This Is Africa

- 8:30 really means sometime around 9, maybe 10.
- Rejoicing when running water comes out of the tap.
- Learning to keep expectations low when ordering ice cream from a vast menu with flavors including coffee, rocky road, and mint chocolate chip. The server will tell you that the available flavors are "vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry." When you ask again about the coffee flavor, he'll repeat "we have vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry." (It was still delicious!)
- The smell of burning plastic looms everywhere.
- Emissions testing would probably eliminate 90% of the vehicles on the road, including Black Mamba.
- The threat of schistosomiasis, hematuria, and cirrhosis is perceived as worth taking when beautiful Lake Malawi is in front of you. Thank goodness for praziquantel!
- The power company's slogan is "Towards power all day... Everyday." (They're doing much better than the water company so far!!)
- Learning to say just a few basic words in Chichewa goes a long way.
- Holding a baby with a chitenje is hard work!

-Kannie Chim, SFH R3