Monday, May 25

I just got back from spending a weekend at a town on the lake. There’s a group of really nice University of Pittsburgh students doing work here, so we all went together, along with Arichie (friend, driver, interpreter) and Mara’s son. The lake is gorgeous, and we stayed in a small fishing town, which was interesting after these days in Lilongwe. The children there either shouted the usual “azungu” at us, accompanied by either a wave or a thumbs up, or stared and even scowled. I was even more careful than usual about taking pictures of people after I heard adults making remarks at being caught in the photographs of others in our group. I think people in that area know very well the good and bad sides of tourism. The poverty is palpable as it is everywhere in this country, and whether all those small fishing boats that go out each night will catch anything is unpredictable. I wore my clothes rather than a bathing suit and am glad I did; the only locals in the water were men soaping up and bathing in their underwear, and children. Local women spent hours at the lake washing clothes, and the majority of men sat on the shore making huge fishing nets. For a few really fun hours I played with three local boys on the beach. When I asked one of them why he wasn’t in school, he said that his uniform wasn’t clean, but that he’d be back tomorrow. I’m not sure if he was telling the truth. I showed them how to use my camera and was impressed with how quickly they learned. They were so sweet, playful, and respectful, and almost ran the battery out since they wanted to see and show each picture they’d taken. I was able to communicate with them with what little Chichewa I’ve picked up, which was so exciting. I’ll get to see them again because at some point I’ll be heading back to that area to conduct interviews. A man I met there says he knows people who would want to be a part of this project as it allows local people to have a voice, and that he will start speaking with potential participants today.