3rd day in Malawi

The general stuff: Malawi is hot and moist right now which means that there is plenty of green and many flowers in bloom. The government is stable and it is safe to walk around (during the daylight of course). The Mango season is winding down, so I am enjoying the last couple of weeks of fresh, wonderful mangoes. I am living in a fantastic house with a porch that faces the sunsets. We have two rooms for 8 people and share 1 shower. So far everything is going well with the group and I'm enjoying everyone's sense of humor and unique experiences. Blantyre, the city where I live, is in a valley surrounded by 3 mountains.

The serious: The poverty here is overwhelming and the people are desperate. The hospital provides a unique experience that allows me to see some of the worst of it. Queen Elizabeth Hospital serves most of southern Malawi and is one of the only public hospitals in the country. This means that there are extremely sick people who have no where else to go. There is a malnutrition ward for the children, which is particularly depressing. There is hope in the eyes of the mothers behind the suffering and many do get better. Each patient is usually accompanied by at least one family member. The family usually gathers outside to clean the patients blankets and sometimes they cook over small fires. The physicians are knowledgeable and caring, but the resources are poor, and deaths are all too common. On my first trip to the hospital, I saw a "wailing." This happens after someone passes away. When the body is moved to the morgue, a group of mourners processes behind through the hospital, singing and crying to create an unbelievable sound that sends chills down your spine and brings tears to your eyes. It was beautiful and heart wrenching.

The strong: I saw women today that gave birth with no pain meds and then stood right up like nothing happened, cleaned up their belongings, and walked their new babies to the post-natal ward. I cannot believe the reserve that the Malawians have. Many survive unbelievavle odds and never complain. I have much to learn from them.

The Funny: Ever wonder where your old T-shirts go when you give them away? Well, I found a couple here. Many of the Malawians do not speak English even though it is the national language. They speak the native language Chechewa, so when they wear shirts with English writing, they don't know what they say. Today someone saw a man with a shirt that said, "I kissed your boyfriend on Spring Break." Another man was wearing a sorority shirt that had the caption "Golden Girls of Gateside." Sometimes its hard not to laugh.

Favorite Chechewa word so far: Poopsya - it means Danger

I should sign off and get some sleep. I'll write more when I feel like it.