We were supposed to go down to Blantyre a couple of weeks ago to pick up the donated library books from customs. I was actually excited about the trip as it meant a chance to shop at some grocery stores that carry western products, eat at some new restaurants that serve something other than Malawian staples, and go to a legit hospital to get my back x-rayed to finally see what’s up with that. Buuuut the customs guy called and said the books hadn’t even arrived in South Africa yet! Awesome. So the new expected date of them being in Blantyre is the middle of June – a whole month late. We’ll see if they even keep to that time schedule!

So about my back, I’ve had a couple of bad weeks on that as it keeps flaring up. Really it’s been hurt for 4 months. Constant pain, literally 24/7. It’s mainly in my lower back but shoots up my spine and down into my right leg. Can’t sit or stand comfortably. The only thing that works is laying and even then I have to shift around constantly to find something that doesn’t send pain everywhere. So I don’t know what’s wrong with it. 4 months seems too long for it to be a strained muscle. And yet I didn’t do anything awful to it that would suggest a herniated disc or something. If I were in the US I would’ve taken care of it immediately with a chiropractor or surgery or whatever was necessary because it’s been pretty debilitating. I can’t do half of the tasks at home since carrying heavy buckets of water is a vital step in basically every task. And at work, I will go days without working on the books because I can’t lift them since doing so will mean I can’t walk for the next few days. But there aren’t any chiropractors here and I doubt there are even any massage people who would know what they’re doing either. And I’m not letting someone untrained poke around my back. So in the meantime to make it through I take a couple of breaks each day to lie on the library table. This bothers Envie (my coworker) to no end and has even resulted in her telling me to just go home. But it’s not like I have a choice. It’s either that or crying, darling!

This back pain has only enhanced the MIRACLE staff’s conviction that I’m pregnant. I’ve stopped even trying to convince them that I’m not. Because it’s falling on deaf ears lol. Madame Mwalweni even called me in last week to have a talk with me about pregnancy. Her reasons for thinking I’m pregnant? 1. My face is rosy. She says this is a symptom. Really, Madame? How many azungu have you seen pregnant because I’m pretty sure that African women do not get a rosy complexion… 2. I’ve lost weight. This one makes me laugh. First they were saying I was getting fatter and thus preggars. Now they say I’ve lost weight, so that’s a sign too. I think they’re just searching for any reason now… Cracks me up. Also, Madame thinks that the reason why I don’t know I’m pregnant is that the baby is a girl so she’s just shy and hiding. *Facepalm* She was actually serious. I love that woman so much. So anyways, they’re going to be disappointed in 9 months methinks.

We had a welcoming party at MIRACLE during which I was welcomed (yet again), bringing the total parties of which I was a guest of honor to 3. First welcomed as a volunteer, then farewelled, and now welcomed again as a real employee. Had a fun time chatting with Glory and hearing about her soon-to-be born baby (just found out this morning that she had a baby girl! Yay – soon I’ll have a new baby on campus to play with!). Also drank multiple bottles of Cherry Plum and enjoyed their equivalent of beef jerky. Danced a bit but really just got a kick out of watching the male teachers try to convince the females to dance with them. Looked a little bit like they were just trying to herd some goats together as the girls kept trying to escape.

Last weekend we had a little mini-holiday because we had Monday off. So Banda and I decided to go down to Maji Zuwa which is a lodge about an hour and a half away and not coincidentally about as far as I can go with my back pains. Luckily I was able to sit in the front seat of the minibus so it wasn’t too bad…. Except for when a new mother came in and just spread herself out into my seat. Can’t really elbow a baby in the head, so I just suffered through until she got off. Had a lovely time at the lodge. It still has a really quiet atmosphere which is fine with me, as we just spent our time swimming, lounging around, chatting with Frank, and playing Bawo. I beat Banda for the first time ever so that was a proud moment! Kaunda and his wife and Annie and her husband drove down for one of the days so we also had a fun time swimming and chatting with them. Always funny to run into Chaminade people off-campus. They showed us a little beach down the way that actually has sand rather than slippery rocks, so that was very welcome as well. The waves were particularly rough which, although making me nervous for Banda who is not so great of a swimmer, was also adorable to watch him squeal as the waves almost swept him off his feet. There was a brie (BBQ) on Sunday afternoon so the place was full of people which was a fun change. Although having to sit and listen to the drunk chief ask me for airfare to America was not so much fun :) The brie was sponsored by Matt’s mom who was visiting him with her boyfriend. So that was nice to chat with them and then Matt and I also had a very nice chat as we had a couple of beers and mused about life in Malawi. A lovely weekend away!

