It’s been a long long time since I have written. There are many reasons for my absenceJ But in short I have been super busy! Which is great right?! Some volunteers have had experiences of being bored, but because I have been blessed with a great site, a great supervisor, great counterparts and a great community; my experience is very different. I am the first health PCV placed in Kapiri ever! And though the hospital that I work with has had many volunteers that are Azungus (a foreign person), I am the first that will stay for 2 years. Therefore my supervisor is utilizing my time here as much as possible. There is a stereotype that Malawians are lazy, easy going, nonconfrontational, and always waiting for a handout. My supervisor Dr. Sister Eva does not fit into this category. She works had and expects everyone else to do the same. As most people know that I can be somewhat of a workaholic this is a good match for me! Every morning I wake up at 4 am and think of all the things I want to accomplish in my day. I begin my morning routine which I has become my constant. Though there are challenges I feel myself changing more and more everyday for the better. I feel as though I am becoming more assertive not because I feel as though people are taking advantage of me all the time. But because I feel as though my work is so needed and important that being passive would be a disservice to my community. Projects I am currently working on:

Setting up a research to do a comparison study of natural medicine vs. conventional medicine for under 5 children with anemia due to malnutrition.

Helping supervise the building of 2 under 5 clinics is under served villages.

Implementing a data system in the hospital to have better access to bio statistics.

Most of my projects centers around natural medicine. Because this is a developing country with limited access to conventional medicine this is a method of providing a sustainable approach to helping treat minor to moderate health ailments, preventative medicine and supplementing poor diets. Everyday no matter the challenges I face I know that this is exactly where I am suppose to be and doing exactly what I always wanted to do. But enough inspirational talk! Funny stories…..

So the children of course when they see me with my leggings, riding my bicycle wearing sunglasses; no matter how dark I have gotten know that I am an Azungu! So they chant ‘Azungu, Azungu!’ So I have started stopping my bike coming back to them and saying in Chichewa “My name is Aisha, and not Azungu, you hear? You understand” they say ‘Eya (yes)’ “My name?” “Aisha” “And not” “Azungu”. Then as I ride away they usually laugh and sometimes cheer! The great thing about Malawian sounds is the way you speak Chichewa is almost like singing. I can’t even begin to describe it by typing. But instead of say Ok you would say “OOOHHHOOHH” in a singing manner. If women or children are laughing it’s like simultaneously they make a sound perfectly synchronized like a high pitch “OOOOHHHH” and then a low pitch “EEEEEEE”. It’s awesome. So from my village all the way to the farthest village in my catchment area which is 22K most of the children know my name now!  Also this is the end of the cold season and the end of the harvest. Soooo it is of course mice season. It isn’t as bad as it seems. What they do is light the fields on fire and wait for the field mice to run and then catch them. I think I will try to sample some this week. I know it sounds unappetizing but people swear by it…so when in Rome…I mean Malawi. I have also become a pretty good wine maker. Best wine yet is pineapple, papaya and ginger wine. Finally the progress of my garden; this month I have begun making my first harvest from my garden. Did you know you can eat the leaves of cauliflower and broccoli? Quite tasty it is.

My weeks are full of visiting villages, meeting with chiefs, meeting with chronically ill patients to give them natural and conventional medicine and designing and discussing my projects. On the weekends I usually attend some cultural event such as a wedding this weekend. Which I must say was great. The way it works here is you show up, invited or not. Sit down and they keep bringing you food until you say enough! Then you make a donation which you feel is fair. Then the women and men do traditional dances for a ridiculous amount of time. It’s not that it’s boring, but I don’t understand how a 78 year grandmother can dance in a provocative way for more than an hour. But I must say grandma can’t get down! This is also the season for the Nao, which is part of the Chiwea culture. Every harvest there are men who dress up in scary costumes and dance around. They also appear if the children aren’t going to school to make them go to school…which works. Then they go to the chief’s house and demand money. If they chiefs don’t pay up, then they take a chicken; which seems fair.

But for now all is well! I will try my best to keep my blog updated as much as possible. But it may just be in Malawian time! By the way this may not be grammatically correct because my Chichewa is getting better as my English is getting bade LOL!

