does africa know a song of me?

About the photos

2005-04-13T12:56:00.000-04:00

Two more things I should mention: Keep checking back, because it might take me a bit to get all my photos up on the site. Secondly, I can't take credit for all of these pictures... Yewo taonga chomene to medical students that passed through Ekwendeni while I was there and allowed me to download their photos.

Photos now online!!

2005-04-13T11:03:00.000-04:00

Not all of them, of course... but some of them are now available at photos.yahoo.com/lauracakes1. So peruse and enjoy! Sorry that I can't put captions with them; you'll just have to figure it out yourself :).

After 12 days

2005-04-12T22:43:00.000-04:00

How strange it is to be home again! So many people, so many cars, so many lights, so many buildings. But... so many friends, so many hugs, so many smiles. My friend Heather told me, during my last week in Malawi, that my emotions must be feeling raw... And indeed, I think that is the perfect word to describe it. I cannot even begin to put into words the things I have felt in the last few weeks. But I know that I am glad to be home and that I miss Malawi. One of the strangest realisations I had was that very little has changed around Toronto in the past 10 months, but a lot has changed within me. I think the challenge for me will be not just fitting back into the place that I held in this part of the world 10 months ago, but using the things that I have learned in Malawi to live more consciously here. Hard!

Home again, home again

2005-04-02T09:31:00.000-05:00

Yes, I arrived yesterday safe and sound (with all of my luggage, even!), but I must say that I am not very impressed with the snow that is falling right now :). But it is nice to be back in my home and native land.

A weekend at the lake

2005-03-07T03:32:00.000-05:00

Hello all,

So, yes, I am trying to make the most of my last month in Africa. I have just returned form a lovely weekend at the lake... This is also to ensure that my suntan is top notch when I return to the snow and ice of Canada. Anyway, we had a very nice weekend lounging around on the beach, reading books, swimming, eating, drinking, being merry :).

Now back at work, trying to get things sort of wrapped up before I come home. In 3.5 weeks!! Crazy.

Hope that you are all doing well :).

Important email address update!

2005-02-25T04:32:00.000-05:00

As my time in Malawi is drawing to a close, I am not renewing my internet account here... and it expires next Thursday - 3 March 2005! So... please don't use my laura@malawi.net email address any more, as I will not receive your messages! Please use laura.smith@utoronto.ca instead.

To sum up - DON'T USE laura@malawi.net. PLEASE USE laura.smith@utoronto.ca.

"It's too hot!!"

2005-02-23T14:33:00.000-05:00

... seems to be the phrase of the day these days. Good glory is it warm! Besides the fact that it is VERY uncomfortable, many people are worried that the rains have stopped. This is not good news - the maize is drying up (has already dried up in some areas) and people will be very hungry if they don't get good harvests. If you could pray for my friends who are worrying about that these days, that would be lovely. Yewo taonga chomene!

One more thing...

2005-02-21T12:01:00.000-05:00

I got another package from my lovely church family today! You people spoil me! Yewo taonga chomene.

A busy week!

2005-02-21T12:00:00.000-05:00

So, when your little brother comes to visit you in Africa for only 1 week, you have to cram everything in. We have done so much! We visited one of the hospital's mobile clinics, saw lots of farmers' fields, got chased by an elephant, went snorkelling in the lake, heard live music... and to top it off, we think Jim broke his toe. Nice. And now he is going home again! So quick. Jim says it feels like he's been here for a month. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not :).

And now the countdown is on! I am for sure in the home stretch. It will be hard to leave this place, but I am looking forward to getting back to my home and native land.

me-my-mo-mim... JIM!!

2005-02-13T23:55:00.000-05:00

Yes, Jim has arrived safe and sound. My goodness - I was so glad when he stepped off the plane. I didn't know what I was going to do if he was stuck in Jo'burg or something!! The drive up to Ekwendeni yesterday was very long, but we had some good chats... And then we had dinner with some of my friends last night, which was nice. Thank you for all of the prezzies that you sent with him, you TPCers! I have enough Skor bars to feed the neighbourhood :). And thank you for your lovely notes as well.

Today, when Jim wakes up, we are going to go for a walk around Ekwendeni, and to the hospital to meet the people with whom I work. Should be fun.

Taking 'snail mail' to a new level

2005-02-08T07:26:00.000-05:00

Well, my friends, I received a package today that was mailed from the beautiful town of Thunder Bay on 2 July 2004. Thank you very much, Uncle Jim and Aunt Lisa. I honestly thought it was lost for ever, but lo and behold - the Canadian/Malawian postal systems did not fail me. So now I am the proud owner of some new magazines, and a lot of Skittles and chocolate. Nice.

I know I am being a delinquent with this website - honestly, things are really busy here these days. And things will continue to be busy... my brother Jim arrives on Sunday - very fun - and then some of my IDS friends are coming to hang out on Lake Malawi for a few days with our Co-op Supervisor - Cath. Should also be fun.

Hope that you are all keeping well and warm. Not long now until I join you in the frigid north :).

Happy John Chilembwe Day!

