A new country…a new ADVENTURE

This trip to Tanzania is unlike my trip to Malawi in 2010 but alike in many ways as well.

This is more about rediscovering the country I spent many years in, as a child but also to establish myself as a Social Entrepreneur.  Many of my ideas and inspiration for the programme were formed after my time in Malawi which really was a life changing experience and must thank CWW for giving me that opportunity.

Over the past year the seed had been planted and had slowly taken on a life of its own.  As this is all about rediscovery let’s see where it all leads.

Where have the days gone?!?

It has been an unbelievable 6 weeks.  The time has absolutely flown by and I have been itching to update my blog posts but c’est le vie….. “what will be will be”.

The following weekend after

Not Quite There – yet…but Almost!

Natasa was invited to one of her client’s cousin’s wedding being held at the Comesa Hall in Chichiri, basically a 100yards from our offices.  We decided that the wedding was most likely a family affair and we would only go to the reception afterwards.

We got to the hall a good 20mins after the event was due to start.  The hall was decked out beautifully with formal tables in the front and lines of extra chairs in the back.  We decided to stand at the back for a while.  A good 1/2 hr later we sat down, being foreign (we think) we were told to go sit on one of the tables but didn’t feel right doing so and sat down in the rows of chairs at the back, and waited for the wedding party to arrive.  We had two false starts but 1.5hrs after it was actually due to start the Wedding Party arrived.  The entrance was pretty amazing, nothing like I’d ever seen before…even in India!

After this the entire wedding party is invited (one by one, including the parents, best man, maid of honor, flower girl etc. etc.) to stand on the stage with a basket.  The music starts and the guests are invited to come up (dancing as they do so), and throw money into the basket until the song finishes.  Many had great wads of cash so they could keep dancing till the very end of the song.  After the Groom, Bride, Groom’s parents and Bride’s parents we decided to call it a day.

Night was still young, chilled at the house and then made our way to Rob and Kevin’s house party.  Their house is in a small housing complex at the top of a hill with fantastic views over the city.  Majority of the party-goers were working as volunteers for various NGO’s and Development organisations, hence an interesting mix of people.

Natasa and myself decided to drive down to Mulanje, Mount Mulanje is the highest mountain in Malawi.  This is when I discovered that there are apparently only 3 or 4 main roads out of Blantyre and each goes directly to one of the county’s main attractions.  These are namely: the M1, M2 and M4 – I’m sure you get the picture.

To get to Mulanje you have to drive through miles of tea plantations – beautiful lush green landscapes.

These are just some of the images I took on route.  Mulanje is on the border of Mozambique and as you drive towards it you cross a large and incredibly BUSY market.  As people don’t like their photo taken or more precisely would prefer to get paid for it – I tried my best to take a video and pic whilst driving, something I’m sure you’ve already guessed after watching the video.

As the market ends you drive an additional 200yards and you’re at the border.  No pics allowed, I’m afraid.

Catching up to 2DAY – Yipppppeeeeeeeee

Well, the rest of the week was pretty unspectacular – Yeah, RIGHT!

Why???  I hear you ask

Dah, I received my LUGGAGE, of course.  he he he

So, Friday – I decided I wanted to celebrate this amazing day!  We left work and headed off to “Mustang Sally”, and what a picture she was.

Mustang Sally Bar

Mustang Sally is a bar near our new home – it seems like it should be set in the 70′s or 80′s but I’ve been told it is a very relaxed atmosphere.  At this time of day it was just us three (Andrew, Natasa and myself) and Rob (the owner) and a few of the staff.  Ordered our drinks and was told to go have a peek upstairs.  I was a little nervous as I wasn’t sure what they were talking about – some sort of initiation, maybe.  So, very cautiously, I headed upstairs.  I had to stop myself from laughing out loud and had my camera going clickety click.

Ta DAAAA - anyone fancy a dip?!

I must have taken a FEW shots as Rob got up (thought I was going to get a telling off!).  Phew!  He just pointed out it would much nicer later in the night as he had an event planned for that evening with lasers and hundreds of starlights in the ceiling.

The wine was lovely but pretty strong and went straight to our heads not having had any lunch or dinner.

We had decided to give Abraham the night off and opted to go to “Veg Delight” (another Indian Restaurant) for our dinner.  I ordered some “Pani Puri” – thought the guys should try that too.

Pani Puri - Yummmm

Can anyone guess who these two are:

Andrew & Natasa

We next ordered some…Dosa’s and true to form they were HUGE and had to be shared.  After the meal we moved on to the “Blue Elephant“.  Rob, from Mustang Sally had advised us not to go there – not such a great place for women (yes, that’s Natasa and myself).  But we were assured by our trusted companion Andrew that he had been there on a few occasions with other women and had never had any problems.  So off we went!

