September 2, 2006, Mzuzu, Malawi
Well we seem to be pretty well nested into our home here on the Mzuzu University (Mzuni) campus. The guards around campus are use to us now, and many have been snapping to attention and saluting as I walk or drive by, but that has been declining. Not sure if it is the official US Embassy license plates that we are still displaying on our car or some of it is the friendly bwana salute I give them. Having a car makes all the difference in the world for establishing a comfort level, such freedom. Hope we can get most of our money back out of it when we leave. I’ve e-mailed our Fulbrighter coming into country behind us to try to start the process of their buying it, no response yet.
I’ve about completed all of the projects I plan for the house here and getting tired of spending money for things we’ll be leaving behind, although that is what part of the Fulbright allowance is intended for. Shower’s installed, new mosquito netting, repaired front light fixture, new hose pipe for gardener, etc. So I’m ready to open myself up to beginning some volunteer work. Spent part of this past week repairing the only overhead projector in the Education Department. They had turned over to their Purchasing folks to get the broken mirror repaired and was told it couldn’t be fixed. Yet when I went to their Procurement office and obtained it, there was a repair estimate of MK131 (~ US$1.00) inside the case (2-1/2 weeks old). I took it to the glass & mirror shop downtown and it was finished in less than30 minutes (figure that one out- guess someone planned to keep it for themselves?). Then I spent most of a day trying to find a spare bulb- none to be found here in Mzuzu; hopefully we can find one in Lilongwe and have it picked up.
I also need to get online and complete continuing education courses so I can renew my PE license next month.
Pat now has her teaching schedule, M&W 7:45 am and T&TH 10:45 am, with up to 70+ students per class. It is all the same course, really just 2 new class preparations per week. It has its challenges since there are no textbooks available. Nice for weekend activities. I hope to get up to Livingstonia soon (yes, named in the honor of Dr. Livingston, I presume) and down to the beach at Lake Malawi. The Nyika National Park is highly recommended for when it gets warmer (such high elevation it still gets down to near 0 deg C at night this time of year.
The mosquitoes have been getting more plentiful lately, as the weather has been warming up into the low 80’s during the day. We did have a cold snap yesterday, with hard blowing winds and the temperature stayed in the 50’s at night and 60’s until late afternoon; cool again this morning. But sun is out again, has been out part of every day we’ve been here and seems to be in the low 70’s today.
Pat has been at a seminar all week and has worn down, as those things tend to do to a person. The instructor- facilitators are from the University of South Africa. Mzuni is planning on beginning long-distance learning classes; so about 60 participants have been learning to write online class modules. Pat is one of 2 white participants, and one of 7 women. I’ve been providing the taxi service since it is being held off-campus.
Well we seem to be pretty well nested into our home here on the Mzuzu University (Mzuni) campus. The guards around campus are use to us now, and many have been snapping to attention and saluting as I walk or drive by, but that has been declining. Not sure if it is the official US Embassy license plates that we are still displaying on our car or some of it is the friendly bwana salute I give them. Having a car makes all the difference in the world for establishing a comfort level, such freedom. Hope we can get most of our money back out of it when we leave. I’ve e-mailed our Fulbrighter coming into country behind us to try to start the process of their buying it, no response yet.
I’ve about completed all of the projects I plan for the house here and getting tired of spending money for things we’ll be leaving behind, although that is what part of the Fulbright allowance is intended for. Shower’s installed, new mosquito netting, repaired front light fixture, new hose pipe for gardener, etc. So I’m ready to open myself up to beginning some volunteer work. Spent part of this past week repairing the only overhead projector in the Education Department. They had turned over to their Purchasing folks to get the broken mirror repaired and was told it couldn’t be fixed. Yet when I went to their Procurement office and obtained it, there was a repair estimate of MK131 (~ US$1.00) inside the case (2-1/2 weeks old). I took it to the glass & mirror shop downtown and it was finished in less than30 minutes (figure that one out- guess someone planned to keep it for themselves?). Then I spent most of a day trying to find a spare bulb- none to be found here in Mzuzu; hopefully we can find one in Lilongwe and have it picked up.
I also need to get online and complete continuing education courses so I can renew my PE license next month.
Pat now has her teaching schedule, M&W 7:45 am and T&TH 10:45 am, with up to 70+ students per class. It is all the same course, really just 2 new class preparations per week. It has its challenges since there are no textbooks available. Nice for weekend activities. I hope to get up to Livingstonia soon (yes, named in the honor of Dr. Livingston, I presume) and down to the beach at Lake Malawi. The Nyika National Park is highly recommended for when it gets warmer (such high elevation it still gets down to near 0 deg C at night this time of year.
The mosquitoes have been getting more plentiful lately, as the weather has been warming up into the low 80’s during the day. We did have a cold snap yesterday, with hard blowing winds and the temperature stayed in the 50’s at night and 60’s until late afternoon; cool again this morning. But sun is out again, has been out part of every day we’ve been here and seems to be in the low 70’s today.
Pat has been at a seminar all week and has worn down, as those things tend to do to a person. The instructor- facilitators are from the University of South Africa. Mzuni is planning on beginning long-distance learning classes; so about 60 participants have been learning to write online class modules. Pat is one of 2 white participants, and one of 7 women. I’ve been providing the taxi service since it is being held off-campus.
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