I know many of us are trying to "live our best life now" and "creating the life we want", but can we be real for a minute? How many of us love every moment of our lives? I don't think I'm the only one who gets frustrated, annoyed, and irritated multiple times in a day . There are "first world problems" and then there are most definitely "living in a very poor African country problems". It would be so incredibly easy to make a new list of 10 Malawi problems each week (and sometime each day). These problems are real and sometimes horrifyingly awful. But today I'm challenging myself to share 10 things I love/appreciate about Malawi (in no particular order). Because even though I don't love living in Africa every day, there are many things I do love here and am grateful to get to experience. And most of these make me smile and laugh. OK. Here we go... 1. Singing OK, I know people sing all over the world. But here in Malawi, there is a freedom and release in song that is so refreshing. Some of my research involves women who are undergoing surgical repair of an obstetric fistula. The patients gather almost every morning and belt out worship songs together, usually in call and response. Those that can harmonize, will harmonize and the sound is stunning. This is the best background music I could ask for as I try to compile and analyze data. I can't quite imagine any post-operative ward in the United States gathering in the common area for morning singing.
Songs are also used to teach health information. At most health facilities in Malawi, no one has an appointment. Patients are all walk-ins, first come first serve. When I arrive at our district hospital at 7:15 am, there are already lines 50-100 people long in each of the many clinics. Before the health providers start the clinics, the gathering of patients receives health education. A common component of these educational talks is a song that summarizes the important points. Many patients already know the song and and those that don't yet know it seem to learn it quickly to join in. Hearing these songs in the mornings gives me hope that knowledge barriers to health can be broken down.
2. Learning and working to understand local culture This one is not always easy and sometimes my discoveries do not always make me feel good. But when situations and interactions that have been buzzing by me suddenly make sense after a kind Malawian explains what is really going on under surface the Aha moment is great. There are way too many examples of this to count.
About 10 months into living in Malawi, I drove by a large crowd of people running to look over a bridge. After arriving at work, I asked a few women with whom I share an office to give me the scoop of what was so exciting that everyone was peering over a bridge. I was told that a man had stolen money from a local business and as he was being chased jumped over the bridge. No one could find him anywhere. I asked, "Do you think he drowned or did he get away?" The women looked at me like I had three heads and one said, "He probably turned into a snake." Not the response I was expected, I shared the story of the thief who jumped over the bridge and couldn't be found with several other Malawians over the next week. Each time when I asked what might have happened to him I was given the same response: "He probably turned into a snake". I learned that the beliefs about magic, curses, and witchcraft that I thought were relegated to a few uneducated people in remote places are actually pervasive in many parts of society (many people that gave me this response are quite educated, reasonable, and responsible people). It later helped me understand many other situations happening around me where it appears difficult to confront anyone when they are not doing the right thing : curses from other people that you have embarrassed or angered seem very real.
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| Another cultural lesson: the current president discourages attacks against people with albinism. Noted. |
3. Trying new recipes from scratch We are very blessed to have three meals a day and realize that not all of our neighbors have this luxury. However, figuring out how to make three meals a day from what is available is not always easy. My favorite go-tos from Trader Joe's are clearly not options and even food I saw in the grocery store last week may be out of stock for the next 3 months. This has led to a lot more creativity in our cooking. John loves pizza and has been trialing a variety of pizza dough recipes throughout the year. I've made some new curries, we've roasted whole chickens (those boneless, skinless chicken breasts are more rare and expensive), and learned how to make the stranger banana varieties edible (muffins).
4. Malawian English I promise we do use some Chichewa (our local language) phrases, but still mostly converse in English. However, we continue to realize that not all English is equal (at least in phrasing or meanings). On safari with John's family in September he was asked, "How do you sex a warthog?" Alarmed at first and with beastiality concerns, we then realized that the question in American English would have been "How can you tell the difference between a male and female warthog?"
5. Switched Pronunciation of the letters L and R To be fair, this is not unique to Malawi (I have encountered this difficulty in many areas of the world). However, the frequency to which the letters l and r are switched in pronunciation of English words sometimes leads to confusing or amusing situations. Last year I was told that there was a package ready for pickup "by your friend Ree-Ree". I must have had a strange look on my face trying to recall anyone I knew here with a name similar to this. The secretary kept at it, "You know Ree-Ree, your friend: Ree-Ree." There is a strong assumption that I must know and be friends with all Caucasian people here so I started running through a list of ex-pats in my head. Finally, it clicked! "LILY!" I exclaimed. The secretary answered "Yes...that's what I said. Ree-ree." The hardest to keep a straight face is when the word for the process of voting is pronounced with an r instead of an l.
6. Learning about other cultures Americans are not the only westerners working and living here. We have met lovely British, Irish, Norwegian, Scottish, Zambian, South African, and Australian people and gotten to learn about their homelands in a variety of ways. Today John started to learn to play gaelic football. This Irish sport lets you kick, throw, and bounce the ball as well as contact your opponent. It's fun to share and discover differences in approaches to government, healthcare, and sports.
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| Some of my pregnant patients jumping rope just outside the hospital (and trying to go into labor) |
8. Different life rhythms John and I sleep for 8 hours almost every night of the week. (Not during my labor and delivery call days, but still). We both have more flexible schedules than in prior jobs and can work from home sometimes (clarification: when I'm working on research-I don't see patients at our home). We have many unscheduled evenings and weekends where we can cook, watch movies, rest, read good books, play games, and have people over for dinner. We both realize that life won't always look this way but are appreciating and enjoying this season of rest.
9. Beautiful African fabric Most African women wear chitenje or brightly colored printed fabric around their waist when they are traveling. (Usually on top of their dresses or skirts and thus it is also called a "wrapper"). Chitenje is also used as a baby carrier (and a bit cheaper than a baby bjorn or ergobaby). I love seeing the rainbow of colors and unique array of patterns everywhere.
10. Enthusiasm in the medical interns and residents I love the opportunity to get to teach Malawi's first classes of Ob/Gyn residents as they complete their training here in Lilongwe. So many of them are curious and eager to learn as well as provide excellent care of our patients. I hope and believe they will become the medical leaders and advisers for this country, so I try to teach them skills that are useful in the hospital as well as skills in reading and understanding medical information and research. In Malawi, when the medical students graduate, they spend 18 months doing an internship in the government facilities. Six months of their internship is dedicated to learning skills in Obstetrics and Gynecology. After their internship, they will likely be the most senior clinician at their assigned medical facility, so I try to teach them important clinical skills (especially what to do in emergencies!). Though I know many things I do here may not have impact after I leave, I hope that the interns and residents I teach and mentor will remember a few lessons that may impact the lives of the patients in this country.
So these are the 10 things about living in Malawi that I am choosing to remember and be thankful for today. A spirit of gratitude shifts our focus from what is lacking or dysfunctional to the abundance that is already present. It isn't easy and definitely doesn't come naturally to me, but is an attitude I am working to cultivate. May you also be able to look around your life and choose to appreciate the blessings you have been given right where you are now.
"This is what will determine a fulfilling, meaningful life, a life that, behind all the facades every one of us longs to live: gratitude for the blessings that expresses itself by becoming the blessing." Ann Voskamp
"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18
