Welcome

Another Change of Plans

KALIBU! (Welcome)

This blog was started to record my adventures in the Peace Corps as a 2-year environment volunteer. During that time I was stationed in Malawi but I had fun encounters in Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia and Turkey. From there this blog has spiraled into a pure Adventure Blog, with stories from my Service in Americorps NCCC, travelling and working around America as well as my experience teaching Disney English in China. Now I'm also adding stories from my Peace Corps Response position in Micronesia!

Thank you to everyone for having patience with my very sporadic posting :)

(Disclaimer: This blog does not reflect the opinions, goals or ideals of the United States Peace Corps, Americorps NCCC, FEMA Corps, Disney or any other organization. Content may not be suitable for young Children)

Sunrise Breakfast

Sunrise Breakfast
The Mnuw in Colonia, Yap

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Acceptable Malawian Practices and Phrases

This is just a bit of Culture Exchange for ya,

1. Picking your nose is perfectly normal, especially when having a conversation with someone. I mean really digging up there, up to the first joint.

2. Children playing with knives, sucking on plastic, including sachete wrappers (A small plastic packet full of alchohol).

3. Childern playing with fire

4. Setting a onfire right next to a huge pile of flamable material and homes

5. Cooking in a completly smoked out kitchen with your infant on your back and children sitting around in the room.

6. Addressing people by color, ethnicity, race: "Mzungu/Azungu" (White person, white wizard), "White Woman!" "MaChina!" (Anyone who looks remotely chinese. Normally kungu-fu motions are added.)

7. Shouting a marriage proposal from the back of a moving Matola.

8. Have your boobs hanging out, whether breast feeding or forgetting to tuck it back in after breast feeding. Proximity to other people does not matter.

9. To wear ass-less/crotchless pants for chidren...or even no pants.

10. Wear dirty, nasty, torn, stained, patched up clothes.

11. Not to shave legs or underarms.

12. Not to wear deodorant.

13. It is a compliment to tell someone they are getting fat or looking fat today.

To be continued

Bad English Phrases:

I am Just used:  This means that you are used to somethign or somethign does not bother you.

We are just around:    It means you will be in the area or not going anywhere, a way to say goodbye.

To my side :      It means like in my opinion, or how you feel.

I am doing WHAT? ____    : It is a habbit Malawians have of saying WHAT? in the middle of a sentence and answering themselves

(Sighing) MALAWI! :     It is a random thing malawians do when there is nothing else to say or a long silence. The sigh out and say the name of the country or the district, or the village. Its weird.

What and What:    Like excetera or this and that.

Footing:    Walking somewhere

Little by Little:      Self explanatory, just like, bit by bit makes a bundle.

Ujeni: Whatcha-ma-callit

How far?:  People will randomly shout at you asking where you're going, whether they know you or not.

I want to know you:  Obviously they want to know you.

Not so?: Meaning, Is it?

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