Monday in Zomba

I have a very short time to post today...Moses didn't show yesterday....Blantyre has been out of water for four days in certain sections. I walked uptown and bought a small painting from Mark who looks so impoverished. Then I went to "Kips" which is a kind of burger/ice cream place. There were about 6 - 7 Indians kids there...they noticeably have more money. Several had braces....glasses....cell phones receiving and making calls. Then they order a huge smoking thing filled with something that looked like cream de menthe. Everyone was puffing on it, so I asked them what is was: shay shuy, they replied. I asked if it made them dizzy, and they said yes.

Moses said that the Asians own a great deal of the businesses in Blantyre, so that's why the kids looked a world away from Mark with his paintings. Also, the Malawis who have cell phones sometimes only buy time when they have to make calls....it's called "I have to top up my time." The guys at the ice cream shop didn't have to do that.

Today we got to the training late, but it didn't matter becasue the trainers were with us. It was interesting to me that there was a prayer at the end of the training, and everyone said "Amen." One trainer has the habit of saying "not so?" at the end of a sentence when he's asking if it's "right?"

The roads from Blantyre to Zomba were some of the worst I've ever seen....It reminded me of going from Tbilisi to Bantumi. The earth is red and washes out leaving rocks and ruts.

But, hey! We arrived.