Hello friends!
Christmas ya bwino ku Malawi….well it’s not too hard to translate: Happy Christmas from Malawi. The “bwino” is from the Portuguese which is spoken in Mozambique, one of Malawi’s neighbours. Chichewa, the national Malawian language, seems to be a bit of a mixture of a number of different local languages. The tiny bit of Spanish I know which is close enough to some words in Portuguese has helped a minute amount but otherwise I’m learning Chichewa the painstaking way: memorise and practise.
This is likely to be my last newsletter before Christmas and, in fact before the end of the year, as next week we have a group of people from Perth in town and will be involved in meetings all week. The week after we have other friends arrive from Perth, more of the tourist kind and then Christmas is upon us. We’re spending Christmas at one of the tea estates in the far south of Malawi. We’ve heard it’s beautiful down there and we’re excited to see it.
Traveling from Malawi to England exposed me to a number of cultural (and other) extremes. From hot & humid to frosty, from a place with limited retail options to retail frenzy, from very early rising to much later rising and from being noticed everywhere I go to being completely ignored. In fact I tried speaking to a couple of people in a Subway takeaway shop near Trafalgar Square. I had been given a sticker for buying a 6” sub and was not going to be able to use it so I tried to give it away. Well, the horrified looks I was given! It was as if I’d suggested joining some kind of suicide cult.
I really enjoyed my 2 weeks in England. It was great to catch up with friends I hadn’t seen in 3 years and great to visit some old haunts. I went to the movies (we don’t have a cinema in Malawi), did a bit of shopping and enjoyed being able to walk down the street without being noticed and stopped. Speaking English constantly and not having to concentrate on unfamiliar vocab was also nice for a couple of weeks.
It was a nice break but it’s also good to be back in Malawi. The weather is even hotter & more humid. Martin said that there were a couple of decent storms while I was away but there’s been no rain since I’ve been back. It really tried hard today but after a few drops it stopped and cleared up again. Around and about ground has been ploughed and is ready for maize planting. I think people are waiting for the first really good rains before planting and also there’s been a hold up with getting fertilizer into the country. According to the newspaper, there are bags of fertilizer at various borders but the country has no foreign exchange to buy it. I’m not sure where the donor money, donated for the purpose of alleviating food shortages, has gone!
A couple of days ago we had the pleasure of meeting our famous neighbour, Mama Kadzamira. Although not married to Dr Kamuzu Banda, the country’s first President, Mama K, as she’s affectionately known, was his official escort. I’m not sure how this came to be but it was clear that she was very suited to the job. She received us with grace and charm and conversed on a wide variety of topics with ease and intelligence. She looks 40-something but she must be in her late 70’s or early 80’s. Most Malawians hold Mama K in awe and we have surmised that she must be as close to royalty as Malawi is likely to get. People speak of her as a woman of the people and there are stories of her visiting hospital queues and speaking to people waiting for treatment. (Yes, in Britain and Australia we queue in the comfort of our own homes, often for far too long, but in Malawi they literally stand in queues for medical treatment. I’ve been to the Lilongwe Central Hospital once and was profoundly depressed by the experience.)
Now for a radical change of subject, last night we went to a cocktail party put on by our mobile phone company. The most notable feature of the evening, apart from the minimal number of white faces, was…..let’s just say that for those women who worry about the size of their derrieres (and I’m not admitting that this is a relevant issue for me) you’d feel very good in Africa! We came away with promises of new and improved service and with a bottle of red and a coffee cup each - not bad at all.
The telephone company that provides our landline service has some interesting quirks. Its most interesting quirk is its propensity to cut off the line for non-payment of the bill….AFTER the cheque that you gave them to pay the bill has cleared! When Martin paid the bill last month he mentioned this and asked if the company would please ensure that we were not cut off again as it hindered our ability to work. The very helpful gentleman suggested to Martin, “Sir, perhaps if you pay the bill before you receive it you might not be cut off.” No cocktail party from them!
Speaking of “African logic”, Martin has been busy trying to organise a conference that our company is holding next week. He emailed the (large prestigious) hotel but decided to visit them when he received no reply. When he asked the booking lady whether she had received his email she replied, “Oh no, sir, I don’t have email.” Martin was perplexed as she had given him an email address. When he queried this she responded, “Yes sir, that’s the address I would use if I had email.”
It’s hard to say what Christmas in Malawi will be like, apart from the fact that it will be hot, like Christmas in Australia, and our Christmas dinner will most certainly feature tropical fruit. There is very little Christmas paraphernalia in shops and no Christmas carols playing. I’ve seen a handful of Christmas trees around. Many people are Christian and there are holidays for Christmas and Boxing Day but as for what people do, I’m not yet sure. The shops and roads are certainly busier but we haven't yet been able to pin down exactly why.
There are obviously other cultures and religions in Malawi as well as Christians but I don’t think the Malawi Christians would stand for dropping all references to Christ and Christmas, as has been suggested in various places in the West. The Muslims here celebrate Ramadan and everyone lets them get on with it and I am assuming the Christians will expect the same privilege.
So I can’t yet give you any examples of Christmas in Malawi. Instead I will go back to England to the example set by Anthony Walker’s mother*. As Christmas approaches she has had the trial of those who killed her son and yet still she has the courage to openly and publicly forgive them. Christmas will be a rough time for that family but they are modeling the message of Christmas in a way that speaks more volubly than words: Christ came to earth as a man to offer people forgiveness for their shortcomings and relationship with God. Having received that we too can offer forgiveness to others and do our best to live in peace with the rest of our communities.
Wherever you are I pray that Christmas is a time of peace for you and your family and a time when the love of Christ is evident in a personal way to you.
As for us, we will reach Christmas 6 hours behind some, 2 hours ahead of others and 11 or more hours ahead of others but we will be thinking of you all.
God bless and more news in 2006
Toni (& Martin) xx
* For those who haven’t heard the story, Anthony Walker was a black 18 year old young man living in the north of England. He and his girlfriend and another friend were out walking one night and were confronted by a group (perhaps only 2) white youths. Anthony’s friends fled but he ended up with an axe embedded in his head and died. It appears that the attack was completely racially motivated as Anthony’s girlfriend was white.
Monday, 12 December 2005
Tuesday, 8 November 2005
A Powerful Choice
Tonight on the news there was a story about a Palestinian boy who was killed in the seemingly never-ending skirmishes between the Israelis and Palestinians.
Rather than perpetuate the hatred and violence, the parents chose to donate their son’s organs so that 3 Israeli children could live. I wanted to spread their story because it says more than anything else could possibly say about the power of forgiveness and a choice to love instead of hate. In a world where people are suffering from secondary post-traumatic stress disorder just from watching the news, what a beautiful, heartening and powerful story.
I doubt I’ll ever meet these two people but if I could, I’d hug them! Instead I’ll pray for them in their grief and pray that their courageous and powerful choice will bless many, many lives and not just those of the families of those little Israeli boys.
Rather than perpetuate the hatred and violence, the parents chose to donate their son’s organs so that 3 Israeli children could live. I wanted to spread their story because it says more than anything else could possibly say about the power of forgiveness and a choice to love instead of hate. In a world where people are suffering from secondary post-traumatic stress disorder just from watching the news, what a beautiful, heartening and powerful story.
I doubt I’ll ever meet these two people but if I could, I’d hug them! Instead I’ll pray for them in their grief and pray that their courageous and powerful choice will bless many, many lives and not just those of the families of those little Israeli boys.
Sunday, 30 October 2005
Malawi News 27.10.05
The past month has been a combination of day to day routine and some exciting (and not so exciting) challenges. As usual, the highlight of our time here is meeting Malawians, a number of whom could teach all of us how to find reasons to be thankful despite adverse circumstances. It is rare not to get a smile or a laugh from a Malawian.
The challenge of fluctuating water supply has fallen from the Number 1 slot in our list of challenges. At the time of writing this place has been filled by our gardener/ house boy, Arnold. I have a lot of time for Arnold. He works hard and shows initiative. He is willing to do whatever is asked of him and he is a very good cook. However, his private life is not quite so orderly. Arnold and his partner, Catherine, have now involved themselves in 2 incidents of domestic violence since we have been here, the most recent being Tuesday night. As Arnold was sporting a bleeding bite mark and Catherine was able to locate a large garden slasher with which she claimed Arnold was chasing her, we are quite concerned about this issue, not least because they have a young child who’s not even 2 years old. After a couple of attempts at mediation, things calmed down. Now, despite the fact that Catherine said she believed Arnold wanted to kill her, she no longer wants to leave and they are trying hard to convince us of their plans to live happily ever after.
It may clarify the picture to mention that the source of this argument was their impending wedding in December. Arnold had been to us a number of times, asking to borrow money so he could “do a bit of business” to make money for his wedding. We had told him as many times that we would be happy to help but not until he had a specific plan and could satisfy us that he would be able to pay the money back. Well, the business plans have apparently not advanced and, according to Arnold, Catherine was reviewing her options; specifically whether it would be possible to find herself a more wealthy husband. This is Arnold’s version of the story. Catherine’s version has not been so easy to decipher.
