Home Again.

Home again! It is lovely to be able to use a toilet, to have a shower, to be able to see when it gets dark and to make a cup of tea when I want! Of course it is great to see the boys again. Duncan has overtaken me in height since I was away.

The experience I have had has been once in a lifetime and I can’t even think where to start to describe it. Often time passed incredibly slowly, as I had nothing to do, especially at home. Highlights were things like doing my washing or helping to shell groundnuts or to prepare dried maize to make flour. The real lows were when things went wrong. The pit latrine at my home collapsed and I was left with only a bucket to use as a toilet for a week! Then there were the visitors to my room – first of all frogs, also huge beetles and finally the rats. That was enough for me to get out of village life 3 days before I was due to leave.

Food was really difficult throughout too. I lived on carbohydrates almost entirely and had no dairy products or fruit for the whole time in the village except for a few bananas and a small orange when visiting someone for lunch.

The school experience was incredible and I have learned so much from this in terms of my own professional ability. It is difficult to say how much of an impact my work will have but that is down to the school staff and the Educational Advisor to take things forward. The 3 In-service days we led were fantastic. I worked with 2 other Scottish teachers to deliver courses on Leadership and Management, Literacy and Numeracy, each lasting 5 hours.

I hope I can share my photos and videos with you all and talk through some more of my personal experiences. Thank you all for your interest and support. I will try to post a link to some of my photos in the next few days.

Val x

Home

I picked up Val from Edinburgh Airport this morning. Flights were on time, no problems and she is quite tired. Val will do a final blog entry in the next few days and we will post a few photos.

Michael

Text received 19:20
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In pub and disco to end experience. Malawian gin rather good! See you soon.
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Text received 07:31
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Off to lake for last day. Leave Monday 9am. Can you bring clean clothes and lead for camera?
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Last day at School

Text received Friday 24 July 19:08
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Said bye to school and family. Got drum from school. Sad to leave school. Tomorrow evaluation day.
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Text received 16:19
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Great day - maths training! Did Maths Recovery stuff. Back to village tomorrow to say bye. Then final evaluation and fun weekend. Boat sounded fun!
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Text received Tuesday 21 July 15:54
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Woken by rats in middle of night. Had to get help! Seen three more this morning. Been taken back to town to say - feel like I haven't done it because of this but I couldn't bear it. In Service training went very well.
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I called her from the yacht when we were anchored Tuesday evening - she is doing very well and would have stayed on in the village but another teacher was insistent she should not stay with rats there. It is about an hour travelling to the village each way so not a big problem. Michael.

Text received Monday 20 July 19:09
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Did not climb mountain. Town at 5,200m above sea level and altitude dizzy there. Another rat in room. Won't sleep! NOT COPING with that!!
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Apologies for delay in updating - I am now back on dry land.
Text received Monday 20 July 16:45
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Back in village now. Brilliant weekend. Bought lots. Planned for next three days - five hours a day of In Service. Four schools in area. Tomorrow it is leadership. How I do five hours? Worried about rats but told its gone.
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Michael & boys have been away on a yacht for the last 2 days so he hasn't been able to publish Val's texts. She's fine and back at the village again. He will update blog when they get back on dry land tomorrow.
Joy (mum)

Planning

Text received 20:38
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Great day. Pizza and other fab food. Did plans and evaluations today because it was rainy, so tomorrow for trips.
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Dedza again

Text received 05:27
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At lodge with teachers. Great to hear all stories. Have toilet and shower and electricity! Got chocolate cake. Rain today and cooler here. Off to buy pottery and possibly climb Dedza mountain. Tomorrow and Monday planning courses here.
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The Rat

Text received 10:31
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It is a RAT! Terrified. Saw it this morning. Off to Dedza to meet other teachers until Monday to plan InService courses for next week. Glad to get away from rat!
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Text received 10:43
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Didn't sleep last night-noises in room. Need to see when back from school. At head teachers for lunch.
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Text received 17:22
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I am coping well. Others not. Feel filthy - no wash this pm as out at Christine and back late. Really need wash - SO hot!
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Text received 10:22
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Been teaching 70 kids by myself in foreign language to them. Managed to share story and book, jungle animals and sing songs. On bike pm to visit Christine, she has toothache.
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Text received 19:26
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Got phone top up. Not sure if you are getting all texts as I told you that already. One Global Teacher wants to go home, had enough. Good day apart from so hot and I forgot to take water to school. Had to cycle back in boiling heat. Held four new kittens. Lunch at a teachers today - got chips. Tried pawpaw - nice. Hope boys are good for granny and grandad.
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Text received 09:26
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Plumber at house to fix broken toilet! Beyond repair so gets filled in and new hole dug. Then wall round it built, and old one knocked down. Sharpened pencils a.m. Teachers trying some of my ideas now. Big staff meeting planned for today but head teacher off with a cold. Kids running everywhere because not enough teachers - don't know why they just don't go home? Really starry night. I use a bike every day to school. Posh mountain bike! plus sometimes in afternoon too. Clouds but hot.
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Text received 14:45
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Been sorting books, big pile for fire. School looking better. Teaching songs and rhymes. Been to visit nursery held in church by volunteer. Staff meeting on assessment to lead tomorrow - yuk! Glad I'm not in rain, wierd not knowing what you are up to!
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Text received 12:54
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Been on trip to Lake Malawi with head teacher, Christine and her head teacher. Huge lake, lots of fish & boats. Great to get out. In old truck packed with people on roof! What we were told not to do! Hope boys feeling fine after ship journey. Say hi to all. Need top up for phone please. Very hot.
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Text received 12:02
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Are you all packed? Boring day, sitting around watching world go by. Sunny though. Getting brown - face only. I tell the family and the school about the texts I get from you. Sitting in room eating chocolate!
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We leave for Shetland tonight, will still be able to receive texts and update the blog from there. Michael.

