Two months......

12^th November 2013

 

So today is two months. Two months since we landed on these shores. Except Malawi doesn’t have shores, well it does but only to lakes not to the sea. But it does have a navy! That is just in case Tanzania invades.

Enough of this drivel I hear you say, what have you done this week. Well I shall tell you. Thursday we went to a leaving do at one of the lodges. I was bored one night and produced a music quiz which went down well, except there was not a Malawi round. But hey ho.

Friday night we went to the bonfire party. I had to explain to the Malawians in work who Guy Fawkes was and why we celebrate a failed attempt to blow up our politicians. We came to the consensus that in this day and age we should commiserate it instead. So the display was at Blantyre sports and social, where the upper echelons of Malawi society and ex pats hang out. We had a bonfire that they lit with a hefty amount of petrol, a guy who went up very nicely, and a bloke with a box of matches to light each firework. To be fair the fireworks were pretty good, even if the display was a bit stop start. The kids loved it as well, screaming each time one went off. I think it is fair to say that it was the first time I have been to bonfire night in shorts and a t-shirt though J

 

The only downfall was the fact that the security company were only there for security not for car parking. They told us quite a few times as we, and most others remonstrated with them whilst the entire car park was blocked in by each other. It was chaos. Some people trying to get taxis, they road in and out was blocked. We thought we needed at least three cars to move, until the owner of the steel work contractor showed up. He owned the twin cab 3.0l Toyota Hilux next to us. It is a massive car. So he says welcome to Malawi, jumped it in and squeezed it down the side of the fence and a guard house! Everyone stood and watched and said he won’t fit through there. But he did and he was gone. Right I said if he can get that tank through there I can fit our little Rav 4. Guess what.....Ha no I didn’t crash it I got it through and we got home.

Saturday came and Pam was working the whole weekend so I did what any good bloke should do and went to the pub to watch the rugby. This time I managed to find a bar with two TVs so I didn’t upset the locals. The Welsh contingent turned up with shirts and confidence....oh well.  Also I made a fatal error during the rugby. Our neighbour received a call from Martin (remember him the mad cyclist from last week) asking if I wanted to go on a bike ride on Sunday. I politely said sure, one of Pam’s colleagues had just bought a bike from him and was going to. I said come round whenever and we’ll go. I distinctly remember not say please show up at my door at 5.30!!!

Yep apparently 5.30 is the best time to go cycling as it’s not too hot.

So I woke up got dressed, we fixed my bike a bit making sure the brakes sort of worked and off we went.

Now you may need to look back a few posts to the very pretty picture of the landscape on the way to Majete. We went on that road, but ah ha, I thought this is the same as before and I asked if we were going down down down to only turn round and go up up up!

Yes was the answer so after 15km down I turned round and came back. Will (the muppet) wanted to keep going. All the way to the bottom, about 1500m drop. Then had to come back. I was safely in the pool at my house before they finished and I felt justified that someone else had fallen for Martin’s wily ways. He told me with great delight how he killed Will on the hills. To be fair I had try to warn him how fit and nuts Martin was. I guess he knows now.

 

And so onto Monday where I did very little. Bit of work and a bit of play. Oh I bought a new mountain bike as well. So for those that know it is a second hand, still good condition, Claude Butler hardtail MTB. Guess how much, a little under 60 quid. Bargain!

 

Today in work I have realised I don’t have enough money, people or skill sets to accomplish the stuff that the management want me to accomplish – bit like the UK really.

 

STATMAN

 

Firework display – 20 mins – not bad for here

Time spent waiting in carpark due to being blocked in – 30minutes – again not bad for here.

Number of times Pam was called up in the night – 3

Distance I cycled – 36km

Distance Martin and Will cycled – 80km (ha ha ha)

 

Time taken to upload the blog - 28 mins hence no pictures, I just not sure it could cope.