Sunday 1 p.m.after church, so to speak

Thank you, LJ, SK, and Megan for the great pictures! I wasn't able to make the video go, it would say "buffering" and never kick in. I'm missing you, too!

This morning while I was eating breakfast in the hotel dining room (broadly defined as a restaurant), there were two church services being televised: One sort of looking like a protestant church service anywhere, except that the women in the congregation had special uniform-like outfits on--the men had suits--the minister had a regular minister outfit on and preaching in English, then next to him was standing a fellow in a more traditional African outfit, and he was interpreting what the minister was saying into another language. The second church I saw was far more lively! A woman minister dressed the fancy clothes was singing and dancing, and so were all the people in the congregation. If I chose to go to one of those services, it would have been the second one!

Because I know BB wants to know, here's what I have had for breakfast every day since coming to Malawi:
some kind of juice--very good; bad instant coffee; rice crispies or corn flakes; egg fixed some way--generally scrambled; I don't eat the sausage or sliced tomatoes served with the eggs; plain white toast. So far, I think rice crispies is winning the contest.

I'm sorry I didn't answer LJ & SK's ice cream question. Ice cream for most people here is VERY special. I've now stayed in three hotels in Malawi and, although they have it listed on the menu, they never have it. That's why I went up to Kips last Sunday and bought a STRAWBERRY cone. Yesterday, I went up there again and got a VANILLA AND STRAWBERRY TWIST. I needed to get back to my hotel before it began to rain, so I ate it while walking. I have to say, that I felt guilty walking past people with it. It's not that EVERYBODY in Malawi can't afford ice cream, it's just that most people can't. Certainly people who are on the street selling bananas, peanuts, sourvenirs, etc. can't afford it. When I was buying bottled water in a store the other day, I saw a well-dressed dad and his daughter buying frozen ice cream cones out of the freezer. But, I could tell that they had more money, because the dad had glasses on.

I'll try to answer the questions asked by the girls.

The only wild animal I've seen so far was when I went to the hotel at the top of Mt. Zomba. It was a monkey, but since he was inside the hotel garden, I don't think he's so wild. I do NOT see dogs as pets. Some guards standing outside places that might get robbed have dogs beside them, but they have muzzles on. I guess if someone started to rob the place, they would take the muzzles off to protect the store and run after the robbers.

All the people who work in the schools and the children are black. LJ & SK--Do you have any black children in your schools?

When I've gone into classrooms, I do see big letters that the teachers made and hung them up. Most of the materials used in the classrooms are made by teachers. The reason there are so many children (60 as an average) is because the government pays for the schools, and they can't afford new buildings and lots of teachers and extra helpers. Also, in the past, girls were not encouraged to go all the way through school so they could go to college and become teachers. There is a big effort by the government to have parents encourage girls to go to school. Many of the children in the schools wear uniforms, but not all. Because some children might not come to school if they think they don't have clothes good enough, uniforms in schools are good. LJ & SK-- Would you like to wear uniforms to school? Do you think the other students in your schools would like to wear them?

There is wonderful music here and I've heard some coming out of buildings. Unfortunately, from my point of view, many of the young people like "rap"...much as in the US. But, it's African rap.

I have not been to Minnesota on this trip, SK, because I'm not on the North American continent. I flew across the ocean to Europe (a differnet continent) and then to Africa--yet another continent. Can you and LJ find those three continents on the globe? I bet mommy and daddy can help you! When I get back to Chelsea, I will visit you in Minnesota but not right away, because you won't be there yet! I will visit you in Minnesota when you are there in the summer!!

Remember when I told you that someone stole the engine and the battery out of Cosmas's car? Well, yesterday he had his car at the office where we work together. So, he bought a new motor and battery already. He had pulled his car up the drive to the back of the building, and we got into it to go someplace together. Well, the car wouldn't start. The battery was dead. So, Cosmas he let it roll backwards since it was on a hill. He thought it would start, but it didn't. It rolled so closed to the brick wall, that the mirror on the passenger's side of the car (where I was seated) had to be moved almost into the door. Cosmas got about six BIG kids to help him try to get it away from the wall. When I saw all those kids trying to LIFT the CAR, I couldn't watch any more. I was afraid someone was going to get hurt. Somehow, they managed to get it away from the wall, down the driveway, and then they pushed it so it would start. Whew!

In Blantyre, when you park on the street to go into a shop, parking police come up to the driver to collect about 10 cents as they pull away. So, yesterday, I got the money out when Cosmas and I were pulling out of the parking space. The parking police didn't come, so I handed it to a girl running along side the car. She was about SK's age.

Keep those questions coming! And, thanks for the signs and long-distance hugs. I miss the real ones!