2005-01-17T01:18:00.000-05:00

Today is John Chilembwe Day. Chilembwe was a Malawian minister who led the first real effort in the fight for Malawian independence. The Chilembwe Uprising, as it was called, did not last very long, but it still got Chilembwe’s picture on Malawian money. One of the most notable incidents of the uprising was the murder of David Livingstone’s grandson, who was running a plantation in Malawi. Chilembwe killed him, and then put his head on a spear at the front of the sanctuary for Sunday worship. Nice.

This day is also important enough that I don’t have to go to work :).

Happy new year!

2005-01-12T04:31:00.000-05:00

I know... it has been ages since I last wrote. Not cool.

But December was really busy!! At the beginning of the month, I visited Zomba, Blantyre and Mount Mulanje in the south of Malawi. So different from the north... I had to remind myself constantly while I was there that I was still in the same country as Ekwendeni. It is a very beautiful area, and I am glad that I had the chance to see it. My partner, Duncan, was here for 3 weeks - we had Christmas together at the lake, and then headed off to Zambia to see South Luangwa and Victoria Falls. Vic Falls was lovely... I risked my life whitewater rafting on the Zambezi; I am not sure if I will do that again any time soon :). But it was fun and I am glad that we went.

Duncan left for Canada yesterday, so now I am back to work. And only 3 months to go! It is hard to believe sometimes. I will be busy with work until mid-February, when my brother Jim comes to visit. That will be a party.

Hope that you are all keeping well!! And again - my apologies for being so negligent of my website :).

World AIDS day

2004-12-01T01:07:00.000-05:00

Today is World AIDS Day; check out the Resources section at www.presbyterian.ca/pwsd if you'd like some more information. You can also read about the "Towards a world without AIDS" campaign going on right now at PWS&D, and the various AIDS projects that PWS&D supports around the world. Please pray for those projects. Please pray also for all of my friends in northern Malawi who have been infected and/or affected by HIV/AIDS, and the people at the hospital and beyond who are working so hard to fight back.

Start the count down...

2004-11-25T01:22:00.000-05:00

One month until Christmas!!

A funeral

2004-11-24T04:30:00.000-05:00

I'm actually kind of amazed that I have been in the country for almost 6 months and it has taken me this long to get to a funeral.

On Sunday afternoon, the son of a woman in our office passed away. He was 2 years and 4 months. He has been in and out of the hospital for about a month now, but it was still a pretty big shock. That afternoon, we gathered first at the hospital mortuary, and then at the family's home - the men waited outside, while the women went into the house. It had been cleared of all furniture, and we all sat on the ground. The casket was put in the middle of the room, and we sang hymns and prayed until the vehicles came. When someone dies in Malawi, her/his body is taken home - to wherever the person was born. This is the most expensive part of funerals - gas is not cheap here. So the body was taken to a village near the Zambian border on Sunday evening.

On Monday, we took two or three hospital vehicles to go to the funeral. There was a short service in the village, and then we walked to the grave site. There was a longer service here - the body was first put into the ground, and then speeches were made by the families, the hospital, the police (the boy's father is a police officer), and the village headmen. After the speeches, wreaths of flowers were laid on the site. There was a sermon after that, and then we ate lunch together.

Anyway, it was pretty sad. He was so young, and this family already has so many other issues that they are dealing with. Sadly, that's not unique in Malawi - everyone has issues that they are dealing with, aside from those closest to them dying.

Please keep my friend and her family in your prayers over the next few weeks.

Back to work...

2004-11-15T00:49:00.000-05:00

Well, Mom and Dad have made their way back to Canada. Kind of hard to believe that "last week we were chasing elephants", as Dad says. Our safari in Zambia was lovely; we saw tons of animals. On one of our night drives, we saw a lion chasing an impala (a type of antelope). My poor vegetarian heart took a bit of a beating :). My goodness - Zambia is so much hotter than Malawi. I couldn't believe it. And Malawi is cooking these days, so you can just imagine what our week was like. Speaking of which, my Radio Canada International news bulletin tells me this morning that Nova Scotia has received the season's first big snowfall. That just seems a world away right now! Anyway, the three of us went out for a lovely meal once back in Lilongwe, and then I saw them off at the airport and made the long drive back to Ekwendeni.

And now it is back to work. In a few weeks I will be heading to the south of Malawi to do some work there (both for the project and for my own research), so my time these days is pretty well devoted to organising that. My research proposal is also due in the very near future... trouble.

My first visitors!

2004-11-06T11:06:00.000-05:00

I should have written this entry earlier this week, but Mom, Dad and I have just been too busy! They arrived safely on Sunday, and luckily the weather was nice and cool for the 5 hour drive to Ekwendeni. Thanks to all of you who sent little prezzies with them - they are much appreciated! On Monday we went on a little tour of Ekwendeni, and had dinner with my neighbours, the Msowoyas. Mom and Dad eating nsima with their hands - they are good sports! On Tuesday we went into some of the villages around Ekwendeni. To sum up - Mom carried water on her head, Dad was dancing, and we were given a live chicken that soon became our lunch. On Wednesday we visited Livingstonia. It was really hot that day. My favourite Dad quote of the day - "I disagree with dress codes that aren't functional" - as he walked under the blazing sun in long pants. Thursday we slept in, and then headed for some relaxation time at the lake. Snorkelling, trying dugout canoes (nobody tipped!), and lots of book reading. Tomorrow, Dad will be preaching at church (only at the English service!) and then we will head down to Lilongwe. On Monday, we leave for our safari trip in South Luangwa Park in Zambia. Fun!

