Onward to Kasungu

I wrote this post on June 24th but haven't had Internet access since then so I'm only now able to post it. I have been with my host family for about 3 weeks now and will write a blog about my home stay experience and training very soon. 

(June 24)

Today is our last day in Lilongwe. Since we arrived in Malawi on Thursday we have been staying in a conference center in the capital, meeting our trainers and getting to know our group. The last week has been filled with training classes, medical sessions and language practice. Our typical schedule includes waking up at 6:30 breakfast at 7 classes until lunch at 12 with a short tea/ snack break in between then classes until dinner at 7. After dinner we have been hanging out as a group either playing games or going to the small bar in the conference center. Although the past few days have been a lot of fun, I don't really feel like I'm in Africa yet. The place we are staying is very nice, even for American standards, with electricity, wifi, hot showers and good meals. It could easily be located anywhere in the US so I cant say that I've experienced the "real" Africa. Tomorrow, however, we move to the Kasungu district a little north of here and meet our host families who we will be staying with for the next 8 weeks. Although I'm slightly nervous, I'm also very excited to meet my family and move into a real African village! 

Some African firsts and fun events which have occurred since I arrived include...

I have gotten 5 immunizations in the past 3 days! 

I ate nsima for the first time (the traditional dish of Malawi) it tasted like a mix between grits and mashed potatoes, not great. 

Drank my first Malawian beer, Carlsberg green. 

Played an intense game of ultimate frisbee in which I scraped up my knee pretty bad but my team won two out of three. 

Spoke Chichewa with a native speaker