As we walked in, the place looked warm and welcoming with garden tables and benches strewn around the front courtyard, at the back, the DJ, at the front the BBQ with a few wood / coal burners scattered between the tables.  Inside there was a bar and we ordered our drinks and sat on the bar stools.  A few minutes later a local “Drinker” decided to approach us.  We guessed he was a local by the way the bar staff treated him “asking him to show them the money or leave“.  We quickly sipped our drinks “in GULPS” and left – whilst walking out who else should enter but some local “Ladies of the Night” (as some, and Andrew, would call them).  We had to laugh and decided to listen to Rob more carefully in the future.

Day 3

Day started much the same way.  Arrived at the office and greeted Arthur and asked if he was feeling better and whether he’d had the chance to see the doctor.  He updated me on what the doctor which was basically he had too much blood and it was getting thick.  So naturally, I think, advised him to try Aspirin as that helps thin the blood somewhat but asked whether the doctor had prescribed anything else?  He confirmed that Aspirin did help but he was unable to take any as he got nose bleeds and the doctor had prescribed him to “donate blood” as he was making too much.  SERIOUSLY!

Right – I was lost for words and no further words of wisdom to offer, said bye and went about my day.

Today I saw my first 2 clients.  Both were great but one we decided had a lot of enthusiasm for his profession and work but would not be able to fund the work he needed us to complete.  So we completed the initial stages of the work (which was offered free of charge) and forwarded onto both clients to await their decisions.

The following day I was due to have my 3rd client of the week.  The apprentices (or JC’s – Junior Consultants), have been great – they seem to manage a lot of the work and we are there to mainly guide them and provide any additional information to the client(s).  But they are incredibly well clued up and very little assistance is required from us at these, initial, stages.

Day 2 – Meeting the Team!

Fresh and itching to get going – I was up at 6am (the pool didn’t seem at all inviting), borrowed Natasa’s shower gel and shampoo and was ready by 6.30(ish) – well, considering the whole clothes issue – I didn’t have a lot to change from.  Thank God, he gave me the sense to pack in some perfume in my hand luggage, or I would constantly be apologising for the flies circling me.

Had some cornflakes and simply relaxed in my room for a while.  At 7.45am promptly, I may add, Andrew was ready and waiting to leave.  He had already warned me – Daisy leaves at 7.45am and anyone not ready will be left back and would have to make their own way to work….

No idea where I was or which WAY I should be heading

No, that’s actually a lie!  Daisy just gets sent back to collect those running a little late.  At the office everyone had already arrived and was introduced around to:

Kondwani – The Local Programme Manager

Ritarose – the YBM representative working on the project

Tione, Edmund and Mwabi (pronounced Mwavi) – the apprentices.

When I get to know them a little better I’ll add their pics.  They are all lovely and very down to earth.  I was shown my desk and Natasa helped me get connected to the shared drive and net.  Wow, do I have to get used to the network connection here and just learn to be patient – at least it’s not as bad as the days of the OLD dial-up connection.

An hour or two later our ISP network support guys turned up to get me connected and couldn’t believe in the last month I was the 2nd MAC user and they aren’t too well acquainted with MACs here.  But luckily breathed a sigh of relief when I mentioned I was already connected and up and running.  They tried to get me connected to the shared printer without much success and had to step in and help them.  They brought me the printer drivers and Voila!  Natasa couldn’t believe she had been here 3 weeks and she still wasn’t connected to the printer and here I was in 4hours completely up and running.  Thanks NATASA – for all your help

Met Arthur – the BCA driver, he wasn’t feeling too great today and was worried it was Malaria and had planned on going to the hospital or doctor the following day.

At LUNCH – Natasa showed me around the surrounding area.  We saw a shop selling Indian spices and decided I should cook an Indian meal.  Then there was a new shopping complex nearby (not many shops) but had a local restaurant which may serve local food and I’m all for trying new things in new countries.  There is a Halal meat shop which also sells breads etc.  Quite big but pretty bare looking!

I also found a bookshop which was being newly fitted out.  The prices are incredibly high but as Andrew said it could be due to the shipping costs.  Think I’ll just wait to get back to the UK and as we Indians say Amazon Zindabad!

Everyone tends to start packing up around 4.30pm and we decided to wait a few minutes later, then headed off in Daisy once again.  Getting to know the area a little better – in case I do get left behind!

A few minutes after getting home Good old Abraham had dinner ready.  The food was a little too British for my liking but it was good getting home and not thinking about cooking and having the food all ready.  So made the most of it.

