Cockroaches and photos!

17^th September 2013

 

Two days in and in the words of Elton John – I’m Still Standing. So the first day unsurprisingly was spent waiting for IT to sort out my computer. It seems it doesn’t matter where you are in the world some things are still the same. So I had a wander around the site that we occupy. It is 5 levels cut into the side of a steep hill. The top two levels are for a children’s centre and college, the third holds the central admin office, of which my team of five is the nerve sent and the very pulse of the construction business, and levels 4 and 5 are yet to be built on and so hold the construction stores, the site canteen and the make shift car park. The three projects that I am in charge of are a football pitch and netball court with raked seating between (they are at different levels), a car park, and a JCB workshop for up to 12 JCBs, but the last has not started yet. That’s not proper work I hear you cry! Well when all the blocks for the car park are made on site from mud, you have one JCB to do all the cut and fill and retaining structures, no water supply, power cuts and 32 degrees, well it makes it interesting.

I also got laughed at this morning by the gate guards as I tried to say good morning to them in Chichewa, they also then searched my bag. On my walk home a random two year old ran up to me and hugged my legs. It was very cute if not a little weird.

Pam’s first two days were challenging and mostly disorientating. So she is doing her first week of induction on the paediatric nursery ward for babies up to 6 months. Babies mostly have infections such as pneumonia, and HIV related infections.  She also regaled us all with the story of how she drained some abscesses and pustules from a two week old baby, me and the other volunteers were suitably grossed out at the dinner table.

There has been some eye opening moments as well sadly, a baby dying in its mothers arms due to lack of funds to get to the hospital in time, several death from rabies and one where a child with a heart defect that would have been operated on in the UK. But it is for these reasons that she has come out here, to help and to train, both them and her.

She has also been called into action to help our neighbours four year old who had a fever. With the cause unsure, Pam donned her knickers on the outside and sprang into super hero mode taking temperatures, buying jelly, saw her in A&E and screened her for malaria. She has been cleared, twas just a viral infection, and was running around causing havoc as usual.

Oh of the interesting animals we have spied, we bumped into a praying mantis on a cactus this evening, and then spent the dusk watching the bats drop from the trees and fly off.

All in all it is has been a pretty good time so far.

 

23^rd September

Okay so it has been a while and I am aware I have not posted the last blog yet. We have internet in work so I am hoping I can get some photos up online. Our car is working well, I spoke to a man who has issued us a Certificate of Fitness. Like our MOT only the man didn’t really want to test the car. I asked him and he said no, you have driven here in it so it obviously works. Love it.

We went out at the weekend on Saturday night with the people that I work with to a....well I’m not quite sure. It was a restaurant that did pizzas, Chinese, Burgers, Mexican, Italian, Thai and Arabic food. IT also had an ice cream parlour below. There were also a couple of mice in there but not sure if they were eating or on the menu.

Ah yes my cockroach catching skills have increased as well. So far I have removed two from the kitchen. I think they were different ones, the second was a lot slower than the first and just demonstrate my manliness here is a picture!

 

 

 

So our house is in a compound of twelve. Four are two bedroom and eight our single bedrooms. All are made with hydraform blocks which are basically earth with 10% cement powder. Very cheap and very good. There is one family, that live next door to us, then four other single volunteers all working for the same charity as me, although not all in construction. Pam is the outsider working for the Hospital. For the astute among you – yes that is a swimming pool. Just beyond is the main house where Charles, our site manager/cook/handyman/whatever else is needed serves us dinner. This Africa life is tough I tell you!

 

 

 

And then this is our house with me sitting on the veranda writing this very blog. It is small and basic, we have a lounge, a kitchen, a double bedroom and a single bedroom, a toilet and a shower.

So far we have had no rain either. Although today there was some cloud. Pam’s driving career has made in this far (no she hasn’t crashed) but she was stopped by the police.  They checked her driving license and tattoos and seemed satisfied with both. I on the other managed to get lost on the way home and got stuck between two armed checkpoints. I waved an apology to the army man and turned round and left via the same dirt track I had arrived by. Apparently it is the way to the presidential palace. I didn’t check!

