Dear readers
I have just spent ages composing a blog, tried to upload a photo for your amusement, and lost the blog and also the photo, effectively, as it took an unbelievable time to work. So I have abandoned the photo idea for today and am re-writing the blog which is, as you will see, about domestic arrangements here in Chisala village.
As I said previously, I live now on the school campus - all the teachers do, I think. They have single storey, brick built houses with 2 bedrooms inside and one in the outbuildings (where I am). The roofs are corrugated zinc, no ceilings (good, as nowhere for bats/rats to nest), concrete floors, solar power which is surprisingly weak, a back yard with the single tap and the outhouses at the far side of the yard. We spend most of the time in the back yard, where we usually cook (I say we - I mean Joyce my housekeeper and Luckness, who I live with). I do the odd bit of toast, which I have to watch like a hawk as it burns in 3 seconds. The first time Luckness saw me making toast she asked me if bread tasted better if you cooked it like that. And I realised she'd never had toast before, or even seen it. Well, it's one of my staples here so long as we have bread.
I wake every day about 4.30am, the school night watchman bangs metal plates and cups and things together about 15 minutes later to wake us all up. Children start arriving for school about 6.30 and they sweep the surroundings. Luckness also sweeps. Joyce sweeps. I don't sweep. So much sweeping going on. This is followed by assembly and lessons kick off around 7.45 - always later than scheduled but This Is Africa (henceforth TIA). Joyce usually arrives by 7 and sets to, sorting out the washing up, washing my clothes, making my bed - I did do it once, but she was very disapproving of how I did it, so I now leave it to her. She prepares lunch for about 12 noon. She has a heart of gold, but she does like to fill me with starch. I'm not sure I would necessarily put potatoes with pasta .... then I just have to sleep! I usually work the afternoons, having become extra-curricular. School ends about 1pm, so my poor students have to hang around for me, which gives them a very long day.
It gets dark by 6.30 - Luckness and I eat leftovers from lunch (no fridge) or, failing that, we resort to cooking chips. We then heat up water (all on the charcoal fire in the yard) for our 'baths', which we take by mixing the hot water with cold in big bowls and carrying them into the bathroom, which is one of the outhouses and is a simple concrete room with a soakaway drain. But it all works well. I'm usually in bed around 8.30 and sometimes I read or listen to music.Or sometimes I sleep off the starch again.
Goodbye for now in case I lose this one again! Will write soon and maybe photos if I can do it from Mzuzu later this week. Love to all.
I have just spent ages composing a blog, tried to upload a photo for your amusement, and lost the blog and also the photo, effectively, as it took an unbelievable time to work. So I have abandoned the photo idea for today and am re-writing the blog which is, as you will see, about domestic arrangements here in Chisala village.
As I said previously, I live now on the school campus - all the teachers do, I think. They have single storey, brick built houses with 2 bedrooms inside and one in the outbuildings (where I am). The roofs are corrugated zinc, no ceilings (good, as nowhere for bats/rats to nest), concrete floors, solar power which is surprisingly weak, a back yard with the single tap and the outhouses at the far side of the yard. We spend most of the time in the back yard, where we usually cook (I say we - I mean Joyce my housekeeper and Luckness, who I live with). I do the odd bit of toast, which I have to watch like a hawk as it burns in 3 seconds. The first time Luckness saw me making toast she asked me if bread tasted better if you cooked it like that. And I realised she'd never had toast before, or even seen it. Well, it's one of my staples here so long as we have bread.
I wake every day about 4.30am, the school night watchman bangs metal plates and cups and things together about 15 minutes later to wake us all up. Children start arriving for school about 6.30 and they sweep the surroundings. Luckness also sweeps. Joyce sweeps. I don't sweep. So much sweeping going on. This is followed by assembly and lessons kick off around 7.45 - always later than scheduled but This Is Africa (henceforth TIA). Joyce usually arrives by 7 and sets to, sorting out the washing up, washing my clothes, making my bed - I did do it once, but she was very disapproving of how I did it, so I now leave it to her. She prepares lunch for about 12 noon. She has a heart of gold, but she does like to fill me with starch. I'm not sure I would necessarily put potatoes with pasta .... then I just have to sleep! I usually work the afternoons, having become extra-curricular. School ends about 1pm, so my poor students have to hang around for me, which gives them a very long day.
It gets dark by 6.30 - Luckness and I eat leftovers from lunch (no fridge) or, failing that, we resort to cooking chips. We then heat up water (all on the charcoal fire in the yard) for our 'baths', which we take by mixing the hot water with cold in big bowls and carrying them into the bathroom, which is one of the outhouses and is a simple concrete room with a soakaway drain. But it all works well. I'm usually in bed around 8.30 and sometimes I read or listen to music.Or sometimes I sleep off the starch again.
Goodbye for now in case I lose this one again! Will write soon and maybe photos if I can do it from Mzuzu later this week. Love to all.
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