MALAWI TOP 10
10 things I learned in Malawi…
1 – There are a lot of brick houses in Malawi. Although some of the homes are made with other materials (mud, sticks, stone) a majority of the houses are made with homemade bricks. It takes extra time to build these houses because not only are you building a house, you first have to make your own bricks. It’s quite the process.
2 – People in Malawi use bike taxis. I had no idea that these existed until a bicycle passed me by with a license plate displayed on its back. It’s quite the clever invention. They are great for short distances or when carrying the groceries gets a little too heavy. Plus, you get a delightful breeze when you’re riding on the back, something I thoroughly enjoyed during our stay in Nkhota Kota.
3 – Malawians eat grits, well not exactly grits. It’s called something different in each country (Nsima in Malawi or Pop in Swazi) but it’s still the same thing, grits that are entirely to dry. The Malawians eat it with every meal, rolling it up into a ball and then dipping it into whatever sauce is available. Even after our months and months of rice, I still chose the rice over the nsima.
4 – People have house plants in Malawi. I haven’t seen plants in months, but here they were all over. From big potted plants to plants in makeshift plant holders, they added a little something cozy to wherever we went.
5 – The women in Malawi all wear skirts over their clothes. I’m not sure if there is a reason behind it (maybe keeping clothes clean) or if it’s merely tradition, but the woman all wear fabric wrapped around their waists. The skirts are bright and colorful and hard o resist. All the girls splurged and bought one.
6 – Nkhota Kota has it’s very own rasta population. They are the local souvenir salesmen with a variety of merchandise… earrings, bracelets, key chains, chairs, paintings, etc. Most say they are a little to eager, some say they even hound, I like to simply say they are persistent. Whichever way you put it be warned that once you’ve met them you won’t be left alone until you leave town. Maybe it’s because of our similar hairstyles, but I actually enjoyed spending time with them.
7 – David Livingston was one of the first missionaries to Malawi. He was a Scottish native who explored central Africa bringing Christianity along with him wherever he went. In the town of Nkota Kota we were able to visit the tree under which he studied, prayed, and ministered to the locals.
8 – Rice is not just in Asia and corn is not just in Kansas, Malawi is full of both. It was a surprise to see at first, but I soon grew accustomed to the rice fields and the rows of corn, especially when the locals would sell delicious grilled corn on the street. YUM!
9 – The Malawians are true craftsmen. They make their own bricks, their own furniture, even their own boats. The boats are especially remarkable, they are carved out of one giant piece of wood!
10 – The kids in Malawi are creative when it comes to toys. Whether it’s sticks, rocks, wheels or something else random and easily accessible, the children find a way to make it entertaining. You can see them for hours on end rolling wheels in front of them and playing games with rocks.
