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Showing posts from March, 2008

Congratulations Malawi

As we anticipate the Netball team's trip to England for three games against the English netball team...I'd like to join all the Flames' supporters in congratulating the Flames for their 3-1 victory over Namibia. Way to go team! I knew the sun would shine again one day and hey, BIG UP Constantine! I go against convention and side with the coach, why, because given the hard choice between complacency and drama, I'll go with drama anytime.

T-Shirts anyone? Have some nsima widat.

I am excited at the sight of the plethora of Malawi T-Shirts. Of particular interest to me are the modern ones with words like "Nyatwa"or"kawawa" emblazoned across the chest. I'm not decided on the "Nyau Unit" yet because that's a different religions' depiction kinda like a Spego wearing a t-shirt with "Nyabhingi" emblazoned across it...anyway, big up to all those giving us something fresh to wear. Me likey! Just to be random, anyone out there missing some good nsima?

Mr. Zomba Nice Guy, on Jack Brendon, etc

So yesterday who do I run into, none other than the veritable Mr. Zomba Nice Guy himself. I hold on to the firm belief that what happened in 2007 in this dainty heart remains in 2007 so I didn't make a fool of myself and coerce myself to invite him for tea. You shall recall in an earlier blog that I quite fancied this individual but in the New Millenium it's never a good idea to woo a gentleman. Good-old tradition demands that men do the wooing, the life-time guarantee is certain that way. On Jack Brendon, the author of "Mr. Burpington Presides", oh, how wonderful that he wrote his comical take on pre-colonial South-East Africa at times when the print houses allowed such material through their print houses. British governors who needed the country-side dotted with port-a-potties, "Native Affairs Officers" who knew everything, laws of equity, "tribesmen" peering at an ADC in Scottish garb supposing he's the Queen, what with that fancy kilt,

Book Recommendation

I will always recommend a particular book before any other so The Bible first always! Today I'd like to recommend a good balm for bruised social scientists, particularly those with an interest in Africa: "Mr. Burpington Presides" it's absolutely NOT politically correct but that's what we need, the truth where it hurts but causes us to fall over laughing at ourselves at the very same time. So if you're not touchy get a copy, if you want a synopsis...well, hit me up with an email.... L8as

Not Malawi O!

As I walked to work this morning a very funny memory came to me. I remember sitting in front of the computer in St. Elsewhere several years ago job hunting. I decided to look at a web page for a certain popular Non-Governmental Organization. It looked really good but they had the following applicant qualifications: Only those from the West can apply and these countries include:(the usual were up there) plus Argentina and South Africa I'm sure they have a reason for this, whatever it maybe, I don't particularly want to know it right now but I remember feeling sorry for myself at the time, "if only I was born a South African, I would at least be numbered among the Westerners and had a chance..." such a crazy thought looking back. I think now, it's imperative for non-westerners and non-Argentinians and non-South Africans not to seek to be "in" but to offer the the world something fresh. We are completely different peoples and there's cause for con

Going to ZOMBA CITY

For everyone who didn't know this already, Zomba is now a City. That's right, from Capital City, demoted to municipality, now back to city status...since Sunday, March 9, 2008. Now Malawi has 4 cities, not bad. Granted, Zomba makes a pitiful sight to the outsider but everyone who's lived there more than 2 years can never live again permanently without it. I know a Briton, she's over 90, she had returned to England but couldn't stay...she has resettled in Zomba now. I wonder where we'll put the skyscrapers in Zomba, it's quite hilly and so much space is already taken up by old style buildings but hey, who doesn't love a challenge. Z-town, Texas (the local name for Zomba), gotta love Zomba.

Vice Grip

The past few days I have just had this urge to be extra mean. Especially to certain people close to me. Last night I put my finger on it, it felt just like a vice-grip...this sudden urge to be mean. It's pride, the older I'm getting, the more I'm realizing I need people. Growing up the independent tom- boy type of girl, it just started catching up on me and I wasn't really prepared. Abeg, wisdom, where art thou? Is this the end of Thandi as we knew her? Guess I'm becoming an emotional softie...alas!

Ambivalence

Last week a certain aspect of my work rose to meet me in the face. Now, working in the semi-urban areas of Lilongwe where poverty is so apparent you slowly "get used" to the conditions. The good thing about that "getting used to" is you don't see the people as stats but as people just like you. They talk about rent, I talk about rent. They quarrel with their neighbors, well, I'd love to quarrel with mine but I don't actually know my neighbors, we share similar experiences on relationships, etc. Now in the midst of all that I had shelved it at the back of my mind that we have a lot of sponsors for our projects who reside in the Western world. A bunch of them came to Malawi recently (my first personal encounter with sponsors since I started work here) and even though I know they are doing what's helpful, I ended up feeling pitiful as I identified with the people in the projects. The particular thing was the collection of pictures, I know these pe

Ayeye

Ayeye Ayeye means "big up!" And today I say AYEYE to all the positive thinkers AYEYE to the positive workers Ayeye to fathers working alone in town to send money home counting down the days to the next holiday so they can be home Ayeye to mothers working in the corn field on their own maybe this year there'll be enough in the barn Ayeye to children in boarding school half the things they see and hear, their folks will never know Don't know if that's good or bad maybe sad but Ayeye for all the good Ayeye for Pastors and praise teams they are still there long after the pews have emptied out back into the world of Sunday family lunches But, Ayeye for Sunday family lunches, they hold the family together Ayeye for traffic officers when it's not the last of the month they keep me moving when the road's congested and remind me not to do u-turns on public roads sometimes I forget what public means Ayeye for public but Ayeye for private too Ayeye one and all positi