Travel

In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I thoroughly enjoy the #1 Ladies Detective Agency series. "In the Company of Cheerful Ladies" was entertaining and McCall Smith always impresses me with the detail of everyday life in Botswana. Having lived in Malawi myslef, I really appreciate these small details like the sounds of the African bush, the delight of pumpkins, and the difference between city folk and village folk. This book was a quick read like most of McCall Smith's books, but is full of insight, amusement and touching accounts about the interactions between his wonderful characters. I do recommend this series of lighthearted books to anyone interested in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially those that want insight in to the brighter side of life in Africa, a refreshing change from the typical doom and gloom we are fed by the media.

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I started sponsoring a child from Haiti with Compassion International as a young college student.  Ever since then, Haiti has always held a special place in my heart.  Today, with news of an earthquake that has devestated the country, affecting at least 1 million people (1/3 of the country's population), I am saddenned.  It has been an upward battle for this poor, developing country, and just as they were making progress in areas like health and political stability, this is an incredibly huge setback to say the very least.  Right now Haiti is in crisis mode and the international community is acting quickly to provide assistance.  I urge you to conssider a donation to World Care which is active in relief efforts in Haiti. 

In addition, Dsenyo is donating 20% of online sales for the month of January to World Care for Haiti.  You can shop online at our Etsy store and we will donate 20% of your entire order.

I fell asleep to the sounds of African drumming and women singing all through the night. Didn't sleep much actually, which is fine, because I rested under my mosquito net, curled up on my reed mat, and loved hearing the sounds of the initiation ceremony in the background.  There is a primal and instinctual connection I feel to the people here.  I feel this especially on days like yesterday when I had the opportunity to dance with the village women as they began the ceremony initiating a young woman into motherhood.  I think about the history behind these traditions and how far reaching...

I have recently returned from seven weeks in Malawi (see map).  It blows my mind that I can somewhat seamlessly travel between what feels like two different worlds.  Operating in another culture is thrilling, inspiring and sometimes exhausting.  What keeps me going always is the wonderfully cheerful spirit of the Malawian people.

I feel so fortunate for the international exposure and experiences I have had up to this point in my life. The people I have met, personal challenges I have faced, and new places I have seen have forever changed my outlook on life. It's hard to put into words, especially for an artist who isn't well versed in words, but most of all this collection of experiences have put me in touch with the humanity which we all share. While we may find ourselves in different environments and speaking in languages that don't comprehend each other, we all seem to have similar hopes and dreams, trials and troubles. It's too easy to think of someone as "other" or "different" but in reality we are all very much the same.

Jon and I are still hosting our blog that we wrote during our time in Malawi. It's nice to go back and read about what I was learning in that space and how to keep those things alive in my life right now. For the most part, I encountered the most culture shock in relation to TIME, RELATIONSHIPS, and PRODUCTIVITY. In Malawi, I liked how relationships were more important than staying on schedule. Back home, I like the satisfaction of productivity achieved by being on schedule. I'm working on bringing the best of both worlds together.

To read more from our Malawi blog visit: Barrio Malawi