Update on Days, Weeks, Month in Monkey Bay.

Most useless purchase of 2019, July 4th 2020

Not sure if it seems as if less time or more time has passed, but we are counting four month -living amongst the locals, the few stranded and the monkeys.

Establishing relationships with the Monkey Bay natives over the most essential items - essential to us, like shampoo, butter, cheese, meat, chocolate. At this stage I am pretty much weaned off of chocolate and surprisingly I am still alive!

But James and I stroll down Monkey Bay’s Main Street

and  by now the local women selling their goods not only see us (duh!), but know us, wave at us, because they know what we like: Look, I have lettuce (rare!!).....here, here, here....come and buy from me, me, me..I have the biggest tomatoes, onions and garlic for you!

Some of them call out my name.

We try to spread the love (translation: $) amongst the eager sales people and buy tomatoes (most delicious ...so fresh, healthy red and tasty...organic), green beans, cucumbers, eggplants, onions, garlic, bananas and lots of local goodies from various women. And yes, it’s the women here who have the power, the business sense, they truly are the movers and shakers!

They are STRONG, beautiful, smart and capable females. They keep the economy flowing, they keep kids, men and themselves nourished during this time and not only this time.

The men - most of them - sit around doing absolutely NOTHING!

And I am happy to spend a few extra cents for a head of fresh, crisp/healthy green leaves I haven’t seen in three month. 

Austin (there are just a handful of guys responding to what one asks for) assures me he can find shampoo and I pay him for his efforts included in the price....(I never see a receipt). Shampoo is something that our local friends don’t have any use for. 

The butcher tells me when he has a morsel of fresh lean meat available.....so far, last week, it was the first time in four month, but hej, after being off chocolate, this is the best thing....lean beef!

The four women who tried to work my hair into a hip long version of the local black hair style two month ago- which unsuccessfully (I could only stand to wear it for 48 hours before I begged James on the second night at 12 midnight to free me from the already extremely heavy bulk on top of my head, which got even heavier after a dip in the lake. The hair hadn’t dried out in 5 hours after my swim and sleep was in jeopardy) took 4 hours and two packages of fake hair - are still waving and smiling when I ride passed their shop...screaming: Markrett, Markrett, Markrett.

We never blend in of course, but we are part of this village and we are learning the customs of Malawian life like we never thought we would or could (....there is a choice in there somewhere)  Life is giving us it’s own version and we can embrace the challenge or we can kick, scream and resist what we have been presented with. These words from William Arthur Ward resonate with me:

“The pessimist complains about the wind;

The optimist expects it to change;

The realist adjusts the sails”

Honestly, I switch from one to the other daily -sometimes hourly possibly also from one minute to the next.

But as I write this I feel I have adjusted my sails (for now):

The local kids are out of school because of the corona virus lockdown and find themselves in our neighboring lodge 

https://mufasaecolodge.business.site/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral

run by a kind white woman named Riki. She used to be a human rights lawyer (England/South Africa) back in her days, but tried to retire in Monkey Bay, Malawi. Her involvement working with the locals, educate, feed the kids, get them tested for diseases and help the lost and needy is astonishing. I plugged right in into my field of expertise. Useful and also entertained I watch myself rising to the occasion - teaching kids how to swim,

https://youtu.be/mv3YBLax38k

dance (inspired by Riki),

https://youtu.be/9FkyZ-eNJ6M

math, language (English) movie editing...what ever the kids come up with. My payment is my sanity, I told Riki when she informed me that there was no money to compensate me.

And so the days keep lining up for us here in Malawi, on the African continent...all in one place. Instead of spinning our wheels in the direction we would normally have been able to freely choose we are staying in a closed lodge, in a room with a bath, sharing utilities with the owner....pretty cushy! One room, one lodge, one village and no where else to go.

There is so much to learn when staying in one place (rather NOT talk about local politics ..politics at all...just to keep things a little lighter around here, otherwise depression and anxiety are on the rise again).
I’d rather learn about the wonderful Baobab tree...making juice from it’s fruits and even though it is winter here and the trees look bare, we can still find the fruit at the markets:

Just add water

Strained the seeds out after stirring the juicy water and then (instead of sugar) added fruit juice.

Baobab benefits: 

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/health-benefits-baobab

I take that information  “with a grain of salt”, but I enjoy the local taste AND the beauty of the tree - this all makes me feel good.

The insects:

 
Cricket pizza....I admit, I didn’t eat it!

The monkey family: 

And the kids ...focusing on the future...all our future ...makes the light shine brighter in every corner of this crazy time.