Subject: Visitors from Ulongwe

Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2003

From: abby stamm

Hello all, 16 November 2003

Kasungu is busy right now. Between marking, Mzake ndi Mzake, and my Female Condom project, I have not had much time to do anything else. Last night, the Roberts' house was robbed. The thieves got into their kitchen and their night watchman inexplicably failed to notice until they were nearly finished cleaning it out. He raised an alarm and one thief was caught and beaten half to death. According to village justice, he could have been killed. This morning, one enterprising watchman caught another thief who had returned to find out the fate of his colleague. About half of the stolen things were recovered when a local farmer found them concealed in his dimba (maize field) just after dawn. The Roberts are the third TTC lecturers to be robbed. I take this as a sign that the hunger season has started. Since I no longer live in the village, I can't keep track of the seasons anymore.

Anyway, that wasn't my purpose for writing. Have you ever wondered what would happen if you took two teenagers from the village who spent most of their lives in thatch roofed mud houses and relocated them to a large town and a house with electricity, hot water, and a variety of virtually unlimited food for a week? Who would guess that they would spend all their time baking, reading dictionaries, and playing "WordZap" on the computer?

I invited the two Form 4 students I sponsor to visit me after the MSCE exams, all expenses paid. Fortunately, Madam Kunda was able to give them transport money to Kasungu. I reimbursed her when I sent her the transport money for the students and teacher attending Summer School. More on Summer School later. Benard Kwenyengwe and Elizabeth Kalimba arrived last Sunday afternoon. Their trip was uneventful. They told me that they had finished the MSCE the week before and that all of the subjects were easy except Maths. I found this interesting, since for both, their favourite subject is Maths. Their latest ambitions are that Eliza wants to be a nurse and Benard wants to be a teacher or computer person.

I had no idea what to do with them, especially since I had so much work to do, so I told them to entertain themselves. Predictably, they beelined for the computer, after first mustering the courage to ask if they could use it. The first day, they typed some letters in MS Word and played a Maths game called "Go Figure." They also attempted a few text adventures and Benard tried Civilization" for a while. I showed them "WordZap" later on and that became their favourite. I enjoyed watching them take turns trying to come up with words and was surprised by several of the words they knew. When not on the computer, Benard spent a lot of time reading, writing, or asking me about absolutely everything. Eliza did not talk so much, but she watched everything. Mom, the US map puzzle you sent is on the floor in my living room. They spent hours poring over it. I gave them the book that goes with it, which Benard read cover to cover with Eliza looking over his shoulder. He said to me at dinner that night, "Madam, did you know there is one state famous for crabs?" I did not know that and would never have expected such a comment since crabs are not exactly prevalent in Malawi. Turns out it's Maryland. Then they asked if I know which state is famous for cars. They told me that question was on their Geography exam for either JCE or MSCE, I forget which. Why Malawian students need to know the origin of the American automotive industry I have no idea. I don't know why they need to know how canal locks work either, but they do, so I showed them a partial animation of one on my computer. Locks do not exist anywhere in Malawi I am told. Strange to think I took them for granted, growing up a mile from one.

For the first couple days, I cooked all the food. I got the most compliments for the pasta. Apparently they liked the pizza too. Elizabeth cooked it on her own one night, or tried. Most of her recipes only half worked, but her banana bread turned out very well. She spent hours going through my cookbooks, trying to figure out what to make next. I told them they could cook nsima and Mrs Kalande even gave them maize flour (I had none), but they opted to eat everything except nsima. I also told them they could buy a chicken if they wanted, but I guess they were unwilling to eat anything I don't eat. Our most common food was rice with eggs and vegetables for lunch or dinner, something that might have been Italian for the other meal, and French toast, pancakes, or cake for breakfast. Eliza enjoys baking cakes, which worked well once she learned not to burn them. Dutch ovens are tricky to use and she had little baking experience anyway. I liked being able to sit down with company to an organized meal three times a day, but I missed having leftovers to eat immediately after class. They ate a lot and when they left this morning, I gave them all the leftover cake and bread to eat on the minibus.