We are now faced with the choice of whether to evict them immediately because there is another family on the property who is affected by this violence or to give them another chance. I’m in favour of laying down some very clear boundaries and giving them another chance, but the big worry is that we will effectively be confining their fighting to behind closed doors. Clearly they won’t want us finding out about any further skirmishes because that will mean eviction. But what damage will be done, especially to their son, Owen, in the meantime?
Sadly domestic violence is rife in Malawi. Whilst officially it is not an accepted part of Malawian culture, women (and lets face it, the victims are usually women and children) who find themselves in violent situations usually don’t have too many alternatives. If they leave there is no guarantee that their family will make housing available because it’s their husband’s job to provide for them. Not always, but often, the husband is the sole income earner so the woman has no means of supporting herself and her family. Despite the fact that the law provides sanctions against such violence, the law is often not enforced here and how many women could afford to access the legal system?
So, we’ll give them another chance and hopefully will find a way of helping them access some education and counseling that will maybe help change things for them.
Dear God, didn’t I come here to have a break from family law?!
The rest of the top 5 challenges include:
2. Need and poverty everywhere around you. This is best represented by the many, many people who greet me when I’m out and about. “Hello Madam. Where are you going, Madam? Can I be your friend, Madam? Will you buy….?” There is literally no escape from people trying to sell us things. It’s my problem, I know, because it’s just one aspect of how life is in Malawi, but I wish there was one place I could go where I could find peace from the constant pressure to buy. Usually when I politely refuse to buy, the seller accepts that and goes on his (it is usually a man) way. However, there are times when the seller persists in the face of repeated, polite refusals. One seller persisted to the point where I found myself telling him, “In my culture it is rude to keep asking when I have told you I don’t want to buy.” But the greatest aspect of the challenge is not the “annoyance factor”, although that is a challenge. No, it’s the distressing fact that so many people in this country have so little and many are not able to eat every day DESPITE the amount of aid that is poured into this country.
3. Politics – it has been a long acknowledged fact that probably the greatest fundamental problem with Africa is its leadership. Sadly, Malawi is not leading the race to role model effective and visionary leadership! The headlines for the past few weeks have almost entirely centred on the efforts of a number of MPs to impeach the President. The basis of the charges are said to be the fact that the President came to power as the head of one political party and then promptly resigned from that party and created his own. Actually it seems that there are quite a number of men hungry for the position of President and in fact, that is their primary motivation for impeachment. I am not saying that the current President is above reproach but there may not be a better alternative right now. Also, it means weeks of Parliamentary bickering over the correct procedures for impeachment, whether the President should be found guilty, if so, who should be the interim leader etc etc. This all involves expense that the country cannot afford, not to mention the fact that nothing else is getting done and other more important issues (eg food shortages) are being overlooked.
4. Utilities - last Thursday night I was ordering take away (there are definite advantages to a high number of Indians living here) and the lights went out due to a power outage. Thankfully they were cooking with gas. If you can picture me sitting in a small restaurant with illumination from street lights and a couple of candles in the shop, waiting for my take away, and returning home to eat it by candle light, this will give you a picture of this particular challenge. I guess we’d have a power outage once per week or so and usually not for very long. It’s when you add it to the fluctuating water supply, the internet connection that drops out repeatedly and the phone line that on average once every 3 to 4 weeks just doesn’t work, it’s a challenge. Last night our phone was disconnected for non-payment of the bill……only we did pay the bill…..a week in advance……and the cheque cleared yesterday. The reason these things challenge us, though, is that we’re used to having uninterrupted supply of these services (well with the exception of my parents). We’ve used to having what we want when we want it. I think it’s actually good for us to have to adapt our lives to times when we don’t have these things.
5. The language – I’m progressing with my ability to speak and understand Chichewa, but they speak so fast! Actually, when I make the effort to speak even a small amount of Chichewa, I’m greeted with delight and enthusiasm. A little bit certainly goes a long way. It’s a great blessing that so many people speak English because otherwise it would be really tough but we do encounter people who don’t speak much English. Communication is then a challenge. Communicating by phone is also a challenge. We’re getting used to the African accent, but over the phone it can be nigh on impossible to understand what the other guy is saying. No doubt they say exactly the same about us.
These challenges can be frustrating, especially the politics, but in fact they help to make our time here all the more interesting and rich. Joy and happiness do not spring out of having all things under control or the way we like them, but out of being centred on the really important things in life.
On a slightly less esoteric note, Martin is in Blantyre to give a talk to members of the Electricity Company of Malawi and members of the World Bank on our project here. He received a phone call yesterday at 4pm to tell him that today was on! This is another example of the exciting challenges we’ve had this month. Providentially, he had prepared a power point presentation earlier that day because he also has to give a talk, this time to members of the Ministry of Finance, on Friday. He’s not sure whether he will cope with 2 days in a row in a suit!
We have a good social group of both expat and Malawian friends. I do my fabric painting classes each Friday morning and out of that group it looks as though a creative writing group will spawn. Once a month I meet with a group of ladies for a purely social dinner. We have done some small-scale entertaining and been entertained. Often work colleagues come to stay on their way through. Last week we had our housekeeper from Karonga down. She has a bookkeeping certificate and she was down so I could train her to do the accounts for Karonga. We belong to a local church which provides another social circle. There are a nice group of people in Lilongwe and although it is quite a small city it is large enough to have a number of different groups of friends. Although it would be entirely possible to socialise exclusively with expats, we enjoy meeting Malawians and have found them to be a very friendly, lively and interesting bunch. As I said at the beginning of this email, it’s rare not to get a smile or a laugh from a Malawian.
Recently we spent a very relaxing and enjoyable weekend at the Lake. We stayed in a private cottage owned by a company who looks after most of our freight. The cottage backed right onto the beach so we were able to sit in the shade and chat or read, swim and snooze. We also went snorkeling with some tropical fish. Having grown up by the coast, it was strange to swim in a natural body of water and not be all salty when you got out but it was still lovely to be able to swim.
So, having been here 4 months I’m definitely settling in. It’s a very interesting time to be here and despite (even because of?) the challenges I’m glad to be here at this particular time. It feels to me like there are enough people who are not satisfied with the way things are here to get together and pray and act for change. Although we may not see that change during our time here, it’s good to think that we are capable of making a difference.
The challenge of fluctuating water supply has fallen from the Number 1 slot in our list of challenges. At the time of writing this place has been filled by our gardener/ house boy, Arnold. I have a lot of time for Arnold. He works hard and shows initiative. He is willing to do whatever is asked of him and he is a very good cook. However, his private life is not quite so orderly. Arnold and his partner, Catherine, have now involved themselves in 2 incidents of domestic violence since we have been here, the most recent being Tuesday night. As Arnold was sporting a bleeding bite mark and Catherine was able to locate a large garden slasher with which she claimed Arnold was chasing her, we are quite concerned about this issue, not least because they have a young child who’s not even 2 years old. After a couple of attempts at mediation, things calmed down. Now, despite the fact that Catherine said she believed Arnold wanted to kill her, she no longer wants to leave and they are trying hard to convince us of their plans to live happily ever after.
It may clarify the picture to mention that the source of this argument was their impending wedding in December. Arnold had been to us a number of times, asking to borrow money so he could “do a bit of business” to make money for his wedding. We had told him as many times that we would be happy to help but not until he had a specific plan and could satisfy us that he would be able to pay the money back. Well, the business plans have apparently not advanced and, according to Arnold, Catherine was reviewing her options; specifically whether it would be possible to find herself a more wealthy husband. This is Arnold’s version of the story. Catherine’s version has not been so easy to decipher.
We are now faced with the choice of whether to evict them immediately because there is another family on the property who is affected by this violence or to give them another chance. I’m in favour of laying down some very clear boundaries and giving them another chance, but the big worry is that we will effectively be confining their fighting to behind closed doors. Clearly they won’t want us finding out about any further skirmishes because that will mean eviction. But what damage will be done, especially to their son, Owen, in the meantime?
Sadly domestic violence is rife in Malawi. Whilst officially it is not an accepted part of Malawian culture, women (and lets face it, the victims are usually women and children) who find themselves in violent situations usually don’t have too many alternatives. If they leave there is no guarantee that their family will make housing available because it’s their husband’s job to provide for them. Not always, but often, the husband is the sole income earner so the woman has no means of supporting herself and her family. Despite the fact that the law provides sanctions against such violence, the law is often not enforced here and how many women could afford to access the legal system?
So, we’ll give them another chance and hopefully will find a way of helping them access some education and counseling that will maybe help change things for them.
Dear God, didn’t I come here to have a break from family law?!
The rest of the top 5 challenges include:
2. Need and poverty everywhere around you. This is best represented by the many, many people who greet me when I’m out and about. “Hello Madam. Where are you going, Madam? Can I be your friend, Madam? Will you buy….?” There is literally no escape from people trying to sell us things. It’s my problem, I know, because it’s just one aspect of how life is in Malawi, but I wish there was one place I could go where I could find peace from the constant pressure to buy. Usually when I politely refuse to buy, the seller accepts that and goes on his (it is usually a man) way. However, there are times when the seller persists in the face of repeated, polite refusals. One seller persisted to the point where I found myself telling him, “In my culture it is rude to keep asking when I have told you I don’t want to buy.” But the greatest aspect of the challenge is not the “annoyance factor”, although that is a challenge. No, it’s the distressing fact that so many people in this country have so little and many are not able to eat every day DESPITE the amount of aid that is poured into this country.
