as our day needed to end so that we could get back to nkhoma at a reasonable time.
The sore legs came after that day…the hike up the mountain. Holding myself in place in the back of the truck both coming and going. Climbing up a ladder to paint for a day. Sore for only 2 days this time (4 last time up the mountain) so I must be in ok shape.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
up the mountain
The NC group decided to head up the mountain on Saturday…bright sunny day and they left about lunch time. Seemed surprised that I wouldn’t go with them…too hot for me. They made it about halfway up and got some good views and decided to try again on Sunday. Well after church I decided that it would be a great day for a hike so I joined them for the hike up. We left at 11 (still not the smartest time to go) but our hike was blessed by being mostly cloudy on our way up.
I’d have to say that I enjoyed their pace much more than the first time I went up. Guess being the youngest in the group means your energy goes farther (some of the time at least)…as opposed to my first hike when I was the oldest hiker—beet red and breathing very heavily trying to keep up. Great views from the top and a nice breeze as well. No sore legs this trip…(yeah right)
I’d have to say that I enjoyed their pace much more than the first time I went up. Guess being the youngest in the group means your energy goes farther (some of the time at least)…as opposed to my first hike when I was the oldest hiker—beet red and breathing very heavily trying to keep up. Great views from the top and a nice breeze as well. No sore legs this trip…(yeah right)
up the mountain
The NC group decided to head up the mountain on Saturday…bright sunny day and they left about lunch time. Seemed surprised that I wouldn’t go with them…too hot for me. They made it about halfway up and got some good views and decided to try again on Sunday. Well after church I decided that it would be a great day for a hike so I joined them for the hike up. We left at 11 (still not the smartest time to go) but our hike was blessed by being mostly cloudy on our way up.
I’d have to say that I enjoyed their pace much more than the first time I went up. Guess being the youngest in the group means your energy goes farther (some of the time at least)…as opposed to my first hike when I was the oldest hiker—beet red and breathing very heavily trying to keep up. Great views from the top and a nice breeze as well. No sore legs this trip…(yeah right)
I’d have to say that I enjoyed their pace much more than the first time I went up. Guess being the youngest in the group means your energy goes farther (some of the time at least)…as opposed to my first hike when I was the oldest hiker—beet red and breathing very heavily trying to keep up. Great views from the top and a nice breeze as well. No sore legs this trip…(yeah right)
Monday, May 31, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