It has been so good to have Mom and Dad here - to show them around, to let them see what life is like for me here, just to hang out together. Next Friday will come much too soon!

Making Nsima

2004-10-17T13:44:00.000-04:00

Today, my neighbour, Vitu, gave me a lesson in making nsima. It was harder than I expected! I am lacking two main characteristics that facilitate making nsima... huge arm muscles to stir the thick corn flour and water mixture, and hands that are able to touch hot pots and hot nsima without oven mitts! I will keep working on it, though. Even if I'm not the greatest nsima-maker in the world, watching a "mzungu" make nsima provides some entertainment for my Malawian friends that are teaching me!

Glen Mhor Camp

2004-10-13T11:09:00.000-04:00

Even though camp is pretty far away from me right now, it is still close to my heart! I still remember my first week as a camper... calling home on halfway through the week because I was so homesick. Look how far I have come! Camp has done a lot for me in so many different areas of my life. Anyway, as the Toronto-Kingston Synod meets next week, there could be some pretty big changes on the Presbyterian camping front in Ontario. Please keep Glen Mhor, Iona and Dorothy Lake, and their ministries in your prayers over the next few weeks.

For more info, you can check out Glen Mhor's site, or Zoic's blog.

Happy Mother's Day

2004-10-11T08:56:00.000-04:00

Today is Mother's Day in Malawi, and though some of me wishes I could be celebrating Thanksgiving with mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie with whipped cream, celebrating mothers is a pretty good excuse for a day off work. It's also kind of neat that Thanksgiving at home and Mother's Day here fall at the same time. Mothers are nice people for whom to be thankful.

So, Happy Thanksgiving for the Canadians in the crowd. Let's take extra time to be thankful today - especially for our moms! And also for mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie with whipped cream. :)

Nursery School Teacher Nutrition Training

2004-10-08T07:35:00.000-04:00

I know... It's been a while. Sorry, friends. Nothing too interesting has happened lately - spending lots of time at the lake, learning how to cook new things (we tried pumpkin leaves this week - very nice), and getting excited for Mom and Dad's visit. They arrive in 3 weeks and 1 day!! How exciting!

Yesterday and today, the Soils, Food and Healthy Communities project ran a nutrition training course for nursery school teachers in the Ekwendeni catchment area. And I helped to plan it! Aren't you impressed? Anyway, almost 50 teachers gathered for these two days to discuss ways that they can integrate good nutrition practices into their schools. We covered topics like the 6 food groups (weird that Malawi has 6 and Canada has 4, eh?), ideas for foods to serve at the nursery schools, gender and nutrition, and the importance of play. And of course there was lots of singing and dancing.

Biogas at Lusangazi

2004-09-22T09:20:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit three biogas plants being operated in an area just south of Mzuzu called Lusangazi. I went with Mr. Sichinga, who is an agricultural engineer working with the Livingstonia Synod's Relief and Development Department.

What happens is that people collect cow manure, mix it with water, and allow it to sit in an underground tank for 40 days. During this time, "biogas" that can be used to power stoves, lights and other things like this rises to the top of the tank, and goes through a pipe - straight into a kitchen stove (or lights, etc.). The manure that is left over goes into another holding tank (not underground) and can still be used to fertilize crops. And, by this point, it doesn't smell at all! No flies or anything. Cool, eh? If the person maintaining the plant feeds it a little every day, there is a consistent supply of usable biogas.

One of the issues that this project is working with right now is figuring out a way to bottle the gas. These plants are a huge investment of time, money and other resources, and right now they are only being used by one household each. The three plants produce enough gas to service a lot more people; there is just no way to get the gas to the community. By bottling the gas, Mr. Sichinga and the villages involved will be able to ensure that the whole community is benefitting from the plants.

More mosquito nets...

2004-09-19T12:45:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday (the 16th, I think), I went out with my friend Grace to see some of the work that the hospital's malaria project is doing. Malaria is still a pretty big deal here - comparable to HIV/AIDS. Sleeping under a mosquito net is one of the best ways to prevent transmission. Through Grace's project, people are able to purchase bed nets at a subsidized cost through village committees. These committees also educate villagers about malaria, how to prevent it and how to use the bed nets properly. When I asked some of the villagers (through Grace - my chiTumbuka is not that good!) as to whether or not they had seen a difference in their community since the introduction of the Malaria Control Programme, they answered, "Chomene, chomene chomene!" ("very much" - I didn't need a translator for that.) It is very cool to see villagers working to deal with issues in their own communities, and to see them being successful as well; I think the message means a lot more when it is coming from peers as opposed to hospital staff or other outsiders.

