Admiral Boom Goes Boom in Mzuzu

Remember this guy from Mary Poppins?

 

Sometimes I feel like I'm in that movie...where all the house shake violently after he shoots the cannon.

Well, my house doesn't shake violently, but the windows do rattle.

Yes, I am talking about when the cannon goes off practically in my backyard.

I know, I never thought that I would ever be talking about cannons either, but nevertheless, Africa is full of surprises.

Mzuzu is hilly, and I live on one of the hills. My backyard is a slope downward and goes down into the valley. It looks like this:

Well, across the valley is the military barracks. The soldiers stay there, and they practice their gunfire there as well. That is actually pretty amusing because they only get probably like 2 shots maximum. So they all get together, and shoot at the same time like maybe once a month. That's their shooting practice. haha. So you hear this random gun-fire echoing across the valley.

But the worst is the cannon practice. I heard the last shot a couple of days ago was because they were aiming for this "house" they had put up and were attempting to blow it up. Sure enough in the afternoon, all of a sudden, the cannon BOOOOMMS. The windows kinda rattle, and you are taken off guard by the loud noise. When I first moved here, I didn't know what had happened. I was kinda scared.

And all of this is taking place in one of the most peaceful countries in Africa.

I guess they have to be ready if they ever get in a cannon fight.

I better not get some random cannon ball landing in my yard.

Fire

crackle, crackle, pop, pop!
I know that sounds more like my cereal, its acutally fire.
Fires are happening EVERYWHERE!
I swear the air is constantly filled with smoke. Its hard some nights for me to keep my windows open to let in cool air because the smoke hurts my throat and eyes.

For those of you that don't know, there aren't necessarily seasons here. We have mainly dry and wet seasons. Well, we are in the middle of our dry season, so everything is brown and dry.

We have lots of forests here in Mzuzu...lots of indigenous trees...and we have these horrible fires in the middle of the forest...the smoke is so thick you can't see in front of you. It hasn't been that bad here in the middle of the city, but I've driven through it on my way in. Its awful. On the way out of town, you can see where miles have just be devastated by fire...

But the scary part is when you can hear the "crackle, pop," because then you know its close. Twice now, I've been sitting at dinner at the Laffoons, and we have seen fire right around the house, neighbors burning trees, or just random fires.

Almost every night you can look up and see a mountain with some huge fire on it. They burn their fields to ready it for the next planting season, they burn brush to chase the mice out so they can catch them and eat them, they burn trash, they burn leaves, they burn trees/bushes they think have snakes in them...burn, burn, burn!

I'm ready for rainy season!!

Rambling Thoughts on a Saturday Morning

Just yesterday as I drove the gorgeous landscape from Lilongwe to Mzuzu, I was already starting to mourn leaving this country, these people.  Yes, its 11 months away, but I know that will be here before I'm ready.  It is hard for me to imagine being back in my own country surrounded by Wal-marts and Chick-fil-A's.  Well, sometimes it's not that hard, but to think about STAYING there, and not coming back…that just makes my heart ache.  I wish I could explain to you the feeling that even though you were born American, somehow, in some strange way, you feel more at home half-way across the world.

Then today, I'm baking in my kitchen, making pickles, freezing some strawberries, and listening to my music…and my heart hurts to see the people back home, wishing I was doing all of those things in my kitchen back in my apartment in Greenville.

I know it sounds like I'm so fickle, but I think it's a matter of missing just the people.  if I could just transport everyone from back home, to here, I think that would be so blissful.

That statement right there convinces me that happiness is not dependent on things. I don't have a mall to go shopping in, a place where I can get everything I want…yet I love living here.  I have less clothes and shoes that I possibly have ever had in my life, and yet…I'm happy with what I have.

What am I going to do when I'm back living in America, where no one really understands what I've been through over here; you are different, and they are different and things will never be like there were before.

That's a really scary thought for me. 
Will I change back into the old Lauren?
And how will I take living back in the land of plenty?

You can never really understand "land of plenty" until you've lived in a third world country. Example, right now I'm sitting here on my couch, watching my gardener's 12 year-old daughter wash the clothes in a wheelbarrow and hang them on a tree to dry.

I guess all these questions will be answered all too soon.

And I know that all things that are worth doing, that have the greatest reward, don't come without sacrifices.

And I know that if all my friends and family were here with me, then that would have changed this experience tremendously…I wouldn't be the person that I am now.