3. Politics – it has been a long acknowledged fact that probably the greatest fundamental problem with Africa is its leadership. Sadly, Malawi is not leading the race to role model effective and visionary leadership! The headlines for the past few weeks have almost entirely centred on the efforts of a number of MPs to impeach the President. The basis of the charges are said to be the fact that the President came to power as the head of one political party and then promptly resigned from that party and created his own. Actually it seems that there are quite a number of men hungry for the position of President and in fact, that is their primary motivation for impeachment. I am not saying that the current President is above reproach but there may not be a better alternative right now. Also, it means weeks of Parliamentary bickering over the correct procedures for impeachment, whether the President should be found guilty, if so, who should be the interim leader etc etc. This all involves expense that the country cannot afford, not to mention the fact that nothing else is getting done and other more important issues (eg food shortages) are being overlooked.
4. Utilities - last Thursday night I was ordering take away (there are definite advantages to a high number of Indians living here) and the lights went out due to a power outage. Thankfully they were cooking with gas. If you can picture me sitting in a small restaurant with illumination from street lights and a couple of candles in the shop, waiting for my take away, and returning home to eat it by candle light, this will give you a picture of this particular challenge. I guess we’d have a power outage once per week or so and usually not for very long. It’s when you add it to the fluctuating water supply, the internet connection that drops out repeatedly and the phone line that on average once every 3 to 4 weeks just doesn’t work, it’s a challenge. Last night our phone was disconnected for non-payment of the bill……only we did pay the bill…..a week in advance……and the cheque cleared yesterday. The reason these things challenge us, though, is that we’re used to having uninterrupted supply of these services (well with the exception of my parents). We’ve used to having what we want when we want it. I think it’s actually good for us to have to adapt our lives to times when we don’t have these things.
5. The language – I’m progressing with my ability to speak and understand Chichewa, but they speak so fast! Actually, when I make the effort to speak even a small amount of Chichewa, I’m greeted with delight and enthusiasm. A little bit certainly goes a long way. It’s a great blessing that so many people speak English because otherwise it would be really tough but we do encounter people who don’t speak much English. Communication is then a challenge. Communicating by phone is also a challenge. We’re getting used to the African accent, but over the phone it can be nigh on impossible to understand what the other guy is saying. No doubt they say exactly the same about us.
These challenges can be frustrating, especially the politics, but in fact they help to make our time here all the more interesting and rich. Joy and happiness do not spring out of having all things under control or the way we like them, but out of being centred on the really important things in life.
On a slightly less esoteric note, Martin is in Blantyre to give a talk to members of the Electricity Company of Malawi and members of the World Bank on our project here. He received a phone call yesterday at 4pm to tell him that today was on! This is another example of the exciting challenges we’ve had this month. Providentially, he had prepared a power point presentation earlier that day because he also has to give a talk, this time to members of the Ministry of Finance, on Friday. He’s not sure whether he will cope with 2 days in a row in a suit!
We have a good social group of both expat and Malawian friends. I do my fabric painting classes each Friday morning and out of that group it looks as though a creative writing group will spawn. Once a month I meet with a group of ladies for a purely social dinner. We have done some small-scale entertaining and been entertained. Often work colleagues come to stay on their way through. Last week we had our housekeeper from Karonga down. She has a bookkeeping certificate and she was down so I could train her to do the accounts for Karonga. We belong to a local church which provides another social circle. There are a nice group of people in Lilongwe and although it is quite a small city it is large enough to have a number of different groups of friends. Although it would be entirely possible to socialise exclusively with expats, we enjoy meeting Malawians and have found them to be a very friendly, lively and interesting bunch. As I said at the beginning of this email, it’s rare not to get a smile or a laugh from a Malawian.
Recently we spent a very relaxing and enjoyable weekend at the Lake. We stayed in a private cottage owned by a company who looks after most of our freight. The cottage backed right onto the beach so we were able to sit in the shade and chat or read, swim and snooze. We also went snorkeling with some tropical fish. Having grown up by the coast, it was strange to swim in a natural body of water and not be all salty when you got out but it was still lovely to be able to swim.
So, having been here 4 months I’m definitely settling in. It’s a very interesting time to be here and despite (even because of?) the challenges I’m glad to be here at this particular time. It feels to me like there are enough people who are not satisfied with the way things are here to get together and pray and act for change. Although we may not see that change during our time here, it’s good to think that we are capable of making a difference.
Sunday, 9 October 2005
The Story of Faggie
Faggie is in her early 20’s and works as a public telephone operator. In Malawi, public telephones are attended and the operator dials the number and works out how much to charge you. Faggie completed high school and has greater aspirations but jobs are hard to come by. She will stay at this job until something better comes along and the MK2,000 per month she earns helps her family make ends meet. Having said that, at the moment the maize price is inflated due to the national shortage and the family cannot afford to eat every meal. It’s possible that some days they do not eat at all.
Faggie lives with her brother, sister-in-law and their 3 children in a tiny house with no electricity. The floor is made from compacted mud, as are the bricks.
I met Faggie when I was out for a walk one day. She called out to me and asked me to be her friend. I was reluctant because I thought she wanted to be my friend so I could provide financial support. No doubt this was part of her motivation and, although I find that confronting, you have to admire her initiative. Not able to think of a reason for saying “no”, we exchanged contact details.
Faggie phones me from time to time or I wander down to where she works for a chat. Her grades do not reflect her intelligence because she struggled to pass her high school exams, but actually she is a sharp girl who wants life to be better than what it is. She would like to study nursing but needs to pass a pre-requisite unit first so she works 6 days a week and studies. Hopefully she’ll pass but then there are university fees that she will not be able to afford.
I have been to her home, at her invitation, and her sister-in-law was keen to welcome me and cook me a meal. I had limited time so I had to apologise profusely and promise to come back sometime soon. In the short time I was there, most of the neighbourhood came by to welcome me and pay their respects.
Despite the fact that the house is tiny and there is no bathroom as such, and despite the fact that it takes her a good 45 minutes to walk at a brisk pace to work, Faggie always manages to look (and smell) neat, clean and fresh (the latter being quite unusual in Malawi).
Faggie has asked me if our company can employ her. Whilst this may be possible in the future, it is not possible now and the earliest possibility is not likely to be before 2007. She has also asked us to pay her university fees but we have other commitments that make this impossible.
Besides, perhaps the greatest tragedy in this story is that Faggie represents so many who are in a similar position or worse.
Wednesday, 5 October 2005
The Story of Agness
Agness is the lady who opens the gate for us when we drive into or out of our housing estate. She works with a man named Rafael Lucius (one on each gate) and they always greet us with smart attire and a warm smile.
Agness is about 25 years old. She was married but her husband decided that he preferred another woman, leaving Agness to care for their young son alone. Agness now lives with her parents several kilometers from our estate and walks to and from work. She starts at around 8am and leaves between 4 and 5pm, 7 days a week. For that, she earns the princely sum of MK2,000 per month (the equivalent of A$21/US$16/£45). Agness’ mother also works but her father can’t because he’s unwell. (To give you a comparison that might be more meaningful, we pay our housekeeper MK8,000 per month and she struggles to make ends meet on that amount, admittedly with 4 children to support on her own.)
A few weeks ago Agness sent me a letter asking to borrow MK2,000 so she could buy maize and fix one of the doors in her house. We assumed that “borrow” meant “give” as it frequently does here. However, yesterday I received another letter from Agness, containing MK1,000 of the amount she had borrowed and apologising profusely for not being able to pay the whole lot back at once.
I took the money back to her and told her it was a gift from God (He’d given it to us in the first place) and that she could keep it. Just seeing her genuine gratitude and delight meant far more to me than the pitiful amount we’d given. And in a land where so many people expect us to give to them just because, Agness’ story is especially moving.
Racism
Racism has always been an issue that disturbed me, not least the fact that my own heart often leans towards segregation and superiority. Happily, much has been done to fight this ugliness and the world has moved on considerably from the popularly held views of the 19th century and before. Yet, I suspect that as long as the human race lingers, racism will be alive and well somewhere.
The more I ponder this issue, the more it occurs to me that those who genuinely believe in “white supremacy” couldn’t have got it more wrong. Recent genetic research suggests that in order for the genetic mix that we have in the human race today to be possible, the earliest humans must have been black. Also, observable genetics indicates that “black genes” are dominant over white genes. Most “mixed-race” children are a testimony to this fact.
When you consider what black races have suffered at white hands, what they’ve survived, then it would also appear that on average, black people are stronger physically and perhaps mentally than white people.
However, when it comes to the most important issue, the state of a person’s heart, how can colour have any bearing whatsoever? The choice to love others or, on the other hand, to live selfish lives, faces every human being regardless of their genetic makeup. Surely that’s how we should be judged and not by what we look like or aspects of our culture.
