Wow, I'm not doing too well with the whole blogging thing. Hehe.
But just wanted to say that I'm alive! (Yeah, yeah, Mulanje was .. 2 weekends ago?). I took way too many pics along the way up but the peak was completely covered in clouds/mist so I don't have any "majestic views" (as stated by the brochure). I do have plenty of scrapes and bruises, though. Not to mention bouts of dizziness as I'm afraid of heights.
But I survived! (Yeah, am badass like that).
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Friday, August 8, 2008
Pre-Mulanje
Ok, hopefully my next post will be one filled with awe and wonder at the natural beauty of Mulanje Massif.
I think it'll be okay. It'll be slow but we'll make it up there. 3002 m above sea level. Third highest mountain in Africa.
Hmm...
Wish me luck!
I think it'll be okay. It'll be slow but we'll make it up there. 3002 m above sea level. Third highest mountain in Africa.
Hmm...
Wish me luck!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Mulanje Massif
I just had to post this cause it's our Mulanje itinerary for the weekend. Also, Marie, Rita, Kathryn and I took 3 hours to plan our one night stay in Mulanje. It was quite an ordeal and included numerous phone calls to various motels with limited English/Chichewa exchanges.
Trip to Mount Mulanje Itinerary
Friday, August 8, 2008
2:45 -- Rita, Marie, and Hana meet in Limbe Minibus "Station," ie, the trash heap with broken down buses
2:47 -- Snack time: peanut butter crackers
3:00 -- Rita, Marie, and Hana will get on a minibus headed for Mount Mulanje
3:30 -- Still in Limbe, sitting in the minibus, waiting to depart
4:05 -- In-Ride snack time, hand sanitizer, entertainment, photography, etc.
5:00 -- Hopeful arrival in Mulanje
5:05 -- Walk to Info Mulanje
5:15 -- Check on guide info and confirm the guide, maybe a 2nd one, and also a porter for the weekend
5:25 -- Check into Mulanje Motel
6:00 -- Dinner at the restaurant or bar at Mulanje Motel (if this fluorescent light doesn't stop flashing...)
7:00 -- Find a TV and watch Olympic stuff...don't really know what time it's starting
8:00 -- Kathryn and the Dutch girls' bedtime!
10:00 -- Euro Boys will be getting wasted somewhere in Mulanje.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
5:15 -- Kathryn and the Dutch girls will wake up before the crack of dawn.
6:00 -- Kathryn and the 2 Dutch girls will depart from Blantyre for Mount Mulanje.
7:00 -- Kathryn and the 2 Dutch girls will get into Mulanje, contact Marie, Hana, Rita
Marie, Hana, and Rita will also eat breakfast and check out of Mulanje Motel.
7:45 -- Meet at Info Mulanje, let the Euro Boys know about this. Should also call Richard just in case.
8:00 -- Richard meets the Gang and we get our guides.
8:15 -- Not sure when we'll start our hike, but I'm guessing around this time.
Hike -- This hike will be dotted with refreshing water and snack breaks and photo shoots.
Some time before dark we will get to the middle plateau, the name is unknown to me.
Check into CCAP Hut, eat, sleep, all that jazz, etc.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
You know what, I give up on the rest. Please refer to Hana's very detailed previous email. Or better yet, I'll copy and paste it here. Oh, and we're staying in the CCAP hut both Saturday and Sunday nights.
Saturday, Aug 9th 2008
0515hrs Wake up and have a snack (?).
0600hrs Catch the express bus to Mulanje.
0700hrs Arrive in Mulanje (purchase snacks, food, map/guide).
0800hrs Start climbing Mount Mulanje with a guide – maybe on Chapaluka Path ? (should be about 4.5 – 6 hours hike but let's say it takes us longer because we do want to take pictures and enjoy the scenery).
1700hrs Arrive at plateau and seek hut. Get sleeping bag, rest, eat, sleep.
Sunday, Aug 10th 2008
0600hrs Wake up and have breakfast.
