What is love?

This is a question that I feel has no definite answer, except for maybe here in Malawi!! And before you think I am going to spill the details of my love life you are mistaken! (Sorry to disappoint but anyone could be reading this!!). So here is the answer to the above question told in a story format:

My nightwatch man is called George. He has a friend called Cosmos. They both work for VSOs and we all know them well. Cosmos has 2 daughters and is divorced from his wife (he bought the girls back from their mother a while ago for the cost of a cow but this is a financial stroke of genius as the girls will both be worth a cow each when they are ready for marriage!) Anyway Cosmos decided that he really needed a new wife to help look after his children and to attend to him. So off he and George went one day in the search for a new wife – it really did sound like they were just popping off to buy some groceries or a cow! They searched in vain for a few days and came back empty handed. Cosmos was very depressed about the whole thing.

Luckily their next search proved to be more fruitful and a new wife was arranged. She is from a small village quite far from Rumphi and apparently is very beautiful! The following week Cosmos had his loboro (money to buy his new wife from her father so it really is just like shopping!) ready and off they set to bring back his new wife. Unfortunately there was a funeral on so the village was empty and the trip was wasted! So again the following week off they trotted to collect this wife. However, it turns out that she is only 15 (not that that actually matters), has a child and is already married!!

Cosmos and George once again made the long journey home and once again were empty handed. Cosmos was very upset as he claims that he really wanted this one as his wife because he really does love her!!!!! (NB not actually sure if they have actually exchanged any words as the business is conducted through her father!)

This is very common practice in Malawi especially among the less educated but of course it still boils down to good old LOVE!

Other events of interest

I’ve been quite busy with various things lately including a trip down to the bottom of the lake for the VSO National Conference where all the volunteers get together and hear presentation etc. It was really good to catch up with everyone and some I hadn’t seen since arriving in country way back in Febrauay. The place we were staying in was called Sun and Sand and was lovely – it even had a swimming pool. Luxury plus hot showers which is always a bonus!

I have had my mice/rats back again although last time I think it was just some big lizards!! This time they have been getting into my clothes and eating them so I had to put a stop to it. George got me some fatal poison and managed to kill 12 of them over a 3 day period. They aren’t actually living in the house but in my boys quarters about one meter behind my house and they just pop into for food. I have acquired a mental little kitten to help in the quest of keeping the little buggers at bay. Katrien’s cat had 4 kittens and she didn’t want to keep them all so I took the boy. I certainly don’t want to deal with anymore kittens either. At the moment he has taken to scratching me everywhere and also enjoys destroying my house. I can’t let him out has he still needs his rabies jag and there are too many large dogs roaming about who would finish him off in a second! Apparently he is good at his job already as George found a dead rat in the house while I was away at the conference! Unfortunately he almost mauled my pet (ish) lizard who frequently pops in for a chat and cup of tea the other day. Jonathan had to tear JAMBO off the lizard who slowly ran for his life full of cat scratches on his body. I hope he learns not to come visiting my house again!! Shame I did enjoy his company!!

So not much else to report – I am going to rename my house the Sauna as we have already had a few really hot days and my house is really like a sauna. I’m going to pleed with my landlady to put in a ceiling to try and sort out the tin greenhouse effect!

I’m now preparing for my parents visit in less than 2 weeks time and hoping that everything goes smoothly!!! Mother has just about finished up her guiding and hopefully Malawi will come as a well deserved break! Congratulations to her for being awarded the Silver Fish last weekend and I’m only sorry I wasn’t there to see her receive it!

Catch up soon and will let you know if there are any developments with the LOVE story!!