Moni from Malawi

Blantyre, MALAWI — Unbelievably moving few days here in Malawi with the kids at Chisomo Children’s Trust. We’re about to watch England battle Australia in the rugby finals from Paris while dinner’s being prepared. The service at Living Waters (the pentecostal church affiliated with Chisomo) starts at 7 a.m. tomorrow. SEVEN. A.M.! Holy Moses. So we’re off to bed early …

But seeing as how we can’t seem to get photos loaded from here, we thought we’d give you something a little different:

THESE ARE A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE AFRICAN THINGS

1) Favorite picture of all time: The above shot of God Girl with Frank, an 8-year-old orphan at Chisomo. They can both roll their tongues, which is a recessive genetic trait. Not everybody can roll their tongue. It was love at first sight.

2) Surprise glass of pure sugar cane juice before lunch at Ali Baba’s restaurant in downtown Blantyre. That’ll wake you right up!

3) Best cross-cultural misunderstanding: While talking with Millicent in Asembo Bay, Kenya about my life in Chicago she asked if I had any children. I said I didn’t (yet) but that my husband has four and that they are grown. She thought about this for a few moments and then leaned in and said, “Catty, I didn’t know they had polygamy in the United States.” After I explained that Crime Boy had been divorced before we married, all three of us had a good laugh. Bill Hendrickson (of “Big Love”) CB is not.

4) Best first time: Wading through inch-deep yellow dust to cross the border between Kenya and Tanzania on foot.

5) Closest thing to torture: Standing in line for an hour at the Tanzanian immigration office at the border while they played Kenny G on a loop.

6) Closest thing to highway robbery: After the mind-numbing Kenny G wait, being shaken down for $100 apiece to enter Tanzania. Only US citizens have to pay $100 (and they would only take American dollars). Everyone else pays $50. They had changed the policy for Americans just a few days before our arrival. Thanks, Mr. Bush.

7) Best noise: Being close enough to a rhino at Lake Nakuru, Kenya to hear the sound of it pulling grass from the ground and chewing. Second-best noise: While sitting with the children at Chisomo in Blantyre yesterday as they ate an early supper of beans and maize, hearing the beautiful call to prayer from the mosque down the street, beckoning worshipers to come pray at the Eid al Fitr. Eid Mubarack!

8) Best smell (although we missed it): Leftover hippo stank in Millicent’s garden after the beastie ate all her sweet potatoes.

9) Best mode of transportation: Boda bodas. These are regular bicycles with a littl teeny seat built on the back – sometimes with a fancy multicolored leather-covered cushion; sometimes not. For 20 bob (about 35 cents) the boda bodas will take you anywhere you want to go. And ladies ride side-saddle.

10) Funniest anecdote: A friend in Malawi was telling us a few minutes ago about the preacher we’ll be hearing tomorrow a.m. As is fairly typical of Malawian (and other East African) speakers, the preacher uses “L” and “R” sounds interchangeably. A while back he was preaching a sermon that had something to do with the upcoming elections. “We must play for successful erections,” he boomed from the pulpit. “Play for the erections! Rise up and play for the erections.”

11) Favorite first impression: God Girl was dozing on the drive to the safari in Lake Nakuru, about a four hour trek from Nairobi. When she came around, we were still a ways away from the actual game park in the middle of a rural area. She looked out the window: Goat. Sheep. Goat. Sheep. Sheep. Sheep. Skinny cow. Goat. Zebra … WAIT — ZEBRA!!! We’re not in Kansas anymore, GG.

Tomorrow night we’ll be back in Arusha, Tanzania and (inshallah) will be able to post photos of the beautiful boys from Chisomo.

Neema,

GG & CB