There isn't a real "theme" for this edition... just a random assortment of insights:
1) Sightings from Home
It's amazing how even the smallest glimpse into our lives at home excites us. Stevie has spotted a couple of old Philadelphia Eagles tees/jerseys and jumped into pictures with the person wearing them, and I have been patiently waiting for my moment of Cleveland glory. On Monday, I got my chance when I spotted a retro Cleveland Indians tee on my morning run (and not retro in the brand new, really expensive throwback way... retro in the worn out, this shirt has been worn every day since the 1980's way). Without my camera or Stevie there to verify the sighting, I suppose you could argue that it was just a mirage... but with the way that poor guy looked at me as I was frantically pointing at his shirt and squealing in a foreign language, I'm pretty sure it was real. Oh, and if I see someone in a "retro" Omar Vizquel jersey, I'll probably trade them the shirt off my back.
2) Lunch on the Road
To us in America, this means grabbing a granola bar and a banana... or maybe packing up a PB&J if we're not too rushed on the way out the door. In Malawi, this means loading up a car filled with 11 people and then making two stops on the way to the village clinic: the first to buy a chicken, and the second to buy vegetables and rice at the market. Then we drove 40 minutes to the village clinic and saw patients for 2 hours. Meanwhile, 2 women came with us just to prepare lunch - they built a fire, killed the chicken, and cooked everything over a fire 10 feet from where we were giving children measles and polio vaccines. When we finished seeing patients, we all sat around outside and ate... with our hands. Then we washed dishes, piled back in the car, and drove back to Ekwendeni. The whole process of buying a live animal and transporting it with you to the place where you will kill eat it was a little strange... but on the upside, at least we knew it was fresh!
3) Singing
Everyone sings here. There were at least 5 different choirs in church the first time we went, and probably 3 or 4 this week. Just outside our guesthouse window, there is a building where all of the choir groups practice throughout the week - this makes for lovely background music when we're hanging out in our rooms in the evening! Bible study each week starts with everyone joining together for a few songs, and even the people out jogging are singing as they pass us. When they ask us if we sing, we're honest with them - yes, we sing, but no one likes to listen! They tell us that everyone can sing, and that seems to be true when it comes to Malawians!
4) How to Attract a Crowd
Whether it be doing lunges across an empty soccer field, riding in a minibus, or going for a jog, Stevie and I always seem to have curious followers...usually children. Yesterday we drove past a primary school 100 meters from the outreach clinic we were heading towards, and within 3 minutes of getting out of the car, over 50 children from the school had wandered over to us for a closer look. Last week we were up early doing a workout on an empty netball court, and there were one or two children cutting the grass when we started. (Side note: when I say "cutting the grass", I mean using scythes that cut approximately 10 blades at a time.) By the time we finished our workout, over 20 kids had gathered to help cut the grass... somehow I doubt that they are usually so eager to do chores at 6:30am!
5) Wearing Many Hats
Everyone here seems to have multiple different jobs. The lady who we usually see cleaning the hospital floors was the same woman who came with us to the outreach clinic yesterday and cooked our lunch. People who work in the hospital also hold positions in the church and in village shops. Beyond their usual work, the Malawian people have a real sense of unity and are very willing to take on additional responsibility when others are unable to do so. Both responsibities and rewards are shared among many, which is a refreshing change from our more private Western ways!
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