The wind had picked up and it was incredibly cold and you could see the clouds circling and later in the night heaven’s flood gates opened.

I would hate to live here alone with all that silence and only the storm for company!

D A R K !!!

So much to say and so little time… before BED!

It’s now almost been two weeks since I arrived in Malawi.  So I’ll try to sum up as quickly as possible what I have been doing here on a day by day basis:

• Day 1 – As I mentioned in my earlier posts, I arrived in Blantyre on Sunday 8th August.  Andrew, a colleague and housemate, whom I had met briefly in June, picked me up from the 1st stop the AXA Coach makes in Blantyre.  Took me for a short ride around town in Daisy and down Victoria Road towards “Sunnyside” where the BCA house is.  Although this is considered the more affluent part of Blantyre the road leading off Victoria Road is more in line with what I expected, basically a dirt road.  Met Natasa another BCA body from Slovenia.  I was shown a little of the house & the…

1st House in Sunnyside - The POOL

… alas the weather was so cold that even the thought of a dip sent shivers down my spine.  I have been told to wait a couple of weeks for the weather to pick up!  So had my finger and toes CROSSED – but a tad worried I may be waiting a while.

Fingers & Toes crossed

Was shown to my room and exhausted from the travel I decided to crash for an hour or two, or three (not sure how long – but felt much better for it).

Freshened up and decided to venture out for my first meal in Malawi – spoilt for choice….hmmm! What to have, what to have…hmmm!  I decided to opt for something that had a little bit of fire.  Bombay Palace was the choice venue of the night!  The food was good but had a very Rajasthani influence (creamy rather than spicy).

Hello Sunshine ;)

The sun is shining

Sun is shining, the weather is sweet
Make you want to move your dancing feet…

Have been humming the Bob Marley tune to myself all morning.  Guess this is exactly what happens when you’re so unprepared for the weather and are literally shivering from the cold.  Being warm blooded and hardly ever feeling the cold I really didn’t think this would ever be possible especially in Africa – but here I was in bed with socks and two layers.  Be warned, if ever you travel to the South-East of Africa, when they say winter they mean WINTER!!!!!

But since yesterday, the clouds gave way to beautiful sunshine and myself, Nataša and Andrew have been basking in the sunshine, sitting out on the patio area for most of the time we were in the house.

So, I promised to give everyone a little background…. well here goes.  I’m out here in Blantyre, Malawi as part of an initiative funded by the Scottish Govt. providing world class consultancy services to SMEs in Malawi.  The development project is intended to build indigenous consultancy capacity & expertise within the country in a sustainable way.  Basically, training Apprentices (Malawians), who have undergone a selection process, in Management Consultancy and Project Management principles and best practices simultaneously providing hands-on experience managing in-country SME projects.

That’s the spiel, in a nut shell.

Malawi

Now a little about this beautiful country (mossies and all).  Malawi is a country, as the Lonely Planet describes it, that is:

“Slicing through the landscape in a trough formed by the Great Rift Valley is the third-largest lake in Africa – Lake Malawi.  A shimmering mass of clear water, its depth swarm with clouds of vivid cichlid fish, and its shores are lined with secret coves, pristine beaches, lively fishing villages and dark forested hills.”

Map of Africa and where on the continent is Malawi

That pretty much describes Malawi in a nutshell.

Some important facts:

Malawi

The population: 14.84 million

The “official” language: English

The “national” language: Chichewa

The currency: Kwacha

Capital: Lilongwe (previously it was Zomba)

Blantyre is the largest city in Malawi and was so named after the birthplace of David Livingstone and was founded by Scottish missionaries in 1876.

Lake Malawi (aka Lake Nyasa), is the 3rd largest lake in Africa.

The current national flag of Malawi was adopted on 29th July, 2010 and it is now forbidden to even possess the old flag.  The new flag symbolises New Malawi where the sun is no longer rising but has already risen – thus, showing the economic progress Malawi has made since becoming independent.  The adoption is still being contested in the courts by opposition parties.

OLD flag was adopted on 6 July 1964. The rising sun represented the dawn of hope and freedom for the continent of Africa

The NEW flag depicts a full, centred white sun representing the economic progress Malawi has made since becoming independent.

The 1st Week

The SAGA continues….

Visited Shoprite on Tuesday to stock up on our water supply, some bran flakes, peanut butter and honey.  Whilst queuing I bumped into Shaheen with her family (another unfortunate passenger of Kenya Airways).  She was shocked to hear I still hadn’t received my bags as her family had got theirs the previous day (they had been missing, I believe, 6 or so bags).  Told me to keep trying and pestering the airports.  Breathe!

