Bug Diaries, and Life Lately

An ode to the creepy crawlies that have been keeping me company, as well as an account of what I've been up to 😄

So...it's been a while. Over the past couple of months, I have spent a significant time waging war against the insects of South Malawi. As you may recall from my last update, I had some bedbug visitors in September; the treatment for those took the better part of a month, and my counterpart very graciously hosted me whilst that was going down. When I happily returned to reclaim my nyumba, I discovered that the bedbugs hadn't left without a fight...with their dying breaths, they rallied their breathren to my peaceful dwelling (I'm envisioning something akin to: "The Beacons of Minas Tirath! The Beacons are lit! Gondor calls for aid!).

Termites have been munchin' on my brand new fence and swarms of carpenter ants (!?) decided to emerge from my bathhouse/outbuilding. The termites have been abolished after a few different chemical applications, and the ants - I think - are gone after I experimented with a variety of weapons (I'm not proud of it, but at one point, I dumped burning coals on them and their egg-things. Hey, desperate times, yo.). Some more unique visitors include armored katydids, a rhinoceros beetle, and camel spiders (insert all of the different vomiting emojis here because EWWWW I HATE THEM I HATE THEM THEY MOVE SO FAST ARGHGHGH). Oh! And I discovered a scorpion under my mattress one morning 😇🦂 Needless to say, after that last one, I've been shoving chitenge fabric under my doors at night.

It's been comforting to learn that I haven't yet seen all of the possible visitors, since even more (wow! cool!) come out to play during the rainy season.

In happier news - I have solar power! Several Peace Corps staff members came to visit me in early October, and they brought along a solar package that I purchased from Lilongwe. A 50-watt panel is perfect for generating enough juice to charge my phones (personal and work), my neighbor's phone, and the package also came with several light bulbs. I feel very fancy hehe - makes a HUGE difference in the evenings, especially because the sun consistently sets before 6 PM. It's also a good safety measure, since keeping a phone charged at all times is important in the case of emergencies.

I won't lie, though; after the brief high of installing my solar system, October was rough. It was incredibly dry and hot - think above 40 degrees Celsius, or 104 Fahrenheit. This quickly transformed my quaint, tin-roofed, uninsulated home into an Easy-Bake Oven™ (*Malawian Village Limited Edition, refills not included). Most of my time was spent sweating precious water out of every pore, laid out on my porch (khonde) like all my neighbors and praying for a cool-ish breeze. Sleeping is kinda tough in those conditions, too, but I relied on a trick from some previous PC Malawi volunteers: dunking a chitenje in water prior to sleeping, then wrapping that around you in bed.

[Also my trusty laptop does notttt like the heat, hence no blog posts as I was trying to respect her needs]

Along with the heat, it was just an all-around tough month for my mental health. Work and projects are very slow to develop (which is natural, and that's okay!) and it can be disheartening...especially as an American who is used to hustle culture and productivity and work work work. Overcoming that mindset is still a day-by-day journey, and I'm learning to embrace a slower pace of life. I've had some really interesting conversations with neighbors and community members about this concept; many folks here believe that all Americans are very wealthy, live in luxurious homes, and are existing in perfect happiness. These conversations have given me the opportunity to share my perspective on different American lifestyles and values, and to learn about lifestyles and value systems here in Malawi. In these discussions, I acknowledge that yes, the United States is a much wealthier nation than Malawi; however, productivity, work, and making money are often prioritized /valued more than cultivating relationships, participating in community-building, and resting. As such, many Americans have more money than most Malawians, but this often comes with anxiety, sadness, and/or loneliness. It's a conversation that I'm still trying to refine, because I believe it's important to (humbly) discuss these cultural differences to foster mutual understanding and respect.

In addition to melting and pondering my purpose here, I spent a lot of time being a bookworm...which I love 💗 Some books I've read lately:

• The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo series by Stieg Larsson
• The Martian by Andy Weir
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
• Bride by Ali Hazelwood
• Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
• Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
• The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
• Currently reading - Invisible Jesus: A Book about Leaving the Church and Looking for Christ by Scot McKnight and Tommy Preson Phillips (my pastor!); The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle

Throughout the month of November, I've gotten into some work work-esque activities, such as a handful of healthy cooking demonstrations with local women's groups. Additionally, I put my feelers out at the hospital, and I anticipate working with them soon on some projects/clinics related to malaria and HIV/AIDS prevention (!!). I've also explored some more around the big towns near my site, especially food/beverage spots. Can't wait to start traveling more around the country! Did some baking at my counterpart's home (yayyy brownies! too sweet for Malawians, though LOL), successfully tried my hand at pancakes on my charcoal stove (mbaula), and unsuccessfully baked a cake on said mbaula (turns out you don't actually need a metric ton of lit charcoal...believe it or not, the cake just burns). I've also been eating mangoes in unholy quantities - it's mango season here, and I am trying to take fullll advantage. Oh! And I tried hippo meat for the first time! Not my fave, but I could be convinced to try it a second time to confirm.

I've been blessed to have made some good friends around my community, and it's honestly so cool to be taking a bike taxi around town and have several people shout "KATY! BHO?!" at me. Those are always very bright spots in my days. Sure beats the "AZUNGU, BE MY WIFE" catcalls, anyway 😝

Currently, I am very much looking forward to some work trainings, spending some time with my fellow volunteers, and celebrating Thanksgiving! That's all for now, but hoping to jump back on soon (I think a house tour is long-overdue!). Enjoy some pics 😁