Over the course of the last week, I have received a number of questions from all of you and while I want to answer you all individually, I noticed many of your questions overlap with one another. So, with that in mind, I have decided to make a weekly post answering those questions that are either asked most, or, frankly, I have an answer to. Feel free to send me questions throughout the week and check back each Friday morning for the answers.
What's the weather like over there?
Believe it or not, this is the question I have received the most. Short answer? It's hot. Long answer? It's really hot. The best way to describe it is to compare it to US weather out west (ie. Nevada, Arizona, etc.); very dry, very low humidity, very little wind. One interesting (it not obvious when thought about) realization came after I traveled from Lilongwe to Blantyre the other day though that is worth sharing. As soon as I touched down, I realized it felt slightly cooler than it had in Lilongwe, which I immediately attributed to the time of day, a weather front, etc. It wasn't until I thought about it that I realized it would always be a few degrees cooler here than Lilongwe because Blantyre was further south. It's a bit of a mindtrap to us Northern Hemisphere-ers, but yes, south = colder down here. Just thought that was worth noting.
You've mentioned food a number of times. What are you eating, and what was that "best dish you've had so far" you mentioned in your post?
The food has been pretty fantastic everywhere I have been thus far. The diet is pretty similar to ours back in the States actually: fish, chicken, beef, etc. The preparations are usually grilled or panfried, and as I had mentioned previously, very well seasoned. I have yet to have the Chambo this time (Arlene just shuddered, I guarantee it) which is a freshwater fish out of Lake Malawi that is without a doubt the most popular food item here. I will though and let you know how it is.
As far as the best dish, it may actually be somewhat funny to those of you who have heard about my travels here last year. It was prawns. During my last visit to Africa, I had both an incredible dish of prawns (in Johannesburg, South Africa) and a very-not-so-incredible dish of prawns (in Zomba, Malawi). For some reason, after seeing it on the menu a number of times over the last week, I decided to roll the dice and go for it. I am glad I did.
You ever going to post photos?
Second-most commonly asked question. And today. Promise.
What do you do for fun over there?
Fun? What's that? No, in all seriousness, I haven't been out much since I have been here so my list of fun activities has been a bit sparse. Most evenings consist of staying in and around the hotel, relaxing, reading, and occasionally watching a football/rugby match in the bar. That said, there are a few interesting upcoming events that I think might be neat to check out (including an international music festival on Lake Malawi - thank you Arlene (wow two shout-outs in one post!) that has acts including Foals (UK), Freshlyground (South Africa), and The Black Missionaries (Malawi)).
Any reason you gave us a list of music that we a) don't know and b) can't listen to?
I am updating that post today, with links to either music videos or at least youtube videos with the song streaming. I have also just posted just the songs with links and my comments immediately below this post. Let me know which is your favorite.
How is your fantasy football team doing?
The fact that I am here in Malawi, working for Save the Children, and have not only received this question multiple times, but had an immediate answer, shows that I need to make some changes in my life. That said, it is doing fantastic. 2-0 so far and very high scoring. I may very well make a post this week defending my involvement, or I may shamefully attempt to never talk about it again. We shall see.
What are you doing again?
Perhaps I should have made this question #1. Or perhaps I should have used the space in an earlier post to explain it instead of listing random songs. Either way, here is my *ahem* elevator explanation.
I am conducting a research study in the Zomba region in Malawi that hopes to compare the teaching pedagogy and practices of those teachers who have received a degree/certificate from a teacher training institution and those who have either received no training or only inservice training. This will be done through the use of two data collection instruments (a teacher observation protocol and a teacher/leader interview protocol) with the assistance of a locally trained (by me) team of students/researchers from the Domasi College of Education and the Save the Children country office.
What are your accommodations like?
Very nice. The largest hotel chain in Malawi is Sunbird Hotels, and now, between last year's trip and this one, I have stayed at four of them. I am currently at the Sunbird Mount Soche in Blantyre, which is described as an executive hotel, and other than the extremely loud restaurant renovations on the ground floor, it has been a pleasant stay. If you are interested though, read the next blog I post about a funny moment from yesterday. It was pretty epic.
Is there anything you need?
No, not at the moment but special thanks to all those who asked. I may call you into action eventually, but for now, I am fine.
I also want to thank all of you who have sent me messages telling me how much they are enjoying reading Nthano. I never intended to create a blog, let alone have anyone care to read it, but it seems as though many of you are enjoying hearing about what I am thinking, doing, and experiencing. In fact, as of this morning, there were 584 views (not including my own) of www.nthanomalawi.com! It feels great to know you are still reading and I hope to continue to make it an interesting, informative, and hopefully, entertaining read.
Keep sending questions and I will add them to my list for next week.
Cheers.