Mosquito nets

2004-09-05T08:07:00.000-04:00

Picture this... you are lying in bed at camp/in a tent/at the cottage and a mosquito starts buzzing around your head. Has to be one of the most annoying things in the whole world, right? You can't see to kill it, but you can't let it continue to drive you crazy because it's buzzing right in your ear and you won't get any sleep. So, you get out of bed and turn on the light, and the mosquito flies to the light and you can't reach it to kill it anymore. You turn out the light, get back into bed, and the cycle starts all over again. Brutal.

Mosquito nets are honestly a gift from God... they are helping me to get back at all of those Muskoka mosquitos who have tormented me for years. They are also saving my life from malaria, but that knowledge is not nearly as rewarding as lying in bed, hearing the mosquito buzzing around you, and knowing that there is no possible way it can get in your ear or bite you.

Take that, mosquitoes. Victory is mine.

A wee update

2004-08-26T15:18:00.000-04:00

Hi, friends! Sorry that I have not updated in a while... I thought that I would just write a bit to let you know that I am still alive :). This week has been good. Work is keeping me busy sometimes... I am spending most of my time with Soils, Food and Healthy Communities and LISAP (Livingstonia Synod AIDS Program), but I am also trying to see what the Synod's Development and Relief Department does. This is separate from the hospital, but is supported by PWS&D. This week has actually been kind of quiet at work; there have been a lot of funerals that people at the hospital have had to attend. Welcome to the reality of Africa. Something to pray about. Just while we're on the subject of things about which to pray, the Ekwendeni market burned to the ground this week... many people lost everything that they had. No one was hurt (it happened in the middle of the night), but it is still devastating for this community... It's not as if people had insurance policies to cover their market stalls. Rebuilding has already started... in spite of seeming hopelessness, people are still working so hard to make things better.

Outside of work, I am keeping busy! I jog 3 times a week, and have become quite the cook. Lots of time as well to visit with others around the mission compound and to read my book. This weekend, I am joining some of the medical and nursing students at the hospital in a trip to Vwaza Marsh (yes, site of the elephant incident), so that will be quite an adventure.

Hope that you are all keeping well. I am sending love and hugs all the way from Malawi!

A Malawian wedding

2004-08-14T12:11:00.000-04:00

Today I went to a wedding!! Very different from any wedding I've been too before, I assure you. The Ekwendeni minister's wife's brother was getting married, so the whole community was invited. It was supposed to start at 10 this morning, but actually got underway around 11:10... apparently starting about an hour late is pretty good here! The ceremony was much like one that would happen in Canada, but there was more singing and dancing... the procession itself took forever as everyone danced up the aisle. People clapped and yelled as well during the procession, the vows and the rings... different, but kind of neat.

We had a bit of a break between the service and the reception, so we went and got some lunch (receptions don't include a big meal). The reception itself was a real adventure. It was held at Mzuzu University Hall. The room was set up with the bridal party sitting on a stage at the front, and then we were all in rows below. Once again, all of the important people danced up to the front as a procession, so that was fun. All of these ministers who I'd met before (who have always been so serious and formal) were dancing!! Crazy. There was a master of ceremonies, and basically she just called different groups of people up to the front to throw money at the bride and groom for the entire afternoon. So, she would call the family of the bride and groom, people from Ekwendeni, people wearing glasses... things like this. When called, those groups of people would dance up to the front (loud music was on all the time) and throw money into a big basin or onto a tray or just onto the floor! Very different from Canadian wedding receptions! It was pretty fun :). There was a little break for refreshments in the middle - everyone got a bottle of Coke/Fanta/Sobo, a piece of cake, a samosa and a little piece of chicken. The coolest part was the toast; everyone's bottles were raised in the air and the clinking noises were great. I have never heard so many people say, "Cheers!" all at one time.

Definitely a lot of new experiences for me today!

Once a minutes taker...

2004-08-12T13:13:00.000-04:00

Always a minutes taker. I went to the Synod-wide Primary Health Care meeting today and I was nominated minutes taker. I hadn't even met most of the people who were there... I must just exude excellent minutes-taking skills. So there you go. Thank you very much, Hart House Chorus.

This meeting was held in Livingstonia, which is just over a 2 hour drive away (see blog entry from July for more details). That means I had to wake up at 5:15... good word, that's early. But, Livingstonia is quickly becoming one of my favourite places in the whole world, so it was worth it. The historical stuff is so cool. Our meeting today was in the Stone House (one of the early missionary houses) and there is kind of a museum in there too... so lots of interesting stuff to look at. Also, the views around Livingstonia are just incredible. Even the crazy road didn't seem that bad today - I just focused on the lovely trees around me. And the monkeys!! There were monkeys on the road - pretty fun. They might have been baboons... I don't actually know. We didn't get that close. Whatever - some kind of primate.