Text received 07:30
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Met 5 inch lizard in school loo. Loo at home collapsing around the hole - scared I fall down in dark! LINK happy with the work I am doing at the school. Been tidying up termite eaten books - filthy! Getting them organised. Off to do washing.
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Text received 06:59
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Dodgy tummy - not good considering facilities! Sang Twinkle all pm yesterday with girl in family and friends!. I feel dirty all time- so dusty, clothes turn brown. Are boys excited about holiday? Remember to water plants. Remember phone + charger.
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yes, yes.....

Text received 18:58
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At depute head for lunch. Got fried egg & chips!! Visited another Global Teacher Christine on bike pm. Visit tomorrow from LINK to check work I am doing. Colder day, need jumper. Can greet people in chichewa (local language) now.
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Text received 8th July 19:21 in reply to one from her sons
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Missing you all lots too. Nearly two weeks past. 10 kilometres on bike today, very tired. Glad you had good time at swimming pool. Feel better now phone is working. No wild animals here.
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Text received 11:35
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Had fone problems but seem to be okay again. Panicky at idea of no phone. Otherwise okay. Been playing parachute games at school and done work with class.
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A parachute was another of the things Val took out to give to the school.

Phone problems again

No texts were received yesterday. There seems to be a problem with her phone again.

She has now managed to text her sister asking her to contact me and get me to call her. I spoke briefly to her this morning - she is fine, but the phone seems to be blocking any texts to my phone and it is telling her to call customer services for the Malawi phone company, but she can't get through to them.

We are working on a fix.

Michael

Text received 16:19
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Bike too big that I used today. Did my washing outside, dry in minutes. Been to school on day off, whats new! Planning to team teach class 8 tomorrow. Very hot. Food still different always same.
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....last sentence doesn't quite make sense.... M

Text received Sunday 19:33
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In bed 8pm. Good day. My room has bed & mostiquo net. Floor is mud - damp and dirty. Bucket for night use! String up to hang clothes. Small table. Battery full in phone, £30 credit, new battery in camera. Candle and torchlight. Night x
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Text received 14:44
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Highlight today walk to river. Women washing clothes. Got to help with lunch and saw it cook in cooking shelter. Hot day. Sit out and read book. No church because of funeral - 3rd in a week. Tomorrow national holiday, independence day.
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Text received 16:43
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Been on trip on bike, truck and minibus to museum - wood carvings and paintings. With another Global Teacher and 2 teachers from here. 2 hours wait for bus! Bought wood masks. Now playing Connect 4 with family by torchlight-5pm
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One of the gifts Val took out was a small travel set of Connect 4.

The speech

Text received 16:24
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Good day. Had welcome ceremony - traditional dances. Did my speech to the village! Got banana - yum, better than dry rice. I cycle and can say good morning to everyone on way. Picking up some phrases. Children so poor -in rags, runny noses, filthy. So emotional. They are freezing. Some tiny children with babies on backs. Tomorrow I go on trip with Head Teacher on bike and bus. You are on holiday now boys will be happy. Missing home. Next week I start proper work, have just been watching so far.
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The frogs

Text received 16:31
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Had a visit from another Global Teacher today - nice to change stories. Only a short walk to her. Got fright last night. Big frog in my room! Then another! Mr P removed them when I screamed. Going to school on bike - sore bottom! Feel like celebrity always surrounded by lots of children.
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Text received 07:50
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Tum okay! Food not easy. I heard Andy Murray is in Semi's on am radio. Days long. Slow pace. Rain today 1st thing. Children late for school cos cold.
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Text received 15:45
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Been to funeral today. Whole village + chiefs there. School good. Outside under a tree with one class. Got my phone topup. Not sure about the stars - in bed so early! Food difficult to cope with so I will come back a new me! Family friendly and welcoming.
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Val had not been looking forward to the food there..! And I had asked if she could see the Southern Cross in the sky...