20 February 2010
Well, that was quick. I’m already done with my first term of teaching and I feel like I just got here yesterday, what’s that all about? Seems like this whole first year is going to rush past me I just hope I’ll have something to show for it in the end. I’ve decided to pick up teaching physical science so I might want to start reading a book about that pretty soon because in two weeks ill be expected to know more than my students. wish me luck. I’m at Jen and Kris’ house this weekend and next week we will be in Dedza again for a week of IST (in service training).
04 March 2010
So IST is over and afterwards I spent some time down in Blantyre visiting a friend and checking out the city. It’s quite the place and reminds me a little of Berkeley….I said a little. But I did get to spend a few days eating pizza and ice cream and stayed at a house with wonderful running water and a shower with actual water pressure. Annnnd, I got to pick up some things from the wonderful world of ‘Game’ which is basically like a target/home depot. It was a strange few days, I felt like I was visiting a friend in a city in America, surreal indeed. On top of that, apparently it’s the easiest thing in the world to get hitches in the southern city of Blantyre because I didn’t pay for nearly as many rides as I took which was wonderful considering this is the second month of our two month pay period and you guessed it, I still don’t know how to budget my money properly. But if history serves, then I should be able to survive considering once I get back to site I’m spending merely pennies a day. So now I’m in Lilongwe running some errands and what not until I head out to Mzuzu for a meeting with GAD (gender and development), basically a committee that tries to help with the whole gender equality issue out here. Then ill be back at site with a day to rest before I get back to teaching second term. Time sure is picking up and I feel like I’m gonna need to work on slowing it down if I want to get any sort of sustainable work done out here. I meet with a women’s group right near my house just the other week because I hear that they are a wonderful group of motivated women and I just happen to be the closest volunteer to them. They have a history with peace corps already and other volunteers have helped them get their business off the ground of making and selling bags. They need some help with marketing and the whole business end of things so that they start other projects they’re interested in, ie peanut butter, etc. Speaking of peanut butter, at IST I learned how to make peanut butter by mashing up peanuts with some sugar and salt. Plus it was delicious so that’s a good thing and now I can just make my own instead of buying it.
Alright, that’s all i’ve got for now.
