Let the games begin!

The trip of a lifetime. A dream come true. A bucket list item. These are all things that I would describe this trip to Brazil that years ago became a goal, something to work and plan for.  And then when it is finally here, I almost can't believe it.  No sweat or tears were produced to make this dream a reality but a certain amount of planning and dedication (some would say absolute fandom) was involved. It started off as a trip I was determined to go on and was fully expecting to brave World Cup on my own (with or without tickets).  Luckily the universe intervened and not only did my father want to join in on the madness, but it was his name that was serendipitously pulled from the lottery hat for tickets.  Unclear if the lottery actually uses a hat but that is what I envision.  My worst case scenario of only watching games in the streets with several body-painted fans will not be realized. Instead I will be watching 5 games in stadiums across Brazil, including the famous Maracana stadium. <Insert fangirl squeal> because this is as good as it gets for soccer fans.  Ok let's be real--it's fútbol. ⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️ Spain has been my team ever since I first saw a Real Madrid game the year I studied abroad (many players from the team also play for the national team). There was no looking back from there.  I've since followed La Rioja religiously to EuroCup and WorldCup wins.  I'm excited to see the Spanish national team live in action but let's not get it twisted I'll be cheering on the USA in the streets of Brazil when they air the games 👍

Let the games begin!

Picture yourself on a map

We have this saying here...well a saying that just started on Kabula Hill with Jenn (the project manager) and I.  She started it off one day by saying out of the blue..."picture yourself on a map right now".  So I did.  And you know what?  I'm a loooong way from home.  Sometimes we can get caught up in our lives and forget where we actually are.  For me I'm in Africa working on a nutrition project but every once and awhile I forget that I'm in a foreign country and that I'm driving on the "wrong" side of the road.  Life begins to just feel....normal.  So when we are driving back from clinic and looking out at the Malawian countryside or in a new place in Malawi we haven't been, Jenn or I will just say "picture yourself on a map right now" and it is a way I center myself.  Picture YOURSELF on a map...

Life on Kabula Hill

I had a seamless introduction to the airport and received my one month visa without complications (to be renewed at a latter date).  It was the easiest customs/landing ever so I was happy.  We landed early so I was surprised that I only had to wait 10 min before my ride faithfully arrived.  Indi, a pediatrician and ID doc that oversees the children's malnutrition study, picked me up and oriented me to Blantyre while manically driving us home.  That was my first insight into the madness that is driving in Africa.  Those of you who have been to Africa/lived here (you know who you are) already know what I am talking about.  For those of you who don't I will paint a picture in an upcoming post--don't you worry.

St Louis Research Project in partnership with the NGO Project Peanut Butter leases land in the Kabula Hill neighborhood in Blantyre.  Blantyre is the commercial capital of Malawi and has 1.9 million inhabitants.  I had signed up to be a clinic volunteer for two months but luckily I receive a weekly stipend plus room & board so my main expense was my flight out to Malawi.  Kabula Hill (a.k.a. The Compound) is a gated area that has multiple houses on the compound (I know what you are thinking...this sounds like a cult!).  My family will be happy to know there is 24 hour security and two adorable guard dogs Maximus and Cesar that become ferocious when encountering newbies (a.k.a. me day one in Africa).  I didn't know what to expect with housing but for Africa we have a pretty sweet deal.  The landlord lives on the property in the main house and the three other houses belong to the project.  I live in middle house which incidentally is the house with the patio. The patio converts into happy hour central when everyone descends after a long day of clinic to drink Carlsberg beers and enter data, talk smack and eat chips and chocolate.  Prime location for sure but mostly for me because of the view. (Don't worry I have my boxed South African wine).  Pics are of my room in middle house and views from the patio.