In Malawi, many “black Malawians” (for wont of a more appropriate term) seem to accept that more respect is due to white people than to their own people. I can walk down a street and be greeted by several people whereas a black woman would usually be ignored. Most of the black Malawians around me refer to me as “Madam” and are very reluctant to greet me by my first name. It makes me sad and I feel like saying to them, “How am I any different to you? I deserve no more attention or respect than you do. The future of this country lies in your hands. Be proud of your heritage and who you are. Stand up and fight for what is good and right.”
In the meantime, I pray.
The more I ponder this issue, the more it occurs to me that those who genuinely believe in “white supremacy” couldn’t have got it more wrong. Recent genetic research suggests that in order for the genetic mix that we have in the human race today to be possible, the earliest humans must have been black. Also, observable genetics indicates that “black genes” are dominant over white genes. Most “mixed-race” children are a testimony to this fact.
When you consider what black races have suffered at white hands, what they’ve survived, then it would also appear that on average, black people are stronger physically and perhaps mentally than white people.
However, when it comes to the most important issue, the state of a person’s heart, how can colour have any bearing whatsoever? The choice to love others or, on the other hand, to live selfish lives, faces every human being regardless of their genetic makeup. Surely that’s how we should be judged and not by what we look like or aspects of our culture.
In Malawi, many “black Malawians” (for wont of a more appropriate term) seem to accept that more respect is due to white people than to their own people. I can walk down a street and be greeted by several people whereas a black woman would usually be ignored. Most of the black Malawians around me refer to me as “Madam” and are very reluctant to greet me by my first name. It makes me sad and I feel like saying to them, “How am I any different to you? I deserve no more attention or respect than you do. The future of this country lies in your hands. Be proud of your heritage and who you are. Stand up and fight for what is good and right.”
In the meantime, I pray.
Saturday, 1 October 2005
Life in Malawi as at 22.09.05
The past month has been eventful in various ways, momentous in fact, when you think that after 18 YEARS of world domination the Aussies went and lost the Ashes. At least they waited till I was out of the UK but there are still plenty of British people in Malawi and they have not been reserved about their jubilation! I think the only other Australian I know in this country at the moment is in fact a German. Our house co-tenant, who’s not here more often than he is, is also Australian but he’s not in the country at the moment. Thanks (or no thanks, depending on how hard you’ve taken the loss) to DSTV we were able to watch a good deal of the cricket and, despite the outcome, it was a wonderful series to watch. The time difference between Malawi and Britain is just 1 hour at the moment so that made it all the easier.
On a more positive note, our Australian German geologist brought out a video camera duty free last time he came out. I’ve been hankering after one for a while and he was happy to organise it all for us. Martin has been referring to me as Quentin Tarantino and feels that no one is safe but secretly he loves the excitement of it all. A couple of weeks ago we were out near our front gate because I wanted to film the entrance to the property. I think almost the entire population of the neighbourhood’s children appeared as if on cue and wanted their pictures taken. So they ended up on film and on the digital. We spent the rest of that week printing pictures because each child wanted their own copy. They’ve since been lined up outside our gate wanting more. Quentin Tarantino and Lord Lichfield! I have posted some of the photos on another website - www.ialmond.com/malawimemos
The biggest challenge I’ve found in the past month has been the informal water restrictions; informal because nobody actually knew they were going to happen and because they are not evenly meted. We should actually be fairly safe because we live next door to one of the former First Ladies of the country but, when asking around, we seem to be without water more often than most of our friends. Perhaps the FFL gets preference, which is why we end up with less. I don’t know but what I do know is that any time after 6am we have no running cold water – sometimes all day and sometimes for a couple of hours. As this situation is “informal” we never know when we’ll have a day without water. Thankfully our co-tenant had the brilliance to sink a bore and this does alleviate many difficulties but it still makes showering a drama. Yesterday, for example, we had no water all day and no power for some of the day. No power means no hot water, even if the tank was full (which it wasn’t). The hot water tank can be filled from the bore but for some reason it wasn’t so when the power came back on the element tried to heat water that wasn’t there and fried itself instead. So no hot water, no cold water. (Even if the hot water is running, you can’t shower because it’s too hot without cold water. Unless the hot water tank is filled from the bore, the cold water doesn’t seem to be running at great enough pressure or often enough to fill the hot water tank.) It’s very unusual still to be without running water at 6pm but we were and, of course, last night was the night we’d been invited out to dinner to meet the US Ambassador and the British High Commissioner, among other people. We were due there at 7:30pm and by 6pm I still had not showered, smelled and had a BAD head of hair. We resorted to phoning a friend!
It’s not just showering either. Try flushing the toilet with no running water all day! Oh yes, I could spend an entire email on toilet issues in Malawi but I’m sure you’d rather I didn’t go there. There is some good news, though. Most of the time, if we look in all the shops around town, we are able to buy 2 ply toilet paper. Happiness if found in small delights.
On Sunday Martin and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary (another example of time flying!) It was exciting to think back to our wedding day and remember the many special moments in the day and especially the group of friends and family who shared it with us. We took off for the weekend down to a nice hotel in Zomba, a pretty city in the south of Malawi. It was lovely, a quiet, secluded place, set on the side of the hill overlooking the valley below. It went all too quickly, but weekends tend to do that. Anyway, the first year has been full of interesting adventures and we’re looking forward to what the next one will hold.
Other than that, life has been full of a lot of day to day stuff. We’ve had quite a few work colleagues stay here for a day or 2 at a time so we entertain quite a lot and have also been entertained, which is nice. The first dinner party we went to was back in July. One of Martin’s business contacts – he and his wife have been very generous with their hospitality and have invited us to the company’s Lakeside retreat next month.
The dinner party we went to last night was hosted by a delightful Indian couple whom we met when we went into Mrs Patel’s fabric shop to have some sheet sets made. We did this because a careful search of the entire city of Lilongwe drew a blank on sheet sets. It seems that at any given time there will be a random item of some kind that you cannot buy here. At that time it was sheet sets. Right now? Lemons. I think that’s part of what’s interesting about living here because you can’t assume things and you have to be creative when you can’t find something. At that time (it was back in June, I think) we could not find sheet sets so we had them made. Mrs Patel owns the shop and because they looked after us well we went back and had curtains made and various other things. I think that qualified us to be dinner guests. The Patels are Malawian born British citizens of Indian heritage but all their children are in the US. I guess that’s the reason for their connection with the US Embassy and British High Commission. Anyway, it was a very interesting evening.
I hear that news of the food crisis in Malawi has made it to Australia. Yes it is serious and there are reports of children dying from starvation/nutrition related illnesses. Martin and I cannot understand how this is possible with a country full of charities. Also, there is plenty of food in Malawi but there is a serious shortage of maize, the staple food. Sadly, Malawians are accustomed to thinking that if there is no maize they will starve. Last year’s maize crop was a bad one but the country also produces a lot of very good rice and both Irish and sweet potatoes are in plentiful supply, as well as many other kinds of fruit and vegetables. The government has started a “Feed the Nation Fund” but the word is that it’s already being mismanaged. Mismanagement here is one of the biggest problems with the country. So, for those in the practice of praying, the poor of Malawi are very deserving recipients.
As I’ve previously reported we are constantly asked for money or to buy things when we are out and about. The truth is, whether we give or not makes little long term difference to these individuals. What they really need is “hope and a future” ala Jeremiah 29:11. We are of course hopeful that our company’s mining plans will be successful as that project could add significantly to the country’s economy. So far the progress is good and we are finding favour with most if not all of our business associates. However, probably our biggest challenge is obtaining the government approval we will need to proceed. We’ve heard stories of such approval taking up to 8 years whereas ideally we need it by the end of 2006. This is another source of prayer.
To finish on a much lighter note, I have started fabric painting classes and it’s great fun. I’ve been twice and in probably one or two more classes I will finish my first project, which is a cushion cover with a “funky bird” picture on it. In the last class I attended we were like our own little UN contingent, with representatives from Korea, Nicaragua, Burundi, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone and of course, Australia. Malawi is very multi-cultural, especially because of the aid community and it’s great being an international community.
Thursday, 8 September 2005
Clueless Crosswords/ Codebreakers
I don't know about you, but I love clueless crosswords (aka codebreakers). The International Express has one every week but I can't seem to find a free source on the internet. So I've decided to start making my own for anyone else out there who likes to do them. Here's the first. The solution can be emailed upon request.
Saturday, 3 September 2005
Complaining
I have a particular talent for complaining. In fact I reckon I could get a PhD in it. There is always a reason to complain about something in an imperfect world. I am sure you agree.
When I was preparing to move to Africa I was conscious that I would be challenged about my propensity to complain. I was right. Malawi is indeed an imperfect world for many, many people. However, something I have noticed is that the Malawians rarely complain about things. They are much more likely to laugh about them.
For example, for the past 2 weeks we have had problems with water supply. The cold water is off for quite lengthy periods during the day and the hot water pressure has been significantly decreased. This makes showering pretty close to impossible. Now, I can honestly say that for the first few days I had the good grace to accept this situation with humour and creativity. No problem, we can boil water when we have it and bath in a bucket. That lasted a few days but I'm now complaining! I want my water! I want it now! Of course our house staff just laugh, "There's no water again, madam, but I've carried in a bucket of water from the bore for you and I've boiled pots of water and put them through the filter so you have plenty of drinking water."
