Annie Mae NYC

That's My Lily!

About 6 years ago, I met a girl who would later become one of my most favoritest people in the whole world. Her name is Sarah Halfman, but I call her Lily. She joined the Peace Corps straight out of college and worked in small village in Malawi for 2 years. When her PC term was up, she came back to the US and attended Grad School at Tulane, right after Katrina. Shortly after graduating, she accepted a job in Zambia. Short story long, I just received an e-mail update from her that made me laugh, cry and wish I was havin a cold one with her in S. Africa. Enjoy...

So, I've had a pretty great last couple of weeks. I was sick with novoice for a week which was absolute shit, but I recovered and my voice is back- thanks, I have to say in part because my head boss at the office wouldn't let me work, he actually gave me NO choice. Just flat took me to the chemist and dropped me at home with explicit instructions NOT to come back to work until I was better. First timeI think I've ever been sent home from work!

Then I made it to Malawi after 2 long years of being away. Crowley was in Lilongwe for work so I went to go and visit her. It was incredible, from the second I crossed the border and the man stamping my passport looked at it and smiled just saying "oh, you belong here, welcome back." A welcome back it was! Its funny that 15 kilometers can really make that much of a difference, but I felt it as soon as I crossed into Malawi- a calm that is usually reserved for when I'm crossing Mt. Hood going into Portland. I was just home. The language was so comforting. I really though that Chinyanja was going to be SO much more similar than what it is to Chewa (and I finally understand why I'm told that I speak either heavy or deep chewa- nyanja is just a big 'ol shit show mish mash of a bunch of different tribal languages with the roots being like Tumbuka and Chewa.) When I crossed intoMalawi though I no longer spoke funny I just spoke proper fucking chewa. It was nice, even being crammed into the minibus to Lilongwe next to a vomiting child- just chatting. Lilongwe was a bit morebuilt up than last time I saw it. I met Crowley at the Azungu malland straight away I needed a drink, Mama Mia's for a cool drink of Malawi gin…the only thing missing was my partner, Hilary. It wasreally weird to be experiencing it without her (I really missed ya Hil!) Its funny I ended up straight away buying a new bag and halfway through my first drink looked at it and thought it was Hil's and I realized that the only reason I bought it was because it reminded meof her. After that we went to a braii with a bunch of USAID and other public health peeps, and it was really nice. Just to be around other public health people who are in the field- and I'll be totally honest the food was amazing and there was an open bar...what!? There was also a little guy coming around with wine all through dinner, in the classy lady way that you all know and love it wasn't too long beforered wine (of course) was all over the only pair of trousers that I brought, and they were cream colored. Who's the classiest lady….? That and a crazy small world moment rounded out my first trip back quite nicely!

Then worked all week. Not the best week at work, but I made it through no prob and the weekend was great. My friend's parents werein town so they stayed at my flat because there was a big Chewa festival and the president reserved all the rest houses in Chipata. Friday, was my first time being back in a village in 2 years as well,and I was really shocked at how similar David's village looked to minein Malawi. A bunch of us were there so we had little village party, built a fire slept on the floor of his hut and drank loads- it was agood time. Then we just had to make it to the festival. The festival was really cool, just a shit ton of dancers and drumming from Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique.

After the festival and 3 long days of going out I was tired! I decided to sit and have a couple of beers at the Peace Corps house with a friend and then head home for a well deserved rest in my ownbed. That's when it happened. Live music began at the bar behind thehouse and I remembered, Lucious Banda was playing a live show thatnight- for those of you that don't know Lucius Banda is a pretty famous Malawian musician. Anywho as you can well understand I didn't have a choice, a Malawian musician of course I HAD to go! I had SO MUCH fucking fun- I danced my ass off, got pulled up on stage to dance- people were giving me money, I did the splits between this other dancer's legs and people went mental (I'm sure that this is not a scene that surprises a single one of you!) ! It was a moment, sothen Lucius gave me a t-shirt and yada yada… so after the show drunkand ridiculously tired after 3 long nights of debauchery I got to properly meet Mr. Banda, and he took my digits. No joke, I got apicture and he got my number. Never thought he would actually ring though…but he did. First thing Monday morning, asked when I was coming to Malawi next so we could shoot his next music video. Fucking ridiculous!

Other than the weekends though its just work work work. I had my first training this week and am starting a new promotional campaign that should launch next month, so all is definitely going well in this hemisphere.

Love you and miss you all LOADS!!
XOXO
Sarah/Lily/Ringer & Lady

posted by Annie Mae @ 11:36 AM