There wasn't much time or opportunity to blog while we were in Malawi. The resort where many of were staying did have some limited web access in their office, but there wasn't much time or opportunity to write.
Now that we are back, we hope to begin sharing our stories. Malawi travelers can add their comments to this posting as an easy way to begin telling their stories.
Phil
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
25 comments:
Bathing in Paradise
I awake to children laughing outside by the Lake of Flames, the Lake of the Stars, a sound startling in its simplicity after many years of early morning siren and helicopter sounds in my neighborhood near Washington, DC.
Elaine calls me out for a morning swim. I quickly don my “swimming costume” and follow her out under the awning and across the sand toward the monumental stones by the lake to the north of Masankho’s sister’s house. A few smiling boys watch as we tiptoe gingerly over the lakeshore rocks into the water and out onto the sand in the bright early morning sunlight. The lake is glassy-calm and we can see bright-colored fish swimming around our legs. We wade and swim out to the rock where we had seen small boys jumping into the lake the day before, and the boys there now steer us to the safest footholds for climbing up. We perch atop the small rock island and look down to the bottom, but aren’t quite brave enough to follow one tall youth in a dive between the rocks to the water below. We climb back down and follow some of the boys swimming out farther, out, out, out, until our feet touch the bottom again some hundred or more meters from shore. The lake shimmers in the morning sun, and a slender youth pulls up nearby in a dugout canoe.
It feels as though we have been transported to Paradise.
That is the “essence of Malawi” moment I return to in my mind as I sit here at my desk, still a bit jet-lagged and looking out on a gray day at row upon row of windows in the hotels and office buildings across the way. At least I have my own window now, after many years in a windowless gray government office, but my heart longs for the color and connection and shimmer and dance of Malawi—the land, the lake, and most especially the people.
It seems only now I am beginning to think of how we might have befriended Malawi—and how I might befriend my own life—differently.
I had a long conversation with a wise young American woman on one of the many bus rides in Malawi. She was reflecting on how it seems we all—she included—had made some mistakes in our entry into Malawi. We did our American (and Australian?) thing. We led with our material stuff.
We brought stuff—notebooks and pens and books, often with white-faced children in them, and toothbrushes and American-style tampons and pills and thousands of colored pencils. And money. We paraded our stuff. We were proud of our stuff and we didn’t hesitate to let Malawians know it.
And we bought stuff—some of it silly stuff, I suppose, by local standards—chotchkes and knickknacks, paintings we may never frame, painted t-shirts some at home will not understand, games we will forget how to play, wooden bowls and low-slung chairs, salad servers, keychains, fabrics we may never use and dresses we may seldom have an occasion to wear, drums we may forget to play. Some of it we will cherish and use, some give away, some lose or discard or spend time dusting. We spent more money on nonessential stuff than many Malawians will see in a lifetime, and they watched us, seemingly transfixed.
It’s hard to know what they were thinking. Were they wondering what sort of creatures these are who are so eager for stuff and so oblivious about people’s lives and what it takes to feed and house and provide beds and hot showers if possible for 43 Americans and Australians (half of whom are coughing) for some ten days in a row? That doesn’t seem quite the right appraisal, now that I think about it. They didn’t seem resentful, just curious.
In fact, they seemed positively open and joyous and welcoming and engaging and loving. They must have been tired and tired of us sometimes, but if they were, they hardly showed it. They fed us generously and smiled gamely at our response to lake fly patties. They danced and drummed, they smiled and laughed and talked with us, played games and a Malawian version of pattycake (some little girls did, teaching us their own mischievous words) and they befriended us mightily.
We had brought with us this wonderful tool for processing, for befriending, called InterPlay. And we didn’t use it as much as I had thought or hoped we would. We danced some, and could have danced more. But we did need rest too, and we rested.
Sometimes they asked for our addresses, for gifts, for school fees and we didn’t know just how to respond so we did all kinds of things, some of them no doubt unhelpful. We were full of ideas for fixing things, having been in Malawi for a full week or more. And some of us revised the ideas and revised them again and went back to just thinking about it. It seems they have been living this way for a long time and we’ve been here such a short time. Maybe, just maybe, there is more we need to know. Could we dance our questions? Can we make them into big body stories? Can we live them?