We returned on Monday afternoon just in time for a lunch date with Jim and Robyn (our nurse friends from America and Australia). They have just returned from holiday and were forced to move into a new house which is ridiculously huge and not to their liking as they preferred their former small abode. Got the grand tour and then lounged out on the porch which is the best part of the whole place. Enjoyed their cooking and conversation as usual but the best part was dessert – Snickers bars!! I never bought them here because I thought they were too expensive, but upon checking this weekend, they’re really only $1.25. Snickers bars, here I come. It was nice to see them again and as always I appreciate that they watch over me just as they did with all of the volunteers.

Someone’s been jumping over our back wall and stealing things. But in a very odd manner. Things taken? My razor. Banda’s boxers. Banda’s flipflops. An odd assortment considering there were several pots/pans/dishes out there as well as clothes and our stove-top cooker. I am rather sad about the razor since it was one of those nice ones where you just replace the cartridges. Fortunately, though, Banda fashioned a new handle out of half a clothes-pin!

Despite my back, I’ve actually had a really good couple of weeks health-wise. I don’t know if it was all of those meds wiping out anything bad in my system or the fact that I’m back on doxycycline (daily anti-malarial meds) so that’s suppressing everything. But I’ve had more energy and felt more like myself than I have in the 5 months since being back. So that is a huge relief. It’s made all of the difference in my general mood – feeling unwell all the time sucks! – so I’m very grateful and hoping that it keeps continuing this way!

Realized that I need to stop trying to reason with my house builder because it’s just never going to work. How did I decide this? Well Banda and I spent about 10 solid minutes trying to convince him that 50 kgs of cement weighs the same as 50 kgs of corn. Sigh. If you can’t accept that, sir, then I just give up.

We went to a concert at Planet for Organised Family and Wendy (forgot her last name). Unfortunately the people we went with insisted on getting there 2 hours before the guys started playing so I was pretty done with it all before it even started. Did enjoy dancing for a while but then it got to the point in the night where all of the guys in the audience were drunk and staggering and fighting and pushing, which is never really fun to be in the middle of. One of the artists played something suspiciously like a country song that made me laugh. Country music in Malawi – oi vey. Wendy was also pretty hilarious with all of her dancing antics onstage. All-in-all though it still did not even come close to matching the Baska Baska/Peterson concert. It also seems that girls have gotten skankier (and drunker) since I was at Planet a year ago, at least in terms of their clothing. It’s a bad sign when you can’t tell a hule (prostitute) from a college girl. I honestly had no idea half the time who was who. Also, BIG NEWS. Planet is classing itself up, former volunteers. It has its name on the building with a flashing spotlight. There’s a neon sign pointing you to the back bar. There’s a second bar where the couch/lounge used to be – I actually think that was a mistake lol. But most impressively is the bathroom! For those of you who have not had the sheer honor of going to Planet, let me describe the old bathroom for you. There was no door. So everyone stood there and watched you pee. There was no toilet seat. There was rarely any water to flush it. And no toilet paper, so I always had to bring a pocketful from home. And there was a shower right in front of the toilet, so girls would just pee in the shower while you’re on the toilet. Awesome lol. But NOW, there’s a door! Wowzers, this alone is news. Also, there’s a toilet seat and toilet paper. And a mirror and a functioning sink! If I had brought my camera, I definitely would have taken a picture I was so blown away. Next time. Got home around 2 am.

Dragged ourselves out of bed early the next morning to do our weekly shopping. Also went to immigration so Banda can get a passport and then bike taxied all over town trying to go to the water board and electric companies. Failed as they were closed early, so we headed over to the Museum restaurant where we were due to have lunch with Ms. Kim (the Korean opera singer). Her son was here to visit so in honor of that she was having a lunch concert. Her students get better every time we hear them and I thoroughly enjoyed sitting there listening to their new jazz numbers. Ms. Kim wants me to teach her English… eek. I agreed before I realized what she was saying. I thought she just wanted to chat to practice her English. But nope. Twice a week. Paid. That’s nice, but I have no idea what to do. How do I teach English to someone whose English I think is already just fine? We’ll see how it goes….

Bit the bullet and bought the $3.50 can of tuna. Made tuna salad sandwiches and it was GLORIOUS. So worth it. Now if only I can find olives, the meal will be complete… Banda actually loved it too – a surprise since my family makes it with carrots and onions in it – so I think it will be a semi-regular meal, despite the cost.