A Day in Ntchisi

My day begins around 4:30am, I crawl out of bed around 5:00 and greet my watchman who's been up for who knows how long sweeping, splitting firewood, rolling himself cigarettes, etc.

I start a fire for a breakfast of tea and rice or maybe peanut butter and banana sandwiches. After doing so, I make a trip to fill a water bucket for the day which now, I am proud to say, I am carrying back on my head every time, completely full.

Now that school's begun, I leave my house a few minutes before 7:00 to greet my neighbors and head to school. The classes I teach vary from day to day but usually I have 4-5, 40 minute periods throughout. The students are expected to be at school at 7:15 as classes begin at 7:30.

When I'm not in class, I'm either in the library or the staffroom chatting and writing lesson plans. I'm getting to know the other teachers quite well. They're all very nice and many are very dedicated, good teachers who really care about their students. Most of them live on or near the school grounds, but a few travel to work by bike or matola (minibus).

The school day ends at 2:00pm, but I usually stay until 5:00 or so watching them play sports, answering questions on a variety of topics (both school related and not), helping them in the library or checking on the girls who stay at the school.

When I leave for the day I'm greeted by my circle of primary school friends to dance, sing, color, and learn. As they leave I begin to make my dinner, usually consisting of pasta, rice or nsima and vegetables and/or beans. (I try and make sure to cook enough food to feed my watchman as well, who shows up around 5:30pm every evening.)

While dinner is cooking, I spend some time chatting with my neighbors, the primary school teachers who live nearby and most days head for another bucket of water as well.

After a warm bucket bath, I light a candle, settle into my mosquito net and either write letters or read until going to sleep, sometime after 8:00pm.

As far as the weekends go, my activities have definitely been variable. Sometimes I'm in one of the villages getting to know the women and children, chatting and discovering how they work and live. Some days I walk to the market by myself or with some of the younger teachers to buy vegetables or just to socialize.

Often times I find my coloring circle friends smiling at my door ready to play and draw pictures. Other times, I find myself at the school as students have shown up to use the library, to study, etc. On Sunday mornings, I attend church with my head teacher's wife and sons.

I also use my weekends to make time for household chores like laundry, mopping my house, etc. After doing so, I make time to take a nice bike ride or go for a good long walk. My absolute favorite weekend activity has been sitting under the big tree in my backyard, book in hand and ipod on.

I hope that helps in giving you a better sense of what it's been like living in Malawi. My days are simple and sometimes challenging, but always rewarding and full of smiling faces and good conversation.

Kuno ku Malawi. Here in Malawi.