 

 

Muli Bwanji

Muli Bwanji from Frangipani Tree House – Friday 13^th Sept

 

So we are here. It is our second day, but I feel like I am seeing the red African dust and the hazy blue sky for the first time as yesterday afternoon was a bit of a blur due to complete lack of sleep on the overnight flight.  Fairly uneventful except Heathrow security staff losing my shoes for quarter of an hour!

We had a whistle stop tour of Blantyre, which involved the road from the airport and the local ATM. Both tarmac. Then up to Mtsidi, and more specifically Frangipani Tree House which will be our home for the year. Definitely not tarmac, could be interesting in the rain.

So here we are. In our little two bed house, with a lounge, a kitchen, a shower and a toilet. What more do you want.

And it is hot. Really hot, about 32 degrees and I have yet to see a cloud. They tell me it is going to get hotter as well.

 

 

Sunday 15^th September

 

 We are finally connected back to the world. It was a struggle but through a local dongle and some scratch card telephone credit we are back. I have decided that I will write more accounts than post due to cost and time, so you all get to read two accounts today.  Aren’t you lucky.

So most of yesterday was spent trying to sort out the internet so we could email home, and collect my phone than needed unlocking.  It has also been wiped clean so don’t be expecting any texts!

We then picked up our little car. Which wouldn’t start having been sat for 6 weeks. So jump leads and Pam’s boss got us going.  Then as we were about to cook tea the power went out. Our friendly neighbours provided sausages, we provided eggs and over a camp fire we cooked. I could pretend I was a real African, at least for a few hours anyway.

Today we are going to the local mall (car starting dependant) to pick up some shopping, and we both start work tomorrow. Pam in the main hospital here, I have a ten minute walk to the construction site.  The charity is called Krizevac (and Pam’s hospital is Queen Elizabeth Hospital Blantyre,) if you would care to Google them. The idea is to create companies in Malawi to support the local population rather than give monetary handouts.  It should be an interesting time.

We live in a compound of around 12 houses, with the hills in the back ground and the garden spread out below us. All the houses are on high ground due to the rainy season, which judging by the road in, is going to be interesting.

 

We have also managed to carry out our first skype! It was very short due to us being on dial up with a dongle – broadband has not made it this far but it was still nice to see a little slice of home with Lisa and the boys.

 

That’s all for now, by the next post I’ll be a working man......it’s been a while!

The night before

So here we are. This is what the bed currently looks like. Tomorrow it will be thrown into the hold of a giant tin can to fly us half way around the world - the clothes not the bed.
My overall feelings at the moment? One of tiredness. This trip has been talked about for well over a year. With plans, applications, jobs, tickets. And if I am brutally honest I just want to get on with it. Enough of the preamble, let the main event begin! To give you all some information we already have two bags packed. Both weighing in at a fraction under our allowance of 23kg. The rest has to go into another two bags, will it make it? We are about to find out.

Then tomorrow there is some jiggery pokery with a car, a motorbike and a garage, followed by a trip to my parents for a final lunch. I suspect it will be salad, with bread and cheese. Cheese is one of the things we are going to be without so I am going to make damn sure I get my fill.

Then onto Heathrow. We fly out at 21.00 as the say in the military and will be arriving in Blantyre, Malawi at 12 ish the next day.

My next blog will be from the foreign climate of Africa where the whole adventure really begins. So it may be a while before I can post due to internet interference from Elephants and Lions. So until then...

Last Weekend In Blighty

So this is it. Friday. My first blog post. I have no idea how this will look or sound, but I have started. And that is something.

We are not packed but we nearly have. The spare room is covered in all manner of items from hats and electrical items and one or two cosmetic items for the wife.

We have five days left before we embark on a year in Malawi, and that is enough to concentrate on for now.