Latest from Lilongwe

The little guesthouse we are staying at in Lilongwe was a bit disappointing when we first arrived.  Much different that the picture we had seen (what a surprise, huh!?) and the bathroom was the kind where the shower isn’t separate so your whole bathroom floor gets wet, and we couldn’t open the wardrobe door because there was a desk in the way so there was nowhere to put stuff.  I was just thinking it would be a long week, when the proprietress came up and said  “you know we have a little flat with a cooking area and even though it is normally more expensive I can offer it to you at the same price as your room and it would be more comfortable for a weeks stay.”  It is indeed more comfortable, large and with a nice tub and hand shower – and best of all a square mosquito bednet over a canopy bed frame which is so much more comfortable to sleep under, we bought some bread and peanut butter and can get some yogurt, cold water etc. since we have a little fridge.  I boiled up some water so we don’t have to keep buying it and I put some left over chicken in the fridge after lunch today – more things for which I am grateful. 

Our little flat has a little patio over looking their very pretty courtyard, and when the proprietress saw me hanging my hand laundry on the porch furniture this morning she said “can I put those in the sun for you”.  Very kind and more for which to be grateful.

Flemmings stopped over on his way home from work Wednesday night, to make a plan for us to help him during our time here and just as he left the power went off.  He commented on how much more common it is here in Lilongwe than it was in the north in Ekwenedni, his former home.  The innkeeper said it happens several times a week now and that there might be a protest march today.  The population is so much denser here in the capitol city, and although only 10% of Malawians even have electricity, most of them who do live here in Lilongwe – and just 5 years ago only 5% had electricity so demand has doubled in a short time.  They are very challenged to meet the increasing demand for electricity in this developing nation.  The power was only off for about 2 hours that night, but has been off from noon until bedtime the past 2 days.  Flemmings was right, it is noticeably worse here in Lilongwe than it was in the north.

Flemmings was going to pick us up at 10am Thursday morning but called to let us know his niece had been ill for 2 days and he had to take her to the hospital so came at 1:30  instead – his youngest was also vomiting and had diarrhea.  This is so normal for life here.  We complain about everyone being late or things not happening on time, but it is often for reasons like this that it happens.  Life is hard and frequently unpredictable here for people.  This Friday morning he was an hour late because his daughter had to take an entrance exam for a primary school in their new neighborhood, and when he told her she could walk home when she got done she started to cry.  It felt like too much for a 9 year old, new neighborhood, new everything here in Lilongwe.

It is now Saturday morning here, and we are down to the last 10 days in Malawi.  Last night we went to the grocery store and got some yogurt and fruit so we didn’t have to eat the usual fare for dinner – tonight, we may go to dinner at our favorite restaurant in town – Italian – which will be a huge treat!