Lost - Life - Love

 Lost in Translation

So I was really happy, I learnt a new phrase last week that seemed to work:

‘Ti yenera mikisana moi yenera’

‘Let’s communicate properly’

It’s only when I got back to the office I repeated the phrase and was told it didn’t make sense

‘Ti yenera kulankulana moi yenera’

‘Let’s speak properly’

I’m not convinced and now quite confused, what have I been saying? This happens a lot in one day. I am learning that any design rules or important information needs to be conveyed with a Malawian translator so everyone can understand what I am saying instead of thinking they can understand! The African ‘yes’ was something I learnt 5 years ago when travelling through. It was obvious people just agreed and pretended they knew what you were saying then would continue giving wrong information.

It has been a very positive week on the construction site. Everyone building the training accommodation on site have been encouraging each other to be more enthusiastic and work harder. People do it in a fun friendly way, perhaps taking the mick so the other person steps up the mark while laughing to make sure everyone knows the point is not an indent into their soul. I was here to understand my team and all of the different characters so I could work with everyone in a different way. I was always friendly and would often say a few important things to the main guys who would then enjoy being the guys to make sure everyone knew the tasks for the day. I'm still not sure whether this works best because I am a lady on a construction site. I'm not sure how this would work in the UK, would I just be direct? As I took the friendly approach, when I had to discipline and get strict people were taken aback and listened. Some didn't and these people are the ones I am now focusing on to gain a better relationship with, to try and understand them better. I believe there should be a good atmosphere on site so people enjoy work.

Life is too short…

Unfortunately there were 2 funerals in the village last week. 1 boy was playing football on Sunday and was kicked in the intestines and didn’t make it to hospital in time. Another lady died who had slept with someone at the local bar. People said she had died of an STD. This talk didn’t seem accurate and is probably mixed with people’s opinions as I’m not sure if you can catch an STD and die in the 1 weekend. Perhaps it was miscommunication again. I do know people are very afraid of getting checked and wouldn’t necessarily trust the hospital staff that the information stayed confidential so many people prefer not to know. It is not culturally acceptable especially in the villages that have strong traditional values.

The local hospital has been closed due to staff stealing and selling the drugs provided by the government. There are some people who had been given responsibility and therefore power that ruin it for everyone else. This is a recurring theme in many jobs which is terrible for the affected people at the bottom of the hierarchies. It’s been an important learning curve but I am slowly working out who I can trust in my circles.

Love the weekend

After my closed bubble in the village I enjoy the freedom of town for the weekend. As I tried to have a detox for one weekend in Lilongwe I realized how many activities involved drinking! My Friday night consisted of baking and watching a movie with my house mates. Usually I would be very excited about a night out and go straight to the bar at Mabuya Backpackers Lodge. Groups would flock together and all plan the cars for a usual night out which was Living Room, then Harry’s Bar, Discorium and then Chezimtimba!  I would always be slightly more spontaneous and go when I was content to leave Mabuya and there always seemed to be a car in line (unless I came with a certain group). This chose my group and therefore the night out. That was as much excitement on a Friday night unless there were house parties, or perhaps Jazz at Lilongwe Sunbird Hotel which was full of rich seedy men offering to buy drinks for any lady with two legs at the bar. There is a wide variation of bars and some nights I would have the thrill of heading somewhere completely different. Strangely people always stayed in the same groups and went to these same bars. A reason for this may be because most people live locally in area 3 and have no vehicle. Mabuya is the closest bar with a lively atmosphere just down the road. Some sober reflection time had highlighted my curious self-need to look further and beyond Mabuya…

Lilongwe is separated into numbered areas. They are not quite organised in order so when I first arrived in Lilongwe I was very confused. As I continued borrowing bikes, walking and when I was lucky the NGO car I learnt about the different places. I found out many people were incapable of drawings maps which interested me. This must have been left out in the education system.

Area 3 has a street of closed gates, plant frontages, trees and several small shops dotted on the back roads.

Street chips are sold on one end of Barron Avenue and vegetables are sold on the final corner before the street turns onto the main road to town. There is a security patrol car that drives around with weapons and large helmets like G4S scary looking people, ready to attack. People talk about not walking around after dark and the many robberies but I have been lucky as to not see any of it. I have always believed negative stories spread rather than the natural human instinct. Having cycled Cairo to Cape Town with no problems (apart from 1 teenage gang in Egypt that could easily happen in London or anywhere else) I am very suspicious about how much of the talk are rumours but unfortunately being a white lady I never risk it. Ok, maybe a few times I have cycled very late in the dark evening but I would be going fast and run them over if people got in my path (this was only in my thoughts of course).

I always walk to town to the markets and random people often stop and offer a lift. I always take the lift and have some interesting conversations about the struggle of the Malawi economy and how everyone needs to help everyone else out. I love human nature, I really do.

There is a close community. I love walking and speak to most people or neighbours I recognise. Many people have walked the hill with me for 20 minutes from town back to Area 3. They are intrigued that I am really trying to learn and practice Chichewa. Not many people in town bother with the language but as I am based in the village I feel the importance of communication! I am also curious about their life; all the locals would walk another 45 minutes further than area 3 and live in Chinsapo 1 or 2. These are the townships that are cheaper but hectic. I love heading over with local mates to drink local brew, Chibuku and continue practicing Chichewa. Chinsapo is lively, crazy, full of markets, music, local bars, and a village scattered within a small space. Each building including schools and churches close onto one another. Boreholes are also scattered for water but there is no sewage or rubbish system. All in all the place is full of energetic and welcoming people which is great fun compared to the closed quiet security ridden area 3.

A usual weekend would include walking into town, stopping off at the local bar and chatting to lots of locals from the markets.

It’s quite disturbing how many people drink in the day,  but at least it’s a Saturday, I wondered how many people continued in the week days? Many local people sit and chat which is a great thing to learn to do compared to my busy life in the UK.

When I manage to borrow a bike I do a lap of the outskirts making sure I appreciate all of the tarmac roads! I would often sit with the Landirani watchguards and learn Chichewa. Now I have moved house I sometimes cycle to meet their families in Chinsapo or the other township Kawale. If I needed a break from everything my expat crowd always have barbeques or do fun activities like walking up Nkoma Mountain (on Blantyre road). I am very lucky to have so many different groups of friends, we are all on the same adventure together, because of this there is a great community and everyone really looks after each other.

My girly friends have all moved in close proximity so I look forward to doing more creative days and chilled activities like baking while I don’t want to drink!