When I was preparing to move to Africa I was conscious that I would be challenged about my propensity to complain. I was right. Malawi is indeed an imperfect world for many, many people. However, something I have noticed is that the Malawians rarely complain about things. They are much more likely to laugh about them.
For example, for the past 2 weeks we have had problems with water supply. The cold water is off for quite lengthy periods during the day and the hot water pressure has been significantly decreased. This makes showering pretty close to impossible. Now, I can honestly say that for the first few days I had the good grace to accept this situation with humour and creativity. No problem, we can boil water when we have it and bath in a bucket. That lasted a few days but I'm now complaining! I want my water! I want it now! Of course our house staff just laugh, "There's no water again, madam, but I've carried in a bucket of water from the bore for you and I've boiled pots of water and put them through the filter so you have plenty of drinking water."
Wednesday, 24 August 2005
Getting to Heaven
Getting to Heaven
I’ve heard so many people tell me they think that “good people” will all go to heaven. I wish that were the case but how can anyone think themselves as “good”? For a start, my own assessment of whether or not I am “good” will definitely depend on a comparison with other people. Okay, so I’m no Mother Theresa, but I’m better than ……
So where does the cut off for good or not good lie? And what about if you’re not good? Does that mean that you can never make it to heaven? Even if you change your mind about being good?
I would love to think that I’m good. I spend so much time trying to impress people (and God) with what a great person I am but of course I hide the darker sides of my nature. I can’t count the number of times I have said nasty things about someone else behind their back. That’s not good, that’s despicable. And the fact that many, many people do it does not make it any less despicable.
I’m not even aware of how much I do which is actually calculated for maximum personal gain. I’m aware of enough to make me cringe in the light of honest self-analysis. Yes, I do want to help others but …..
And now here’s a good one. What about the genuinely held belief (which of course subconsciously influences much of what I do) that I am better than most people I come across, God included at times. I don’t like to admit to this one but in actual fact it’s true. Of course intellectually I know that I’m no better than anyone else; it’s just that I find myself thinking otherwise in my private thoughts. Humility, I’m afraid, is not one of my strong points.
Now, if being “better than most” people is the standard I may or may not have a show. I don’t know. There are some pretty decent people out there. If being better than the worst is the standard, then I think I do have a show. But that’s not what being “good” is.
This is not a “down on me” session. It’s not a confession box. I don’t feel the need to beat myself for penance or to suffer in order to try to elevate my “goodness quotient”. I do, however, feel the need to try to stop kidding myself about what I need to do to be accepted by God.
The answer is absolutely NOTHING.
How can we think that being good would impress God? God, who sees every cranny of every part of us and knows every thought before we have thought it? God, who made us, is hardly going to be overawed when we use what He actually gave us in the first place, to try to impress Him. God, who made us, knows that we all have capacity for good and for evil and that all of us at some stage exercise that capacity for evil whether we like it or not.
No, I don’t think the standard for getting to heaven is being good, I think it is all about accepting the fact that there is nothing in ourselves that can impress God and by asking Him for His love and acceptance. He has already given it to us in the person of Jesus. Especially if you don’t think you deserve it.
I’ve heard so many people tell me they think that “good people” will all go to heaven. I wish that were the case but how can anyone think themselves as “good”? For a start, my own assessment of whether or not I am “good” will definitely depend on a comparison with other people. Okay, so I’m no Mother Theresa, but I’m better than ……
So where does the cut off for good or not good lie? And what about if you’re not good? Does that mean that you can never make it to heaven? Even if you change your mind about being good?
I would love to think that I’m good. I spend so much time trying to impress people (and God) with what a great person I am but of course I hide the darker sides of my nature. I can’t count the number of times I have said nasty things about someone else behind their back. That’s not good, that’s despicable. And the fact that many, many people do it does not make it any less despicable.
I’m not even aware of how much I do which is actually calculated for maximum personal gain. I’m aware of enough to make me cringe in the light of honest self-analysis. Yes, I do want to help others but …..
And now here’s a good one. What about the genuinely held belief (which of course subconsciously influences much of what I do) that I am better than most people I come across, God included at times. I don’t like to admit to this one but in actual fact it’s true. Of course intellectually I know that I’m no better than anyone else; it’s just that I find myself thinking otherwise in my private thoughts. Humility, I’m afraid, is not one of my strong points.
Now, if being “better than most” people is the standard I may or may not have a show. I don’t know. There are some pretty decent people out there. If being better than the worst is the standard, then I think I do have a show. But that’s not what being “good” is.
This is not a “down on me” session. It’s not a confession box. I don’t feel the need to beat myself for penance or to suffer in order to try to elevate my “goodness quotient”. I do, however, feel the need to try to stop kidding myself about what I need to do to be accepted by God.
The answer is absolutely NOTHING.
How can we think that being good would impress God? God, who sees every cranny of every part of us and knows every thought before we have thought it? God, who made us, is hardly going to be overawed when we use what He actually gave us in the first place, to try to impress Him. God, who made us, knows that we all have capacity for good and for evil and that all of us at some stage exercise that capacity for evil whether we like it or not.
No, I don’t think the standard for getting to heaven is being good, I think it is all about accepting the fact that there is nothing in ourselves that can impress God and by asking Him for His love and acceptance. He has already given it to us in the person of Jesus. Especially if you don’t think you deserve it.
Life in Malawi as at 23 August 2005
I’m still getting over the end of a cold which has been more notable because of its length than its intensity. Martin is a cold & flu tablets convert so I tried them and they do reduce the symptoms which at the time was a blessing. For him they work in every dimension but for me I think they end up elongating the length of the cold. I seem to remember having tried them before with the same result. Also we are into the last couple of months of the dry season so the amount of dust about is considerable. Most of the locals use wood fires to cook and fires are used to burn rubbish in the drains, do small burn offs etc, so I guess my nose won’t be too happy for a while yet. It’s annoying but not life threatening, in contrast to the plight of many in this country!
My body is still reacting to the water or the soap powder used or something because my back in particular is constantly itchy. There is a very high level of chlorine in the tap water because you can smell it. We boil and filter our drinking water so are probably not consuming that level of chlorine but we wash in it every day so this could account for some of the reaction.
So there’s the inevitable adjustment factor in the physical and emotional realm. I miss family and friends, my cat, Tamsin, and the beach and strolling into Freo but I don’t miss the cold and the rain or the working hours or the job. We are working from home here and find that we might be at the desk anytime from 7am but I don’t remember the last time we were still at it after 5pm. Unless we’re entertaining visitors, but that’s hardly the same. And without exception our visitors have been interesting and delightful. Sometimes I cook for them. Sometimes Arnold, our gardener come errand boy come cook, cooks. He’s done lasagne, which is excellent, and chicken pasties which were a bit dry but otherwise very tasty. On Thursday he’s going to cook a spinach pie because Martin’s coming back from up north with another visitor.
The other option of course is to eat out. It’s not expensive and there is a good enough range of places to choose from. Our favourite at the moment is Mama Mia, an Italian restaurant in the Old Town. The service is good, the food good and reasonably priced. They have an extensive bar and the ambience is light and friendly. We are yet to try the Chinese restaurant in the Portuguese Club but that also has very good reports. If it’s just Martin and me and we can’t summon the will to cook there’s a very basic little café just up the road. They do a very basic stew with rice or chips for just over A$3. You couldn’t cook it for that.
Shopping is not too bad. The supermarkets are generally well enough stocked, although you can guarantee that at any given time there will be something you can’t buy. At the moment it’s brown sugar. They have raw sugar coated with caramel something or other, masquerading as brown sugar, but the real mccoy is nowhere to be found. No doubt next week I’ll be able to find brown sugar and something else will elude me. It pays not to be desperate for any particular ingredient and my cooking is largely adaptive. We eat what we have and if I want to cook a particular dish I keep in mind that I might have to create a variation of it if I can’t find all I need. However the basics are always available – milk, bread, eggs, rice, some kind of meat, vegetables and fruit. The local fruits are very good. I think we’re onto the fourth papaya from our garden. I love papaya and the flavour has been unbeatable. The mangoes are starting to appear on the trees but they won’t be ripe for another couple of months. In the meantime the strawberries are also abundant when you’re out and about but I’m a bit reluctant to eat them because you can’t guarantee they haven’t been watered with contaminated water. There’s no way to wash a strawberry well enough without cooking it. I have found a recipe for strawberry chutney that I’ll try. I’m not sure about the thought of strawberry chutney, but for $3.50 for the equivalent of about 4 or 5 punnets I’m willing to try it.
What’s good about living here? So many things and most of them really quite subtle. Our house staff are a joy to live and work with. They always have a ready smile or laugh and whatever you ask them is done without comment or complaint. I certainly don’t regret not having to do my own dishes or washing or housework, although I feel very strange having someone else do it for me. We live in a walled “estate” and there are lots of tiny (and not so tiny) black kids running around playing their simple games and yelling at the tops of their voices with the joy of life. When they see us coming they wave and yell. If we are on foot some of the brave ones will run up for a closer look.
