More ICT
on Rachael's VSO experience (Malawi), 11/Feb/2011 10:19, 34 days ago
Well yesterday we actually experienced some of Malawi, we ventured in to Lilongwe and spent some time walking around the shops and the market. The locals found it very entertaining and we very busy trying to persuade us all to buy rubbish from them. The fruit and vegetables in the market actually looked really good quality. It's not like home where prices are obvious, basically being a white person (Mzunga) we are always going to be charged more than natives but that is to be expected as people have the view that white people are rich so will expect you to pay more. but then in the grand scheme of things we are comparatively rich. Things in general aren't as cheap as we were all expecting. We will be quite close to the poverty line here, most people supplement their allowance so they can enjoy nights out and trips out every now and then. Some of our group have come out with no money back home and are slightly concerned how they will be able to afford things but I think once we get in to our placements things will become a lot clearer.We are off out with the local volunteers to watch the black missionaries tonight they are one of Malawi's best bands, first taste of proper reggae music, it might be a late one and we have more ICT from 8am tomorrow too so that'll be fun!!Tomorrow we do the scavenger, the current vols seem surprised that we are doing it on a Saturday so i think it may be fun! Apparently they drop us in town and then we have to buy some things and catch the minibus back to the VSO office.My work are supposed to organise someone to come and collect Zar (the paediatrician based in the same hospital as me) and I. Unfortunately there is a huge fuel crisis in Malawi at the moment (yesterday I was told people are blaming the president for using all the fuel God knows where he goes!!) people were queueing yesterday in their cars for at least a mile to get petrol and because they aren't English people at the back of the queue of cars get out with petrol cans and walk to the pumps and try and fill up and then pour it into the car!! You wouldn't see that at Tesco!!Considering it's a bit of a fight for fuel people appear very friendly about it. Apparently there is no fuel in the north of the country therefore our work place may have to send a car to pick us up and we might need to share with another volunteer until they have enough petrol to pick up furniture for the house we will be living in! According to our co-ordinator here they think they'll have enough petrol to collect us and our things just probably not get furniture.I am due to start my work orientation on Monday so I am going to pick up some bits and pieces on the scavenger so I could make some food and some plastic containers to take food to work. I really want to get up there and get started, it's slightly scary to think there might be nothing there but there is bound to be someone that can help us! The other volunteers in Mzuzu are going to arrange for us to go out to dinner on the Sunday so i'll need to make sure I have enough money! I might stop at the bank tomorrow and cash my cheque as I had to pay my nursing registration fees as VSO didn't have the money and said they would pay us back but that hasn't happened yet!!You need a different attitude to life over here people tend not to worry about stuff they just agree that stuff will kind of work itself out which can be quite frustrating. We are generally all having a great time people are just conscious that we don't have much money so no-one wants to waste any.Well until next time x