Nom Nom Nsima

(Nsima and relishes, from a wikipedia image search)

A question that seems to be weighing hard on the minds of certain friends and family (read: Dave and Camilla) is what I will be eating in Malawi.

Well, this very helpful website, Friends of Malawi, offers an informative summary of the Malawi diet. The staple food, nsima, sounds a lot like grits, minus cheese and butter and S/P and all that. I am nonetheless excited to try it.

Friends of Malawi also features a page about mailing things to Malawi. Check it out.

Dr. Livingstone, I Presume?

Gentle Reader,
At this point, you are probably wondering where Malawi is, and what exactly I'll be doing there. More on the second part later, but here is an excerpt from the Peace Corps Welcome Book:

History
Malawi is a small country in southeast Africa, and is known
for its natural beauty and its warm, hard-working people.
The first significant Western contact began with the arrival of
David Livingstone in 1859. Fiery sunlight glittering from Lake
Nyasa gave the name “Malawi”—land of flaming waters—to an
ancient Bantu empire. Present-day descendants revived the
name when what had once been the British Protectorate of
Nyasaland became independent in 1963.

The country is considered something of a success story
in African political development. In 1994, after 30 years
of one-party, dictatorial rule dating back to independence
from Britain, Malawi quietly and peacefully elected a new
government committed to multi-party democracy. In spite
of the wave of euphoria over their newly won freedom, the
Malawian people continue to face the obstacles of poverty,
drought, environmental degradation, hunger, disease, rising
crime, and illiteracy on their path to social, political, and
economic reform.

Economy
Agriculture forms the mainstay of Malawi’s economy,
accounting for nearly half of its gross domestic product
(GDP). Tobacco, tea, and sugar together generate more
than 70 percent of export earnings, with tobacco providing
the lion’s share (over 60 percent). The agricultural sector
employs nearly half of those formally employed and directly or
indirectly supports an estimated 85 percent of the population.

Malawi has a narrow economic base with little industry
and mining and no known economically viable deposits of
gemstones, precious metals, or oil. As a landlocked country,
transport costs make imported goods very expensive.
Zimbabwe and South Africa are Malawi’s most important
trading partners, and the value of the Kwacha, the local
currency, is greatly influenced by the economic conditions
in those countries. Currently, inflation is running at about 15
percent per year, and economic growth is in the 3 percent to
4 percent range.

People and Culture
Malawi is one of Africa’s most densely populated countries
with a population of about 12 million in a land area roughly
the size of Indiana. The African population includes six
principal tribes. Although there are distinct linguistic and
cultural differences among ethnic groups, geographic region
tends to be the predominate means of group identification.

English is one of the official languages, though it is not
commonly used outside major urban centers. More than 50
percent of the people speak Chichewa, the other official
language, and almost everyone understands it.

Malawi is predominantly a Christian country, but it also
has a sizeable Islamic population, mostly located along the
southern lakeshores. Along with the major organized religions,
animist beliefs are still strong in many areas of the country,
and these beliefs often influence the organized religions as
well. Many religions take different forms than what you may
be accustomed to, as local cultures and historical beliefs
influence the practice.

Environment
Malawi is a narrow country that hugs the western shore
of Lake Malawi (sometimes referred to as Lake Nyasa). At
places, its land area is barely 50 miles wide. Malawi shares
borders with Tanzania, Zambia, and Mozambique.

Malawi’s altitude varies from less than 200 feet above sea
level, at Nsanje in the south, to almost 10,000 feet at the
peak of Mount Mulanje. Lake Malawi, about 1,500 feet above
sea level and 380 miles long, is Africa’s third largest lake and
Malawi’s major tourist attraction. Imagine—the lake is larger
than the state of New Hampshire! Malawi has rainy and dry
seasons. The rainy season is from November to April, with the
heaviest rainfall between December and March. The terrain
varies widely and includes grassy slopes, rolling hills, striking
rock outcroppings, and dense forests.

Very first item to check off the packing list.

French press coffee mug.

Last time, at least for a long time

I’m anticipating many firsts in the next few months. But for the time being, here is the growing mental tally of lasts. Some already done, and others soon to come.

Last Bodo’s bagel

Last ride in the bug

Last meal at Mas* (*there might be lots of these)

Last glass of wine on the deck of 906 slapping mosquitoes

Last drive on the Blue Ridge

Last float down the James

Last time printing four colors of perforated paper while entertaining Ignatius J. Reilly filing fantasies

Last time waking up early on Wednesday to farm at Roundabout

Last time falling into bed late closing down the restaurant

Last muddled mojito

Last night bartending

Last run up Carter’s mountain

Last bacon-wrapped date

Last ANTM marathon on the couch all day with Catherine

Last time strapping on beat-up black serving shoes

Last arugula beet salad

Last hot shower

Last stroll downtown

Last above the knee sundress

Last drive up 29

Last dip in the Atlantic

Last time mowing the entire lawn with a weed whacker

Last night sleeping on a deflating air mattress

Last time hanging out with friends in our twenties. (ouch.)

Last Ashtanga class

Last time reading Hayden a book while he’s still two

Last bike commute

Last drive over the Potomac River on the 14th Street Bridge

Last family dinner

Last long look at Virginia

Last Monday

Last Friday

You get the idea.

If you want to share any of these moments with me, I’d love to spend some last times with you. (Not the hot shower, Perv).

Here we are.

Well, friends, I am leaving for Malawi as a Peace Corps volunteer on September 25. It is, for those of you who might wonder, not exactly where I expected to land. But, in the words of the late great Mr. Vonnegut, "peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God."** And I tend to find myself in agreement with Kurt, so we'll just see where this bus takes us.

Hopefully, I will have semi-regular internet access and can post pictures and stories and other bloggy items up here, so you can hear all about my adventures and not forget your LooBird.

Also, pretty soon I'll post up a snail mail address, in case you feel an urge to send me things. You know how I love things. Just be sure to mark it "Par Avion" or "Air Mail" or it will take even longer to get there.

And, of course, before I go, I would love to see you and say goodbye and hug a lot and all that. So, let's please do make that happen.


Loo

**That was the first and last cheesy quote you'll find on this blog. Promise. We don't want that stuff here. Except for the very next entry, which might also trend in that direction. Deal with it. And then dance like nobody's watching. Boom. I owe you three dollars.