0700hrs Proceed up Sapitwa Peak (and here I'm not sure how long it will take and whether or not I'll be able to make it but I definitely want to try!).
1700hrs Hopefully we'll be back at the same hut but if not we should try Thuchila Hut and we can rest, eat, and sleep!
Monday, Aug 11th 2008
0600hrs Wake up and have breakfast.
0700hrs Bye to hut! (Use a different path – I heard there's a loop path one should take to get more views of Mulanje). Also should try to eat lunch/have a break by Thuchila River.
1500hrs Leave for Blantyre/Zomba (if there's a direct bus to Zomba Marie and I will be on it).
Tuesday, Aug 12th 2008
0630hrs Wake up miserably sore yet ecstatic with accomplishent!
0800hrs Marie and Hana will probably not have any work or get to go to the field so they'll be writing emails about climbing Mulanje Massif :P
=====================
Hehehehe.....
Trip to Mount Mulanje Itinerary
Friday, August 8, 2008
2:00 -- Zomba girls (Marie and Hana) depart from Zomba to Limbe (I'm just guessing the time)
2:30 -- Rita departs from Blantyre to Limbe2:45 -- Rita, Marie, and Hana meet in Limbe Minibus "Station," ie, the trash heap with broken down buses
2:47 -- Snack time: peanut butter crackers
3:00 -- Rita, Marie, and Hana will get on a minibus headed for Mount Mulanje
3:30 -- Still in Limbe, sitting in the minibus, waiting to depart
4:05 -- In-Ride snack time, hand sanitizer, entertainment, photography, etc.
5:00 -- Hopeful arrival in Mulanje
5:05 -- Walk to Info Mulanje
5:15 -- Check on guide info and confirm the guide, maybe a 2nd one, and also a porter for the weekend
5:25 -- Check into Mulanje Motel
6:00 -- Dinner at the restaurant or bar at Mulanje Motel (if this fluorescent light doesn't stop flashing...)
7:00 -- Find a TV and watch Olympic stuff...don't really know what time it's starting
8:00 -- Kathryn and the Dutch girls' bedtime!
10:00 -- Euro Boys will be getting wasted somewhere in Mulanje.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
5:15 -- Kathryn and the Dutch girls will wake up before the crack of dawn.
6:00 -- Kathryn and the 2 Dutch girls will depart from Blantyre for Mount Mulanje.
7:00 -- Kathryn and the 2 Dutch girls will get into Mulanje, contact Marie, Hana, Rita
Marie, Hana, and Rita will also eat breakfast and check out of Mulanje Motel.
7:45 -- Meet at Info Mulanje, let the Euro Boys know about this. Should also call Richard just in case.
8:00 -- Richard meets the Gang and we get our guides.
8:15 -- Not sure when we'll start our hike, but I'm guessing around this time.
Hike -- This hike will be dotted with refreshing water and snack breaks and photo shoots.
Some time before dark we will get to the middle plateau, the name is unknown to me.
Check into CCAP Hut, eat, sleep, all that jazz, etc.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
You know what, I give up on the rest. Please refer to Hana's very detailed previous email. Or better yet, I'll copy and paste it here. Oh, and we're staying in the CCAP hut both Saturday and Sunday nights.
Saturday, Aug 9th 2008
0515hrs Wake up and have a snack (?).
0600hrs Catch the express bus to Mulanje.
0700hrs Arrive in Mulanje (purchase snacks, food, map/guide).
0800hrs Start climbing Mount Mulanje with a guide – maybe on Chapaluka Path ? (should be about 4.5 – 6 hours hike but let's say it takes us longer because we do want to take pictures and enjoy the scenery).
1700hrs Arrive at plateau and seek hut. Get sleeping bag, rest, eat, sleep.
Sunday, Aug 10th 2008
0600hrs Wake up and have breakfast.
0700hrs Proceed up Sapitwa Peak (and here I'm not sure how long it will take and whether or not I'll be able to make it but I definitely want to try!).
