Sixth Letter From Africa March 5th 2008
Monire Mose! (or Hello everyone!)
Yes, I'm into my fourth week of language study and happy to find I can remember most of what I'm learning. Some lessons are great (nouns) and others feel like I'm wading through molasses (verbs!) but overall there is progress :).
Angella, my language helper, has taken to the task like a natural and keeps me on my toes! She's 22yrs old, was raised by her aunty along with 14 cousins and siblings (after her parents died in 1998) and did her Dip. Business Studies with a scholarship but the funding cut out. She is now doing the Advanced Diploma by herself just using text books and finding it a struggle. She is approaching another funding organisation to see if she can get her fees covered to do the course by correspondence. Once qualified she hopes to get a good job and help her siblings with their education. So young to have suffered so much and to have such a big load of responsibility.
Chris' workload has increased dramatically and he spends three days a week working with a couple of helpers to buy enough food to feed 650 people! A cooler truck with driver now transports most of it to the site so that has been a big help. When he is not filling the orders he is doing the bookwork or arranging to have cows and chickens slaughtered, then picking up the meat and putting it into the 6 big freezers ready for the next delivery. He has started building the pedestrian suspension bridge up near the minesite so workers can get home when the river floods.
On Feb 2nd Chris and I were involved in catering for a big dinner for the Managing Director of Paladin and a whole lot of other VIP's from Australia - about 30 people in all. Chris worked with the guys cooking 2 small goats on a spit and barbequeing chicken and sausages while I Iooked after salads, dessert etc. It was a really nice evening and everyone appeared to have a good time. The following weekend we were invited to a neighbourhood birthday dinner where we enjoyed lots of delicious African style food with coleslaw, potato salad and a birthday cake. One of my favourite dishes is beef and banana curry - must get the recipe!
We are planning to visit Rina in Mangochi at Easter, driving down on Tues.18th March so we can visit villages in her area on the 19th to learn about their Total Life Care programme. We're hoping strategies that have proved sucessful there can also be implemented to improve the economy of farmers in our area. After the long weekend we will go on to Blantyre to buy furnishings for our rental house - which we are hoping will be a reality by then!! Meanwhile we have had a young carpenter here make us some bedside cupboards, a coffee table, spice rack and a big bookshelf for starters!
Continuing good rains have sent the maize crops soaring to two and three metres in height ( the song lyrics 'the corn is as high as an elephants' eye' from the movie "Oklahoma!" have taken on a new meaning!) I also read in the paper the rape increase during the wet season when women working in the gardens are hidden in their crops and are more vulnerable.
I'm enjoying being part of the neighbourhood now and look forward to seeing my friends at the markets or walking to and from work. One afternoon I found myself sitting on a neighbours porch enjoying a game of Scrabble with her and a friend! Another lady told me I'm her sister, so Chris is her brother-in-law and we don't need to be lonely while we live in Karonga because her family is our family - now that really makes us feel accepted!
I've started an ambitious project - crocheting a bedspread for our bed! It's supposed to cool down enough to need a blanket from March to August and to date have a 140x140cm square (consisting of 31 squares) that almost covers the top of the bed - guess that means I'm about half way!! There are doonas and blankets in the house if the situation gets desperate :) I'm using 4 ply 'wool' from the market in mainly dark green, light green and white with highlights of yellow and orange - looks cool and cheerfull. I washed most of the wool before using it as it was so dirty - didn't know you could do that, but the balls dry very well over three days pegged to the clothesline!)
We'd love to hear from you if you have time to drop us a line.
Warm regards, Chris and Anne Mattinson
Monire Mose! (or Hello everyone!)
Yes, I'm into my fourth week of language study and happy to find I can remember most of what I'm learning. Some lessons are great (nouns) and others feel like I'm wading through molasses (verbs!) but overall there is progress :).
Angella, my language helper, has taken to the task like a natural and keeps me on my toes! She's 22yrs old, was raised by her aunty along with 14 cousins and siblings (after her parents died in 1998) and did her Dip. Business Studies with a scholarship but the funding cut out. She is now doing the Advanced Diploma by herself just using text books and finding it a struggle. She is approaching another funding organisation to see if she can get her fees covered to do the course by correspondence. Once qualified she hopes to get a good job and help her siblings with their education. So young to have suffered so much and to have such a big load of responsibility.
Chris' workload has increased dramatically and he spends three days a week working with a couple of helpers to buy enough food to feed 650 people! A cooler truck with driver now transports most of it to the site so that has been a big help. When he is not filling the orders he is doing the bookwork or arranging to have cows and chickens slaughtered, then picking up the meat and putting it into the 6 big freezers ready for the next delivery. He has started building the pedestrian suspension bridge up near the minesite so workers can get home when the river floods.
On Feb 2nd Chris and I were involved in catering for a big dinner for the Managing Director of Paladin and a whole lot of other VIP's from Australia - about 30 people in all. Chris worked with the guys cooking 2 small goats on a spit and barbequeing chicken and sausages while I Iooked after salads, dessert etc. It was a really nice evening and everyone appeared to have a good time. The following weekend we were invited to a neighbourhood birthday dinner where we enjoyed lots of delicious African style food with coleslaw, potato salad and a birthday cake. One of my favourite dishes is beef and banana curry - must get the recipe!
We are planning to visit Rina in Mangochi at Easter, driving down on Tues.18th March so we can visit villages in her area on the 19th to learn about their Total Life Care programme. We're hoping strategies that have proved sucessful there can also be implemented to improve the economy of farmers in our area. After the long weekend we will go on to Blantyre to buy furnishings for our rental house - which we are hoping will be a reality by then!! Meanwhile we have had a young carpenter here make us some bedside cupboards, a coffee table, spice rack and a big bookshelf for starters!
Continuing good rains have sent the maize crops soaring to two and three metres in height ( the song lyrics 'the corn is as high as an elephants' eye' from the movie "Oklahoma!" have taken on a new meaning!) I also read in the paper the rape increase during the wet season when women working in the gardens are hidden in their crops and are more vulnerable.
I'm enjoying being part of the neighbourhood now and look forward to seeing my friends at the markets or walking to and from work. One afternoon I found myself sitting on a neighbours porch enjoying a game of Scrabble with her and a friend! Another lady told me I'm her sister, so Chris is her brother-in-law and we don't need to be lonely while we live in Karonga because her family is our family - now that really makes us feel accepted!
I've started an ambitious project - crocheting a bedspread for our bed! It's supposed to cool down enough to need a blanket from March to August and to date have a 140x140cm square (consisting of 31 squares) that almost covers the top of the bed - guess that means I'm about half way!! There are doonas and blankets in the house if the situation gets desperate :) I'm using 4 ply 'wool' from the market in mainly dark green, light green and white with highlights of yellow and orange - looks cool and cheerfull. I washed most of the wool before using it as it was so dirty - didn't know you could do that, but the balls dry very well over three days pegged to the clothesline!)
We'd love to hear from you if you have time to drop us a line.
Warm regards, Chris and Anne Mattinson
posted by Chris & Anne Mattinson @ 10:14 PM
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