Hey all!
I know you had probably given up hope of ever hearing from me, or had written me off for dead, or thought I was lost in the wilds of Africa. Some of you may even have felt no small relief at the thought. But worry not! I'm safe and sound in Malawi, enjoying the "cool" season (though the days are still getting up to the mid 80s) and my village is great! Although I certainly miss everyone back home, I'm having a great time here and have made some FANTASTIC friends, both Malawian (shout out to William and Tuse) and American (that's you, Ian, Kelsey, Anna, and Amy!).
A lot has happened in the past three months, so I'll try to just cover some of the highlights.
My staging in Philly was great and I felt at home right away with my cohort. I was just reading over my last post, where I mentioned I was more nervous to meet my cohort than to fly to Malawi. I couldn't have been more spot on! Once I met everyone, I was overcome with a feeling of "I can do this!" There are 37 of us, 16 health volunteers and 21 environment volunteers. We all got really close during PST (Pre-Service Training) and not one of us has returned stateside yet! From what I've gathered, that doesn't happen all that frequently.
The flights to Malawi went smoothly (apart from a power outage at Johannesburg Int'l Airport), though they are all a blur. Getting on a plane has never been easier (thanks to the folks I was getting on with) or harder (thanks to the folks I was leaving behind for the next two years). After a few days in the capital, Lilongwe, it was north to Kasungu District for our two month homestay and training.
My homestay family was great, and I was lucky in that they spoke a few words in English. Between that, my few words in Chichewa, and olypmic-level charades, we were able to get by. My abambo (dad) was 24, my amayi (mom) was 21, and my asisi (sister) was 11 months. There was a 9 year old girl (my cousin? I was never clear on who she was) also lived with us and helped out around the house. Though she was nine, she was only in standard one, the equivalent of first grade. I lived in a little annex (I was later informed by my abambo that it was to be called the "boys quarters") which was maybe 6' x 6' and just big enough for my bed, duffel, water filter, and a little room for standing. I had a thatch roof, mud floor, and white-washed walls so the fact that my house now has cement floors and a tin room means I'm living in STYLE!
Training was pretty uneventful, though the days were packed (up at 5:30, in class till 5pm with hardly a break). We learned about compost, conservation agriculture, agroforestry, improved cookstoves, tree nurseries, and bee keeping, among other things. As an environment PCV my job is to promote these and other activities as a low/no-cost intervention to reduce poverty and promote conservation in my village and the surrounding area. We all swore in as official PCVs in early May at the US Ambassador's house in Lilongwe. And so began the next 24 months as a PCV in Malawi. What a rush!
My site is in NW Malawi in Chitipa District. I am located just east of Chitipa (the district capital) and about 10-15km from the one (and only) paved road in the entire district. My house is pretty big and surprisingly nice - all the walls are plastered, I have a porch, and and tin roof. Boo ya! Chitipa is sandwiched between Zambia to the west and south and Tanzania to the north. I can see Tanzania from my house and am pretty close to Zambia too (maybe just 20 miles?).
These first three months at site (June-August) I am not starting any projects but will just be focusing on integration and learning Chilambya, the language spoken in my village. My language is improving "panandi panandi" (lambya for "little by little") and though I still can't speak much, I can notice my comprehension improving on a daily basis. This has the downside that I can now understand what the villagers are saying about me (while I'm in the room, mind you) but I am unable to correct any of their (many) misconceptions. Ah well. I guess it's ok if they think I'm related to Bill Gates for just a while longer. But the idea that Justin Bieber is my brother needs to be corrected ASAP.
My village is pretty small, consisting of just a handful of houses, a bar, and a primary school (K-8). The surrounding area is full of farms though, so there are a number of folks in and out of the village every day. Meru is too small for a market, so I make the 10-15km trek once a week to buy my fruits and veggies for the week. Right now passion fruit, avocados, bananas, and grapefruits are in season and papayas are just about ready!
Which brings me to the food. The staple crop in Malawi is corn and the main dish (ie 2x per day) is nsima (water and corn flour) which is eaten by hand with a side of greens, eggs, beans, or meat. The sides are all drenched in oil (during homestay we were going through 20 fl oz of oil every week!) and super salty. Though at first I wasn't a fan, it has begun to grow on me. I'm still wondering at how that can be, as the meal is devoid of nearly all flavor except for salt, which is sometimes so much that I can hardly hold down a salt-induced cough. Good stuff. I'm sure you're all super excited to come visit me now! On the upside, I've gotten pretty good at cooking over an open fire, so I can treat you to a good, low oil/low sodium/high flavor meal!
And now for a few fun stories! I know that's what you've all been wanting, and I aim not to disappoint.
Story #1: Adventures in the Chim
"Chim," or bathroom, disguises the horror of these nasty little pit latrines. First, they are home to all sorts of nasty/unwanted critters. Like cockroaches (no surprise, but still). I once made the mistake of shining my headlamp into the hole and saw a nasty squirming mess of worms. Gross! That really made me appreciate flush toilets, that's for sure. But now for the best one of all! There are bats which sometimes fly into the pit (or live there? I'm unsure) and feed on the various flying insects that can be found there. My first night at my house I was suffering from an upset stomach (among other things) and as I was squatting over the pit I heard a fluttering sound followed by something furry brushing my, er, bottom. That is as close as I ever want to get to a bat (or any other animal). Actually, that was much closer than I ever had a desire to be, and I hope never to repeat it. Again, thank goodness for flush toilet! [Note: There is more to that story, but it's as far as I'll take it without risking an over-share!]
Story #2: Injokas - No laughing matter
A few weeks ago I walked into my bafa (shower, which means 3 walls, and a cement disk for me to stand on as I bucket bathe) I turned the corner and saw a long gray thing slithering on the ground. "Oh! It's a snake!" was my fist thought, followed quickly by "I'd better leave. There are lots of dangerous snakes in these parts." No sooner had I thought that and begun to back up than the snake raised up a good 3' off the ground and flared its hood. "Oh %*#@! A cobra!" was all I could think as I hightailed it back to my house. I then proceeded to sit in my house for about an hour, trying to determine if it really happened or if I was beginning to have daytime hallucinations (courtesy of my anti-malarial meds). I saw one again a few days later as I was chatting with my village friends, and was informed that it was a black mamba. Definitely not a snake to mess with! Oh yeah, "injoka" is chichewa for "snake." The title probably makes a bit more sense now :)
I think that's about it for now, but I'll hopefully be able to write more soon! One fun final image to leave you with: Picture 26 people plus two babies cramming into a 15 passenger van and then beginning a 5 hour road trip. That's Malawian travel in a nutshell (quite literally!). But if you are planning on visiting, rest assured knowing that there are actual buses to take.
PS - Thanks to all of you who have written me letters! They have been (and continue to be) a great escape back to America and my friends and family. They've certainly helped me through some tough days. Keep 'em coming! And Dave and Diane, I just got your letter today (though I haven't read it yet). Our letters must have crossed paths in the mail! Keep your eyes posted these next few weeks.
PPS - I have a NEW mailing address!
Dylan Cottrell, PCV
Box 51
Chitipa
Malawi
Africa
(It's also been updated on my "Talk to me!!" page)
Love,
Dylan
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