How to stay busy in the village

The cold season has arrived overnight. I return from runs in leggings and a henle shirt with numb, swollen fingers. Once refreshing bucket baths seem to drill the insides of my bones. Midday, the sun is so strong it cracks the ground and makes you sweat, but in the shade, you realize how cold the air still is. When the sun sets, your breath appears. Javit (my Chichewa tutor and best friend) said, "And this is only the beginning." Yikes. Somehow though, I never have time get a fire going in time each morning to heat my bath water.

In the village, they say there is nothing to do but drink, gossip, and have sex. As a single woman who does not drink and does not have a deep enough command of Chichewa to spread rumors, I am shocked I manage to stay as entertained as I do.

The recent gossip has been about Holli, the love of my life, who is, it turns out, not a compulsive theif. Song randomly lied that Holli stole money (perhaps bored village gossip), which we found out when Holli appeared two Saturdays ago, the day before a game. Needless to say, Song isn't really coaching us anymore. They tried to make me coach, which is laughable, but I have taken over their physical training regime. Holli had quite working for Song and decided to run off for a bit and returned for the next game (he is captain after all). He is missing again as of Tuesday, but as Javit told me Wednesday that this is just because they didn't have their usual Wednesday game, and Holli is not a thief, he just likes to "borrow" bikes, this time his uncle's, and come back a few days later. I told Javit to remind me to never borrow Holli my bike (yes, Malawians use 'borrow' the way one should use 'lend') and, though he insists Holli would never steal from me, Javit said, looking at my shiny South African mountain bike, that that would probably be a safe choice not to test this theory.

I have started turoring my good friend Beckham (everyone in Malawian villages has a nickname, or 7) to take his JCE exams, a national exam you take after sophomore year. He just got a really amazing job working in an HIV-counseling and testing center near the trading center, but it is really for people who have passed MSCE (senior exams). He worked so hard and interviewed so well, that they gave him the job, but conditionally, that he should pass his JCE next year. Again quoting Javit, "That one was a terrible one," always smoking pot and fighting with his parents. He failed his JCE and did not return to secondary school. He is HIV positive. Both his parents died of AIDS, and all three of his sisters are positive. He and his wife are positive, but they just had their 7-month-old Van Persie (named after Arsenal's star striker) tested and he is negative, and now no longer being breast fed, so he will stay that way. Now, when he is fit, he plays with the team, usually just for a half though, and is their manager. He is Holli's best friend, so the two come to my house for occassional (and I stress occasional, as Becks is busy with work and Holli is busy stealing (borrowing) bikes. They are defanitely fun sessions though. It has inspired me to work even harder with Chityiola to make the adult learning center at the youth center when it is finished (funds are in and bricks are being baked as we speak!).

Speaking of work, teaching is a little OK (oh god, now I sound Malawian), some days unrecognizably better than others. I am working on the grant for a school kitchen and pots now, lunch will begin next term. I'm also starting water treatment for the school water and setting up hand washing buckets by the Chimbuzi (pit latrines). Of course, the primary school team is still rolling well. I am beginning to look for funding sources for the 'acadamy camp' as well, and desperately seaking cleates (no matter how poor their condition.. they generally sew together the soles of second hand American cleats bought in the market to the leather of normal shoes or even canvas or fertelizer sacks) and shin gaurds.

Two girls said that teachers hit on them this week. The deputy had given a school loan to one's, and said she didn't have to pay it back if she slept with him. The other says the assistant deputy proposes (a word used to ask for sex) to her in his comments on her English essays. Both girls are in Form 2 (10th grade). It is disgusting and I am going to Kasungu for my midterm break or the next to the division of education and bringing the book as evidence. I talked to my boss, and she said this actually works. We'll see. It has to stop though.

What else? Chickens dug up my carrots, beans, and mustard greens, so I planted more carrots and brocoli. I was furious. That night we had a dinner for the team and a dance party using the battery and radio from one of the village bars (literally a thatch mud hut with home brewed liquor. I bought a bunch of reggae tapes from the market. IF ANYONE HAS OLD TAPES, WE WANT THEM... NO ONE USES CDS! I volunteered to kill the Chicken (which I have on video, don't worry) And man, Malawians can dance! They got down from 6 till 11:30 when Martha kicked them out. I am seriously toying with the idea of a regular village youth disco as an income generating activity for the club. Sweet.

I have tons of pics, especially of the team and the party. My parents will bring them on a CD and get them out. Speaking of...

I am so excited for my parents to visit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please visit me too. Like I said, I love you all too much.

XOXOKB