Big Thanks To Saline Ladies

Many thanks to the golf girls who raised funds for the children's ward. I've still to buy the toys next time I get to Blantyre or Lilongwe. The toys will be really appreciated. Unfortunately I'm not allowed to take photos of the children in hospital or I would post some photos on the blog.

Time has been flying and access to Internet has been diminishing. We have had a lot of power cuts and I'm not in Zomba as regularly now that I'm working at St Luke's. I'm settling in there and I've been doing some in-service training in the hospital. I've also been asked to teach diabetes in Zomba College.

The wards are scary places and I'm reluctant to teach there until we have agreed procedures and treatment protocols. I'm trying to get the college and hospital to work together so the students can actually provide the care and treatment that is being taught in college. Unfortunately the hospital practice is very different from what is taught. It's too easy for staff to blame lack of resources and staff shortages for bad practice. I've got the matron and the college to agree to a meeting to agree best practice. Hopefully we will make some progress over the next few months. Things do not happen very quickly here.

I'm now the proud owner of 10 chickens. They are 6 weeks old and should start laying in 10 weeks. 10 was the smallest number I could buy. I'm lucky if I use 6 eggs a week so I'll have plenty surplus. The garden is doing really well. I've had 1 courgette, lots of beans and beetroot from the vegetable patch and lots of herbs. Most of the other plants are doing well. Its amazing how quickly they grow here.

The kitten is out most of the day but I have to keep her in at night because of the feral dogs. The cat next door is making sexual advances towards my kitten so I'll have to get her "done" in a couple of months. She has tortured and killed quite a few geckos and insects. Some of the ants here are about 2 inches long and some of the bees are over 1 inch so they provide excellent hunting for the kitten.

The rainy season is threatening. We have had some very heavy showers of rain and fantastic electrical storms but it has still to start in earnest. I can't wait to get into my Thomas Pink wellies. It gets really hot before the rain and some nights its been unbearable. I don't think it helped having malaria. Thankfully it was not bad because I was taking antimalarials. I was quite shocked when I had a positive slide. I think I was more shocked than unwell.

The car farce has still not been resolved. It has left me not knowing whether to look for another one or not. However I hope it will be resolved soon. I went to the tea estates last weekend with 5 VSO friends. We stayed in a lovely 1970's colonial house and had 3 house staff, including a chef, looking after us. We were totally spoilt in a most fantastic setting. The day we left we went to Mulangie mountain, which is the highest in Malawi, and swam in some of the river pools. We found a cafe that sold ice-cream and hot chocolate sauce, ecstasy! I've also been to the top of Zomba plateau and gone to Chinjie's Hole where lepars and criminals were thrown (dead or alive). It's a 60 foot hole on the plateau that leads to a cave system. The dead bodies were washed down the valley in the rainy season hence the village at the bottom being call dead man's village.

I've mastered making bread and chocolate cake in a pot on the hot plate. Who needs a Neff oven and hob? Me when I get home. My language tutor has definitely done a bunk so my language skills are as bad as ever. My boxes have still not arrived. I've worn holes in my sandals and I'm still suffering from shoe withdrawals. Apart from that all is well. I've had some more lovely cards and letters. I really appreciate all the contact from home. Keep the comments coming on the blog.