1700hrs Hopefully we'll be back at the same hut but if not we should try Thuchila Hut and we can rest, eat, and sleep!
Monday, Aug 11th 2008
0600hrs Wake up and have breakfast.
0700hrs Bye to hut! (Use a different path – I heard there's a loop path one should take to get more views of Mulanje). Also should try to eat lunch/have a break by Thuchila River.
1500hrs Leave for Blantyre/Zomba (if there's a direct bus to Zomba Marie and I will be on it).
Tuesday, Aug 12th 2008
0630hrs Wake up miserably sore yet ecstatic with accomplishent!
0800hrs Marie and Hana will probably not have any work or get to go to the field so they'll be writing emails about climbing Mulanje Massif :P
=====================
Hehehehe.....
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Obama '08 [Obama '08]
I find it highly amusing that my Obama t-shirt has multiple purposes:
The only weird encounter I had was with a Malawian friend of a friend (FoF):
Hmm.
- Outright declaration of my support for Mr. Obama
- Protective clothing (long-sleeved so helps to prevent a farmer's tan during the day and keeps me reasonably warm when it's cooler out)
- Perfect for layers
- Wonderful conversation piece across all ages
The only weird encounter I had was with a Malawian friend of a friend (FoF):
FoF: Oh, Obama supporter, huh?And the conversation pretty much ended there.
Hana: Of course! I wouldn't be wearing it otherwise, right?
FoF: But why? Why not Hillary?
Hana: Why are you for Hillary?
FoF: Oh no, I'm a McCain supporter.
Hana: ...
Hmm.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Tikulandirani! [Welcome!]
So the reason why it took forever to construct this blog is simply because I wanted a good title and couldn't figure one out for the longest time. Suggestions thrown my way were: "Malaysian in Malawi" (original, this one!), "Malawi Mayhem" (err...), "Malawian Adventures" (would that work as an Animal Planet show?), and others that I can't seem to recall at the moment.
Anyway, I finally came up with "Mwami Wanga (pronounced u+anga) ku Malawi" which roughly translates to "My [good luck] opportunity in Malawi". I know this is going to be a life-changing experience for me and I want it to be a positive learning experience, no doubt. Judging from the first couple of emails I had sent out (which are also posted here), I was a little taken aback and homesick. It surprised me because prior to this, I felt that I do pretty well as a traveler. So much to learn, eh? Hehe.
I'll try and post on a weekly basis with detailed descriptions of my ongoings and projects. In one sentence, I'll be here for a good 5 months working with the UNDP/MVP or Millennium Villages Project on issues surrounding health and education. The internship is a requirement for my Master in Public Health which hopefully will be attained in May 2009 (woohoo!).
Feel free to post comments, thoughts, feedback, etc. I tend to ramble in my emails (and now posts, I guess) and also this blogging thing is totally new to me so bear with me!
Happy reading!
Anyway, I finally came up with "Mwami Wanga (pronounced u+anga) ku Malawi" which roughly translates to "My [good luck] opportunity in Malawi". I know this is going to be a life-changing experience for me and I want it to be a positive learning experience, no doubt. Judging from the first couple of emails I had sent out (which are also posted here), I was a little taken aback and homesick. It surprised me because prior to this, I felt that I do pretty well as a traveler. So much to learn, eh? Hehe.
I'll try and post on a weekly basis with detailed descriptions of my ongoings and projects. In one sentence, I'll be here for a good 5 months working with the UNDP/MVP or Millennium Villages Project on issues surrounding health and education. The internship is a requirement for my Master in Public Health which hopefully will be attained in May 2009 (woohoo!).
Feel free to post comments, thoughts, feedback, etc. I tend to ramble in my emails (and now posts, I guess) and also this blogging thing is totally new to me so bear with me!
Happy reading!
Chakudya! [Food!]
