Mwezi Imodzi

It's been just over one month at site for me kuno ku Malawi. What better way to celebrate than with some fresh papaya? I cut open that big pawpaw and ate my fill. Of course, there was still plenty left over to share with my wonderful neighbors. And they in turn shared some nandolo (pigeon peas) with me, which were quite yummy!

In honor of my first month, I also bought a small pot with a lid (see photo). You would not believe how hard it was to find one though. Now I can boil my drinking water in the big pot and cook my oatmeal in the little pot. Ah, simple pleasures!

The heat here in Malawi is getting more noticeable. Even the locals say so. I've been feeling really tired in the afternoons, Iike the heat is sapping my energy. You know it is hot when you go to put your clothes on, and they actually feel warm to the touch.

This is the fourth week of the term for my students. Today I did a plant pigment chromatography activity with the class. We separated the leaf pigments from some local  plant leaves-- papaya, banana, mango and avocado. I had them try to guess the pigments beforehand based on the color of the leaves, then identify the actual pigments based on the what they saw on the filter paper. This is part of our unit on Photosynthesis. We'll be finishing that up next week and then moving on to Transport Systems in Plants. There are a lot of cool activities we can do in that unit too.

My new favorite meal is eggs and toast with sauteed tomato and onion on top. I cannot get enough of this right now. I found a place in my local trading post that had brown bread too, which makes the meal even better. Tastes more wholesome now.

And lastly, a one month at site update would not be complete without a lizard mention. They continue to be active and underfoot. One fell on me yesterday as I was reaching up for something. I think I was just as surprised as he was! I noticed they make this clicking noise sometimes, maybe when they feel threatened. I actually saw two fight a bit in the corner of my bedroom. A lot of clicking and swirling tails, but it was over quickly. And they both scampered away intact. I'm looking at one right now, paused in the act of climbing down my living room wall. Every time I look up he is a bit lower down the wall, but I never see him actually move. Kinda like the Weeping Angels on Dr Who, only not evil. Don't blink!

So far, so good. And off I go for month two...