Expect Problems and eat them for breakfast~Alfred A Montapert

Okay so I was supposed to go into Blantyre this weekend, the big city but ended up getting sick I was up most of friday night getting sick and then just didn't feel good on Saturday. I think it was something I ate because by saturday night I was feeling better. A friend here said maybe it could be the pesticides they put on the greens that I ate raw. Most people here eat them cooked but hey I want a crisp salad sometimes so a risk I am willing to endure. I ate the same thing a few days before and was fine.

Then on Sunday I went to the funeral of a 3 yr old boy he was the son of a man I work with. I do not know the man well I just say hello and that is it. So i never met the little boy but went to pay my respects to the family and both my neighbors went as well so I walked there with them and another women. The family is 7th day Adventists I do not know much about that religion. In terms of funeral's in Malawi the men and women are separate. All the women were in the house or close to the house while the men sat farther away. The women's choir group for the church were in uniforms and sat in the house and sang. The women I went with were part of this group so of course I went it too. I tried to just sit outside with other women but my they wouldn't let me. Needless to say it was sad and hard to watch a mother loose her child so young. They are not sure what he died of. The people were very nice to me there and they asked to stay and eat with them of course we did. I shared a plate with the two other women while other women watched me eat nsima I guess they thought I wouldn't eat it or wouldn't know how. But boy did I show them I know how to eat nsima. Then we walked home.

Last week I met with an HIV/AIDS support group. I was confused by this title do they support others with HIV/AIDS or each other. I found out that the people I met have come out and said they have HIV/AIDS and support each other. A very big deal here not many people talk openly or at all about HIV/AIDS. They have asked for a lot of help and I am hoping that I can help them help themselves. They are great people and made me laugh when I was there. They want to get pigs and start a pig farm. So they brought a stuffed animal pig and showed it to me and made an oinking noise it was quite funny. They also gave me this drink made with millet the name escapes me but well it was not for me. So I gave what i didn't want to my neighbors.

Last week I also went to a distribution of mosquito nets with the group village head man (basically the chief) and Andrew he is the current volunteers counter part but he is very nice to me and speaks english well so he helps me along the way. They asked me to go to this distribution meeting they said come at 7 I said well I have to go into work I can be there at 8 so I got caught up at work doing a few things so I didn't actually get there till 830 so I thought it will be almost over so I go to the school get surrounded by kids I ask them where it is happening no one knows a thing. I go to call Andrew but then they see me and call me over. We go sit at someones house then move the benches under a tree then we wait till about 10 then the truck drives by so people start moving. (During all this  remind my self that you are on Malawi time so don't stress that they wanted you here at 7 and things didn't start till 10 )So we do too we move to the new location and we get situated someone has to bring chairs so certain people don't have to sit on the ground me being one of them though i try to insist that I stand or sit on the ground but no that is not going to happen. So now a bunch of people have to talk then they introduce me and want me to say something in chichewa. Okay so there are about 200 people there and you want me to talk in a foreign language uh well I said hi and my name. I am too shy or scared or both to say anymore. I hate public speaking or being the center of attention. Well I guess I should get over that quick :) Needless to say they call people's names who are registered at the health clinic. It takes awhile but some peoples names aren't called they are mad and there are few nets left. 35 people still want nets but only 14 are left. Needless to say things got pretty heated I did not like it. And to think they tried to give me one of the nets at the beginning I am glad I didn't take otherwise I would have felt so guilty. Anyways I don't get home till about 3 it was a long day. But glad I went it was interesting to see how the misquote nets are distributed.

Now I feel like I am rambling but I should try to tell one fun or stupid story I guess you make the call.
So I am making some chippies (basically fries) and I am putting them in the hot oil with my left hand I am not sure why but then one slips and flys into the hot oil and splashes and burns me. I am like shit this hurts but i keep putting the rest of the potatoes in and then go wash off the oil and try to cool it down. But without ice it just seems to keep on burning. I then decide i better go back in because they may be burning by now. I go and get them out and every time my left had gets close to the heat I am like ugh this hurts. Well now I have quite the blister on the same hand that has just recovered from a cut i got while try to eat sugar cane and not break my teeth but cut my hand instead. So well I am learning from my mistakes but these mistakes hurt :)

Things are going well I am learning something new everyday and enjoying life here.

Hope this is interesting and you all enjoy!
Take care all
Essie/Esther