Up house (I know these names are so inventive) houses most of the dry ingredients for our nightly dinners and where we all meet to cook meals or see what the housekeeper has cooked for the night.  Down house is sadly the only place where internet lives on the compound and thus prime real estate when of course the internet isn't on the fritz.  When I came onto the scene two boys had vacated my room so I had no roomie for two weeks but she has since arrived and she's lovely.  Heather is attending Tufts University for her Doctorate in Food Policy and Applied Nutrition so we geek out a bit.  At any given time there are 5-8 people working/living on the compound so nightly dinners are a great chance to have lively conversations with health and science minded individuals.  I seem to learn something new every dinner, and as we get to know one another more and more laughs ensue.  We are all here to work on one of two malnutrition studies (pregnant women and children) so we talk clinic shop more often than not, but it makes sense because that is the common denominator that brought us all here.  So I casually mentioned having a housekeeper-- which is no minor detail.  We, in fact, have a housekeeper Ruth who comes M-F to do laundry and clean the three houses.  She cooks some staple grains and/or veggies as well to add to our nightly dinners.  She's a godsend and a good person to practice my Chichewa with (the language in Malawi in addition to English).

The sitch on mosquito nets

I have a confession. I like my mosquito net. No--like really like my mosquito net.  Which could seem strange if you understand I have a touch of claustrophobia.  How does a person who gets slightly anxious with confined spaces relish the thought of trapping herself into netting for the night? My theory is two fold--safety for one. Remember when you were swaddled as a child? No? Me either. But chances are your mother swaddled you and your newborn brain thought....ahhhh yes. Safety. Comfort.  That is kind of what mosquito netting feels like to a 31 one year old cocooned in a blue net hanging from the ceiling. A safety that nothing bad can make it into the net--and by nothing I mean malaria carrying mosquitoes ;). The other reason I think I secretly love my mosquito net is because it reminds me of an age old pastime that should never get old--building forts. My mosquito net is an adult mini version of a fort. Every night I crawl into my bed and tuck in the net that creates a canopy not unlike any multitude of forts I made with sheets in my childhood.

A chameleon we found in the yard (down house in background)

Maximus-- guard dog extraordinaire

Until next time!

Initial journey

As we descended on my 14+hour flight and I caught my first glimpse of Africa, I was overcome with a sense of excitement. The purple rays of sunrise highlighted the beautiful (from the air at least!) city of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.

People watching in a foreign airport is one of my favorite pastimes.  Nothing is as much of a melting pot as the different cultures/people/and languages all converging to travel this wonderful world. Cheesy, I know but it's true. I was approached twice for information when I was at the Addis Ababa airport probably because I looked like I spoke their language--English  (right on both accounts).  Maybe I looked like I knew what I was doing?  Laugh.

  
The two day trip to get to Africa gave me some time to reflect on the last month and how crazy it had been.  I decided to leave a town I admittedly loved but was not in love with for the great unknown.  I set up some international jobs and packed up everything I owned to drop it off at my parent's places in Arizona.  The inevitable questions were asked of my friends/family and strangers on the street:

You are going where?

Where is that?

Is Malawi in Hawaii ? 

Why are you leaving your great job?

Answers--I'm going to three continents in one year.   Malawi is in Southeast Africa and definitely not in the state of Hawaii.   The last question is harder to answer.  I've always been somewhat of a wanderer.  I've wanted to leave the country and do work + travel for longer than the 2-3 weeks allotted to me at work since....I've started working ;)  The opportunity presented itself to do some volunteer work in a malnutrition research project and I jumped at the chance (thanks Casey!).

So that is how I ended up in the continent of Africa (a new one for me because I don’t count my rendezvous in Gibraltar even though I could see Morocco) getting ready to embark on a journey I never thought would be mine.  I was never planning on traveling to Africa.  My worldview was pretty much set on work in Europe but when the world comes knocking, I’ve learned to open the door.  We landed in Blantyre, Malawi—my home for the next two months—and I have to say…it reminded me of Hawaii!  Lush and green with some heat that was peppered with humidity upon  arrival. I stepped off the plane and my body (and possibly my mouth) said YES.  The heat.  I welcomed it after the fog and persistent 60s of San Francisco.  I couldn’t help myself and already started taking pictures once I landed.  More soon I promise!