WE´VE ARRIVED

I really did try to find time before we left to write, but it proved to be impossible. There was so much to do in the weeks leading up to our departure and then with Christmas, saying goodbyes, and trying to leave things more or less organized... well here I am now and we have arrived!

My reasons for choosing to fly with Kenya Airways through Nairobi were good. Apart from it being a fairly direct route and a good price Kenya has been considered one of the more stable... polictically speaking... countries of Africa. That was up until a week or so before we left when as you know it all changed. The last days were rather tense, family and friends feared for our safety I tried to remain calm and confident. We would be fine, the airline would not put us in a high risk situation and so it was on Saturday 5th we flew from Valencia to London , Nairobo, Lusaka and finally arrived in Lilongwe at luchtime on Sunday.

Saying goodbye to my children was the hardest. They are great and supportive and I am confident in their love.

It was a long tiring journey we ate, slept and made friends. Lucas was great... he arrived with so much pent up energy my first stop was to find open space to run, to jump, to shout we had arrived !
It was not difficult. Malawi is a land of open spaces, lush and green at this time of year... just beautiful. We have arrived in the rainy season, warm temperatures but not too hot... humidity but not too wet.

A chance meeting on the plane provided us and our luggage with a
lift from the airport into Lilongwe, to Tareks house, where we had stayed on our previous visit. Lucas jumped out of the car at the gate a threw his arms around Peter, the security guy. He obviously has good memories. He ran down the garden to find Kela his young Malawian friend a whilst I was warmly received by Tarek and Lara he went off to explore. As I sat at the table exchanging news I felt as if I had never been away.

Later Tarek took us to what was to be our new house. This was important for me, for us both, a place we could really call home. I needn´t have worried, it is perfect. Small but adequate, just 2 bedrooms, lounge, kitchen and bathroom but it has a spacious feeling about it. Clean and simple we immediatly felt good and started to unpack. Tarek and Lara had supplied us with a huge basket of groceries. This was an amazing gesture and greatly appreciated. The compound consists of 8 small dwellings with garden. It is walled with security guys 24hours. It is not a dangerous country but with such huge poverty, is it suprising that men may rob or attack to feed themselves or their children?
We feel safe, protected and cared for. Our washing, ironing, cleaning, is all part of this and this morning I came out to find my car had been cleaned too!! It takes a bit of getting used to but we dont take things for granted and having learnt our first words of Chichewa we are able to say : zicomo : thankyou for everything.

This first week has been spent sorting ourselves out.We now have a hire car... very important as the distances from one side of town to the other are too great to walk. Well at least for us the local oeople have no choice. There has been no petrol to be bought since I arrived so I have tried to be careful in fear of running out in the middle of nowhere! I now have a working mobile phone. Well at least it works locally I have not had much success phoning home. The land lines are either not working or maybe you just get lucky and get through. They tell me this is normal in the rainy season... help this could go on till March! I would like to hear my childrens voices.

Lucas started school on Thursday. He loved it! He came home the first day with a birthday party invitation. Mums are allowed to go too! The English is will not be a problem they will give him extra help. He bought home library books yesterday. It was the first time in his life he enjoyed reading.

I popped into the hospital twice to make contact. I will start work on Monday. I am pleased that Doreen the wife of Tareks home help will look after Lucas after school until I get home. School hours are 7.15 till 12.15 ... mornings. She is a lovely lady I trust her and she will bring Kela with her to play with Lucas.

Nothing much had changed in the hospital.
As I walked along the corridors to the labour ward, avoiding standing on the women and children sitting on the floor filling every small space. Waiting to be seen. Labouring quietly until there became a free bed. I realized that I had already accepted that this is how it is, it didnt suprise me, I wasnt upset.

THIS IS NOT HOW IT SHOULD BE .....THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.