Happy Thanksgiving

Well, it's the holidays. A weird time of year in a land where a semisolid mixture of corn flour and water is the idea of a good meal. In Malawi, 'tis the season of dust and sweat.

I can't say that I had a wonderful Thanksgiving with people I love, and that we managed to cook all the traditional foods (with just a few minor substitutions like chicken for turkey). I can't say that I escaped the heat this past weekend to celebrate early in a place where the weather was just as nice as it would be at home in Fresno this time of year, in a house that could easily have belonged to my grandparents. I can't say these things because that would be against Peace Corps policy (both being away from my site and saying so on the Internet), so I won't say them.

I will say, however, that this holiday season, I am most thankful for my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers. They are my support network, my friends, my family, my confidants, my therapists. They get me. As much as I am grateful for the support I get from home, that support is a little battered and weary after traveling ten thousand miles to get to me. The support I get from my PCV friends is, therefore, all the more important. We greet each other with hugs. We make each other laugh with the build up of witty jokes that go untold for the anticipation of all humor being lost in translation. We bitch and moan about our jobs and village life (which of course we also love, but sometimes you gotta vent). We validate each others emotions, remind each other why all the hardships are worth while, and leave each other feeling ready to take on the world, to do a better job, to be a better person.

I have in mind, when I talk of these people, the volunteers that came in my training class and those that live near me, all of which are my good friends. But another great thing about PCVs is that they are all willing to be your friends once introduced--no awkwardness, lots of questions asked. I went to Lilongwe a couple weeks ago (Peace Corps approved travel) and met a handful of volunteers I hadn't known before. They talked with me in the office, walked around town with me, and went to dinner with me; I came alone and nervous about the big city, and I left with new friends.

The brotherhood created by our common experience is currently my favorite thing about Malawi. I know my favorite thing should be something Malawian, but deal with it, it's not. That said, speaking with other PCVs and comparing our experiences always makes me thankful for my situation in ways I didn't know I should be. So, in the spirit of the day, here is a list of 10 things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving:

1. My fellow PCVs!
2. My friends and family at home that make the effort to stay in touch.
3. My iPhone/the Internet that allows me to stay in touch with both of the above.
4. The Tarmac. (Their word for paved roads. British?) I live just a few hundred yards away, unlike some friends who have to walk or bike 2 hours to get out of the village. I can just walk to the road, wave my hand, get in a car or minibus, and skidaddle.
5. Ulongwe market. They sell good food. Not everyone can buy green beans and carrots within walking distance. I can also buy all kinds of supplies that most volunteers could only dream of.
6. My love/knowledge of cooking, inherited from mama mia. It can take a long time to cook when you have to always wash your only two pots and spoons, make a fire, use minimal water (since you have to carry every drop you use), and navigate in candlelight; so if you don't enjoy it, it puts a major damper on your days. Plus, you have to cook good food to eat good food.
7. Electricity! Almost forgot. Due to the provider making things annoyingly complicated to set up, I've only had electricity for a total of 1 week, even though it has been installed for two. Nevertheless, electricity makes life so much easier. An hour of cooking can now be done in just 20 minutes! It's the way of the future for sure.
8. The coming rains. They have already started cooling down the weather so I'm no longer in a constant state of dehydration and misery.
9. My dog, Travis. He's a lot of work, but he's my buddy.
10. The students who try and/or ask questions. It's a small minority for sure, but they are there and they make me happy to teach.
11. (I know, it was supposed to be a list of 10, but whatever. 11.) The teachers at my school. While I don't relate to the teachers as well as I do to other ex-pats, I do spend most of my time with them. They are very supportive of me as a new teacher and they express an interest in my culture. They joke with me and engage me in philosophical debates. And not all, but most of them care about the students. They want to embrace new teaching styles. They want to provide the kids with new opportunities. They take the kids on weekend trips. They come early to school to teach an extra period so the students can get through a ridiculously large syllabus. They show up on time and teach most of their assigned periods. They are by no means the passionate, dedicated teachers I know in America, but for the caliber of school and the norms of their country, they're pretty great.

My site mates are joining me for lunch today, so not to worry, I have company who will appreciate Thanksgiving with me. And soon soon I will be on my way to In-Service Training to spend a few weeks (and Christmas) with some of my favorite people. Time will fly and soon I will be at the six month mark!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! And to my family, (I can picture you all huddled around a computer in my parents' house) I love and miss you all. I thank you for making me the person I am today and giving me the strength and the love for the world that see me through this adventure. Eat lots of pie for me! <3

Happy Veterans' Day!

It's not that I didn't appreciate veterans before, my grandpa was a veteran, and I even volunteered at the VA hospital for a while. But I always held a "well that's nice, but isn't there a better way?" pacifist mentality towards the military in general. I blame my quaker ancestors. Recently however, I was reading a book about a WWII vet (Unbroken, in case you were wondering) and I had this moment where I was like, "Holy Shit. Veterans. I need to appreciate them more. They really have sacrificed and the US and the world really has benefited." To be clear, I still don't condone war, but American veterans and their allies--them I can honor. Thanks to all the men and women out there who have served!