What's up, readership? It's been a busy past couple weeks, with a trip to Lilongwe that turned from 4 days into 2 weeks. It was fun, expensive, and I got to hang out with lots of important PC staff people (see Mom? I'm schmoozing to improve chances for a better letter of rec in a year. I'm planning for the future!). Unfortunately, the low point was a weekend spent in agony over crippling stomach cramps, followed by the PC dr handing me a cup and requesting a stool sample by 2pm . . . But as they say, it wouldn't be Peace Corps without a rogue bacteria or two.
Anyhow, what's done is done. I realized today that I hadn't done justice to explaining rainy season, so I thought I would try to paint you a picture of it! With words, of course, since I have some serious technological handicaps.
To clarify: during rainy season, it doesn't rain everyday, or all day when it does rain. Some days aill be clear and bright, a blistering memory of hot season. It's always humid, so even when it doesn't rain, your clothes still won't dry.
The following are a collection of 100% true things that have occurred during rainy season:
-The field in front of my house and the church has been transformed into a field of maize. Where there is no maize, grasses grow, until someone like my night watchman cuts them down, because there are snakes. "don't worry," he told me in Chichewa, "I slashed the grass and they all left."
-While this kind-hearted slashing was occurring, my guard left the gate open . . . And my kitten escaped. I miss it and remember ot fondly.
-Even though the area in front ofy house is clear, it still feels like I'm walking on a jungle path when I leave to go to school everyday.
-Planting is growing season, so lots of students stay home from school to help plant and farm. Or they show up an hour or more late. Today in my form 3 class, only about 20 students were present, although there should be about 50 of them.
-Speaking of teaching, have you ever tried to teach while rain is pounding on a tin roof? It's hilarious. Thank goodness I'm loud.
-Today was the first day in about a month I got a sizeable amount of laundry done, due to frequent travels and storms.
-Storms = blackouts. As soon as I hear thunder, I look at my dinner cooking on my hot plate and wonder if I can finish it before the blackout begins.
-Still, that's better than the time there was a blackout all day and I had to put on rainboots before going outside to cook over my little charcoal stove.
-Mangoes, tragically, have left the market, and I miss them astronomically. The current combination of guavas, cucumbers, and avacadoes isn't cutting it, although it's helping.
-I have continued my crusade to be the most casual member of staff at school by teaching in rain boots. Unprofessional? Perhaps, but at least my feet stay dry.
-Everyone at school is sick, teahers and students alike. Most of them sound like they just have nasty colds and coughs, but that's probably because if they have malaria, they're staying home.
-The cockroaches, flies, and mosquitoes that live in my chim swarm out any time I lift the cover. Today I also saw a scorpion there.
-There are more bugs, spiders, and lizards living in my house thab I have ever seen in my life. It's remarkable.
-Bread has gone moldy after about 2 days at my house.
All things considered, though, I think I prefer wet season to hot season. Many nights I now sleep under a sheet and enjoy it!
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