After numerous calls and various visits to the airport we were able to locate exactly where my luggage was – in Lilongwe and not Mars which was my original thought.

Hate to be Mr. Malcolm Tadworth

4 days later, on Thursday, I had to finally bite the bullet and say enough was enough and went out and bought some fine essentials.  Rushed back to the house and had a good LONG shower.  Changed, dumped my, now desperate outfit, in the wash and headed off to the office.

The first comment I got from everyone was OMG you’ve changed your clothes!  Just goes to show how long I was traipsing around in that 1st day outfit.

I decided to give it another go and was advised my bags had LANDED .  I asked Arthur, the BCA driver, to please pick the bags up from Blantyre which he was more than happy to do. My glee was short-lived.  Arthur called to confirm there was just the one bag at the airport and the handlers assumed the other was still in Lilongwe.

There was just no end in sight! Finally, one of the apprentices got onto his contacts who in turn got onto their contacts and were able to track down the bag and confirmed that it would be sent that evening and available to collect in the morning.The RANT is finally over!  Yes…Finally, I hear you all scream!  Tomorrow I can finally begin by telling you all about what it is I am actually doing here and what it is like being back on African soil – and no, the answer is not: “searching for my luggage”.  Keep reading!

First 24 hours

Well, what can I say about the first 24 hours out of London except they were probably some of the longest hours I have ever experienced and this was just the flights into Malawi.  I was initially due to leave London on Friday 6th August and having checked-in my luggage, online, the night before I was pretty relaxed.

Arrived at Heathrow T4 only to find that the flight had been cancelled, there were rumours flying around that the tyres had blown out on the Kenyan Airways plane.

Mind playing tricks on me

I was now booked on the next flight out leaving the following morning at 10.20am but could check-in my luggage at this time to get it out-of-the-way.  After queuing for 30mins we were advised that the luggage for our flight could not be checked in and we would have to return the following morning.

One more night of peaceful sleep!

Arrived at T4 at 8.15am and after queuing for another 1.5hours I was able to finally check-in my luggage and dash to the Gate which was now boarding.  After waiting on the runway for an additional 45mins, off-loading luggage for people who hadn’t boarded the plane, we were finally on our way.

Landed in Nairobi only to be advised that our connecting flight was boarding and we must hurry.  Myself and a few other passengers rushed through passport control and security to the next gate only to find all the passengers for Lilongwe and Lusaka waiting patiently in their seats and wondering what the fuss was all about.  Just as I seated myself down an attendant advised us that the flight was delayed by at least 30mins as the crew could not be found.

Be Right Back - at least they were kind enough to leave a note in time for take-off

We couldn’t fathom where they could possibly be… did they really forget they had to be at work?!  Why was I not surprised.

An hour later we were back on route.

14hours than originally planned we finally arrived in Malawi only to discover… yep, you guessed it…my luggage had not.

The sad and empty baggage reclaim belt that held 20 or so bags for 50+ passengers

After logging my details and being assured that the luggage would be with us by the following evening I was finally able to leave the airport.  I had half expected Lawrence (CBE driver in Lilongwe) to have left giving up on my arriving altogether and me being stranded at the airport at 1am.  But Lo and Behold there he was, a sight for sore eyes, waiting patiently for 3+ hours with a piece of paper with my name on.

The guest house in Lilongwe is  lovely and spacious and reminded me of houses in Tanzania and India where every sound you made echoed around for a few seconds so much so you have to almost tip toe so as not to disturb anyone else in the house.  After being shown to my room all I could think about was BED, BED and BED and, of course, getting a decent 4hours sleep before waking at 6am to catch the coach to Blantyre.  We left the guest house at 6.20am just as the early morning mist was lifting.  The air was cool and refreshing – exactly what I had needed after the previous day’s journey.  The weather not at all what I had expected, having lived in Dar-es-Salaam for a number of years the winter months there meant a top temp of 20°C and the weather in Malawi is approximately 12°C.

Unfortunately, as I had arrived late I was unable to exchange any dollars for the local currency Kwacha (MWK) at the airport and paying a little above the standard rate for the coach ticket to Blantyre, normally 3,500 MWK.  The ride was pleasant and as I was sitting next to a child travelling alone I kept passing him some smints and we talked a little – me basically giving him some advice about not talking to strangers.  Of course, I was an exception.

The one thing that has struck me the most is how common and widely spoken English is in Malawi – Chichewa (the local dialect) could ALMOST be considered a second language.  As I learn more I will be happy to share some basic words further along in my blogs.

More next time.