More advice from Krista and friends

Here are additional thoughts for our trip to Malawi that Emily, Liz, Louise, and I felt might be helpful.

Tipping.
1 - It is customary to tip dancers when their groups perform for you. This usually happens during their performances: witnesses go up to the group leader or individual dancers and give them small bills to honor them. After the performance, all the money is given to the leader. He pays group expenses and divides the remaining money equally among all the dancers. Emily and I feel our visiting InterPlayers should know about this tradition beforehand and have opportunities to get plenty of small bills before we get to the village.
2 - The September, 2006 group also often tipped people who helped us at our motels and who were generally paid exceedingly little for their work. Smaller bills would be needed for this. Sometimes these tips were collected and given as a group.
3 - At the end of our September, 2006 trip, group members were also invited to give more substantial tips to our guides, Emily and Priscilla, to our bus driver, and to Harriet who had done so much work helping prepare for our visit. While this was not required, we all wanted to do this. Some planning in advance may be helpful for people who are unaware of this at the beginning of the trip.

Buying souvenirs
1 – Emily wants the InterPlayers to know that Tukombo villagers have been busy making jewelry, souvenirs, paintings and more in the hopes of selling these to guests who visit the village. Please do not buy the majority of your African souvenirs before you have seen what these dear people have been preparing. Susan Kirsch, one of our Malawi group participants in September of 2006, helped the villagers realize that their creations have value and may be a small source of income.
2 – If people are interested, Emily can have tailors come to our motel with fabrics and sample clothing styles the day we arrive. Tailors can take measurements and sew traditional clothing that will be ready for purchasers before they leave the country, possibly even being delivered to Tukombo village while we are there. Emily needs to know if she should arrange this.

Dress Code. Apparently the dress code at the Kande Beach Resort (a tourist resort) where we are sleeping is less conservative than in the village where we will be dancing. Sounds like layers of covering and uncovering would be a good idea. Light weight T-shirts with sleeves that are less revealing than plunging tank-tops might be appreciated when we are dancing. Masankho may know best about this.

Counting the days,
Krista