March 2010
8 posts
From Developing to Developed
I found it so fitting to have read this excerpt from Morality for Beautiful Girls, the third book in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, a collection of which was a perfect read for the trip home.
“M Ramotswe saw the cart and the family retreating in the rearview mirror, as if they were going back into the past, getting smaller and smaller. One day, people would no longer do this; they...
Sometime during 28 hours of travel
For as long as my battery lasts,I am writing this entry from the plane. I’ve changed my watch to NY time and the several cups of tea I drank are keeping me bright-eyed and awake until enough time passes and it becomes a normal NY hour for sleep. It’s almost 5:00pm there. We have 15 hours to go. We left for the airport in Lilongwe at 11:00am for a 1:00 flight that took us to Johannesburg, where...
And Then We Said Goodbye
It was heart breaking. But, it was inevitable. And, it was the end. For now.
I hear Mama saying she loves us and with arms open wide, I feel her warmth and her hugs. I hear Papa telling us it was an honor to have us and the only sad time he had was when I got sick and he was worried about me. I feel Bertha’s embrace as she cried in my arms, I am picturing Kevin’s confused look and worried...
Pictures Really Do Tell 1,000 Words
My camera, which has been so good to me this whole trip, gave up during our last week. Luckily, we shared Deena’s camera and took as many pictures as her dying battery would allow. We wanted to get photos with everyone, with the children, our family and the community. I want to remember every detail of this experience, capturing as much as possible through my written reflections and through the...
A Few of Our Favorite Things
Every last that we had in the village was so memorable. Our last dance circle with the girls, our last supper, the last prayer we said before eating, the last game of cards we played, our last lunch, the last time I heard the children screaming, “JOANNA!” as I walked by, all of it is so vivid in my mind.
One of the things I am bringing home is the way Malawians treat their guests. The Benesi’s,...
A Ceremonial Send-Off
We walked to the center, dressed in our matching chitenges with our “asis” (sister) Diana and before we got to the door, Mama came out to say they needed time. We walked a couple of feet away and a few moments later, all of the women came outside, dancing and singing while making their way over to us to escort us inside. While we didn’t understand all the words to the song they sang, we did make...