First day of school

The first day of school
This was the first day of school for all of the students – and for this new student of Malawi and Chichewa. I had breakfast with Regina – eggs, potatoes, tomatoes, and coffee and then we were off in her car the 5 or so km to school. Once there she began answering the phone and a million questions while trying to get ready for the all school assembly. The students from all years plus the heads of departments and administrators were on stage and they asked me to sit with them. We were all introduced and I made a hit by saying good morning all and happy new year in Chichewa. Everyone speaks Chichewa to one another so I will be learning faster than I anticipated. Today I could pick out a word here and there and I was able to introduce myself but that was about it. (Thank God I studied some before I left home). After the assembly I met with the Research director for an introduction and then with one of my three new best friends – Charlie Maere the IT man. He quickly got me connected to college internet and later and the day spent several hours trying unsuccessfully to get me both internet and phone. The phone I brought had to be unblocked ($60.00) and an overnight process. There were no dongles available and DSL required a line to the house which doesn’t currently exist but is very cheap ($104.00) and will take two weeks then I buy an $80.00 modem and pay $150.00/mo. The dongle if available is $125/mo. I still don’t know what I’ll do since Regina would really like the DSL and I could work it into the rent. Now if all of this sounds simple it wasn’t. It took 3 stops to get the phone problem managed and that was only because I had Charlie along – without him nothing would have happened. One stop for the internet and then we needed to go the US embassy for my work permit so I can open a bank account. First we went to the wrong building where we were not allowed in to turn around until the car was scanned for bombs by local security. Then when we got to the right building – across town of course- the person I needed wasn’t there so I have to go back tomorrow. I had forgotten how much patience I would need here. Nothing happens quickly and getting angry or annoyed only assures that things will go even more slowly. So I was patient and darn grateful for Charlie who knows all the tech people at the phone company and internet services, Norah the Dean’s secretary who helped me sort out the stuff about the embassy and Mary the registrar who is helping me with the bank account – in part because she wants to buy my dollars because she needs them for a trip to Tanzania next month. (Apparently it is easy to buy kwacha and harder to buy dollars but dollars are legal tender in many places in Africa just not in Malawi).
I also met with the Principal who is more like our dean and is the head of school. Dr. Address is a very formidable scholar and a lovely woman. She was gracious and kind in welcoming me and let me know how they hoped to use my expertise especially with the graduate students. It sounds like I won’t have a regular class but will teach in a variety of courses. None of this is clear yet but in due time I am sure I will find out. Nothing moves quickly here.
Meanwhile Regina was on the phone sometimes two phones and talking to students, faculty, and others. I have learned that there is also a campus in Blantyre in the south where the second year students and some of the midwifery students go. (I apparently will be going there plus being Charlie’s test case for the first use of their polycom like system for two way video). Students take an exam at the end of each module those students who failed the exam at the end of last semester are allowed to take another exam so they can continue in the program, however the exam was to be given on Tuesday in Lilongwe but some of the students didn’t show up and others mistakenly went to Blantyre with their classmates. Regina was trying to track down the missing students and get an exam to Blantyre so the students could take it on Wed). Ah the problems of multi-campus programs!
By the end of the day Regina was exhausted and her daughters were more than 40 minutes late to pick us up – she was not happy. We came home had a cup of tea and a biscuit (cookie) and crashed. Dinner here is usually 730 and neither of us had any lunch.
All in all a good beginning I am grateful for this opportunity. I will try to post some pictures with this but I am having trouble doing that.