Half the World Away...
Well, I've just passed the halfway point of my time over here and my morning soundtrack of the gentle (and sometimes not-so-gentle) waves on the lake shore have become my normal. I joked this week that I must have become a Malawian, as on a couple of days I've woken up cold (the temperature rarely drops below 20 degrees) and one morning I even had goosebumps in the staff room! When I arrived three-and-a-half months ago, I would never have believed that possible.
Amazing as the experience is, being this far from home has its challenges. When my poor lodger/friend/cat-sitter, T, reported that the WiFi at home was pathetic (thanks for nothing, British Telecom), I was very glad of the decent WiFI I get here, enabling me to sign up with another supplier (on a significantly better deal, I might add - put that in your pipe and smoke it, British Telecom). With a little (well, a lot) of help from family, it's now all up and running so I shall look forward to an all-singing, all-dancing service on my return and can rest easy that T is better provided for whilst I'm away.
The internet here may be pretty reliable, but as mentioned previously, the electricity supply is not! Four days without power this week was quite trying, especially as the gas supply at the house has also run out, so cooking and daily life in general (no hot water all week, for example) has required a level of resourcefulness...I may start calling myself Clare Grylls...or Miss B Prepared for Power Cuts...
Hi Ho Silver Lining...
There was one great advantage of the power cuts this week; sleep. No power = no TV at the nearby house = no speakers booking football in the early hours of the morning = undisturbed nights! What a result! (No, I'm not referring to the England score. Obviously that was a shame.)
Brian, Top Marks for not Tryin'...
I had great reservations about marking some of the Form 1 and Form 3 English exam papers this week - what a responsibility! Madam C showed great patience when explaining, several times over, how the marking structure worked. True to form, Madam C and I manage to giggle our way through marking some of the papers, although as I've been responsible for much of this term's teaching, maybe I shouldn't be laughing....
There are plenty more to mark, so I'll be kept busy for my last week at school.
Sorting out the library is an on-going project. I've now emptied all the boxes and made a start on arranging the books in categories, but we also need to do an inventory and make a start on getting a proper loan system established. Last week, a carpenter came to quote for making more book shelves. It looks as though that can be done in September, so I'll look forward to seeing them when I come back to visit in October.
Hopefully, there'll be enough to do this week to distract me from the gathering grey clouds of my impending departure; much as I'm looking forward to the next chapter of my adventure, it's going to be very emotional leaving Nkhotakota.
What's Up, Pussycat?
I may have mentioned before that there's never a dull moment here and Thursday afternoon was no exception. A young kitten appeared in the garden, looking scared, bedraggled and distressed. With a bit of effort, S, the guy who looks after the garden and I managed to catch the poor little mite. There are very few cats around here, and no-one seemed to be missing one, so after we'd got it to have some water, S took it home to be cared for by his family.
It looked very young and vulnerable and popping along to the local vet just isn't an option like it would be at home, so I'll just have to hope it pulls through. It was another stark contrast moment for me of the way we view animals and pets in the UK vs the reality of the lives of animals here.
Another note to self - when I get back at the end of October, remind my cat what a pampered life she leads (whilst giving her a huge fuss and some Dreamies...).
With a Little Help from My Friends...
Saturday night was a fantastic night with the school teachers - an advance leaving party for me, before the term ends this week. It was a team effort; two willing shoppers headed off to town on a motorbike to buy supplies (goat meat, local chickens, salad and drinks), others cooked up a feast and everyone brought laughter, love and fun!
They are such a great bunch of people, have become good friends, and certainly know how to party; great food, constant smiles and some lasting memories. I couldn't have wished for a better send off! (I also experienced smooth Malawian brandy for the first time. Note to self, remember to leave space in my suitcase for a bottle or two come the end of October).
Half way through the evening, the director asked me if I was going to make a speech. Absolutely not, was my reply; I couldn't have held it together and my laughter would have quickly turned to tears - and I think there will be enough of those next week. I am really going to miss these lovely people!
Blogging Off
My final blog from Nkhotakota next week before my next adventure begins, but you can follow me on Instagram in the meantime @malawi_enjoying_ourselves.
Thanks for reading.
Clare