Tsalani bwino Malawi!

Stay well, Malawi!

Seriously, how long can I drag out my goodbye to Malawi on this blog? At least one more post it turns out.

My last 3 weeks in Malawi flew by. I stayed with some good friends, slept a lot, read a lot, and frantically tried to get everything wrapped up and in order for my departure. I celebrated International Women's Day at the refugee camp. I took one last trip to the lake. I said a lot of good-byes. And I cried at the airport and didn't stop until the plane reached Mozambican airspace.

One of the aspects of living abroad that I love is the intense bonds you form with your friends. I've made so many good friends during my time in Malawi and I know that I will see my close friends again somewhere and somehow. I love their enthusiasm and it's been so much fun to talk about future ideas! Whether it's working with G. on Maternal and Child health nutrition programs, K. on public health systems, writing a book on HIV counseling and testing in Africa with N., running public health and primary care clinics with B. & C., collaborating on HIV research with B. or M., it's so energizing to be around other people with big ideas.

I said goodbye to Gift and his family (my Malawian family) with a big, traditional lunch that included nsima, nkhukhu (chicken), usipa (small fish), and mkwhani (pumpkin greens). I picked up Imma from school and she ran across the school yard and gave me a big hug.

When I said goodbye to my clinic on Friday they sang as song for me as I entered the room. Everyone gave a little speech, including myself, and they gave me a beautiful carving of the map of Malawi. One of my nurses wrote a poem, and everyone wrote messages on a card (most in Chichewa). I tried to give most of my goodbye speech in Chichewa but I started to get too emotional. I feel so close to everyone I worked with and I really respect the work they do.

(haha, you can see the giant box of Chishangos in the background. Chishango means shield in Chichewa)

So, my last weekend. My last full day in Malawi was very Malawian. It started with m'mimba kutsegula (open stomach). Sort of ironic that I eat everything - all kinds of street food - and drink tap water, and the first time I get sick in maybe over a year is after eating at Kumbali Lodge, the place Madonna stays when she is in town. Next was chicken and chips for lunch (second only to nsima as the national dish of Malawi). I had planned to meet my friend Agitha at her house at 3, and when I showed up at 3:30 she wasn't at home. After I finished reading the newspaper I texted her to see if she was coming. She flashed* me, so I called her back. She sounded funny and said she was at the airport. That seemed weird to me and when I asked if everything was okay she said "no, not really, I think I better explain when I see you." And then I ran out of air time. I was worried now, so I went out to the market to buy 100 units of airtime with my last 160 kwacha in my possession. I tried to call her back and my battery died. Nothing to do now but go home. I arrived home to a blackout, so I couldn't charge my phone. So I basically experienced everything that is frustrating about Malawi communications and infrastructure in one afternoon. The night got better as I made some kick-ass guacomole with the avocados I bought from the side of the road through the car window for 15 cents each, and drank a Malawi Gin & tonic and a Carlsberg** Special.

My friend was returning from a 3-week trip to South Africa, which unfortunately coincided perfectly with my last 3 weeks in Malawi so she and her husband waited for me at the airport. As to be expected Air Malawi was delayed so we all sat at the observation deck drinking cokes until we saw the plane land. The plane had started in Blantyre and was just landing to pick up the Lilongwe passengers en route to Dar es Salaam. And that's when the waterworks started...

* Flashing means you call the other person and either hang up when they answer because you don't want to use your own airtime, or you get cut-off by the service provider because you don't have any airtime. This is very common because airtime is so expensive and actually talking on the phone uses a lot of airtime - another reason most people communicate through texts. I spent $50/month on airtime for my study nurse and community counselor so they could always call me and could call study clients.

** Carlsberg is the only beer available in Malawi. It comes in Green, Brown, Special, and Stout. It tastes a bit like formaldehyde. I will not miss Carlsberg. Malawi Gin is another story.