"There's no food that I really feel like I'm missing... apart from bagels."

End of Week 5! Only, like, 47 to go!

So it's getting hot. October is the hottest month and, man, are we feeling it. I have discovered that there's nothing better than an ice cold shower after a sweaty walk home.
This week has been pretty busy; on Monday at Nama Simba we were asked to do some teaching... which was quite a fail due to the massive language barrier between us and the kids. And between us and the care givers, for that matter. We also don't really have the authority to hold the kids' attention. Like when Catherine, one of the care givers, shouts "Alphabettie Lettas!", the kids scream back "ALPHABETTIE LETTAS!!!". But when we do the same, they just look really confused and mumble to each other in Chichewa, perplexed as to why the azungu entertainers are shouting weird things at them. I have also discovered this week that the kids love being lifted up, twirled around, tickled, held upside down etc. However, they never want me to stop, no matter how many times I say I'm 'topa' (tired). The nsima and ndiwo was really good this week, though. It had potatoes in it! :D
Been doing bits of teaching at TST, mostly Maths with some adjectives and nouns on the side. At the end of the English class, Louise came up with the idea to get them to describe what they were wearing, as I had been pointing to my clothing to show that t-shirt is an noun, but then the colour is an adjective. However, this proved tricky as my colour blindness meant that I couldn't actually decide what colour my t-shirt and skirt were... and I didn't have the confidence to correct them when I suspected meant they green, not blue, or brown, not black... Urrrrgh, it was such a stress. I'll be leaving that to Louise next time.
I was also asked by one of the older boys what 'anxious' meant... far more difficult than I thought! I said upset, sad and another adjective that I can't remember, didn't even think of worried. I am the worst English speaker ever.
On Wednesday, some Med students from Queen Elizabeth Community Hospital came to play a football match against the older boys at TST. We helped the girls to make a massive fruit salad for all the kids - it was the most fruit we'd eaten in a month! Unfortunately, the QECH boys won. We'll get them next time.
I think I'm starting to get used to life here; there are little things that I'm sure would have shocked me in the first few weeks that now feel normal. For instance, that we found a kitten living in the pet food aisle at our local supermarket, or that minibus drivers often run out of petrol in the middle of the road and have to fill up from a bottle they carry around with them. Today I even said to a minibus driver 'There's plenty of room!' when he said he couldn't fit Louise, 4 carrier bags, 2 back packs, a mirror and myself into his nearly full minibus. I'll have you know that we did fit. Ha.
On the other hand, I wouldn't say we're completely accepted here. On the walk home one day, I was walking behind a man who had a child on his shoulders. The child burst into tears at the sight of me. We are constantly a target for beggars or street sellers in Blantyre and men are always striking up conversations with us that include the sentence 'Are you married?'
While I say we've been busy, we did find time at TST this week to play 'I spy', but Louise said she wouldn't play anymore when I got bored and used E for Existentialism. Also, we often don't have power past 6pm and it's no fun trying to catch the cockroaches in the dark. So that's why you'd find me in bed at 6.45pm on a Friday night, making shadow puppets against my mosquito net. At least until I accidentally made one that creeped me out, then stopped before I gave myself nightmares.
In other news, we watched a lizard eat a live cockroach on Tuesday. Louise cheered it on: we love lizards and despise cockroaches so it was great entertainment.
Next week promises to be busy too, with more time being spent at Nama Simba and around Baluti. Plus, we're gonna make a cake!
TTFN

Quotes:
We'd just been going over adjectives
Stella: Louise's hair is LONG.
Catriona: Yeh, well done.
Stella: Your hair is LONG.
Catriona: Nah. my hair is SHORT.
Stella: Well, it's a little long.

Nice man we met on the way home: Don't get burnt! It's too hot!

The power had been off most of the day
Catriona: (looking at phone) I'm gonna turn off my phone to save power.
Louise: Well, I've got mine on.
simultaneously
Catriona: So, if anyone desperately needs to reach me...
Louise: So, if a murderer comes...