Hello everyone,
Time is flying so fast these days! It is a month since my last post and yet it seems like yesterday! I had some time off which was great as I was tired and needed a break. It can be lonely here when it comes to holiday time as I don't have anyone I can go on holidays with........my holidays are generally when other folk are working! However, I took myself off to the lake for a few days and ended up at Ntchisi climbing the mountain! Here are a few of my photos - I had a great time as I just visited local people in the villages and was delighted that I remembered enough Chichewa to be able to communicate with them!
 |
| Kids at the lakeshore...... |
 |
| an amazing moth............ |
 |
| this lady makes these pots - an incredible woman. I bought this one - it cost 50p! |
 |
| Making a mud house - bricks made from mud and then covered in mud! |
 |
| Fish were in short supply as it was very stormy on the lake! |
 |
| Did a spot of potting...........as you do!! |
 |
| Ntchisi - such a beautiful place! |
 |
| Estan - the guide up the moutain. He is 72 years old and was doing acrobatics in the trees - quite incredible! |
 |
| a grasshopper..... |
 |
| the view - on a clear day you can see lake Malawi in the distance! |
 |
| two boys with their double bass and guitar and they made a great sound! These boys were 18 and had not been to school! |
 |
| Estans family! |
 |
| Picking coffee beans! |
All in all I had a lovely time and met some amazing people on my travels! Came back to find lots of holes dug up in the garden - by what...........I have no idea. For the next few days every time I opened the curtains there were more. Whatever it was seems to have gone now!
Last week Nicolas and myself spent time teaching the caregivers at our school here in Mzuzu. It was a challenge - not the teaching, but the scenarios we were being told about and having to try to solve. There was an exam at the end of the week and Maria -the one in red in the middle was the winner. There were 7 caregivers in all but they are not all in the picture!
 |
| Just to prove I was there!! |
Over the weekend I had lots of visitors including 6 students from Queens doing their medical elective - in fact they are on their way home and seemed to have really enjoyed their time in Malawi!
On Sunday I usually go walking with two friends in the late afternoon. Yesterday we met this child with an axe and when she came close to us she took one look and ran off in the opposite direction - we must have been really scary!!
Like most people in the world, we have been having amazing suns and moons these days - last night I took this quick shot of the moon - if I had had my tripod I could have had a much better picture but I was pleased none the less!
The week continues to be busy as I have an Early Childhood Development Board meeting on Wednesday of which I am the secretary so I spent the day getting organised! More to be done tomorrow too!
Spare a thought of the poor people in Gaza and Iraq and of course in the four countries in Africa where Ebola has been causing havoc. We hope and pray that it does not come to Malawi.
Please pray for my health - I used to play a lot of squash and I injured a shoulder a long time ago - sometimes I get rotor cuff which is really painful and requires a lot of rest. Of course its my right shoulder and I use that arm for so many things so resting it is not easy!
Hoping you all have a good week where ever you are in the world.
Blessings,
Diane