I started to make connections. I met three teenage girls who wanted me to send them the pictures I snapped of them. I met a young man who said he was an Extension worker, another young man carrying a long board who had to drop out of school when his father died, and a young woman named Tina who remembered my name from church. I met three young American Peace Corps workers and one young American pediatrician. I met the wonderful and wonderfully patient Banda family, extended to include all the aunties of like mind, and I felt for Masankho as he was immersed in family concerns while dealing with the needs of 43 Americans and Australians.
All too soon we packed up all our stuff and climbed back on the buses. Our new friends waved goodbye with sad eyes that betrayed real feeling. One little boy snapped pictures with a camera made of clay and a shy smile.
And so my Malawi-warmed heart is working on me to take in the people around me here, to connect more, to bring more color into the environment of my office, to “stay in my own body” and let what might have pulled me out to negativity just fly away like lake flies in the sunlight. To rest in the “warm heart of Africa.” To be caressed by bathing in the Lake of the Stars. To let go of stuff and live fully, to hope, to care, to befriend, to love.
There is so much—there are so many—to befriend.
Kathryn Tobias
August 23, 2007
Gostei muito desse post e seu blog é muito interessante, vou passar por aqui sempre =) Depois dá uma passada lá no meu site, que é sobre o CresceNet, espero que goste. O endereço dele é http://www.provedorcrescenet.com . Um abraço.
Hello. This post is likeable, and your blog is very interesting, congratulations :-). I will add in my blogroll =). If possible gives a last there on my blog, it is about the Notebook, I hope you enjoy. The address is http://notebooks-brasil.blogspot.com. A hug.
[... ] is another useful source of tips on this topic[...]
Good morning
We do not agree with this year Brit awards decision.
Please come to see our little poll
http://micropoll.com/t/KDqOnZBCWt
Lady Gaga can not be better than Madonna
Poll supported by BRIT awards 2010 sponsor femmestyle
[url=http://www.femmestyle.li/brustvergroesserung/preis.html]brustvergrößerung preis[/url]
Pet Shop Boys surprise lucky BRITs fan with a MasterCard Priceless Gig in their living room
Good dispatch and this fill someone in on helped me alot in my college assignement. Gratefulness you on your information.
Approvingly your article helped me truly much in my college assignment. Hats high to you dispatch, will look forward for the duration of more related articles in a jiffy as its united of my choice topic to read.
Sorry for my bad english. Thank you so much for your good post. Your post helped me in my college assignment, If you can provide me more details please email me.
windows 7 registry cleaner , A utility system that scans the Registry and looks for outdated and invalid records.
Applications generally create Registry entries for temporary data and pointers to other files, but in no way remove them. Furthermore, http://www.registry1000.com/2010/05/09/windows-7-registry-cleaner/ , [url=windows 7 registry cleaner]http://www.registry1000.com/2010/05/09/windows-7-registry-cleaner/[/url] if ringbinders are personally deleted with the user.
Registry entries may indicate files that don't exist. A Registry cleaner can ahtvniwxnjnjnjnnjaw engage in a offer of method utilities or a stand-alone, windows 7 registry cleaner program
I've on all occasions liked things like sand clocks, lava lamps, and the like to kind of virtuous dish out all at once staring at it as a formality of catharsis. In a way, it helps me with meditation, to reduce emphasis and well-grounded think in the air nothing. That's why since I was a kid, in place of of dolls and cars I've eternally sedate more of such pieces like sand clocks, lava lamps, dulcet boxes etc. So I was most delighted when I base the[url=http://www.dealtoworld.com/goods-1260-2-Laser++LED+Light+Show+Laser+Top+Gyroscope+with+Music+Effects.html] 2-Laser + LED Spry Presentation Laser Crown Gyroscope with Music Effects[/url] from DealtoWorld.com under the aegis the Toys section. It's like a tuneful box, a spinning exceed, and a light divulge all rolled into one. Which is capacious relaxation! The gyroscope will concoct for round a minute. The laser light pretension with accompanying music makes this gyroscope a measure corresponding exactly tiny that my friends be subjected to also been most amused with.
My dogs are also nice-looking eccentric nearly the laser gyroscope I got from DealtoWorld.com. They evermore attend the gyroscope as it spins, although at earliest they kept barking at the laser light boast, and also because it produces music. But after they got used it, they've stopped barking but simply save up following the gyroscope whenever I start spinning it. Kids are also bonny amused next to it. Sometimes it's proper to possess pleasing toys on all sides the blood so that you can leave the small on while the kids are being amused or playing with it while you go provide for food or sock changed. The gyroscope is one such toy with this purpose.
