Willows Live Via SKYPE

Thanks to The Willows Community School 3rd graders in Culver City, California who spoke with four of our students live via SKYPE. The images you see are of us leaning up next to the cell phone hanging on the wall, which is the only place where we have found somewhat reliable coverage. Willows students asked Kristy questions about life in Malawi, and then our students introduced themselves and sang two songs, one in English, and one in Chichewa. They were practicing outside our house before the call came in at 5:40 p.m. Malawi time, which was 8:30 a.m. California time. We hear singing on a daily basis. Besides playing football(soccer) and netball, singing is as much a Malawian pasttime as baseball is American. Willows 3rd graders recently ran a read-a-thon to raise money for their special project. This year they chose to help students here in Malawi. The decision to assist Malawi students was helped by the fact that my sister, Karen, is one of their teachers. One Willows' belief is as individuals, we thrive; as a community, we soar. I hope Willows third graders are soaring right now, because they're making a difference.

More Zomba

A tuft of grass was Jessica's undoing, so her fractured foot forced us to move more quickly to Blantyre for an x-ray per doctor's orders. We arranged transport to pick us up on the plateau through a connection of a connection of Spencer's. They were really really nice people.
Connection 1: Malawi National Archives Director whom we visited before going up the plateau--he showed us some video of Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda giving a speech from the 70's while wearing his cool sunglasses.
Connection 2: Director of Campus Ministry for Campus Crusade

To make payment for our mini-bus ride, we stopped at the campus ministries office of Campus Crusade. There, there were like seven puppies roaming around, just born a few weeks earlier. What would Kristy do?

That's right! Moto Rolig has a dog for a brother, named Zomba Baxter Rolig. He is very very cute, but needs worm medication. We're taking him with us to our Inservice Training, so all our fellow Peace Corps volunteers can say how cute he is, Ann F. style.

Zomba Plateau

After Liwonde we headed off to Zomba Plateau, which has peaks just over 2,000 meters, or just a bit higher than Denver, so it was cool at night. Our sleeping bags got used as sleeping bags, instead of pillows, for the first time. We camped at a trout farm, and the plateau was beautiful! Lush, green ferns and forest (acadia, cedar, bluegum...), colorful wildflowers, hiking trails, streams, waterfalls, views. Spencer and I couldn't resist going under William's Falls on our hike to Queen's view and Emperor's view.

Hippos, Baboons, and Bucks

At Liwonde National Park we went on a canoe safari to see the hippos. They like to grunt, and can stay under water for six minutes, says the safari canoe guide. The guide pushed us through the marsh with a long pole to get us out to open water, the back water of the Shire River. Baboons were around our campsite, and water and bush buck were laying all around the area. When Liwonde becomes a refuge during the dry season, there are elephants. We hope to return sometime then.