Thank you for all the lovely and encouraging emails you've all sent. Having reread my Malawi emails, I have to admit I'm a little embarrassed by my previous outbursts and silly rants. I hope none of you think that I'm a big baby!
Anyway, I'm slowly getting used to Malawi. I realized that I like Zomba (little sleepy town that it is) better than Blantyre. Sandy (my roommate) and I went down on Saturday afternoon to Blantyre via a minibus (picture a van with 5 rows of seats which, according to the law, can only seat 3 people per row at a time). The minibuses aren't exactly in tip-top condition but, well, it works. My other roommate, Marie, was on a minibus that picked up a guy with 4 live chickens! Oh, Malawi.
Blantyre is about 50km south of Zomba and is the commercial city of Malawi. I was expecting something like Kuala Lumpur (hahaha, ok, too much). More like Sentul in Malaysia or hmm, I can't think of a comparable town in the States. Think of .. hmm, I don't know. It's kinda dirty, there's maybe four major streets and there are shops along those streets but they're sorta rundown. I didn't take any pics of Blantyre because I was told that snatch thieves are pretty common. Foreigner with a big backpack whipping out her camera? Prime target.
By the way, I got asked by two different people if I was Japanese. Huh? One was a Malawian lady (who was very cute and taught me the word for cat in Chichewa – it's paga – and I told her I knew the word for lion in Chichewa – it's kango). The other person claimed he was from Japan but I thought it was odd that he thought I was from his native country when err, I clearly do not look Japanese.
So what did I do in Blantyre? I ate. A lot. Amazing meals and dessert. Give me a break, I was homesick! So Saturday night we went to this Indian restaurant called Bombay Palace and met up with an Indian couple (the wife is doing her MPH at Columbia and her husband came to do some orphanage work but he's a lawyer in NYC). They're leaving at the end of the week, though. Then Sandy's friend, Victor, who is finishing up his internship with the Millennium Cities was there as well. He is doing his MIA at SIPA at Columbia and is leaving on Tuesday for Spain before heading back to NYC. I actually felt like I was back in the States and the whole ambiance of the restaurant was very modern.
Then Sandy and I went back to Doogle's (a backpackers lodge) that was about 700 Kwachas a night for a dorm room (140 Kwachas = 1 USD) and passed out. The next morning we met some other people over breakfast and one of them is a British bloke (Hywel and he specifically said his name rhymes with towel so that's how I remember him) who is coming into Zomba this week to screen films in schools for the kids. Sandy and I then headed out to meet a friend of hers who lives in Blantyre. He's actually a widow who is from Karala but has been living in Africa since 1997. He was extremely nice and fed us good Indian food (his helper – a Malawian – made chapatti from scratch and yes, I snapped a pic). After we hung out with him, we then went to meet Victor and his friends at an Italian restaurant in the town. Because Sandy and I had lunch, we settled for dessert and we were not disappointed! Chocolate cake and crepes with ice cream!
Victor's friends were other students working with various NGOs in the town. One of them, Kathryn, used to live in SF and we immediately bonded over our love for the city and how much we missed the Bay area. She's also staying until September so we decided that we will be traveling buddies for the next few months. The other two girls are Binu (from Calgary) who works with Hygiene for Villagers (or something like that) and Rita (from Georgia) who's doing her summer MPH internship (Emory) with Water for People,
So yes, that was my weekend. I splurged on food but at the same time, it sort of lessened the craving for comfort and home because I realized that I'm here in Malawi for 5 months and I should get used to it and stop whining. And most importantly, I'm here for a reason and it's to help make a difference in people's lives, no matter how small. I guess previously I was frustrated with lack of communication and the fact that at work, I was not getting anything done due to various factors (I'll talk about it later, when I have a better idea why). But I have come to understand that the way that things work for me in the US does not necessarily translate to how it'll work out here in Malawi. (Wow, déjà vu Pre-Practicum seminar discussions).