The gyroscope I bought from DealtoWorld.com has a dragon as a pattern on it, and produces a dainty accompany with red, downcast, and unskilled colours. Nick a look at the pictures I've uploaded of the gyroscope with laser joyful show. The music produced from the gyroscope is not that great but decorous enough to entertain any redone visitor to the house. The gyroscope is red and jet-black, making it look extraordinarily cool, and slightly macho with that dragon imprint.
The music flare make clear gyroscope runs on 6 LR44 batteries, which are replaceable anyway. I've also acclimatized this gyroscope to eye-opener my girlfriend during our anniversary celebration. I did the cheesy matter of decorating the hostelry latitude with roses and when I led her in, I started up the gyroscope as affectionately so that the laser insight clarify produces a fresh effect. I also had some battery operated candles so all the sunrise effects created a degree mawkish atmosphere. She loved it, past the way, to my relief. I also bought the candles from DealtoWorld.com. These days it seems to be my oversight shopping site in return all gifts and ideas for romanticist occasions.
Since Christmas is coming, this laser go down upstage gyroscope can dialect mayhap be a talented Christmas favour seeking the toddler or even the pet! Alternatively, the gyroscope can simply be a polite reckoning to the ordinary Christmas decorations. I can fancy placing it near the Christmas tree and perhaps spinning it when guests succeed in the house. Looks like [url=http://www.dealtoworld.com]DealtoWorld.com[/url] is getting my duty anyway again!
[b][url=http://www.louisvuittonpursesmarket.com/]louis vuitton outlet[/url][/b] Thanks Mentor: Get support from the mentor. Regardless of whether your coach is really a specialist, or simply a sensible mentor, have anyone you could depend on and who retains you accountable to complete at your very best. Leaders with coaches attain much increased amounts of overall performance. When you are thinking of obtaining a Bertho original or print, or should you be taking into consideration viewing his functions, be prepared to see an oxy-moron in particular person. Most critics would state that uncomplicated and complicated just isn't feasible inside precisely the same airspace, but Bertho has mastered this scarce skill with ingenuity. A basic background, loaded with circles and modern day photos, incorporates a figure of recent situations mimicking the advanced matters of nowadays..
[b][url=http://www.uggsclearancemall.co.uk/]ugg clearance[/url][/b] Louis Vuitton Canvas Handbags on Sale could come to be the be sufficient measurement not in isolation for perform, but as well as for leisure time, very first, due to its dunkle checkerboard designs and damier carbon fibre content, it affords us a steady effect at the beginning. Then, considerable flap up shut is simply a little profitable and secure. 3rd, the accommodating come about ring reasonably provides its performance, a number of provide is just slightly beautiful.
[b][url=http://www.louisvuittonhandbagsu.com/]louis vuitton outlet[/url][/b] Bantams are tiny chickens, not youthful types, but whole grown tiny sized birds. For the complete the Bantam breeds can usually are one-third to one-fifth the size of standard chicken breeds. These smaller sized sized birds were referred to as for the sea port Indonesian area, Bantam.
[b][url=http://www.cheapuggbootswebsite.com/]ugg boots outlet[/url][/b] In this new assortment, Marc "Jacobs took two iconic Sprouse motifs - the graffiti and also the rose - and interpreted them in Day-Glo shades of pink, green and orange above the Monogram print. The motifs are featured on Vuitton's Keepall, Fast and Neverfull bag variations, in addition to basketball sneaker boots, pumps, sunglasses, headbands and wristbands, and small leather goods like wallets and coin purses. The rtw features a mackintosh raincoat with a graffiti and monogram lining, graffiti leggings plus a long-sleeve neon minidress featuring the rose design." Marc Jacobs states the selection won't be named reissues as he had finished items that are comparable or new which differs the "new collection" from Stephen's Graffiti from 2001..
[b][url=http://www.uggsonsalewebsite.co.uk/]uggs[/url][/b] It is best to use artificial fabric for this due to the fact it has the capacity to absorb sounds better. When you observe, most theaters and motion picture houses use velvet drapes. This is due to velvet absorbs sounds nicely. The film commences with Tsotsi and his 3 close friends in search of difficulties and money while in the nearby educate station. They uncover a person who is certainly wealthy and obtaining lavish scarves and stick to him onto the train. The four men encompass him and quietly demand his income.
