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A Baby!

Our New favourite breakfast food, Ouma's Rusks
So I haven't posted in a while. I've had a lot of new beginnings over the past year. I've embarked on a new research topic - again something to do with Malawi obvs. I've also officially started learning the Dutch language and culture.Honestly, after more than four years here, it'd be hypocritical of me not to immerse myself when I constantly harp on about how expats (I hate that word by the way, how comes I'm not an expat here in Europe?) don't immerse themselves in our African cultures.

A new beginning that has most changed my life and that of F is the birth of our daughter a couple months ago. She has more than one name, in honour of the paths our lives have walked on but for this blog I think the name Khanyisile best encapsulates the joy I feel writing about her arrival. From the little Zulu I know, Khanyisile means "shine the light".  I try, through this blog to shine the light on the multiple stories of Africa, that it's not "the Dark Continent", it's home - home to so many of us and even when we move away, all things being equal, we fondly keep in touch with our people and all things "home". It's our  hope that her life will be well lit with a forever- warm and loving embrace from both her heritages.


A "home" experience I had over the past weeks is eating Ouma's rusks for breakfast. Now, I had never been a rusks fan. They are hard, borderline tasteless. But in the weeks when, with a newborn, the days were long and the nights even longer, nothing tasted so gooood and comforting than Ouma's rusks for breakfast - everyday. There were a few other things from home that saw us through, Malawian tea (Satemwa), Mum bringing over some delish (and rather large) avocadoes (which one of our Dutch guests helped us munch away), lemon creams, choice assorted, Malawian peanut butter, Malawian-style meals....We didn't forget Khanyisile's other home, Dutch treats were also more than had, beschuiten met muisjes (sp), cheese, local stews and meals, cheese, rhubarb....  Fitting treats for a time of joy and AHEM much change.

image: buysouthafricaonline.co.uk


Comments

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November 1, 2017 at 1:43 PM
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