August, already??!!

I decided I want to go to graduate school when I come home. Of course I want to go for all the obvious reasons (I miss the smell of libraries, I miss learning in an academic environment, it will give me something to obsess about during the last few months of my peace corps service, etc). However, I have also realized that after Peace Corps I would be in no condition to have a real job with set hours and expectations. At my current school in Malawi I make a poster and receive a giant thanks, it will be devastating to work in America where a poster might only receive some strange looks, but certainly not a round of applause. But the last few weeks have been busy, really busy. Like America busy and I have confirmed my decision to stay away from an actual job for a few more years.

To rewind, last time I wrote in this blog we were going to have lunch with the President. Yes, that happened. Yes, it is in my top 5 days in Malawi. Yes, it was totally ridiculous and over the top and absolutely fantastic. We arrived to a giant tent with 17 portable air conditioning units. It is the middle of winter in Malawi. We dined and danced and shook hands with the President and the First Lady. They had a marching band to play the national anthem and popular Malawian played while we were dancing. I sat next to the Minister of Education and tried to a) get him to come to Camp Sky and b) build a science lab at my school but he was having none of that. Nonetheless, I drank wine and ate chocolate cake and had a ball.

Back in the real world...
While in Lilongwe, I submitted a proposal for a youth center with a library for AYID. It is a long shot because of the amount of money (A LOT) but AYID is working hard selling soap and building bricks. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

I came back to house for the Form Four graduation. I cannot believe the first school year is finished. I helped cook and was lucky enough to learn how to cut apart the insides of the goat. Yes, they have me a giant basin of the goat insides and a knife. So there I was, at school, cutting apart a goat's liver, stomach, intestines, and other organs realizing I have made it in Malawi. And I have absolutley no desire to ever do that again. On the plus side, I could clarify I only wanted the 'outside' of the goat and they could save the 'insides' for other people. In any case, the graduation was wonderful (or as wonderful as 6 hours of speeches can be-but this time it was worth it for the students).

Sunday I was hanging out at my house and my mysterious Member of Parliament arrived. The same MP who never returns my phone calls and frequently forgets meetings just showed up at my house. We discussed the issue of electricity and she casually said 'ok' sounds good-we will commit to half the cost. She had spoken with the committees and the other subcommittees and the other subsubcommittees and they had okey'ed bringing electricity to the school. Unfortunately, that leaves me with fundraising $9000usd. (yikes!) I talked to some Malawians and some Peace Corps staff who were all shocked at the high cost. Afraid of getting 'azungu priced' I went back to the electricity supplier more prepared to play the game and they are doing a reappraisal. I may be asking for your assistance with this project so please stay tuned!

However, the biggest fish frying right now is Camp Sky. I am heading to Lilongwe on Sunday to buy supplies and to Kasungu to prepare. It is going to take some small miracles for everything to happen, but I have to remember this is Malawi and things just magically happen.

27 days till America!

Loads of love,
e