Highlights:

-          Mumba’s goodbye party.  Really, not a highlight, more like a huge bummer.  I’ve always thought of Mumba as a Malawian uncle and have much love for the man.  He was the first person to make an effort to pull me out of my shell.  He never failed to bravely try to make conversation on our Saturday trips into town and for that I’ll always adore him.  Plus he just cracks me up.  So I’m pretty sad that he’s being transferred to another school – in Livingstonia actually.  So at least I’ll get to see him every now and then since I love going on vacation there, but it just won’t be the same without him at Chaminade. 

-          Laura scared the bee-gee-ses out of the Brothers one night.  She’d had enough of George (a huge lizard that occupies our house.  There are many of them, but Laura has decided George has grown up enough that it’s time to leave the nest.  Plus she’s convinced he’s taunting her).  So anyways, one night she snapped and started swinging at him with a broom, trying to herd him out the door.  Screaming at the top of her lungs throughout, of course.  After a couple of minutes of this she finally gave up (a.k.a. he outran her to a hiding spot).  30 seconds later, Bro. Beams calls to check on us.  Apparently he was halfway to our house when the screaming stopped, so he turned back.  We tried to explain to him that, in the future, that should be a sign to hurry, since clearly the attackers have succeeded in subduing us into silence.  But anyways, thought it was cute that he called to make sure we weren’t being robbed or beaten or something. 

-          Thought I was officially a landowner for 24 hours.  Great excitement.

-          And then I went to work the next day.  And one of my fellow teachers told me that there have been disputes about the land for the last year.  That it’s really Nyopyo’s land (a cook at MIRACLE) but that the chief took it from her and claimed it as his own.  Of course, he failed to mention this to me and just tried to make a buck before anyone realized.  This absolutely is not ok with me.  So we had some meetings with Nyopyo and the Chief and basically he just told her that it’s his and there’s nothing she can do about it.  And then tried to convince me that it was just fine, no problem.  He wouldn’t listen when I told him to me it was definitely not fine.  There’s no way I’m stealing land from this lady.  I’m sure he’ll get away with it and sell it to someone else, but I refuse to be a part of it.  I’d feel guilty for the rest of my life.  So we’re back to square one, looking for land that is conflict-free and legit.  OI. 

-          Laura and Banda and I took a weekend trip to Hara where a former volunteer has built a lodge.  It was way quieter than say a trip to Nkhata Bay, but my old-lady-self liked that.  I’d rather sleep in late, swim, drink endless amounts of tea, and relax in a hammock all day than run around anyway.  So it suits me.  Raymond was supposed to come with us too but he failed at the last moment.  Disappointed about that.  But it was fun having Banda along for the first time.  Also had a great time chatting with Frank who I’ve missed dearly (he is working as the bartender/everything man at the lodge) as well as the 3 MIRACLE students who are there on attachment.  A lovely weekend. 

-          Not so lovely?  Returning home, walking into my room, and realizing something had died there in my absence.  Not.Even.Joking.  Oh man the stench was unbelievable.  And terrifying because we’re still living out of suitcases, so all of my things are on the floor – terrified that it crawled into my clothes and died.  THANK GOODNESS it did not.  I found the decaying lizard behind the door, remarkably decomposed for 2 days, full of fat maggots.  Makes me retch just thinking about it.  Will definitely have nightmares about them being all over me.  So amidst the dry-heaving of Laura and myself, we managed to get it into a Twizzler’s bag and out into our compost heap.  Really did think both of us were going to vomit a couple of times.  Alas, dropped some maggots while running through the house, so while we are confident that we got all of them… there will always be some paranoia.  Definitely the most disgusting thing I’ve experienced in my year and some months here. 

-          After that awful experience, I’ve switched rooms because of the smell.  I’m actually happy about it because my new room is about half the size.  My bed is walled in on 3 sides, so I feel very safe.  I know I’m strange.  But anyways, Banda was great about hauling everything across the house and we all had a good laugh as we tried to squeeze the bed frame through that poorly angled house. 

-          Jim and Robyn showed up shortly after all of this craziness, which just made our day!  They always make us smile.  They were on a walk and just wanted to check in on us and bring us some wonderful ginger cookies.  Such sweet people! 

-          The new Bishop came to visit Chaminade on Monday, so I got to go to mass during the school day.  He seems to be a pretty funny guy – at least he amused the students throughout his homily.  Had a heart-filling moment when Beams was up on the altar, playing his guitar and singing the responsorial psalm.  So much love for that Brother! 

-          Land 2.0:  Went to look at a plot of land with Cosmas (my builder, once this whole thing gets going).  It’s just at the bottom of the hill to Chaminade so it’s nice and close, about a 10 minute leisurely walk.  It’s a pretty enough area – lots of trees – kind of in between the first plot and the chief’s plot, aesthetically speaking.  And it’s near power so that’s good – even closer than the last plot.  And it’s at the bottom of the hill, so water should come more regularly than it does on campus (or at the chief’s land).  Thanks to Cosmas, the price should be okay.  He’s going back to talk to the owner again this morning to finalize the cost.  And then we just have to come with money and have witnesses there to verify that it is his land and now it’s mine, etc. So exciting that this is finally coming together!