The meeting was also interesting. It is cool to see the projects that are happening all across northern Malawi - there is SO MUCH being done! It is amazing what can happen when people work together, even with really limited resources. God is doing great things through Livingstonia Synod PHC programmes.

Rubber trees

2004-08-08T13:37:00.000-04:00

Today, on the way to a beach on the lake, I saw some rubber plantations. I've never seen rubber trees before. Did you know that they extract rubber from trees kind of like sap from maple trees? It's pretty cool. They put this little spout right into the tree trunk, and then tie a little cup just below it to catch the rubber flowing out of the spout. Just like sap that goes to make maple syrup.

So... yes, we went to the lake again today, but to a different beach than last week. This one could have been taken out of some island in the Caribbean - it was just lovely. Sat in the sun (with sunscreen - don't fret), read my book, went for a swim... Placement is a pretty sweet deal sometimes.

Nkhata Bay (again)

2004-08-01T14:42:00.000-04:00

If yesterday was a scene out of The Lion King, today was for sure Finding Nemo. After church today, some of us went to Nkhata Bay. We went to a different beach than the one I went to last time, and it was also beautiful. And, we got to do some snorkeling. It was really cool. There were tons of different kinds of fish, all different colours, and they were swimming very close to us. A little scary, but not elephant scary. I didn't see any Nemos, but there were some bright blue fish that (with a little imagination) could have been Doras! Everybody likes Dora better than Nemo anyway. "I shall call him Squishy, and he shall be mine... and he shall be my Squishy." Anyway, it was really nice just to swim as well; swimming is great. There were rafts anchored away from the beach, so we were able to swim out to those, sit in the sun, do some jumping... very fun. A lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Vwaza Marsh

2004-07-31T14:58:00.000-04:00

Today, I went with 7 other people to visit the Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve. This is just a little bit north-east of Ekwendeni, so it didn't take us that long to get there. We left Ekwendeni at 5 am this morning... Holy cow, that's early. I got to see the sunrise, though, and it was beautiful. The park was also gorgeous - just like scenes out of The Lion King. Awesome. We went on three game drives with a guide each time (the first time he had a massive rifle... scary), and saw lots of animals each time. There were always tons of hippos in and out of the water... just lovely. We also saw kudus (a type of antelope), impalas, baboons, pukus, lots of birds and elephants. My goodness did we see elephants. On our second game drive, we watched an elephant by the water for a while... until he started to charge at us. Good word those animals are big and fast when they want to be. I was pretty glad to be in a vehicle. I got some good pictures :). On the third drive, we saw 5 or 6 elephants moving together away from the water. They were in a little bit of bush, but we could still see them from the vehicle. Eventually, this one mother elephant (who was with a baby elephant) off to our left started to charge at us, so we started to drive... except that the road went straight between this elephant and the other elephants. Right. This was even more frightening than the previous incident. One of the elephants even trumpeted at us! Scary.

But, I made it home and lived to tell the tale. On the drive home, we saw the sun set and the moon rise - both as lovely as the sun rise this morning. B-e-a-utiful.

O Canada!

2004-07-30T18:39:00.000-04:00

Hi there, friends... It has been a pretty low-key week in Ekwendeni this week. Hence no blog updates in a bit. Sorry about that. Work continues on... I spent most of my time with the AIDS Programme this week, which was really interesting.

Anyway, the exciting news today (about which I just had to write home) was that I saw 3 - not 1, but 3 - signs of Canada today. First of all, I saw someone wearing a Hockey Hall of Fame t-shirt. Then (this one is the best one), I saw someone wearing a Tim Horton's visor. It took a bit to explain why I was so excited about this, but whatevs. Still so cool. And then I saw a kid wearing a Maple Leafs jersey. At least he was cheering for the right team - not Ottawa :). Even so far away from Canada, I am constantly reminded of wonderful things at home... like Timmy's iced cappuccinos and Boston cream doughnuts.

Livingstonia

2004-07-23T01:00:00.000-04:00

The adventure of the week was a trip up north to Livingstonia. This place was an early missionary spot in Livingstonia. Dr. David Livingstone was a missionary in Africa in the 1800s. The first two missionary sites in Malawi were malarial, and thus unsuccessful, but Livingstonia - far in the north on a high plateau - turned out to be okay. The mission station flourished, and the town still exists as "a small piece of Scotland transported to the heart of Africa", according to the Lonely Planet guidebook for Malawi.

So Paul, Julie and I decided to visit. My friends, the road to get there is insane. It is, by far, the worst road I have ever been on anywhere... in Africa, in cottage country... I think this road is even worse than any portage I've ever been on. Mercy. The view from the top, though, is spectacular - well worth the road. You can look out over the lake and the hills, and it is just beautiful. I woke up on Wednesday to see the sunrise, and it was awesome.