A third-party developer filled the void with a so-called private channel, which wasn't officially listed in the Roku channel store. ghd uk Sure, there some bouncing between the 50s and the modern day in some anonymous urbanscape. ugg boots uk The thrill is in the hunt!". north face jackets A striped rainbow blazer worn over a coral skater skirt was sublime: a clear example of what can happen when a vibrant vision is teamed with the confidence and fearlessness of such a young label.. http://www.downuggboots.com Through this program, California Footwear Company gives 2% to 20% of the purchase price on each pair of shoes to excellent organizations such as Soles4Souls and local nonprofits in communities throughout the United States..
I've said it once and I'll say it again-Alright, fine. http://www.lateuggboots.com And he in reality bought me breakfast as a result of I found it for him. uggs on sale This allows her to create intricate forms with subtly textured surfaces that can be achieved only through skilled hand-finishing.. north face sale Try to send a request to the other player to become your followers as their name will show up afterward then restart the game and then not to waste money on everythingd. north face jackets On nothing but the soft green leather, this clutch is sure to catch some attention and make a bold statement.
There was also beauty in her sheers and the layering of same under pants or at the end of her gorgeous dresses. north face canada In fact, in most of our correspondences with PR/Advertisement Companies, we would email them our detailed site stats and that alone is sufficient.. ghd australia Italy tax police said on Monday they had confiscated real estate, land and corporate holdings of 13 people to one of Italy most important families in the fashion and textile sector person familiar with the investigation told Reuters the 13 people in question were linked to the Marzotto group, and included members of the Marzotto family. ugg boots outlet Inside? A 1 TB hard drive! What?! 1 TB! And self-powering! I a nerd so this was incredibly exciting for me. http://www.verynorthface.com Daptiv .
This includes kinds of shoes, leggings, and bodysuits that dancers wear. north face outlet And, yes, spoilers for any other aired episodes from Seasons 1-3 are allowed. north face uk Which is not necessarily a bad thing, the house has always been great at outputting beautifully unique, crafted clothes and accessories. ghds For more details, check out the video series of interviews,hosted byJeannie Mai, star ofStyle Network Do I Look. ghd nz vision Blake Hecate, Greek goddess of black magic and the underworld In 1800, Blake moved to a cottage at Felpham in Sussex (now West Sussex) to accept a job illustrates the works of William Hayley, a minor poet.
Needless to say, it was WELL worth the wait! The gifts were gorg! In addition to the bracelets, guests received an enormous gift bag filled with monogrammed C. ghd President, himself, owns a pair of aviators.?If that's not motivation to go out and grab a pair, what is?Enjoy this article? Receive email alerts when new articles are available. http://www.oneghdhair.com This time we running the OG blue/white print on grey marle tee from the very first round, and for those who are more adventurous a violet/white print on grey marle (as above). ugg uk The designer had teamed up with Tourism Calgary and Travel Alberta to fly in editors and bloggers from Toronto, includingAnita Clarke of I Want I Got, Nelia Belkova of Style Blog,Lisa Ng of The Hip Urban Girl Guide,and yours truly, to experience the very best Calgary has to offer, both sartorially and gastronomically. ugg sale And the tables were already groaning under tiers of assorted cookies and sweets.
But it also quite obviously been a challenge for the Pierce family. ugg boots uk Scarves are a true fashion statement that not all are able to put to use. http://www.wellnorthface.com A pla can choose a blonde, brun or redhead model an experience wh like to be a much sought after makeup art to the stars. ugg boots on sale „Do sada je realizovano oko 70 kredita u ukupnom iznosu oko 4 miliona EUR. http://www.verynorthface.com There some very intricate work going on in the face section of this mask.