When I’ve been out walking around the neighbourhood, many people avert their eyes because they are shy or feel for some reason they cannot speak to a muzungu (foreigner) but then there are almost always 2 or 3 or more who yell out “hello” and want to know who you are, where you’re going and generally what you’re up to out of friendly curiosity. And maybe to practise their English.
It’s also an incredible privilege to meet people who live in the most despondent circumstances but who can still greet you with a smile and wish you a good day.
I’ve begun a study of minibuses as you may have read about in other journal entries. I’m trying to accrue a collection of photos but most don’t like having their photos taken so this is proving to be a challenge. I also want to start a study on “transportation by bike”. Now you might imagine I’m talking about people who ride their bikes around the place but I’m not. There are many people who ride bikes but the ones I’m most interested in are those who load their bikes up with all kinds of produce and sometimes ride but usually walk their bikes from here to there. We’ve seen bikes carrying a (single) front door, bikes with a 12ft high pile of firewood, bikes with a brace of dead chickens hanging by their feet from the handlebars etc. All because they can’t afford a more “effective” vehicle. I’m going to try to collect photos. I may have to pay for the privilege but I have a collection of small change for that purpose (as well as for the beggars you inevitably meet every time you go to town. As the wealthy are the source of social security for the disabled in Malawi I do feel inclined to give when they ask.)
Martin’s up north for most of this week so tomorrow I plan to go into town by minibus to check our post office bag and do a bit of shopping. Maybe someone will agree to take my picture in the minibus.
My body is still reacting to the water or the soap powder used or something because my back in particular is constantly itchy. There is a very high level of chlorine in the tap water because you can smell it. We boil and filter our drinking water so are probably not consuming that level of chlorine but we wash in it every day so this could account for some of the reaction.
So there’s the inevitable adjustment factor in the physical and emotional realm. I miss family and friends, my cat, Tamsin, and the beach and strolling into Freo but I don’t miss the cold and the rain or the working hours or the job. We are working from home here and find that we might be at the desk anytime from 7am but I don’t remember the last time we were still at it after 5pm. Unless we’re entertaining visitors, but that’s hardly the same. And without exception our visitors have been interesting and delightful. Sometimes I cook for them. Sometimes Arnold, our gardener come errand boy come cook, cooks. He’s done lasagne, which is excellent, and chicken pasties which were a bit dry but otherwise very tasty. On Thursday he’s going to cook a spinach pie because Martin’s coming back from up north with another visitor.
The other option of course is to eat out. It’s not expensive and there is a good enough range of places to choose from. Our favourite at the moment is Mama Mia, an Italian restaurant in the Old Town. The service is good, the food good and reasonably priced. They have an extensive bar and the ambience is light and friendly. We are yet to try the Chinese restaurant in the Portuguese Club but that also has very good reports. If it’s just Martin and me and we can’t summon the will to cook there’s a very basic little café just up the road. They do a very basic stew with rice or chips for just over A$3. You couldn’t cook it for that.
Shopping is not too bad. The supermarkets are generally well enough stocked, although you can guarantee that at any given time there will be something you can’t buy. At the moment it’s brown sugar. They have raw sugar coated with caramel something or other, masquerading as brown sugar, but the real mccoy is nowhere to be found. No doubt next week I’ll be able to find brown sugar and something else will elude me. It pays not to be desperate for any particular ingredient and my cooking is largely adaptive. We eat what we have and if I want to cook a particular dish I keep in mind that I might have to create a variation of it if I can’t find all I need. However the basics are always available – milk, bread, eggs, rice, some kind of meat, vegetables and fruit. The local fruits are very good. I think we’re onto the fourth papaya from our garden. I love papaya and the flavour has been unbeatable. The mangoes are starting to appear on the trees but they won’t be ripe for another couple of months. In the meantime the strawberries are also abundant when you’re out and about but I’m a bit reluctant to eat them because you can’t guarantee they haven’t been watered with contaminated water. There’s no way to wash a strawberry well enough without cooking it. I have found a recipe for strawberry chutney that I’ll try. I’m not sure about the thought of strawberry chutney, but for $3.50 for the equivalent of about 4 or 5 punnets I’m willing to try it.
What’s good about living here? So many things and most of them really quite subtle. Our house staff are a joy to live and work with. They always have a ready smile or laugh and whatever you ask them is done without comment or complaint. I certainly don’t regret not having to do my own dishes or washing or housework, although I feel very strange having someone else do it for me. We live in a walled “estate” and there are lots of tiny (and not so tiny) black kids running around playing their simple games and yelling at the tops of their voices with the joy of life. When they see us coming they wave and yell. If we are on foot some of the brave ones will run up for a closer look.
When I’ve been out walking around the neighbourhood, many people avert their eyes because they are shy or feel for some reason they cannot speak to a muzungu (foreigner) but then there are almost always 2 or 3 or more who yell out “hello” and want to know who you are, where you’re going and generally what you’re up to out of friendly curiosity. And maybe to practise their English.
It’s also an incredible privilege to meet people who live in the most despondent circumstances but who can still greet you with a smile and wish you a good day.
I’ve begun a study of minibuses as you may have read about in other journal entries. I’m trying to accrue a collection of photos but most don’t like having their photos taken so this is proving to be a challenge. I also want to start a study on “transportation by bike”. Now you might imagine I’m talking about people who ride their bikes around the place but I’m not. There are many people who ride bikes but the ones I’m most interested in are those who load their bikes up with all kinds of produce and sometimes ride but usually walk their bikes from here to there. We’ve seen bikes carrying a (single) front door, bikes with a 12ft high pile of firewood, bikes with a brace of dead chickens hanging by their feet from the handlebars etc. All because they can’t afford a more “effective” vehicle. I’m going to try to collect photos. I may have to pay for the privilege but I have a collection of small change for that purpose (as well as for the beggars you inevitably meet every time you go to town. As the wealthy are the source of social security for the disabled in Malawi I do feel inclined to give when they ask.)
Martin’s up north for most of this week so tomorrow I plan to go into town by minibus to check our post office bag and do a bit of shopping. Maybe someone will agree to take my picture in the minibus.
Wednesday, 17 August 2005
Whose is the Earth?
“The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it….” Psalm 24:1
Now I know there’s a deep and longstanding debate about how the universe came to be but I think it’s true to say that all participants in this debate acknowledge that one of the possible explanations is that all life was created by a Powerful Spiritual Source.
Of those who accept this explanation as being true or most likely, I acknowledge that there are many, many different ideas about Who or What that powerful Spiritual Source is.
Now, the questions of how and who to one side for a moment, if you accept that a Powerful Spiritual Source created life, then it must follow that we belong to it. The law in most places that I know of says that if an artist creates a piece of work, he or she has legal right over that work. He or she can keep it, sell it or give it away. Now, it must follow that the Force that created the earth has the same rights. We are not our own, we belong to the Creator. The Creator has provided us with life and with the natural resources we find upon the earth. From those natural resources, we have created many and different things. So, do we own what we have created or does the Creator, who gave us the means to create?
If you believe that the world spontaneously came into being then of course there is no Divine ownership and humans can do what they choose. Things belong to those who find them or acquire them according to the rules of society. But if you believe in a Divine Being then that is arguably not the case. If the source of all things is a Supreme Being, then arguably, that Being is the owner of all things in the universe He/She/It created. This is especially so if you believe that the universe was created with benevolent purpose. If this is the case, then the Supreme Being's purpose should be applied to all created matter, including and especially humans, in order for life on this planet to prosper.
How is it, then, that we in the Western World especially, live as though we are our own gods and as though what we own belongs to us for our enjoyment and prosperity? I speak for myself, not just at others and of course I generalise, but I'm sure that many would agree with me that materialism and consumerism are prevalent in the West and is very worrying.
In the realm of Employment Law an employee who acts as if he owns something actually belonging to his boss could be charged with stealing from his employer (I'm talking about taking what is in fact God’s and making it mine). Arguably the negative consequences of this action outweigh the short-term gain.
Looking at it another way, if we apply logic, it really makes no sense to hold onto things that have no innate life in preference to reaching out for the Divine Being. We give our possessions a life force by telling ourselves that we must have them to be happy. Now I’m not saying that owning things is, of itself, bad, but giving those things an elevated importance is. If I value my money so much that I can’t bless others with it, or feel that life has no value if I lose it, it in fact owns me and is in fact taking the place of the Divine in my life.
Assuming, which I do, that a Divine force created all life, then that Divine Being also made a number of laws or rules for how life would be. Gravity is one example and the principle of sowing and reaping is another. It doesn’t matter what you believe, your belief system cannot render you immune to the effects of gravity. In the same way it seems that no matter what your belief system, human life is subject to the sowing and reaping principle – what you put in you get out. If you “sow” goodness, this is what you reap. Assuming that another of those laws or rules is that the earth and things and even our lives are not our own but God’s, if we live in contradiction to this law, there will be consequences for us (like there are consequences of stealing from our boss).
One of the consequences as I see them, is the mess we (the human race) have made of this planet. We have used the earth’s resources as if they belonged to us rather than using them with a view to long term consumption by all the people of the world. We have exploited those resources and now we are backpeddling to try to bring the earth back into balance.