It was a very educational day... I felt like a tourist! We took some time to take in the sites - the houses of the first missionaries there, the church, the hospital (once the largest in Central Africa), a famous bell, and the letters on the lawn spelling "Ephesians 2:14". When colonial rule in Malawi was coming to a close in the late 1950s, there was a lot of political upheaval in the north. The colonial government was worried about the Livingstonia missionaries, and sent a small plane to drop a message that evacuation was available if they wanted. The missionaries were instructed to display a large "V" on the grass outside the church if they were in danger, or a large "I" if they were safe and wanted to remain. The missionaries wanted to stay in Livingstonia, but also wanted to show that they were living in peace with their Malawian neighbours. So, they spelled out "Ephesians 2:14" on the grass. I'm not going to tell you what it says - go look it up. Cool, eh? The letters have since been moved to another piece of grass, but they are still there.

Lake Malawi

2004-07-18T11:42:00.000-04:00

I have finally made it to the lake! Paul, Julie and I went on our biggest adventure yet yesterday when we set out for Nkhata Bay. We survived all of the mini bus rides that it took to get there, and spent most of our day on Chikale Beach. It was beautiful, warm and sunny, and we even made it in to the lake for a swim. It's been so long since I've been swimming - it felt good to be in the water again. We had a lovely lunch at a lodge just above the lake, and did a little bit of shopping, as there were tons of wood carvers there selling their wares. It was a fun, adventurous day!

A too-close encounter with some chickens

2004-07-14T22:21:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Julie, Paul and I went out with one of the hospital's mobile clinics. Because these usually go on into the afternoon, we stop at the market beforehand to pick up some food for lunch. Today, we picked up two live chickens... These rode with us to the clinic, and were then served to us a few hours later - claws and all. You guessed it - I am back on the vegetarian train for at least a little while.

Choir Festival

2004-07-11T15:39:00.000-04:00

This afternoon, I attended a choir festival put on by some of the choirs from the church. It was a fundraiser for an evangelism event that is taking place in Ekwendeni at the beginning of August. Let me just tell you - it wasn't exactly like the Ontario Universities' Inter-Varsity Choral Festival... no, not really. More like a dance club. My goodness. The music was crazy loud, and there was tons of dancing. Yes, even I got up and danced in front of people. Quite a sight to behold :). It was so very fun, though. And, the singing and dancing were excellent! These people have so much energy! Today wasn't at all like the experiences I've had in choirs, but it was still wonderful.

A lazy Saturday

2004-07-11T02:42:00.000-04:00

Hello, friends! It's been a few days since I've written, so I just wanted to reassure you that I am still well. Today was a very lazy day, but I'm okay with that. I went for a run this morning (yes, that in itself is an adventure. Kids yelling as I run by, chasing after me, adults looking at me as if I'm the weirdest person ever... you get the idea), and then had lots of time to read my book, write in my journal, etc. This afternoon, we went to watch the Ekwendeni Primary School football team play, and that was pretty fun. Half the kids playing were playing in bare feet. Hard core. Also, when goals were scored, tons of kids from the sidelines ran onto the field, jumping and doing cartwheels. Fun times.

"Right mate, your bus is full..."

2004-07-06T08:34:00.000-04:00

said my friend Paul as we sat in the mini bus watching more and more people board. That's right, my friends - today was the day. Mini bus day. But let's start a little earlier than that.

Yes - I have two new friends now, from the UK, who are here for the month of July. Julie and Paul are both medical students doing internships at the hospital, and they are very fun. We laugh a lot, drink a lot of sugar drinks, eat a lot of cookies, stay up too late and have lots of fun.

So, this is Republic Day - Malawi got its independence 40 years ago today. We didn't have to work, so we decided to go to Mzuzu. We got a ride in with another ex-pat, did some shopping, went out for lunch and then came home... on the mini bus. Some of you might question my willingness to take a mini bus, but be assured that we used a little discernment when choosing our bus. We passed up the first one going to Ekwendeni, as the door was being held together with masking tape. Right. The second bus was in much better condition, so we opted for that. Don't get me wrong - there was serious praying going on as the bus started up. It was quite full by the time we left, and I think I breathed in a lot of exhaust during the trip, but we made it back to Ekwendeni safe and sound. Pas de probleme. Now that we've done it once, subsequent trips will be easy! :)

Ekwendeni Hospital HIV/AIDS Programme

2004-07-02T23:40:00.000-04:00

Today was my first real introduction to the HIV/AIDS Programme at the hospital. There are some visitors from Presbyterian Church - USA here for a few days, so the AIDS co-ordinator was taking them around to show them different parts of the project today. I went along just to see. The project has 5 main parts: home-based care, orphan care, voluntary counselling and testing, youth, and a community AIDS resource centre. We got to see examples of all of these today... pretty intense. It was definitely an eye-opening day. I am still amazed at how AIDS is affecting this country; it is mind-boggling. It really permeates every part of life here. I am also continually amazed, however, at how hard some people are working to combat the consequences of the infection and to prevent future cases. Just incredible. Despite some really difficult moments, today was full of hope. People are working so very hard to change the situation. Their faith, hope, dedication and love of life are evident and infectious!

