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Saturday, December 7, 2013

A Difference

In my experience, if a teenage girl passes out at a party at an American high school, not only do people take note, they sort of spring into action. The girl is, you know, tended to. Like, medically. Her friends would be taken aside by figures of authority. Questions are asked. Has she been drinking? Did she do drugs? Does she have a history of falling down? There would be an investigation, consequences. 

A party at a Malawian secondary school? Not so. Oh, the nurse was summoned. She took a break from mopping the sidewalk and came over to pick grass out of the girl's hair and rub her cheeks. I was not quite satisfied, so I asked around...

Is she okay?
"Yes."

Does she need to go to a hospital?
"No. She is fine."

Does this happen? Does she do this a lot?
"I do not know. Maybe."

Friday, December 6, 2013

Rules for use

In case you unclear about the rules regarding the curtains in the Kamuzu Central Hospital conference room.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Sometimes Malawi is Beautiful


Just for us.

Giving Thanks for the Festival of "Lights"

Thanksgiving and Hanukkah all at once and set in Malawi.  What a noteworthy collision of culture and history to really make us reflect upon our gratitude for the gifts [privilege] that have been bestowed on us [stolen] as God’s chosen [ruthless] people and most beloved [arrogant] of nations.


On that note, here is Andrea’s first attempt at Challah. Yay, Shiksa baking! And our Malawi Menorah!

Here is the Thankgiving storm.


Here is the resulting downed Airtel sign that took with it [our] power lines, leaving us electricity-less (and, hence, pie-less) for 4 days.




Here is a group of expats who, like the pilgrims, are doing their best to make a decent meal in a foreign land with weird ingredients, uniquely small ovens and an overall lack of electricity.


Deep fried turkey made over fire, bread baked over a BBQ pit, people scattered to the other side of town to get the latkes cooked, extra salad, and lots of candles to light the way. Truly a festival of lights.



And Brody missing Texas? Amanda thinks maybe yes.










And rounding out out the weekend with lots of white people singing Christmas carols (and Christmas trees made of garbage) to acknowledge what all this is really about...