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.