The power of the church in Malawi

2004-06-30T17:12:00.000-04:00

So, here is my story for you. My visa expires in 4 days... this is not fun news. I don't yet have all the required documents to apply for my Temporary Employment Permit, so I had to go to Mzuzu today to extend my visitor's visa for two more months. So I went to the Synod offices and met Rev. Nkhoma - the General Secretary for the Livingstonia Synod. Chatted with him for a bit - really nice guy. Then told him my problem. He essentially called the immigration office and told them we would be over in 5 minutes. He escorted me to the office. When we got there, he grabbed a random employee just standing around, handed him my passport and explained the situation. Within 10 minutes (of me sitting down - not waiting in any of the long queues), I was out of there with a lovely stamp on my passport that allows me to stay in the country legally until September! Pretty good.

More work

2004-06-29T17:46:00.000-04:00

Now that I have been here for almost a month, work is slowly picking up. I am becoming more involved with the Soils, Food and Healthy Communities project. I am mainly working in the area of nutrition. Right now, we are developing a curriculum that nutrition clubs throughout the area can follow. It includes things like breastfeeding, complementary feeding, child care and coping with illness. A big obstacle in ensuring that children are fed well here is the unequal division of labour. Because women are responsible for so much, they don't have enough time to make sure that their kids are eating properly. How can we overcome this so that men become more involved in child care? What a huge question. I am for sure learning lots!

I also hope to get involved with the Ekwendeni Hospital AIDS Programme. There are various components to this project, including home-based care, and support for HIV/AIDS orphans. I am pretty interested in this, and PWS&D also helps to support this project.

It is truly amazing to see God working in such tangible ways on a daily basis.

Moving Day

2004-06-28T07:40:00.000-04:00

Yesterday’s big adventure was moving all of my stuff into a new house. I am house-sitting for three months while Shirley, a nurse from Ireland, is at home. Her house is the oldest on the mission station – built in 1902 or something. It is actually enormous, but has been split into two separate living spaces. Shirley’s half has two bedrooms, a lovely kitchen, a nice sitting room, a big front porch, and… get ready… running hot water! Hooray! I had a lovely, long bath yesterday… beautiful. I also have a cat, but I have yet to meet this creature. I actually only have it to myself for about a week; a medical student is coming to live with me for July, and then another Irish nurse for August and September. And then Shirley comes home in October, and I move somewhere else. There is another intern from Canada coming in October, so we will probably live together. Her name is Laura, so she must be lovely :).

Hope that you are all well. Don't forget to vote today - it's important! Exercise your right!

skirts

2004-06-24T05:43:00.000-04:00

Sorry I haven't written recently... Work hasn't really been anything yet, so I don't have anything to report there. But be assured that I am still learning and growing! Malawi is already teaching me a lot.

But... the interesting news item of the week in Malawi has to do with skirts. When Banda, the dictator, was in power here, women were not allowed to wear pants. That was lifted when he left in 1994, but most Malawian women still don't wear pants. You really only see pants in the cities, and shorts only on the beaches. So... President Bingu, who was recently elected, said a few days ago that he was going to reinstate the pants law. Trouble. But then I saw someone - a Malawian - at work today wearing pants, and apparently the president has retracted his statement; women can wear whatever they want. I still don't think I'm going to wear pants, but pretty interesting that it's still an issue here.

Harvest Thanksgiving

2004-06-20T07:29:00.000-04:00

It is harvest time in Malawi right now, so this morning was like Thanksgiving at church. Except that many people who live in Ekwendeni are actually farmers... so they brought some of their harvest this morning to give as their offering. Lots of different things - maize, sweet potatoes, etc. Very cool.

"Lola"

2004-06-18T03:17:00.000-04:00

An interesting thing about Tumbuka, the language spoken in northern Malawi, is that Ls and Rs are often switched around. So, I am now called Lola all the time, instead of Laura... It caught me off guard the first few times I was introduced to someone, but now I am getting used to it. This little characteristic makes a Malawian accent pretty hard to understand sometimes.

Work

2004-06-17T11:33:00.000-04:00

Well, it’s probably about time that I tell you about what I’m actually here to do. I am working in the Soils, Food, and Healthy Communities, which is part of the Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian’s Ekwendeni Hospital. The project has two specific aims – to increase soil fertility and to improve nutrition in the Ekwendeni area. It does this through the introduction of various legumes like pigeon peas, ground nuts (peanuts, to Canadians) and velvet beans to the local agricultural scene. During the past few days, I have been able to go into the field and see some of the fields of farmers who have gained from this project. While I am no agricultural expert, it is very cool to see how proud the farmers are of what they have accomplished. Their families are eating more nutritious food (not just nsima), they have food to sell at markets, and they don’t need to purchase fertilizer in order to produce a good crop. It is amazing to see true development at the grassroots level!

Tea time all the time

2004-06-15T13:38:00.000-04:00

I am amazed by the amount of tea that is consumed here. Yes, it is one of the country's major exports, but still. Every time I go anywhere, do anything... people are drinking tea. Breakfast, mid-morning, lunch, before dinner, dinner, after dinner... I even found out today that tea is in the timetables of both teachers and students at Ekwendeni Girls Secondary School (right across the road from the hospital) - every day from 9:35 to 10 am. Mercy. That's a lot of tea.

