New home

Well we have moved into our new house now, that happened last Saturday. Our house is really nice and sits in this massive garden, so we are going to have to employ someone to maintain it. In the garden we have a couple of mango trees, avocado trees and guava (I think that is what they are, but stand to be corrected.) The next time I come online I will add some photos so that you can have some idea of what it looks like. So my new home is a 3 bedroom bungalow type house, with a sitting room, dining area/3rd bedroom and a bathroom which has a really deep bath. We have running water and electricity, so life is good. Went to the Blantyre market on Saturday morning to do the main shopping for vegetables, it was mad in there but a really good selection and all at good prices. In the afternoon we moved to our new house and then spent Sunday just sorting things out.
This last week started working on the wards at the hospital. I spent much of the week sorting out the easiest way to get to and from work and adjusting to working in a very different environment. The journey either involves walking to work, or getting 2 minibuses. So now I am walking to work and using the quickest route takes me about an hour door to door. I am then getting the minibuses home, this still involves a 15 minute walk to our house from the main road. The minibus station at Blantyre is just mad, with everyone shouting out the destinations and trying to sort out which bus will go first, as until they are full they don't go. Have now got really used to it though, and although am entertaining everyone with my pronunciation, I am now getting to where I want to be.
It is very strange working on the wards again, and it is very different here. The ward staff have been lovely and really helpful. I was working on the female surgical ward, which takes a wide variety of patients, including ENT, Dental and orthopaedic, as well as cancer and general surgery. It does not have any state of the art equipment like we have at home, even bed linen is in very short supply. There is no piped oxygen or suction and there are often more patients than there are beds, actually this was the case for just about every day that I was there. Patients when they arrive tend to be really unwell and come from all round the south part of the country referred in from the District hospitals for specialist treatment. On site there is an MRI scanner and CT scan.
The day shift is from 7.30 to 5pm and then the night shift is from 5pm to 7.30 am. Thankfully my orientation does not include doing a night shift. The day shift is long enough and I had forgotten how tired your feet get when standing all day long, as well as walking 3 miles to work and 1 mile home. I will be a foot shorter by the time the 2 years are up as will have worn away my feet and lower legs, despite the protection of shoes.
Friday night found out where the local meeting point is for after works drinks, very important information to have. Met up with some of the other volunteers and have invited about 10 people to Sunday Curry lunch! So this morning was spent madly shopping. Fortunately my housemate's friend lent us their car, so we were able to do loads and not have to carry it great distances.
Anyway had best get going again, have now had a respite from the days chores.
Will try and add some photos so that it is not so boring in future.
If anyone wants to know about anything just let me know.
x

no home yet

We traveled from Lilongwe to Blantyre on Saturday, leaving the VSO guest house at 12.30. There was a slight technical hitch with our travel plans and therefore we didn't leave with our furniture. So although the original destination was going to be our new house, we are actually currently staying with another volunteer this week until tomorrow when we do move into the new house. We eventually got to Blantyre at 6pm after quite a long journey down, we had managed to fit 2 mattresses onto our transport as where we were going didn't have any beds for us. After unloading us and our possession, our escort Kenneth very kindly went off to get some bed frames for our mattresses. By the time he returned we were in the middle of a power cut so we assembled our rooms by candlelight. The electrician had also turned up during this period to fix some of the lights which weren't working, including the one in my room. He had to wait in the garden until the electricity came back on again.

This week have spent most of the time shopping it seems, getting stuff for our new home. I think this is my new hobby, sadly a challenging one on a budget. On Monday I went to the College to introduce myself and get acquainted with my new work colleagues. They were really nice and friendly. I was taken around to the hospital to meet the Chief Nursing Officer, and to get my orientation sorted out. So will be starting the 4 weeks orientation on Monday prior to getting registered with the NMC of Malawi.

Tuesday, besides shopping, went and saw our new house, it is in a district in the northern part of Blantyre, and quite some distance from the hospital. I feel that I am going to get very fit out here with all the walking I am doing. It is a good mile and a half probably from our house to the main road where the mini buses go, and then it is 2 minibus rides to the hospital. It is based a huge garden, and I mean huuuuuuuge. It is 3 bedroom bungalow and seems really nice. Our furniture arrived on Wednesday and today they are doing some minor repairs on it and then tomorrow we will move in.

On Wednesday I bravely made my way into the main part of Blantyre, finding my own way on the minibuses. Here I managed to open a bank account, and find a tailors to get some tunics made for work. It is so hot out here I really don't want to wear dresses unless I really have to. Fortunately, the lecturers tend to wear tunic and trousers, and after carefully checking with the CNO this is perfectly acceptable for wearing on the wards as I am also classified as one of the tutors. Phew. I need to go and collect the tunics tomorrow. I really hope they are ready.

Blantyre is in the middle of the rainy season, and it is very muggy out here at the moment, with some amazingly heavy rain. It does not rain all the time at all, and has not done so everyday, but even after it has rained it doesn't make it any less humid. I wonder does your hair rot if it is never dry! One of my least useful items packed so far has been the hair dryer! have used it once and needed a shower afterwards again to try and cool off. I am now the proud owner of really quite curly hair.