Another of the consequences is the mess people make of relationships, the worst examples being the ethnic genocide that has occurred far to often in our recent history. With “I” as God, relationships can only be disastrous.
And perhaps, more subtly, if we take the Divine Being from the proper place in our lives, we find ourselves needing to fill that space with all kinds of other things in order to be “happy”. Lo and behold, what do we reach out to but “things” and so the cycle goes on. I'm sure that you have all felt the "buzz" that comes from buying something new. And I'm also sure that you have noticed how short-lived that buzz is and how soon it is that we want to buy something else so that we can experience another buzz.
There is a most apt passage in the Bible, in Isaiah, which talks about this exact issue. “…Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal, he roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says, ‘Ah, I am warm; I see the fire.’ From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, ‘Save me, you are my god.’” (Isaiah 44:16,17)
How is it that we, the human race, have so lost the track that we prefer to worship inanimate objects, made by our own hands, than we do to reach out to and pursue our Creator?
Jesus Christ, one of the greatest men who has walked this earth, offers us the opportunity to know and commune with God:-
"If anyone loves me, they will obey my teaching. My father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them." John 14:23
"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare." Isaiah 55:1-2
"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord...For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be..." Psalm 139:1-4, 13-16
Now I know there’s a deep and longstanding debate about how the universe came to be but I think it’s true to say that all participants in this debate acknowledge that one of the possible explanations is that all life was created by a Powerful Spiritual Source.
Of those who accept this explanation as being true or most likely, I acknowledge that there are many, many different ideas about Who or What that powerful Spiritual Source is.
Now, the questions of how and who to one side for a moment, if you accept that a Powerful Spiritual Source created life, then it must follow that we belong to it. The law in most places that I know of says that if an artist creates a piece of work, he or she has legal right over that work. He or she can keep it, sell it or give it away. Now, it must follow that the Force that created the earth has the same rights. We are not our own, we belong to the Creator. The Creator has provided us with life and with the natural resources we find upon the earth. From those natural resources, we have created many and different things. So, do we own what we have created or does the Creator, who gave us the means to create?
If you believe that the world spontaneously came into being then of course there is no Divine ownership and humans can do what they choose. Things belong to those who find them or acquire them according to the rules of society. But if you believe in a Divine Being then that is arguably not the case. If the source of all things is a Supreme Being, then arguably, that Being is the owner of all things in the universe He/She/It created. This is especially so if you believe that the universe was created with benevolent purpose. If this is the case, then the Supreme Being's purpose should be applied to all created matter, including and especially humans, in order for life on this planet to prosper.
How is it, then, that we in the Western World especially, live as though we are our own gods and as though what we own belongs to us for our enjoyment and prosperity? I speak for myself, not just at others and of course I generalise, but I'm sure that many would agree with me that materialism and consumerism are prevalent in the West and is very worrying.
In the realm of Employment Law an employee who acts as if he owns something actually belonging to his boss could be charged with stealing from his employer (I'm talking about taking what is in fact God’s and making it mine). Arguably the negative consequences of this action outweigh the short-term gain.
Looking at it another way, if we apply logic, it really makes no sense to hold onto things that have no innate life in preference to reaching out for the Divine Being. We give our possessions a life force by telling ourselves that we must have them to be happy. Now I’m not saying that owning things is, of itself, bad, but giving those things an elevated importance is. If I value my money so much that I can’t bless others with it, or feel that life has no value if I lose it, it in fact owns me and is in fact taking the place of the Divine in my life.
Assuming, which I do, that a Divine force created all life, then that Divine Being also made a number of laws or rules for how life would be. Gravity is one example and the principle of sowing and reaping is another. It doesn’t matter what you believe, your belief system cannot render you immune to the effects of gravity. In the same way it seems that no matter what your belief system, human life is subject to the sowing and reaping principle – what you put in you get out. If you “sow” goodness, this is what you reap. Assuming that another of those laws or rules is that the earth and things and even our lives are not our own but God’s, if we live in contradiction to this law, there will be consequences for us (like there are consequences of stealing from our boss).
One of the consequences as I see them, is the mess we (the human race) have made of this planet. We have used the earth’s resources as if they belonged to us rather than using them with a view to long term consumption by all the people of the world. We have exploited those resources and now we are backpeddling to try to bring the earth back into balance.
Another of the consequences is the mess people make of relationships, the worst examples being the ethnic genocide that has occurred far to often in our recent history. With “I” as God, relationships can only be disastrous.
And perhaps, more subtly, if we take the Divine Being from the proper place in our lives, we find ourselves needing to fill that space with all kinds of other things in order to be “happy”. Lo and behold, what do we reach out to but “things” and so the cycle goes on. I'm sure that you have all felt the "buzz" that comes from buying something new. And I'm also sure that you have noticed how short-lived that buzz is and how soon it is that we want to buy something else so that we can experience another buzz.
There is a most apt passage in the Bible, in Isaiah, which talks about this exact issue. “…Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal, he roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says, ‘Ah, I am warm; I see the fire.’ From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, ‘Save me, you are my god.’” (Isaiah 44:16,17)
How is it that we, the human race, have so lost the track that we prefer to worship inanimate objects, made by our own hands, than we do to reach out to and pursue our Creator?
Jesus Christ, one of the greatest men who has walked this earth, offers us the opportunity to know and commune with God:-
"If anyone loves me, they will obey my teaching. My father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them." John 14:23
"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labour on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare." Isaiah 55:1-2
"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord...For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be..." Psalm 139:1-4, 13-16
Tuesday, 16 August 2005
Feeling Stupid
Today I put diesel in a car that only takes petrol. Does that make you feel stupid or what?! I mean it wasn't as if I didn't think carefully about it first. I even conferred with 2 other people. And then I went ahead and did it. What I didn't do was to call the guy who lent me the car. Now, that would have been thinking.
I hate feeling stupid. I'm blonde and I'm a woman and when you do something stupid yet get the rolled eyes and the superior look and you don't even need them to speak out loud to know what they're thinking, "Typical. A woman and a car? What do you expect?" I feel like saying, "I'm not stupid. I was in the top 10% of my state in the school leaving exams. I have a law degree. My Dad's a mechanical engineer. I'm not stupid when it comes to cars."
But why do I feel the need to explain? I know I'm not stupid. God knows I'm not stupid. My family and friends love me whether I'm stupid or not. What does it matter?
Doesn't this culture (and I'm talking about the Western variety) place such emphasis on performance? It's not so much who you are, as what you can do and more specifically, what you can do for me. It would be so nice to spend more time caring about people and appreciating them for who they are, but I'm as guilty as anyone else. That's probably why I feel stupid when I do things like this, rather than say to myself, "Oh well. This is a mistake anyone could have made and it's OK to make mistakes anyway. I'm still me no matter what I do."
I hate feeling stupid. I'm blonde and I'm a woman and when you do something stupid yet get the rolled eyes and the superior look and you don't even need them to speak out loud to know what they're thinking, "Typical. A woman and a car? What do you expect?" I feel like saying, "I'm not stupid. I was in the top 10% of my state in the school leaving exams. I have a law degree. My Dad's a mechanical engineer. I'm not stupid when it comes to cars."
But why do I feel the need to explain? I know I'm not stupid. God knows I'm not stupid. My family and friends love me whether I'm stupid or not. What does it matter?
Doesn't this culture (and I'm talking about the Western variety) place such emphasis on performance? It's not so much who you are, as what you can do and more specifically, what you can do for me. It would be so nice to spend more time caring about people and appreciating them for who they are, but I'm as guilty as anyone else. That's probably why I feel stupid when I do things like this, rather than say to myself, "Oh well. This is a mistake anyone could have made and it's OK to make mistakes anyway. I'm still me no matter what I do."
Saturday, 13 August 2005
Poverty in Malawi
I moved to Malawi in June this year because my husband, Martin, and I have work here. I am now approaching the 2 month mark which is quite amazing. In some ways it feels like I’ve been here much longer because I can now find my way around Lilongwe without getting lost (well most of the time) and because I don’t feel quite so weird about being white and standing out like chalk on a blackboard! I have discovered that many Malawians say hello just because I’m white and they’re curious and wanting to be friendly but there are also a number who say hello because they want you to buy something from them. It’s very understandable when it’s their livelihood and if they don’t sell, they don’t eat. And it is a fair assumption that because we’re white we have money to buy their produce but it is annoying when they follow you up and down the street, “Madam, you want strawberries? I give you very good price.” Even though I politely say in their own language, “Thank you but sorry, I don’t want anything today”, they continue to follow “OK, what about oranges? I have very nice pineapple. Banana?” “Thank you but sorry. I don’t want anything today.” “Well maybe onions…?” Often I can be across the road and quite a distance away and I’ll be spotted and the persistent contingent will cross the road with their wares (often a life risking exercise) to chase me on my way, “Madam, you want….?”