Anyway, I'm feeling much better and am more optimistic about my stint here. Meeting like-minded people definitely helps and I have somewhat adjusted to the time. I still can't really send/receive international texts but it's okay. I've gotten calls from loved ones and that has made a world of a difference!
On that note, I guess I'll sign off for now. I've been typing this for the past hour and it's way past my bedtime. By the way, I am in the office before 8am because the UNDP jeep comes by at 7.30 sharp. No sleeping in!
Anyway, I'm slowly getting used to Malawi. I realized that I like Zomba (little sleepy town that it is) better than Blantyre. Sandy (my roommate) and I went down on Saturday afternoon to Blantyre via a minibus (picture a van with 5 rows of seats which, according to the law, can only seat 3 people per row at a time). The minibuses aren't exactly in tip-top condition but, well, it works. My other roommate, Marie, was on a minibus that picked up a guy with 4 live chickens! Oh, Malawi.
Blantyre is about 50km south of Zomba and is the commercial city of Malawi. I was expecting something like Kuala Lumpur (hahaha, ok, too much). More like Sentul in Malaysia or hmm, I can't think of a comparable town in the States. Think of .. hmm, I don't know. It's kinda dirty, there's maybe four major streets and there are shops along those streets but they're sorta rundown. I didn't take any pics of Blantyre because I was told that snatch thieves are pretty common. Foreigner with a big backpack whipping out her camera? Prime target.
By the way, I got asked by two different people if I was Japanese. Huh? One was a Malawian lady (who was very cute and taught me the word for cat in Chichewa – it's paga – and I told her I knew the word for lion in Chichewa – it's kango). The other person claimed he was from Japan but I thought it was odd that he thought I was from his native country when err, I clearly do not look Japanese.
So what did I do in Blantyre? I ate. A lot. Amazing meals and dessert. Give me a break, I was homesick! So Saturday night we went to this Indian restaurant called Bombay Palace and met up with an Indian couple (the wife is doing her MPH at Columbia and her husband came to do some orphanage work but he's a lawyer in NYC). They're leaving at the end of the week, though. Then Sandy's friend, Victor, who is finishing up his internship with the Millennium Cities was there as well. He is doing his MIA at SIPA at Columbia and is leaving on Tuesday for Spain before heading back to NYC. I actually felt like I was back in the States and the whole ambiance of the restaurant was very modern.
Then Sandy and I went back to Doogle's (a backpackers lodge) that was about 700 Kwachas a night for a dorm room (140 Kwachas = 1 USD) and passed out. The next morning we met some other people over breakfast and one of them is a British bloke (Hywel and he specifically said his name rhymes with towel so that's how I remember him) who is coming into Zomba this week to screen films in schools for the kids. Sandy and I then headed out to meet a friend of hers who lives in Blantyre. He's actually a widow who is from Karala but has been living in Africa since 1997. He was extremely nice and fed us good Indian food (his helper – a Malawian – made chapatti from scratch and yes, I snapped a pic). After we hung out with him, we then went to meet Victor and his friends at an Italian restaurant in the town. Because Sandy and I had lunch, we settled for dessert and we were not disappointed! Chocolate cake and crepes with ice cream!
Victor's friends were other students working with various NGOs in the town. One of them, Kathryn, used to live in SF and we immediately bonded over our love for the city and how much we missed the Bay area. She's also staying until September so we decided that we will be traveling buddies for the next few months. The other two girls are Binu (from Calgary) who works with Hygiene for Villagers (or something like that) and Rita (from Georgia) who's doing her summer MPH internship (Emory) with Water for People,
So yes, that was my weekend. I splurged on food but at the same time, it sort of lessened the craving for comfort and home because I realized that I'm here in Malawi for 5 months and I should get used to it and stop whining. And most importantly, I'm here for a reason and it's to help make a difference in people's lives, no matter how small. I guess previously I was frustrated with lack of communication and the fact that at work, I was not getting anything done due to various factors (I'll talk about it later, when I have a better idea why). But I have come to understand that the way that things work for me in the US does not necessarily translate to how it'll work out here in Malawi. (Wow, déjà vu Pre-Practicum seminar discussions).