Happy Freedom Day!

2004-06-14T12:41:00.000-04:00

Today is a national holiday (celebrating the first democratic elections 10 years ago), so I didn't have to go to work. Instead, Helen, Munjire (the dog) and I hiked up a big hill called BwaBwa. We had 3 local boys as guides, and it was hard core. I'm not going to lie - I was pretty tired at the top. But the view was worth it. It was absolutely spectacular. Never have I seen anything so beautiful. Breathtaking. Under African Skies, by Paul Simon, has been in my head all day.

churchy

2004-06-13T11:51:00.000-04:00

So, today was my first African church experience. A little more lively than the church that I am used to... even more lively than Smokey Tom's (I know - hard to imagine). Many different choirs sang, and most of them were superb. The service was apparently short - just under two hours - and I had to introduce myself in front of the whole congregation because it was my first Sunday. Adventure. It was quite a nice service. This afternoon, Helen (in whose house I live) and I went into Mzuzu for some groceries, and now we are back for an evening of reading books in front of the fire. Tomorrow is a national holiday - Freedom Day - so it is sure to be full of some adventure on which I will try to report. Hope you are having fun!

Nsima

2004-06-11T11:20:00.000-04:00

Well, today was my official initiation into Malawian food... I tried nsima. It's like cornmeal porridge. You take some in your hand, roll it into a ball and then dip it in a vegetable or meat sauce. It was good, but really filling. I am constantly amazed by how much food people eat here! My goodness.

Hello from Malawi!

2004-06-10T07:07:00.000-04:00

I have arrived... and internet access is pretty sketchy. I hope to keep updating the site as much as I can, but I'm not sure how often that will be. I also have a new email address, so contact me at laura.smith@utoronto.ca to be sure that I'll get it.

Malawi is beautiful! It is pretty cold right now (I am in a fleece sweater and still chilly), but it is still beautiful. I have had so many adventures already... I am going to try and write a nice long email this weekend. In the meantime, know that I am well and thinking of all of you. It is a lovely place, but it is not home. I miss you!

Amsterdam!

2004-06-05T04:37:00.000-04:00

I am here! Saying good-bye yesterday was pretty sad, but now I am in this lovely city where everyone rides bikes. Very cool. I have just visited Anne Frank House (where her family hid during WWII) and I am about to take a tour about the city on a boat. I have to be back at the airport by 5 for my LONG flight to Kenya, so just enough time to take in a gallery (I hope). Anyway, just wanted to check in to let you all know that I have survived the first leg of my weekend of flying. Hope you are well!

leaving on a jet plane

2004-06-04T09:38:00.000-04:00

It's true - all of my bags are packed. Those of you who know me well will know that they have been packed for a few days :). My goodness - these suitcases are heavy. This would not be a one-trip portage. Even my carry-on is heavy. The last few days have been excellent - lots of time with family and Duncan. Today will be hard... but it is so exciting at the same time! I fly out of Toronto at 6:20 pm today, and then get to spend the day in Amsterdam tomorrow. I hope to see one or two museums and to take a boat ride around the canals of the city. Saturday night will be spent flying to Nairobi, Kenya, and then on to Lilongwe, Malawi via Lusaka, Zambia on Sunday morning. I am staying over night in Lilongwe on Sunday, and then driving to Ekwendeni on Monday. Exciting!

a great commission

2004-06-03T21:04:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday, 30 May, there was a little commissioning service for me in church. Rev. Heather did it, which is good... it would have been trouble had Mom or Dad been up there with me. It was really lovely - thank you, Heather. It is comforting and encouraging to know that I have the support of my church here at home even when I am far away. You can read the text of the service here.

more party!

2004-05-29T22:31:00.000-04:00

The open house was held this afternoon with great success! Thanks so much to those family and friends from choir, church and long ago - it meant so much to me to see you today. Thanks also for cards and gifts... it is good to know that I have such strong support and encouragement at home. 6 more sleeps! Again, pictures are below.

a choral good-bye

2004-05-28T21:40:00.000-04:00

This is not a good omen for when I am in Africa - it has taken me more than a week to add this post and I'm still in Canada! Last Wednesday, many of my lovely Hart House Chorus A-L-T-Os and other singers (who are not lucky enough to be A-L-T-Os) joined me at the Duke of York for a little good-bye par-tay. It was very fun - thank you, friends, for coming. You are very dear, and I will miss you. Below are some pictures of the merriment and mirth (click on them to make them bigger).

open house!

2004-05-20T00:59:00.000-04:00

Ma famille is holding an open house to say au revoir on 29 May from 2-8 pm. It will be held chez moi, and all are welcome! For directions and any more info, please contact my parents or me. We would love for you to come!

a comment on the title

2004-05-18T11:15:00.000-04:00

The title for my blog comes from the lovely movie Out of Africa with Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. The entire quote says, "If I know a song of Africa... does Africa know a song of me?" I tend to think of it the other way around - that I will be the one learning Africa's song. Perhaps we will both teach each other.