Mary in Malawi

30 september

So have this wonderful three weeks come to an end. They have gone so fast... It felt like christian came just a few days ago. But yet we have done a lot!

For me, it has been vaccation in heaven! For Christian it has been three weeks of great contrast. From eating Nsima on the floor in a clay house and being hunted by traditional demons, to sleep in a king size bed in a delexe suite in the best hotel in lilongwe.. I must say that Christian made an impression on me. He is a kind of luxurious guy, likes it nice and clean and somehow expensive.. ;) But he has not once complained, and he has really had an intense, pracitical course in malawian lifestyles. He has been travelling like a malawian (overcrowded minibuses, back of trucks, bicycle taxi, ambulancetransport..) He has been eating lika a malawian (Nsima, nsima, nsima...) and he has even learned to think in ”Malawi-time” which means no watch, no clue about time or date and to never be surprised when a malawian turns up three hours later then agreed....;)

He has seen the hospital, he has witnessed me and clinical officer daniel repairing a broken arm (which made him never want to return to the hospital ever again...)

He has also gotten used to get food stolen by monkeys (with great blue balls).

And he has now also learnt a lesson. He must marry me, 'cause as of now we are living in sin. The traditional chief of Nkhoma/ the Chief priest of all Nkhoma synod churches came to our house a monday morning at 7:30. He had heard the rumour that I lived together with a man I was not married to. So he came, and he explained to Christian that he had to marry me, and he could arrange it all right there and then. We politely turned his offer down (or Christian did, I kind of agreed with the priest. I mean, what would Jesus say if he knew, seriously?)

....

I asked Christian just now what his greatest impression of Malawi was. And he said (quote); ” That people were so happy. Even though they live such a hard life. Maybe we have something to learn from them”

=)