The Malawian people are really friendly and helpful. On my second visit to the hospital, I knew that I could go a shorter route than by car, but after walking for over half an hour, I hadn't found it, so stopped a young woman to ask for her help. She immediately took me under her wing, and I walked back most of the way I had come with her, and then she took me through the short cut, explaining when I could and couldn't use it and generally just chatting. I don't know if she had intended to go that way, but until we got near the hospital, some 20 mins later, she accompanied me the whole way to ensure that I got there OK. After this route march around the Blantyre, I tried to look composed and not so much like a sweaty ratbag ready to meet the CNO.

Have started to meet some of the other volunteers out here now, and it is amazing how the day goes by just sorting everything out. I find myself going to sleep to the sound of barking/howling dogs, and being woken by the beep beep cockerel just outside my bedroom window anywhere between 4.30 and 5.15.

So this weekend it is moving time again and settling in to our new home, prior to starting work on Monday.

Only 2 power cuts this week, and 2 water cuts. One of these was for 18 hours, and started just as I was finishing my ablutions for the morning. However had filtered plenty of drinking water the night before so had loads to keep us going, it is all becoming part of the daily routine, boil loads of water, and then put into the water filter.

So life is going well in Malawi, and am enjoying settling in and finding out about the area, and am looking forward to starting work on Monday.

Nikki is in Malawi

Well I arrived safely in Malawi on Sunday 7th February. Flew overnight from London to Johannesburg, managing to solve many a crime on the Nintendo DS whilst around me everyone slept peacefully. There was a very short gap between one flight and the other, and whilst we just made it, after watching the carousel in Lilongwe for a long time, as predicted our luggage didn't. This had one advantage, I didn't need to carry it, as it was delivered to the hotel the next day but it also had it's disadvantages. The weather on arrival was gloriously sunny and hot, and really has continued that way ever since. It is the rainy season at the moment here in Malawi, but not as rainy as it should be. We have had rain only once so far whilst we have been awake to see it anyway.
We are spending the first week in Lilongwe doing in-country training. This includes language lessons, and have had two so far. My Chichewa though is going to take a long time alearning, but I have learnt the important words, thank you - Zikomo and sorry - papani, and how to greet someone day and night.

Today went to Nurses and Midwives Council of Malawi to start the registration process, and got details of my orientation programme. Will be spending four weeks on the wards and in clinics. i am really looking forward to this and to start getting to know my work colleagues. Also went to the local clinic and got a supply of treatment for malaria etc. just in case it should be needed. I hasten to say it is not needed now. Have been also learning about the culture and history of Malawi.

As you can see have access to the internet, well hopefully you will be able to see, as long as it doesn't shut down whilst I am doing this. it is on the slow side, so there is not much hope of uploading any pictures at the moment. I will need to become a bit more patient and give myself more time for doing internet stuff, but it is great to have the access we do have. Have also sorted out the mobile so have a new number which I have put to good use texting.

The hotel is very nice that we are staying in, but doesn't serve alcohol, but never fear, we are living next door to a bar, which we hoping to frequent this evening for the local volleyball tournament. The next door hotel also has a bar, so in the interests of cultural awareness I have participated in trying the wine and the beer. Both perfectly drinkable, just not necessarily both affordable. I will in the name of science try the local vodka as well.

On Saturday, I will be picked up by my new employer and taken to my accommodation, so am really looking forward to that. It will be great to see where I will be living. I will be sharing with one of the other volunteers who has just arrived as well, so together we can get ourselves lost in Blantyre trying to sort everything out.

Well I think I can hear my name being called for another food session, so had better go. It might be a while before I post again, as will need to sort out internet connections once I get to Blantyre, but I do have options to explore which all sound quite reasonable.

So far I think I can safely say I am enjoying Malawi, and it is so far living up to being the Warm Heart of Africa.

M-Day

So it is finally here, the day that I fly off to Malawi. Bags are all packed, only problem there is that I can't lift them. Me thinks they might be slightly overweight! and now if I haven't packed it, it isn't going. Fortunately though, the original 25kg allowance has grown to 3 bags of 23kg. I didn't think I would need that much, wrong. So not only do I have 2 suitcases, but a rucksac and a backpack and a laptop bag. There is a strong chance that my hold luggage won't catch up with me until sometime during the first week in Malawi, so have had to have a backpack with changes of clothes etc as well as all the essential items for an 11 hour flight, well they are essential to me, but am prepared to agree that they might be essential to everyone else. I wonder how many books will I be able to buy and carry when I get into the Departure lounge!

Well it is an 11 hour flight to Johannesburg and then change to another flight, which takes us to Llilongwe. This flight is 2 and a bit hours. We only have an hour between the two flights, and this probably explains why luggage doesn't always arrive with you. I'll be lucky to arrive with me, doing a mad dash across the airport to a different terminal.

The first week will be spent doing in-country training and then will be heading to Blantyre a week today. Will find out then where I will be living!

Well, better get my last TV viewing in for the forseeable future.

Next posting will be from Malawi.