I try to buy local produce when I can because the local sellers benefit immediately and if you buy at supermarkets you are generally benefiting wealthy South African businesses. The challenge is to overcome the overwhelming desire to escape because if you show the slightest interest you are swamped with people all selling a similar assortment, all offering madam a “very good price” and all competing with each other for the sale. Who do you buy from? What is a good price? I want to pay a fair price but what is that? And when you are swamped, the ability to decide what and how much you need evaporates instantly. We’re learning that if you want to buy from local vendors, you must decide beforehand exactly what you want. You don’t even look if you don’t want to buy and, when swamped, you take a deep breath, randomly select a seller, buy what you need and very firmly repeat as many times as necessary, “Thank you very much. That’s all. Thank you but I don’t want any more today. Thank you.” Then there are the wood craftsmen and the cloth merchants and the ….
I have always known that I am comparatively very wealthy but I have not experienced being treated as wealthy to this extent before. In my profession I am used to mixing with people who are infinitely more wealthy than I am but here it is very different. We really do form part of the most wealthy in the nation and I find it very strange. The local produce sellers are one example. Then there are the Indian traders in town. I hope it’s not too much of a generalisation to say that most small businesses are run by people of Indian/ Pakistani/ Middle Eastern descent. They shower us with praise because they also know that we are wealthy and have lots of money to spend in their stores. One such proprietor told Martin, “Mr Martin, I am overwhelmed by your patronage.” Another has his wife cook us Indian delicacies. Usually when we leave these stores we are asked, “When will you be back?” So far I have resisted the urge to respond with “Is it my irresistible personality you’re so charmed with or do you have your eye on my purse?” How hard it is to like and accept people purely for who they are and not for how they might be able to benefit you.
White people are far more likely to be pulled up by police for contravening a road law. Black people are pulled over for completely different reasons – often to do with the road-worthiness of their vehicles or what they might be carrying in them. We’ve heard that the police generally don’t bother pulling black people over for contravening road rules because they have no money to pay a fine so why bother fining them? When dealing with government departments you can find obstructions put in your way that may well be removed if you are prepared to “lend” them money for their children’s school fees or whatever. So far we’ve not had to do this but many of the white people we’ve talked to have.
The relationship I have with our housekeeper is a most interesting one. Mary is delightful. Not only does she do her work efficiently and cheerfully, but she will do anything asked of her immediately and without complaint. She is also teaching me how to speak Chichewa. She watches the 2 of us rattling around in this huge house while she and 3 of her 4 children live in cramped quarters on the premises. She also watches us buy luxury food and other things while she struggles to put her children through school. I don’t know how she does it. In her shoes I would struggle not to be bitter. She has the intelligence to have done whatever she wanted had she been born elsewhere. She talks of having been entered into an arranged marriage at 15 and the mother of twin boys at 16. 5 years ago her husband thought he might like to take another wife. Her choice was to accept that or go it alone. Her strength and dignity demanded of her that she go it alone and so now she brings up her 4 children without his emotional or financial support. She says being married at 15 is “very, very bad” and I agree with her heartily. We help in whatever way we can but the differences in wealth, life experience and opportunities will never be bridged. Yet we are friends. The fact that this is possible is an enormous tribute to Mary.
I am sure I will wrestle with the “we have so much and there is so much poverty” issue for as long as I am here. There are as many different answers to this issue as are people who live here so I am just going to have to work my own way through it.
On a lighter note, we continue to be entertained by the quaint names and signs that we find and there are some more examples below.
Names of the Week
McWonderful – I cannot imagine who in their right mind would call their child McWonderful but someone has because his name appeared in the local paper.
Berito – I am not sure if he is a beefy guy but another genuine name (I apologise for such awful humour)
Rouline – do they just make them up?
Interesting Pieces of Trivia
· Traffic lights are called “robots”
· The mobile phone has gone crazy here. We’re not sure why when it is so much cheaper to use a “ground line” as they’re called. One theory is that as mobile phones show up the caller’s number, people can dial your number and hang up. This is a sign that you should ring them back because they don’t have enough credit. Even government officials use this practice.
· There is no unleaded petrol available here. I made an idiot of myself a few weeks ago by pulling up to the “Super” pump and then trying to move the car. The attendant asked me what I was doing and I said I was looking for the unleaded pump. He looked at me as if I had come from Pluto!
Quaint Signs
The security staff at the gates to our estate wear badges on their shirts saying “Safeguards”
“Zero options club and bar” – would you seriously consider drinking there?!
The “God Will Provide Computer shop”
I try to buy local produce when I can because the local sellers benefit immediately and if you buy at supermarkets you are generally benefiting wealthy South African businesses. The challenge is to overcome the overwhelming desire to escape because if you show the slightest interest you are swamped with people all selling a similar assortment, all offering madam a “very good price” and all competing with each other for the sale. Who do you buy from? What is a good price? I want to pay a fair price but what is that? And when you are swamped, the ability to decide what and how much you need evaporates instantly. We’re learning that if you want to buy from local vendors, you must decide beforehand exactly what you want. You don’t even look if you don’t want to buy and, when swamped, you take a deep breath, randomly select a seller, buy what you need and very firmly repeat as many times as necessary, “Thank you very much. That’s all. Thank you but I don’t want any more today. Thank you.” Then there are the wood craftsmen and the cloth merchants and the ….
I have always known that I am comparatively very wealthy but I have not experienced being treated as wealthy to this extent before. In my profession I am used to mixing with people who are infinitely more wealthy than I am but here it is very different. We really do form part of the most wealthy in the nation and I find it very strange. The local produce sellers are one example. Then there are the Indian traders in town. I hope it’s not too much of a generalisation to say that most small businesses are run by people of Indian/ Pakistani/ Middle Eastern descent. They shower us with praise because they also know that we are wealthy and have lots of money to spend in their stores. One such proprietor told Martin, “Mr Martin, I am overwhelmed by your patronage.” Another has his wife cook us Indian delicacies. Usually when we leave these stores we are asked, “When will you be back?” So far I have resisted the urge to respond with “Is it my irresistible personality you’re so charmed with or do you have your eye on my purse?” How hard it is to like and accept people purely for who they are and not for how they might be able to benefit you.
White people are far more likely to be pulled up by police for contravening a road law. Black people are pulled over for completely different reasons – often to do with the road-worthiness of their vehicles or what they might be carrying in them. We’ve heard that the police generally don’t bother pulling black people over for contravening road rules because they have no money to pay a fine so why bother fining them? When dealing with government departments you can find obstructions put in your way that may well be removed if you are prepared to “lend” them money for their children’s school fees or whatever. So far we’ve not had to do this but many of the white people we’ve talked to have.
The relationship I have with our housekeeper is a most interesting one. Mary is delightful. Not only does she do her work efficiently and cheerfully, but she will do anything asked of her immediately and without complaint. She is also teaching me how to speak Chichewa. She watches the 2 of us rattling around in this huge house while she and 3 of her 4 children live in cramped quarters on the premises. She also watches us buy luxury food and other things while she struggles to put her children through school. I don’t know how she does it. In her shoes I would struggle not to be bitter. She has the intelligence to have done whatever she wanted had she been born elsewhere. She talks of having been entered into an arranged marriage at 15 and the mother of twin boys at 16. 5 years ago her husband thought he might like to take another wife. Her choice was to accept that or go it alone. Her strength and dignity demanded of her that she go it alone and so now she brings up her 4 children without his emotional or financial support. She says being married at 15 is “very, very bad” and I agree with her heartily. We help in whatever way we can but the differences in wealth, life experience and opportunities will never be bridged. Yet we are friends. The fact that this is possible is an enormous tribute to Mary.
I am sure I will wrestle with the “we have so much and there is so much poverty” issue for as long as I am here. There are as many different answers to this issue as are people who live here so I am just going to have to work my own way through it.
On a lighter note, we continue to be entertained by the quaint names and signs that we find and there are some more examples below.
Names of the Week
McWonderful – I cannot imagine who in their right mind would call their child McWonderful but someone has because his name appeared in the local paper.
Berito – I am not sure if he is a beefy guy but another genuine name (I apologise for such awful humour)
Rouline – do they just make them up?
Interesting Pieces of Trivia
· Traffic lights are called “robots”
· The mobile phone has gone crazy here. We’re not sure why when it is so much cheaper to use a “ground line” as they’re called. One theory is that as mobile phones show up the caller’s number, people can dial your number and hang up. This is a sign that you should ring them back because they don’t have enough credit. Even government officials use this practice.
· There is no unleaded petrol available here. I made an idiot of myself a few weeks ago by pulling up to the “Super” pump and then trying to move the car. The attendant asked me what I was doing and I said I was looking for the unleaded pump. He looked at me as if I had come from Pluto!
Quaint Signs
The security staff at the gates to our estate wear badges on their shirts saying “Safeguards”
“Zero options club and bar” – would you seriously consider drinking there?!
The “God Will Provide Computer shop”
My Debut
Well hello. This is my debut Frog Blog, so to speak. The world of blogs is so far a mystery to me, somewhat like how I imagine it would be to dive to the bottom of the ocean for the first time. You see all kinds of things you never knew existed!
I hope you will share some thoughts with me and we can journey together to interesting places.
The Roving Frog
I hope you will share some thoughts with me and we can journey together to interesting places.
The Roving Frog
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