Before I came I bought myself a “Teach yourself Chichewa” CD, and made some attempt to learn a few useful phrases. My niece Sarah also lent me a book, which has been really useful as it introduced a bit of grammar – the CD basically concentrated on teaching you vocabulary, but it’s not much use knowing the word for something if you can’t actually put it into any kind of sentence!
I noticed when we arrived at Chileka airport yesterday, that there was a big sign (possibly an advert but I can’t now remember what for) saying “Muli bwanji – it’s how you make friends in Malawi!” But actually I discover it’s more complicated than muli bwanji (which basically means “How are you?”) First of all there’s the question of what to say in reply, and, because Malawi is a very polite country, how to ask the person how they are! On top of that, there are different versions depending on what time of day it is, so that in the morning you’re asking people “How did you rise?” and later on in the day “How did your day go?”
I have always tried to learn a little bit of the language wherever I go, even if it’s only hallo, goodbye, please and thank you, and where’s the toilet (Chimbudze illi kuti – if anyone’s interested!). I think I got it from my Dad, who always did the same. Of course, everyone here speaks English, so I probably don’t need to learn much more than that, but it’s such a different language from any of the others I know, or have even learnt a tiny bit of, and I’m actually quite keen to understand how it works a bit more.
On Monday we will go to assembly where Mari works, and introduce ourselves to everyone, and I am hoping to work out how to say “I am Marian’s sister” in Chichewa by then.
After we arrived here we spent the rest of the afternoon unpacking, catching up, and having a swim. Most of the other volunteers had gone to the Malawi –Tunisia football match and Mari was kept up to date with the score by text message. It was a shame we didn’t get here in time to go, but we would have had to go straight there from the airport and leave the suitcases in the pick-up, which probably would not have been wise. It was a 0-0 draw, and the Malawian striker was injured and taken to hospital in the first five minutes, so there were a lot of disappointed fans!
We had a swim and then got showered and changed, and arranged to meet the others in the Liquor Garden, and then go on for dinner with anyone who wanted food. As we left it was getting dark, and five minutes later it WAS dark! The change is quite sudden here. Driving up the road to Chilomoni there were, once again, people all over the road – it was a busy time, with people coming home from work, and stopping to pick up veg from the market on the way. There are no street lights (except on the President’s road, which we passed later – it runs parallel to a dirt road, and no-one is allowed to use it except him).
We pulled over next to the Liquor Garden and went in to find the others, mostly resplendent in Malawi football shirts, and already quite a few beers ahead of us! The Liquor Garden has a front room with the bar in it, and a back room which I haven’t been in yet. There are wicker tables, some plastic chairs and the odd bar stool, and anyone else sits on beer or Coca Cola crates. It felt quite cosy to me, with curtains at the window. There was a power cut, so the light bulb had simply been moved from one circuit to the other, which is connected to a generator outside, next to a grill full of meat. On the wall there is a poster of famous footballers, most of whom play in Europe, and whose names even I recognized: Drogba, Rinaldo etc, and it made me feel strangely at home. There is a kind of bunting hanging from the ceiling made out of cigarette advertisements, alternating in English and Chichewa, so if I go there long enough I will be able to remember the Chichewa for, “new soft top packet but the same great taste”.
We only stayed for one drink, as Lin and I were both quite tired and hungry, but it meant we had met a few of Mari’s friends, and I had managed to try out a few Manswera bwanjis – although I couldn’t understand anything anyone said in reply! Mari’s friend David advised me just to slur everything if I couldn’t remember the word. Being Marian’s sister earned me big hugs from David, who is now apparently my adopted nephew, and Mari’s friend Charles. I also had a conversation with a man who said he is David’s uncle, and that he thinks David should be an elder of the church, now that he lives so close to it. We debated whether David, who was several beers on the wrong side of merry, had the right qualities for this, and agreed in the end that God would decide!
We left most of them to their beer, and went off with Marc and Sarah to meet Sue and Brian at a restaurant. This was a really lovely spot, where we ate on a balcony overlooking the garden and swimming pool, lit by candles, and entertained by a very versatile live band, who an eclectic mix of light music, including a fairly convincing imitation of Louis Armstrong’s Wonderful World, even down to the gravelly voice.
The food was simple but nice – garlic soup, followed by grilled fish/chicken or meat, with chips and salad. It was good to learn a bit more about the other volunteers, but Lin and I were ready to go to bed once we had finished eating, so we headed home down streets which were now virtually deserted. It felt like the middle of the night, but was actually only about 8.30 when we got back. The guard walked us back to our house by torchlight.
I am sharing Mari’s room, and Lin has the spare room. I was lulled to sleep under my mosquito net by the wind in the trees, which almost sounded like the sea – very peaceful.
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