Update
So... now it's been a while since I wrote here last time. Lots of stuff happened, but I will try not to write too long. Some new DI's (Development Instructor - volunteer) have arrived here, so now we are many, 11 for the moment.
One DI worth to mention is Sebastian, a really nice german guy. He's been in South Africa for 6 months and is doing his final two months here in Malawi at the Teacher Training College. His time in South Africa was really bad, because the project there was really corrupt. He didn't have any support from the project leader and it was shitty, basically. Now he's really happy to be here. He's a vegan since 6 months, because he got this booklet with information about meat.
Did you know that we give so much food to animals that are butchered for meat, so that this food could instead feed all the starving people in the world? Meat is actually really bad for the environment also, beause it takes much more energy to create, transport and preserve. His reasons to be a vegan isn't so much about animals, but about humans and our world. Meat is really a waste of resources.
Also it might be worth to mention that I discovered that I'm no longer allergic to beans of any kind. This is really good, because otherwise I would have to eat meat and it's quite expensive here and not so hygenically treated at all times. So now I'm eating almost only vegetarian food like beans and soya. Sometimes I eat tuna though, just to have some variation and actually it contains omega oils which is good for the body! But still, I'm sure that I will continue to eat mostly vegetarian food when I get home, just because it's better for the world. I think that people in general don't realize that they actually have the power over the big and sometimes "evil" companies, since these companies wouldn't exist if nobody bought their products. As a consumer, you chose what products you buy and thus also what companies you support with your money. That's why I want to eat more vegetarian food.
It's actually really nice to cook food also, especially since me and Sebastian are the perfect cooking team :)
We both like to cook and we like the same kind of food as well, so it's really nice. It's much more fun to cook together with someone, because then you care more about how the food will taste as well. I can say that we definitely never lack bananas, because they are really cheap here and sometimes you can buy a dozen of them for 20 kwacha which is approximately one swedish crona or ten euro cents. I will probably get tired of bananas during my time here :P
About my work here in Malawi, we opened the Youth Centre and it was a bit chaotic. We worked very much hand in hand with the teacher students at the college and at the opening day these students got an exam as a surprise from their teacher, so the opening was delayed for about one hour... but once we got it started, it actually went fine. Now we are making the weekly schedule and I'm going to start a music club together with a malawian named Charles. I think it's going to be really nice. I'm also so glad that I'm working together with Anna, now she and Sebastian is painting a world map on one of the walls in the Youth Centre, it's going to be so nice. We're really a good combination, since we are good in different areas.
Timothy, the responsible for opening days, wants me to be coordinator for the Drama Festival we are going to have at the college this Saturday, because I was the coordinator for the Opening Day of the Youth Centre and he think that I did a good job then. I've actually gotten comments that I'm very organized in my work. I think it's in my blood, since my father is working with city planning and my mother is a principal at a school. I actually really like to have my work organized, although sometimes it may seem a bit chaotic from the outside.
One really funny thing about Malawi is that a certain musical band is really popular here. I don't think you can guess which band, because it's actually Westlife of all the bands in the world. Why? Well, I think partly because this was a British colony so they are influenced by British culture, but also because their songs are very simple and are expressing strong emotions about love. This is something that the malawians really like. So Sanna, you should've continued the program and come here :P
Hmmm... Now it's becoming a lot of text, but you'll have to live with that, or you can just stop reading (but then you'll miss the best part, because that's in the end!).
Anyway, we went to a national park last weekend and it was really really nice. I was the only one that brought food, so we were eating soya (uncooked) as a snack, it actually tastes okay. In the national park we saw zebras, nyalas (some kind of gazelle-looking animal), oxen, monkeys and best of all, giraffas. We could go really near the giraffas, they weren't afraid at all. They were many also, maybe 15 or so. They are so amazing, especially the way they move. Their movements are really like in slow motion, but still gracious, although they look kinda clumsy. They are really big and powerful and you can't really know how it is to see one just through descriptions, movies or pictures. You have to be there and see it with your own eyes. I think also because these giraffas were free in the wild, it was even better, because at the zoo animals have lost something that they have when they are free.
On the way home, we went 19 people in a pick-up :)
After all, there are not so many cars in Malawi, so the one's the have are forced to take more people instead. It was actually really nice, I was sitting on the side of the back part of the pick-up and the sun was setting. It's really a feeling of freedom.
Okay, I'm almost finished so now I have to write that best part I promised. The thing is that it's getting late and I have to get up early tomorrow, so I'm actually going to keep you waiting for that best part. Don't worry, it will come, I will instead write it as a new post. Actually that's better, because then even the lazy people (that didn't read all the way here) will get a chance to read it as well.
