Monday 11 October

Monday 11 October


I just realized I got the date wrong yesterday! Jetlag is my excuse but it’s not a very good one as we are only an hour different from you in the UK during British Summer Time. Today was my first day at work and it was 37 degrees. For me that is very hot! So much was packed in to today that I know I cannot describe it in detail and do it justice, I am so tired, so I shall let things sink in for a day or two and see what bubbles up to the surface of my mind. I have had my first bout of homesickness tonight, probably because I finally got a new phone and then realized just how expensive it will be to call home. Apparently you can all call me much more cheaply so go out and buy your Malawi phone cards or put ‘Call Malawi cheaply’ into Google and follow the instructions!! It was however delicious to get four emails from family and friends. The most startling piece of news is that there are many, many applications for the Introductory Child Care Course. One person suggested over 3000 applicants for 120 places. Anyway one of my first tasks is to go through them and select the fortunate few! I shed my first tears since I arrived this evening, mainly triggered by practical difficulties such as that I can only access the internet from one small spot in my house, if I put a chair right on the front door mat! I have no lead long enough to reach to there and so must use the laptop on its battery. The signal is still quite poor and so I had to retype several emails as the connection timed out and I lost them. While I am in moaning mode the other thing that really frustrates me is that the lighting in here is very dim and because I have reached the age where it is a real struggle to read in dim light I was reduced to shining a torch on the small print of the instructions for my new phone before I could set it up. This of course made me feel old, which is always annoying! Zoe has very kindly swapped desk lights with me as hers is brighter but I can only have it on if I don’t have the fan as I don’t have all the right plugs and adapters! I shall have to go shopping as soon as I can or I shall be driven round the bend! Off to bed now , will write again soon.