Quick funny story. I was trying to bake a cake at my site mate's house who lives about 10K away in his brick wood oven. So this is a tedious process of heating the brick stove with firewood, waiting for it to become hot and then placing the cake in afterwards. So after doing all of this I realized that I forgot to bring baking soda. So he went to ask his neighbor if she had some. She said no, but then arrived later with something that we thought was baking powder. After further investigation we realized that it was actually baby powder. Oh language barriers:) Needless to say it was a flat cake:)

A mother is a mother wherever you are!

Sunday. I woke up did my normal routine of cleaning, crunches (to ward off my Nsima belly), and got ready for church. I try each Sunday to go a church to introduce myself or at least make an appearance in my community. It may seem silly but it’s actually really important. But this time I went to a Catholic church for the first time. I must say the choir’s singing was beautiful and they started on time and ended on time (which a rarity here). I met up with my new friend who is a secondary school student in Form 2 and speaks fluent English, which is also a rarity. She is sort of like my mentee and Chichewa tutor. I also love her mother dearly. Let’s flashback to how I met her and her mother. When I first came to my site I was helping out with an ARV clinic for HIV positive patients. I saw this woman and thought how beautiful she was and knew there was something special about her. I asked her if she would be interested in learning about natural medicine to help her immune system. She said yes, which gave me further motivation to start my projects. Then a few weeks later I was chatting with my friend and saw this beautiful young girl and starting chatting with her. She had a wound on her foot so I cleaned it up and made her some tea. She then invited me to meet her mother and come for dinner. So I did and when we went to meet her mother…it was the lady from the clinic. We saw each other, smiled and embraced each other with excitement. I felt so blessed at that moment. So whenever I feel like I need a mother in my life I go to her house. She usually feeds me (like all mothers do) and we chat in my bad Chichewa.

So that is who I met at church this Sunday. I went to her house to see her mother. If I go more than a week without seeing her she gives me look like, “you don’t have time for your Amayi(mother)”.  We chatted I told her that I want her to start a garden to improve her health and help with using natural medicine. She seemed interested but first we must build a fence to keep out the goats! I then went to my house and helped a friend finish his fence, as he helped me with his. That’s the things here; people help without asking anything in return. But it is assumed in Malawian culture that if someone needs help, you help. So then we went to my garden. My friend Clement is a student at a university studying environmental design. The first class of this sort in Malawi. So it very helpful having him around to help out with my garden. He took one look at how I had arranged things and said “ time to do some work”. I was hesitant, this was something that I had worked very hard on with my blood and sweat. But more than anything I was afraid of change. It was a metaphor for life. Sometimes you have to uproot some things, move it around and restructure. But in the end it makes room for new things to grow, it opens the door for possibilities. Now my garden is expanded with carrots and a natural garden. I am very grateful for his help and brutal truth. I have a hard time having to hear that what I have done is wrong, but in the end it all works out. I have never had a garden before, or know anything about gardening in Malawi for that case. But I’m learning so much everyday and find it crucial to any well-being for Malawians and myself. My garden is more than just a garden. It’s my sanctuary. It’s where I go when I feel like I want to put my stress in something productive. It’s where I go to have my quiet time or just bask in the sun. It has become a living product of work and effort. It’s like my time here. Sometimes I will have to make some changes in my plan but it will end up producing more in the end. It has also become my constant in my life. When you go half way around the world and are thrown into a totally different element it can create challenges. But if you a few things in your day that are a constant, it creates order in your day. I know that no matter how many changes happen in the day my morning routine and garden; for the most part will stay constant. Well at least as constant as something can be a majority of the time. I have also made some good friends that are also my constant support who are incredibly patient with my Chichewa and willingness to help. So that was my Sunday, typical but not really. So blessed!