Anyway, I'm feeling much better and am more optimistic about my stint here. Meeting like-minded people definitely helps and I have somewhat adjusted to the time. I still can't really send/receive international texts but it's okay. I've gotten calls from loved ones and that has made a world of a difference!
On that note, I guess I'll sign off for now. I've been typing this for the past hour and it's way past my bedtime. By the way, I am in the office before 8am because the UNDP jeep comes by at 7.30 sharp. No sleeping in!
Moni! [Hello!]
Ok, I think I can finally write everyone a proper email of what it's been like in Malawi. I don't know how interesting you'd find it and there's a high probability that it'd be repetitive but just bear with me lah.
I'll skip the whole journey from Blantyre to Zomba cause that was just 50 minutes of bumpy road and horrible attempts to learn Chichewa. Oh, but I do have to describe the airport to you! It was like, hmm, it's an international airport but it looked like it was something from the 60s with wooden podiums (for customs), a wooden man-made structure for immigration, and rusty carts. There was one baggage belt thing but it worked so that was fine. I was worried I wouldn't get my luggage in one piece but there's hope for them third world people yet! (Ok, so not right of me to say that but those who know me best know I'm kidding).
I like the girls I'm living with -- they're all really sweet. Marie is a junior at Duke and she's a super neat freak just like me! We got psyched over a broom when shopping at the store yesterday and have chosen a weekend to blast music and clean up the house. Hehe. Eleanor is going to be senior at UNC and she's doing this semester at sea course in the fall where she's stopping in Brazil, Namibia, Cape Town, Malaysia (!!!), Vietnam, and Costa Rica then back home. How cool is that? I've already given her tips on food to eat in Malaysia and where to go so she's all set. The other roommate is Sandy and she just graduated from Columbia (SIPA and Business School) and is finishing up her marketing project on portable LED lanterns here in the village. She's quite busy but tonight we were all home at the same time and cooked dinner (boiled potatoes, kale, rice and beans, and had some form of choc frosting with muffin aka "cupcake" for dessert. I think we're planning to head into Blantyre tomorrow and hopefully meet up with some other Columbia kids in town.
Oh crap. I gotta run. We only have one ethernet connection and someone needs it asap. So I'll write more over the weekend!
I'll skip the whole journey from Blantyre to Zomba cause that was just 50 minutes of bumpy road and horrible attempts to learn Chichewa. Oh, but I do have to describe the airport to you! It was like, hmm, it's an international airport but it looked like it was something from the 60s with wooden podiums (for customs), a wooden man-made structure for immigration, and rusty carts. There was one baggage belt thing but it worked so that was fine. I was worried I wouldn't get my luggage in one piece but there's hope for them third world people yet! (Ok, so not right of me to say that but those who know me best know I'm kidding).
I like the girls I'm living with -- they're all really sweet. Marie is a junior at Duke and she's a super neat freak just like me! We got psyched over a broom when shopping at the store yesterday and have chosen a weekend to blast music and clean up the house. Hehe. Eleanor is going to be senior at UNC and she's doing this semester at sea course in the fall where she's stopping in Brazil, Namibia, Cape Town, Malaysia (!!!), Vietnam, and Costa Rica then back home. How cool is that? I've already given her tips on food to eat in Malaysia and where to go so she's all set. The other roommate is Sandy and she just graduated from Columbia (SIPA and Business School) and is finishing up her marketing project on portable LED lanterns here in the village. She's quite busy but tonight we were all home at the same time and cooked dinner (boiled potatoes, kale, rice and beans, and had some form of choc frosting with muffin aka "cupcake" for dessert. I think we're planning to head into Blantyre tomorrow and hopefully meet up with some other Columbia kids in town.
Oh crap. I gotta run. We only have one ethernet connection and someone needs it asap. So I'll write more over the weekend!
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