January 2013 – broadband!

 

We all  adored our holiday and spending time with mum, especially Joshi who obviously does not spend as much time with any of his grandparents as neither he us nor they would like. The most important thing we did in January was change internet subscribers and suddenly we have fast reliable internet. This has transformed skyping to make it a real conversation rather than on and off pictures with endless shouts of ‘turn your video off mum!’.   The other facility we can now access is Mike’s slingbox that he has installed on the Dreyer family TV in London. This means we can now watch UK TV over the internet from Malawi. If you don’t believe us – check out this picture of us with some friends watching Andy Murray lose the Australian open.

Tennis in Sunnyside

 

Jen compere's the funniest Burn's night ever

We have escaped town a couple of times including lunch at Huntingdon House in the tea estates with Peter, Cal and Ellie who are sadly leaving soon, and day trip to Zomba to see a spectacular garden on the southern slopes of the mountain. It is owned by a man who used to run Agriculture for Africa for the world bank and is the person behind the fertiliser programme. He certainly knows how to fertilise his garden, it was beautiful. It turns out the chief gave him the land in 1986 for free as it was next to the graveyard and too steep to grow maize, so he has turned it into a mini English paradise with views of Mt Mulanje in the background.


6ft Dahlia's on Zomba mountiain

Happy Joshi in Zomba

amazing giant flowers

 Joshi has adored going to nursery this month without Annie, and is learning so fast. He can now count to 14, he can recognise all the letters in the alphabet and is starting to try to read letters in his books, along with now speaking amazingly fluently and displaying more of his own personality and exerting his will which is entertaining. He is a ball of energy and such fun to hang out with.

The artist in residence

peekaboo



Joshi learning to count



swinging the cat

 

Joshi tucks into passionfruit

Work has been hectic for both of us, underpinned by the minister for health publically admitting the country has run out of 95% of drugs and last made a procurement in 2009 – this was not news to me who had just done ward round without insulin, injectable penicillin or blood and watched patients die as a result, but it is shocking nonetheless and we all hope the situation will improve this year. Gav continues to keep his dialysis unit going under such difficult circumstances and at least I know I can pay my nurses for the next year. We are all waiting for the fuel to run out again and we all think that Joyce’s days in power are numbered, the chances of her getting re-elected with 40% inflation, worsening poverty and disasters in the hospitals are pretty slim.

headline last week in the paper

my study team

We are getting excited about gav’s many trips this year, he has been awarded travel bursaries to Ghana and Hong Kong to present his work that he has been doing here and we are all very proud of him. We are also really looking forward to Jason’s wedding in Cape Town at Easter – friends, family,  Joshi’s second birthday,wine and fresh fish,  we can’t wait.

Lots of love from rainy and not very sunny Malawi

Emma Gavin and Joshi