They came to the college one day and observed one of my lessons. Several of the lecturers commented that they look like they are no older than 14. They are both 18, but tiny, possibly due in part to childhood malnutrition. After class, Benard read through the handbooks that I use to teach. Depressingly boring things, all basic physics and nothing fun. He asked me, "Why don't they learn anything new if this is a college?" Good question. I asked the same thing when I first arrived. We teach literally what is in the primary syllabus, nothing more advanced. The other day, halfway through a lesson on liquid pressure, C9 got fed up and told me to stop because they already knew all of it. I wish all of my classes would do that. I am way ahead of all the other lecturers in Science and Health Education (I wish I could teach the health part instead...) and Mr Chibwe is not sure whether to be happy or concerned about it.

Almost daily, Benard went to town, usually to the market. Sometimes Eliza joined him. The only day I went with him, we parted ways, him to Escom and the Water Board to pay my bills and me to the National and Stanbic Banks to run errands. For those of you familiar with Malawi, Stanbic used to be Commercial Bank. We met again at the Kasungu District Hospital, where he reported that my bills are now paid, but I do not have any credit. I need to remedy that soon. Oh well, he tried. I had to visit the Reproductive Health Unit at the hospital to return a model I had borrowed of the female reproductive system. It proved to be perfect for demonstrating how to insert the female condom, but it was weeks overdue. I gave the reproductive health women the first female condom they had ever seen when I returned the model, but I had no time to show them how to insert it. I will do so when I get a chance. The next day, Benard and Eliza went to investigate the airstrip near the college. No planes for them to see unfortunately. Since I was in class, I have no idea how it went.

Sorry I keep going off on tangents. I introduced Benard and Eliza to Andy Mwanyongo and Mrs Kalande, both of whom have studied overseas. They came to my house at different times to chat about how they got overseas, the frustrations of dealing with the American embassy, how to get a job with the Malawi government, and how to get into and pay for various tertiary education opions in Malawi. Both offered to keep in touch should Benard and Eliza wish for advice in the future. Mrs Kalande practically adopted them. She is much more motherly than I am.

This morning, Andy's wife had to leave for Zomba, so Andy escorted all three to the bus stage. I was feeling too lazy to walk 3 km over hills and I did not want to deal with Sellina's dogs following me to town again, so I left them near the edge of the campus. My house is quiet now, a bit lonely, but I am glad for some privacy, if you don't count Sellina's dog Shaggy, who has taken up residence on my verandah.

Mr Chibwe will be glad I have no visitors this week. Benard and Eliza last week, a PCV friend from Mangochi the week before. I have taught or facilitated every class and session and demonstration for which I was responsible during that time, and a few extra since Jen was out for a while, but I have fallen behind in marking improvisation projects. Mr Chibwe and I came to an agreement: he marks my exams and I mark his projects. I hate marking exams and he dislikes marking projects, so it works well. The projects are fun to play with, pulleys and spring balances and filter systems. Especially the pulleys, all made with maize or other local plant bits, with assorted lids or clay wheels for the actual pulley.

Jen and I have been comparing notes on how to teach forces, pressure, and machines. Whenever she asks me, "How do you know all this?" I am surprised to hear myself answering, "Adrian taught me." Especially since I spent so little time with Adrian when he was here. I will finish Handbook 2 this week. The only material we cover first residential is from Handbooks 1 and 2. Jen should finish next week. Jimmy and Mr Chibwe are a few weeks behind us. Somehow Jimmy ended up skipping part of the methodology, so one of his classes, C6, keeps running to me for help. Sellina is their class mistress and when they complained to her, she sent them to me. I told them to talk

to Jimmy as their subject lecturer. They looked horrified and flatly refused, but would not say why. That boy worries me. He doesn't know the material or the culture and as far as Jen and I can tell, he never asks for help. We also get the sense that American though he is, he has little respect for women. Fortunately, even though Jimmy and I are from the same country, no one lumps us together, as would normally happen. Instead I am lumped with the Brits, Hazel and Jen and the now departed Adrian, and Jimmy is in a category of his own.

Anyway, I'm off to Summer School.

Tiwonana,

Abby