And that change is a part of life.
I just don't think I'm ready for that change quite yet.

PIctures from the Sleepover

See all of our make-up on the floor? haha. Megan is blindfolding Sasha.  

Thank you Anna Maria and Megan for my lovely makeover.

 

Don't worry, I got Anna Marie back. :) hahaha. I really enjoyed putting that lipstick on.

 

Megan, you are quite stunning darling.

Sleepover ParTAAAAYY!!

So, Anna Maria turn the Sweet 16 last Monday! Huzzah! There are some South African girls here are pretty much the only girls close to her age. So, they were all invited over to my house for a Sleepover!!!

If I thought I was still young....
I apparently am not.

The night started off with "Blindfolded Makeovers." Basically, you blindfolded someone, and they had to feel around your face and put on your makeup for you. Hilarious. Maybe one day my internet will work enough for me to add pictures.

So then it was time for Bracelet making! I remember back in 5th grade, us girls would get together during free time and make bracelets out of the embroidery thread...well, that apparently hasn't died yet.  I still had fun like I was 10 again. Then, there was a serious session of fingernail painting. Each finger and toe had to be a different color. (I did that too when I was that age!)

Finally, movie time.  The first one up was Princess Bride! I made maybe half-way through, and then I had to call it a night. I know, I'm a sissy. I made it to 11:30 on a sleepover....Can I get any lamer?

The girls ended up staying up till 4:30!  They watched another movie (Princess Diaries 2), went "pillow sliding on my floor, and I think just basically giggled the rest of the night.

I was up at 8:00 making pancakes and breakfast casserole. After some strawberry smoothies, another movie (All Dogs Go to Heaven), it was time for the fun to end. Parents came and the sleepover was done. It all happened much faster than I remember it when I was a kid. Sleepovers lasted forever.  It was a magical time, and you always giggled yourself to sleep or either woke up parents with your giggling.

I did have fun though, even though this was my first time being the adult at a sleepover.

I'm okay with being the "fun aunt" for a while. Its not so bad. :)

A quick errand...right?

I had to go get my thyroid labs done again. The closest place to me that can take them is at a hospital about 30 mins away in a small town called Ekwendeni.

So, I head out there one day after school.

But first, I had to go by and see a Malawian doctor friend of mine to write the lab request…

I got to his office at 2:00. I was his only patient. So, run through your mind what would happen if this was the states…(go in, state your business, he writes the request, you walk out 10 mins later.) Well, here's how it happens in Africa:

Front desk: "Oh he just walked in his office. Let's give him a minute to get settled."
 [10 mins later] I finally walk in to see my friend.
Doctor: "How are you? I haven't seen you in forever! Have you heard from Shirley? What are you up to these days? What do you do on your weekends? I started the Society for Malawi, did you know that? Once, when I was a boy, I used to ride my bike out to the forest. I hope I'm not keeping you. You should come to this conference! "

1 hour later….(3:00)
"Oh, now, let's talk about your medical needs. What can I do for you?"
I finally walk about over an hour later with my request.

I drive the 30 mins out to the hospital. It is a very small town, much smaller than Mzuzu. I sit for a few minutes waiting on the lab technician. The labs are done very quickly and efficiently. But then the Lab guy says…"If you wait just about 30 mins, you can take this blood work to the Pony yourself." (The "pony" is our mail service that goes to the city about 10 hours away that will process the results.)

"Oh…Okay. I'll wait." It is now about 4:00.

Don't worry. In case you were concerned I would be sitting there, all alone, needing some company, a male student nurse saw my "aloneness" and came to chat with me the while I waited. :) In fact, his opening line was: "Hello, I wanted to come and speak with the mzungu." All boys should use that pick-up line.

Finally, the lab tech. walks out and says, "Dear, we are out of large envelopes to send this. But we can go in your car to the store around the corner and get one."

"oh, sure"

So we get into my car and head to the store. We pull up, and he just looks at me expectantly. "Do you have 100 kwatcha to pay for the envelope?"

Oooohh, of course I would have to pay for the envelope….

So, we buy the envelope and I drop him back off at the hospital. Now, with my viles of blood in my front seat, sealed and addressed, I head back to the Mzuzu.

I find the "Pony" and drop off my goods.

Did I really just take my own blood samples to the mail?
I just chuckle to myself as I think about what all happened over the last few hours….Only in Africa...