Today was a Tuesday. Today nothing got accomplished as planned but everything important got done. I met with someone in the morning to go over the new system I want to implement. My roommate who is also my co-worker was laughing at me because she wasn’t used to me in my “professional voice”. I laughed it off as usual. I was then supposed to go meet with a support group. So then we waited as you do sometimes in Malawi. But as I was waited I typed up all my potential projects, three pages later I was finished! My counterpart came over and we had a constructive talk about work and life.  I then finally made it to the support group. It was amazing 25 people, men and women. They had a medicinal garden, pigs and more farming land that they maintained. I then asked about the issues. The women stay quiet while the men ask for material things, more supplies, improvement of buildings and IGA’s (income generating activities). Afterwards I asked for the men to step out so that I could talk to the ladies. I explained to them in my best Chichewa that woman’s problems are different from men. I told them that I wanted to know how I could help them best. They explained that most of them were widowed and had issues affording nutritious food. But mostly they wanted education so that they could live healthier lives and improve their well-be thing. We then chatted and made jokes with these women. These women have nothing; they are poor and outcast of their communities. They live each day working hard and hoping that they can survive another day. Yet they are motivated and have aspirations of a better life, which keeps them going. All on faith!

Things you say in Malawi...

So let’s start with Sunday. It was a typical day in Malawi. Got up did my chores and then went to my site mate’s house to go to a new church. I haven’t quite decided what church I want to belong to or if I want to belong to any…but nevertheless we made our best effort. But after waiting too long I decided to go to the market to make a lunch for my friends. So I chatted bought some cabbage for making a tasty Indian dish and made my way home. Then I ate my friends were mostly impressed while a few aren’t used to spices. In Malawi the only spice that is used is salt and red pepper. Now I love food and Nsima the staple food, but not every day. But then I made my way to the garden to finish/repair my gate for my garden when I get a call. Now my Peace Corps and I have this game that we play called “sentences that we say here that we would never say in America”. So here goes one, “I get a call from the chief who invites me to see a dance”. Innocent enough I drop my tools tell my sitemate and we make our way to the chief’s house. A woman is sick so she is dancing a traditional dance to heal her. I won’t go too much into detail but we see her face painted white, dancing in a drunk or meditative state.  Then they bring her a chicken for sacrifice (yes this is real) and let’s just say it is sacrificedJ Just a typical Sunday!

The stories of my chicken

So when I first got to site all I could think about was getting a chicken for fresh eggs. I remember my grandmother always had fresh eggs from her chickens and they were delicious. So one of my co-workers says “I’ll sell you my chicken”. So he comes to work the next day with a chicken. “Aisha come get your Nkuku at the gate” he says. So not even knowing how to carry a chicken I take it back to the house after people are chuckling at my struggle. I ask my roommates where I should put it, they say in the hallway. So I go to a village for an outreach and come back to the house and the chicken is gone. I go to see my roommates and ask where it is, “it’s in the kitchen” so I go back to the house and still can’t find it. I go back and ask again “Aisha, it’s in the pot we boiled it during lunch”. So that was the story of my first chicken. So I ate her for dinner as awkward as I could. My roommates felt bad I felt bad it was a bad situation. I was then later sulking in my room when they came in with another chicken. I was happy all was good in the world. I named her sarcastically (yes Malawians get my sarcasm which is awesome) Amayi Mazira, which mean mother of eggs. So I put her safely up for the night in a store room next to the house. Went in the next morning to check for eggs all I see is a broken egg with nothing inside. Hmm I think that’s weird. I ask around and they say sometimes chickens do that. I ask why “because they are misala (crazy)”. Ok so I give her another night as I’m putting her up I see a rat inside the room. Go back the next few mornings no eggs. I talk to my friend again and he agrees to eat the chicken and trade me for a less ‘misala’ chicken that lays eggs. I left that weekend to town and came back to hear the bad news. Amayi Mazira was taken in the night. All that was left was a few feathers. I think oh well she was crazy and ate her own eggs. Only this weekend to find as I was searching in the room eggs hidden. Amayi Mazira wasn’t crazy she was hiding her eggs to protect them from the rat. So….to be continued, I put in my order for my next chicken.

Making lemonade out of life!

Sorry it's forever since I have posted anything but I will just post 1 at this time: So here we go!

