1. Malawians have such big and beautiful smiles.
Seriously though. Pretty much all kids have these big smiles and with straight teeth. Which really surprised me after seeing what living conditions were like and the amounts of sugar cane they eat and chew on straight from the plant. Many don’t keep full mouths of teeth, but the majority of young people have such beautiful and full smiles. And they are constantly smiling and laughing.
2. Bucket showers really aren’t so bad after all.
We didn’t have running water at all so that was the way to get clean. The luxury of this was having a room just for showering. And having the women at our house boil the water for us beforehand. It was so hot that I would have to add almost a full bucket of cold water to compensate and not burn my scalp. But it was a much more relaxing routine than I ever anticipated.
3. Bicycles are the main mode of transportation.
They are all over the place. And definitely are more common than cars. At least in our town and village. They are also used as taxis, which I had the privilege of feeling the breeze and enjoying one day during the month. They are more expensive to take than a mini bus but sometimes the more convenient to use.
4. Water & faucets aren’t things to be taken granted for.
Like I said before, we didn’t have running water at our house. That meant that our water came from the well. There were 3 wells in the village of 500 families, but only one of them was working consistently. Each day, the women in the village gather at the boreholes and pump water out of the well, filling up huge buckets to take back to their homes. Some walk a few miles up hills and rocky terrain to get water, only to fill them to the brim and carry them back home on top of their heads. There’s no way I possess those skills or strength to not spill half the bucket. But they walk with grace and strength and don’t hardly spill a drop.
5. There’s no judgment in wearing the same outfit the whole week because everyone else does it too.
My wardrobe pickings, or rather selections were very slim this month, as I mostly stuck to one skirt with the rotation of a few shirts. But it didn’t really matter. Most Malawians have very limited wardrobes, with many having only one outfit. Which they wear even with holes or tattering fabrics. It made me realize that I never can complain about not having anything to wear ever again.
6. Chickens really do run around with their heads cut off.
Yep. It’s true. And I got to see it take place. I saw a chicken get slaughtered. Such an interesting experience. And definitely did not keep me from eating the chicken for dinner that night.
7. Nail polish makes lifelong friends.
It’s the little things that make a day special or bring joy into a moment. It was so fun to paint some of the girls fingers and toes at the house and make them feel a little bit more extra special and loved. I don’t ever think I’ll forget the excitement and joy on their faces when I asked them what color they wanted to have them painted.
8. Electric outlets are a hot commodity when spending time in town.
When you don’t have any electricity in the village of where you are staying for the month, finding an outlet in town is like finding buried treasure. Pure gold. You may have to pay for a more pricey lunch buffet to be able to use it, but it’s totally worth it to be able to charge every electronic you have to last the last couple of weeks.
9. Student teachers love to hang out, laugh, and eat food together just like college students in the U.S.
We have the opportunity to hang out with some of the teachers from the primary school. They taught us how to make banana fritters, nsima, and shared stories and laughter. Then we had the chance to teach them how to make french toast another day. They want to have fun just like any other 20something living in a different village than their home.
10. Teaching practicums take you away from husbands, children, and friends as placements are all over the country.
The teachers doing their student teaching were from all over Malawi. I don’t think any of them were actually from Ntcheu. And many left behind husbands, children, friends and familiarity for the year. And it’s not like they can go home all time because home is much farther away so most of them won’t see those people for the whole year as they are teaching.
11. Life planning isn’t really a thing. Having kids & a family comes first and then a job & education comes next.
Marriage and having kids seems like it’s the first priority in life. And then comes figuring out what you want to do for the rest of your life. So many people go to college and get further education and training after they have families. Which is the complete opposite for Americans. Quite interesting to me as I know it would create quite the challenge to try and complete education while I already had a family and was trying to provide for them and raise children.
So those are just a few thoughts and learnings from Malawi after spending month 2 there. Each month I’m realizing there are things I appreciate about the American culture and things I’m getting a new and fresh perspective of. Cultures aren’t right or wrong. Just different. And it’s been great to be able to experience and learn so far this year.
