23 March 2011
It’s 2011 and i haven’t even checked to see if you’re ok. come to think of it, YOU haven’t checked to see if I’M ok. so i guess we’re even.
well, I am in fact, okay. Things are coming along nicely as my service here in Malawi is coming to a close. Now, some of you might be thinking, ‘hey russ, i thought you weren’t coming home until december.’ Well you are very much wrong my friends, very much indeed. I have opened a new chapter of my life with the likes of the most beautiful, wonderful woman you may or may not already know. So after I’ve finished with my second school year of teaching I will be packing my bags and heading for the good ol’ U S of A. The plan of my return is currently a mess of many ideas, plans and speculations. As the schedules stands here in Malawi, the school year is to end July 8th, and with the beginning of exams a few weeks prior it will make for a very short last term and perhaps an even sooner close of school (we shall see). I will try and keep you all as informed as possible as the ideas and speculations turn themselves into plans and plane tickets.
What I can tell you about my remaining time here in Malawi is that I will indeed be keeping myself busy. I still have some plans with the women’s bag sewing group (Luso La Manja), one of which involves me transporting some bags to America with the intention of selling and hopefully sustaining a longer term American market for said group. The other plan is to start and finish a tree nursery of approx. 100-200 trees to be delivered to my village and mostly to the children’s center down the street from my house where a wonderful Australian woman is working with feeding centers and HIV/AIDS prevention and adult education and the like. She’s doing great things down there so I thought I’d try and help out some. Lastly of course ill be finishing up the school year with my kids, whom I’m currently teaching form 3 and 4 mathematics only. I’m glad that I’ve taken my subject load down to these two classes cuz it’s allowed me to actually teach these kids and try fun projects and things that I didn’t have time for last term. We have two new teachers now so we’re up to 7, including myself. So whether I’m replaced as a volunteer or not I think ill be okay with leaving my school in the capable hands of the teachers who will remain. I’m happy with the time that I’ve spent here in Chifira and I don’t have any regrets. Given the chance I might have done a few things differently but that’s life so when you look back at what you’ve done try and remember the good and leave behind the bad because tomorrow’s a new day and I sure as hell hoped you learned something from yesterday.
Oh, and a side note. My garden failed. I got two fruits from all that labor and it was a mini tomato (only 1) and a mini cantaloupe. Much respect for Malawian farmers, or maybe i was just too lazy to keep my garden in good shape. Whatever the case I still buy my food and I have no problem with that.
