Sunday, 26 August 2007
Monday, 20 August 2007
Good News and Bad
I'll give you the bad news first. My lovely wee kitten died when we moved house. I found her dead behind the fridge. I'm not sure what happened. She had been happy and full of life, exploring the new house. She may have got an electric shock. I was gutted and for me it represented life in Malawi, short and sweet. Malawians have lots of children, if one dies they have another one. True to form my house girl brought me another kitten on Friday. I had not decided to have another one but the decision was taken from me. This one, Harry, is very cute and is probably about 6 weeks old. He is very well behaved at present and is already practising his hunting and killing techniques. We are becoming good friends and I'm trying to make the house as safe as possible.
I moved house on Monday, I got a bed from the college, a matress and 2 chairs from Debbie, my neighbour, and I should get my furniture in a couple of weeks. I've bought crockery and cutlery and other bits and pieces but my star buy was a wooden toilet seat! Last weekend I managed to buy 2 ply toilet paper so I'm sitting in the lap of luxury, perhaps I should have put an "H" in sitting. The other real luxury I got was bacon. I've not seen it before or since then and I'm still salivating at the thought of it. Still no shoes from home but I live in hope. Back to the house its a 3 bedroomed house with a large garden. I've managed to clear most of the overgrown areas and I'm going to get a fence built round it. I've planted my herbs in pots, bought a hose and sprinkler and hope to get planting soon.
I've been continuing to work at the mental hospital and later this week I have a VSO meeting at the lake. I know its a tough job but someone has to go to the lake.
Keep in touch.
I moved house on Monday, I got a bed from the college, a matress and 2 chairs from Debbie, my neighbour, and I should get my furniture in a couple of weeks. I've bought crockery and cutlery and other bits and pieces but my star buy was a wooden toilet seat! Last weekend I managed to buy 2 ply toilet paper so I'm sitting in the lap of luxury, perhaps I should have put an "H" in sitting. The other real luxury I got was bacon. I've not seen it before or since then and I'm still salivating at the thought of it. Still no shoes from home but I live in hope. Back to the house its a 3 bedroomed house with a large garden. I've managed to clear most of the overgrown areas and I'm going to get a fence built round it. I've planted my herbs in pots, bought a hose and sprinkler and hope to get planting soon.
I've been continuing to work at the mental hospital and later this week I have a VSO meeting at the lake. I know its a tough job but someone has to go to the lake.
Keep in touch.
Saturday, 11 August 2007
Getting on with the real job
I've been back in Malosa for a week. My house was not ready, as predicted, so I'm still with the monkeys, goats and hyenas. I picked Mati, the kitten, up on sunday and she has taken over the house. She is a scruffy wee thing, who lets you know what she wants, its usually food, and she has a real killer instinct. She tries to kill my feet everytime I move them. She has already been treated for worms and needs treated again, she was infested before I got her so life for cats is not dissimilar to life for patients in Zomba Mental Hospital.
I've been trying to support the students doing their psychiatric placement. Zomba has the only state mental hospital in the country its quite different from any hospital I've ever visited. If you have read "Papillion" you may have some idea of the hospital by comparing it to the prison in the book. The patients come in on temporary treatment orders but they are renewed all the time so its like having a permenant section under their mental health act. They are working to a 1948 act. If you don't have lice when you come in you soon will. The matresses are all infested and the washing facilities are poor, no hot water or baths. Clean clothes are at a premium and the drugs are very limited. Electro convulsive therapy is given without anesthesia. The level of violence is high, theft is rife and there are not enough beds but you can always sleep in your lice infested matress on the floor. Enough said about the hospital.
Our last week in Lilongwe was interesting, there was more focus on education and food security. I've been picking up gardening tips and husbandry skills so as soon as I get the house I'll get going. I've been told I can move on Monday but I'll wait and see, I've been let down so many times. It was like Christmas when I got back from training. I got 5 letters and 1 box and a package. It was great to hear from everyone and I am replying to all letters. Look out for the paper made from elephant crap. The box and package were full of little goodies from JB. Unfortunately 4 other boxes, with shoes in them, have gone missing. You can imagine how distressing that is for me to have missing shoes! I'm sure they'll turn up sometime.
I'm about to try out a resturant for lunch. In Zomba you have to use the word resturant loosely. However I'm going to a good hotel for a meal on Monday with VSO staff, a journalist from the Scotsman and a film crew who are doing something on the Scottish Executive link with Malawi. So look out for something in the Scotsman on my placement here.
Keep the comments and letters coming you are keeping me sane and I'd hate to end up in Zomba Mental Hospital as a patient.
I've been trying to support the students doing their psychiatric placement. Zomba has the only state mental hospital in the country its quite different from any hospital I've ever visited. If you have read "Papillion" you may have some idea of the hospital by comparing it to the prison in the book. The patients come in on temporary treatment orders but they are renewed all the time so its like having a permenant section under their mental health act. They are working to a 1948 act. If you don't have lice when you come in you soon will. The matresses are all infested and the washing facilities are poor, no hot water or baths. Clean clothes are at a premium and the drugs are very limited. Electro convulsive therapy is given without anesthesia. The level of violence is high, theft is rife and there are not enough beds but you can always sleep in your lice infested matress on the floor. Enough said about the hospital.
Our last week in Lilongwe was interesting, there was more focus on education and food security. I've been picking up gardening tips and husbandry skills so as soon as I get the house I'll get going. I've been told I can move on Monday but I'll wait and see, I've been let down so many times. It was like Christmas when I got back from training. I got 5 letters and 1 box and a package. It was great to hear from everyone and I am replying to all letters. Look out for the paper made from elephant crap. The box and package were full of little goodies from JB. Unfortunately 4 other boxes, with shoes in them, have gone missing. You can imagine how distressing that is for me to have missing shoes! I'm sure they'll turn up sometime.
I'm about to try out a resturant for lunch. In Zomba you have to use the word resturant loosely. However I'm going to a good hotel for a meal on Monday with VSO staff, a journalist from the Scotsman and a film crew who are doing something on the Scottish Executive link with Malawi. So look out for something in the Scotsman on my placement here.
Keep the comments and letters coming you are keeping me sane and I'd hate to end up in Zomba Mental Hospital as a patient.
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