Very well, good night to you all and thanks for reading all of this! Please leave a comment as well!
One DI worth to mention is Sebastian, a really nice german guy. He's been in South Africa for 6 months and is doing his final two months here in Malawi at the Teacher Training College. His time in South Africa was really bad, because the project there was really corrupt. He didn't have any support from the project leader and it was shitty, basically. Now he's really happy to be here. He's a vegan since 6 months, because he got this booklet with information about meat.
Did you know that we give so much food to animals that are butchered for meat, so that this food could instead feed all the starving people in the world? Meat is actually really bad for the environment also, beause it takes much more energy to create, transport and preserve. His reasons to be a vegan isn't so much about animals, but about humans and our world. Meat is really a waste of resources.
Also it might be worth to mention that I discovered that I'm no longer allergic to beans of any kind. This is really good, because otherwise I would have to eat meat and it's quite expensive here and not so hygenically treated at all times. So now I'm eating almost only vegetarian food like beans and soya. Sometimes I eat tuna though, just to have some variation and actually it contains omega oils which is good for the body! But still, I'm sure that I will continue to eat mostly vegetarian food when I get home, just because it's better for the world. I think that people in general don't realize that they actually have the power over the big and sometimes "evil" companies, since these companies wouldn't exist if nobody bought their products. As a consumer, you chose what products you buy and thus also what companies you support with your money. That's why I want to eat more vegetarian food.
It's actually really nice to cook food also, especially since me and Sebastian are the perfect cooking team :)
We both like to cook and we like the same kind of food as well, so it's really nice. It's much more fun to cook together with someone, because then you care more about how the food will taste as well. I can say that we definitely never lack bananas, because they are really cheap here and sometimes you can buy a dozen of them for 20 kwacha which is approximately one swedish crona or ten euro cents. I will probably get tired of bananas during my time here :P
About my work here in Malawi, we opened the Youth Centre and it was a bit chaotic. We worked very much hand in hand with the teacher students at the college and at the opening day these students got an exam as a surprise from their teacher, so the opening was delayed for about one hour... but once we got it started, it actually went fine. Now we are making the weekly schedule and I'm going to start a music club together with a malawian named Charles. I think it's going to be really nice. I'm also so glad that I'm working together with Anna, now she and Sebastian is painting a world map on one of the walls in the Youth Centre, it's going to be so nice. We're really a good combination, since we are good in different areas.
Timothy, the responsible for opening days, wants me to be coordinator for the Drama Festival we are going to have at the college this Saturday, because I was the coordinator for the Opening Day of the Youth Centre and he think that I did a good job then. I've actually gotten comments that I'm very organized in my work. I think it's in my blood, since my father is working with city planning and my mother is a principal at a school. I actually really like to have my work organized, although sometimes it may seem a bit chaotic from the outside.
One really funny thing about Malawi is that a certain musical band is really popular here. I don't think you can guess which band, because it's actually Westlife of all the bands in the world. Why? Well, I think partly because this was a British colony so they are influenced by British culture, but also because their songs are very simple and are expressing strong emotions about love. This is something that the malawians really like. So Sanna, you should've continued the program and come here :P
Hmmm... Now it's becoming a lot of text, but you'll have to live with that, or you can just stop reading (but then you'll miss the best part, because that's in the end!).
Anyway, we went to a national park last weekend and it was really really nice. I was the only one that brought food, so we were eating soya (uncooked) as a snack, it actually tastes okay. In the national park we saw zebras, nyalas (some kind of gazelle-looking animal), oxen, monkeys and best of all, giraffas. We could go really near the giraffas, they weren't afraid at all. They were many also, maybe 15 or so. They are so amazing, especially the way they move. Their movements are really like in slow motion, but still gracious, although they look kinda clumsy. They are really big and powerful and you can't really know how it is to see one just through descriptions, movies or pictures. You have to be there and see it with your own eyes. I think also because these giraffas were free in the wild, it was even better, because at the zoo animals have lost something that they have when they are free.
On the way home, we went 19 people in a pick-up :)
After all, there are not so many cars in Malawi, so the one's the have are forced to take more people instead. It was actually really nice, I was sitting on the side of the back part of the pick-up and the sun was setting. It's really a feeling of freedom.
Okay, I'm almost finished so now I have to write that best part I promised. The thing is that it's getting late and I have to get up early tomorrow, so I'm actually going to keep you waiting for that best part. Don't worry, it will come, I will instead write it as a new post. Actually that's better, because then even the lazy people (that didn't read all the way here) will get a chance to read it as well.
Very well, good night to you all and thanks for reading all of this! Please leave a comment as well!