eLfu michael kors sale
yNkq styler ghd
mRjq the north face outlet
2dRxt ugg store
8kSax michael kors bags
qNvf ghd hair straightener australia
tOxg ugg store
uKrv michael kors purses
7oXge cheap ugg boots
9tAge chi hair straightener
2uWte ghd hair straightener
4rDho cheap nfl jerseys
9lNqj ghd
9jPcq cheap north face jackets
4nPxb ugg españa
3xWjm ghd straighteners
0mTue michael kors sale
9lMzb nfl shop canada
8gOcd planchas ghd baratas
2lVbs cheap uggs
kHvd ghd australia
rXlw cheap ugg boots
vRyq michael kors sale
2fQbj GHD Hair Straightener
8pTve burberry on sale
2aQpp ugg australia
6gOnp ghd nz sale
0cLxb louis vuitton handbags
7sRfl michael kors outlet
7tMra ghd outlet
1bJwn ugg sale
9aIpw nfl football jerseys
5mNfq michael kors
1xBhc styler ghd
7qTak ugg boots sale
jAdv ghd hair straightener
yZie cheap ugg boots
fGka michael kors bags
2dVjt ugg uk
3vDyy chi
4tVpy michael kors purses
4cBpu wholesale nfl jerseys
5hWpy ghd nz
7oZmj cheap north face
3iRux ugg australia
9eMtd ghd straighteners uk
7mWfl michael kors purses
7iVjl cheap nfl jerseys
2uJpe ghd
6oOgr cheap ugg boots
Hello. Facebook takes a [url=http://www.casinogames.gd]casino bonus[/url] daresay on 888 casino traffic: Facebook is expanding its efforts to institute real-money gaming to millions of British users after announcing a carry out with the online gambling comrades 888 Holdings.And Bye.
top [url=http://www.001casino.com/]free casino bonus[/url] hinder the latest [url=http://www.casinolasvegass.com/]casino games[/url] manumitted no deposit hand-out at the foremost [url=http://www.baywatchcasino.com/]online casino
[/url].
|
Smaller enterprise aFvertising consultants will help you in hanFling your company in all probable way[url=http://www.germanylovelv.com/]louis vuitton knolckoffs[/url]
The extent in the liability in the enterprise aFvertising anF marketing aFvisor is completely reliant to the agreement with compact [url=http://www.germanylovelv.com/]Louis Vuitton kopierte Tasche kaufen[/url]
meFium sizeF business operator. Enlightenment Small business Options possess a staFF oF knowleFgeable marketing consultants Felivering skills on the range oF the best internet aFvertising anF marketing options, too as branF name iFentity as well as your iFeal client[url=http://www.germanylovelv.com/]Louis Vuitton Outlet/[/url]
|
[url=http://www.flixya.com/user/saclongchampa/blogs]sacs longchamp pas cher[/url] She looked at me with tearful eyes and packed me away into some dark corner of her wallet. I was in there a long time. I started thinking that those cynics were right, had been right all along. A common "what-if" is to consider an engagement between the Iowas and the contemporary Yamato-class battleships of the Imperial Japanese Navy. While such consideration cannot be based on the guns alone -- the Iowas were faster and had much superior fire control -- it is generally accepted Reliable Store For Mulberry Aston Natural Leather Messenger Bag Black for Men,Cheap Mulberry Bags On Sale, Mulberry Bags Outlet, fast delivery. that the seemingly weaker Iowas would have defeated the 18.1" gun-armed Yamatos. Their larger shells did not have as much penetrating power as those of the Iowas.
[url=http://longchampbagsd.webeden.net/#/blog/4574070481]sacs longchamps[/url] When oxygen is severely limited, the body will compensate by increasing blood flow to the brain. At extremely high elevations, the What do you think of when you hear the name Mulberry Women's Smaller Bayswater Printed Leather Shoulder Brown Bag Fashion Quality Timeless Elegance Long recognized as a trend setter in the world of high fashion. brain can actually swell and blood vessels begin to leak, resulting in High Altitude Cerebral Edema, or HACE. When this happens, the climber may experience disorientation, hallucinations and even loss of consciousness.
[url=http://longchampmoinse.blog4u.pl/]longchamp soldes[/url] , intense competition, unprecedented economic development. The same party, the same people live, the same land inalienable. Only in a word on the fuss, went so far as to create a dream-like miracle. You really want to stop this kind of sensitive configuration hot they should not fear the winter. Burberry Outlet, Did you find the product? Transport equipment compelled Burberry is an internationally famous. Burberry sunglasses shades job as a person. Think you're continuously wondering ways to spice up your personal style when you find yourself out and about along with your ladies? You'll certainly be the center of attention with a designer handbag! When you are going on trips to the community, make heads turn using your well-defined and keen style with fabulous, designer handbags. Some say that these unknown objects were created by a secret military sponsored by Cheap genuine Mulberry Women's Bayswater Snake Print Leather Shoulder Light Coffee Bag sale for you the government and other private organization or agencies. Ever since ..
Post a Comment