5/30/12

Today was one of those. I woke up and told myself that today would be great day but in my gut I felt something different. I got dressed and did my normal morning routine with anxiety. I feel as though I can feel when something bad is going to happen. But I went to the office to find that I was suppose to go with some HSA’s to an outreach. When we left they were weird acting. We got there and I felt nothing. So I tried my best to feel comfortable. But it ended up making me like shit afterwards. C/ildren yelling Chinese jesters towards me….ah! But then I started working on my garden. I then felt a little bit better. Then I made it my own.  My friend Dyna came over and helped me finish it. It was beautiful it even started to rain…during the dry season. A kid said in perfect English for a Malawian “ God must love you to make it rain for your garden”. WOW! A total ah-ha moment. Sometimes god gives us a shitty beginning to make us really really appreciate the good good times. So I was suppose to have dinner with my new friend Dyna in the beginning of the day I didn’t feel up to it but after accomplishing my garden I felt up to it. So I did so walking to meet her mom. When her mom walked out my jaw almost dropped to the ground. I met this lady a few weeks ago when I had first arrived to help out in the ARV clinic. I asked her if she would be interested in taking natural medicine. There was something special about this woman, I could see it in her eyes. She said yes that she would do it because it was easier than remembering Western medicine. From our converstation I was motivated to pursue natural medicine. Who new this woman would be her mom! Amazing! I was invited for dinner we sat under the stars as I ate some of the best Nsima, Masamba and Sinjiro. I asked God that day to help me learn Chichewa but when I’m with that family I am learning more and more. I feel as though I am fluent. Completely different from how I felt earlier in the day. Life is amazing and I am truly grateful for each moment. Thank You God!

So much to say!

So much to say! Last time I wrote I was filled with anxiety and excitement of where my journey would take me. I have been on a journey that's for sure. I have lived more here in a month and a half that I did the past year of my life. I spent the past month in a village training and living with a host family. My Amayi (mom), Abambo (Dad) and family was great. I learned how to cook Nsima ( staple food of Malawi), carry water/other objects on my head, play netty ball, Chichewa and Technical training. I don't know how to sum up the past 42 days but with the word "WOW". The culture here is amazing and the scenery is beautiful. I getting used to going to bed when it gets dark and waking up with the sun rises. It may seem difficult...but it's actually very natural ( also because there is no electricity). I'm grateful for this opportunity to hopefully make a small difference in the beautiful country. Where people have so little they seem more fulfilled by enjoying the simple pleasures. My little brothers are satisfied with playing with an old tire and wrappers. I do miss some luxuries in America but it is over shadowed with the fact that receive so much love and happiness from the simple pleasures. The sense of community and family here are amazing And patience! I am learning it in the best way possible.
Major events since I've been here:
The President of Malawi Died and the Vice President ( a female) took over
The price of sugar has trippled ( a big deal for Malawians)
Singing in the talent show (Summer time....when the living is easy)
Hiking to the top of 2 mountains
Learning to speak in Chichewa
Cooking my first meal on a fire
Learning traditional dances with my sister

I'm am so grateful for your love and support

No looking back

So I sit in my room after my first day as orientation getting ready to leave in less than 4 hours!! I'm excited. Not really scared just hoping to get everything together before I leave. Everyone here is really nice and we all enjoyed our last "American" meal in the "states". I will miss some things. The hot shower I just took, cable and more importantly my family (my husband and Marley (my pup)). But here we go no looking back and ready to take the final leap. See you on the flip side:)

Full Speed Ahead

So last time I wrote it was before my big birthday bash! I went in to my favorite bar with my brother to have "one drink" to hear surprise and see all my loved ones. People came from near and far to wish me happy birthday and farewell. I was so grateful to see everyone and have a great time. But now it's crunch time. I leave in less than 48 hours. Tomorrow I go for training in Philadelphia till 7pm then leave at 2 a.m. for JFK and then my flight leaves at 10 a.m.!!! Whew! It's been a crazy ride thus far and I'm sure what I have in store for the future will be even more amazing. You may hear me complain or question my decision but I know in the end that I will be truly grateful for this opportunity. People ask me if I'm scared and honestly I'm not. I'm more worried about my husband and puppy than me. We always adjust to the moment accordingly when situations arise. So here I go! As they say in Rent "Only thing to do is jump over the moooooon!"