by Tammy Mbendera
Most information you will find online will begin by telling you of the poverty of this country but that’s just a matter of dollars and cents (or kwacha’s and tambala’s)- get this straight right now- we are not poor! We are very rich indeed. This is evidenced by how much we love Malawi.
It’s embroidered in our lifestyle. We are a fine people. We haven’t made many global headlines (Madonna not included) and we are yet to sink oil wells in the lake (American oilmen have been sighted trawling the Lake of Stars haven’t you heard?) but no one can deny once they’ve been within our borders, that Malawi, like our slogan suggests, is the happiest place in the world! I’m not even exaggerating. Very rarely have I met a people such as ours and that’s not to say I’m boasting, although perhaps I might be tempted to.
An East African friend admitted that after a year in Malawi she has adopted the Malawian habit of greeting strangers on the street, shops; in fact everywhere and very warmly too. Try it, especially when you get on a minibus in Malawi. However, I will forewarn you of a few surprises;
- Although the law is to seat three passengers per row, you will most likely be wedged in a gap on the co-joining metal of the third seat as the fourth passenger and remain uncomfortable for most of your journey. *hint* The second you see the passenger in the front seat get off the bus, take their place with haste! When you get the hang of it, you’ll know why.
- If you miss your stop, you’ll pay twice the fare.
- The heat, the noise, the potholes will probably all have a pretty exhausting effect on you, carry sustenance supplies -drink lots of water.
But make no mistake; although caught in the chaos and bemused or confused in the culture-shock, you’ll notice something different. There’s a great sense of unity… that understanding between the driver and all the passengers. Like you all know and acknowledge that the common cause is to get to your destination. It’s never so much a bus journey as it is a carpool experience. Here in Africa, we don’t notice it very much because it was something most of us were raised with, we grew up in that environment and so it comes pretty naturally, but speaking as somebody who has been away from this beautiful continent myself and now seeing things through the eyes of a tourist, it’s a significant trademark we present! I almost feel obligated to thank the driver and the conductor for their hospitality and the passengers for their contributions after every bus journey!
The thing about being in this culture that gets me, is one is never alone, be it on your way to work in the small hours of the morning or in the middle of a busy market on a Sunday afternoon, yes, even in your own homes and communities, the neighbours will always know what you are doing and where you went out, what time you will be home and what you had for dinner. Sometimes it gets annoying, and frustrating, sometimes you really just do need your privacy, but the greatest thing about being a part of one big happy family, is that when times do get tough, when you slip and fall, when you hit a wall, when you are in the direst of straits (if that is an expression), it is this very same community that comes around. Malawi is not just a part of Africa; we are the very heart of this warm continent
“Kuthyola Dansi Limodzi” That is our Lake of Stars tag this year. It roughly translates as “Joining the party as one.” When you’re new to this culture, you’ll discover the value of this unity and what it encompasses. You will not see the sights or hear the music dance and celebrate the lake and the stars, you will not just take away memories, photographs and souvenirs, you will embrace the experience, leave with a different spirit. And more likely than not, next year, you won’t come back alone. WE will… Together!
It’s embroidered in our lifestyle. We are a fine people. We haven’t made many global headlines (Madonna not included) and we are yet to sink oil wells in the lake (American oilmen have been sighted trawling the Lake of Stars haven’t you heard?) but no one can deny once they’ve been within our borders, that Malawi, like our slogan suggests, is the happiest place in the world! I’m not even exaggerating. Very rarely have I met a people such as ours and that’s not to say I’m boasting, although perhaps I might be tempted to.
An East African friend admitted that after a year in Malawi she has adopted the Malawian habit of greeting strangers on the street, shops; in fact everywhere and very warmly too. Try it, especially when you get on a minibus in Malawi. However, I will forewarn you of a few surprises;
- Although the law is to seat three passengers per row, you will most likely be wedged in a gap on the co-joining metal of the third seat as the fourth passenger and remain uncomfortable for most of your journey. *hint* The second you see the passenger in the front seat get off the bus, take their place with haste! When you get the hang of it, you’ll know why.
- If you miss your stop, you’ll pay twice the fare.
- The heat, the noise, the potholes will probably all have a pretty exhausting effect on you, carry sustenance supplies -drink lots of water.
But make no mistake; although caught in the chaos and bemused or confused in the culture-shock, you’ll notice something different. There’s a great sense of unity… that understanding between the driver and all the passengers. Like you all know and acknowledge that the common cause is to get to your destination. It’s never so much a bus journey as it is a carpool experience. Here in Africa, we don’t notice it very much because it was something most of us were raised with, we grew up in that environment and so it comes pretty naturally, but speaking as somebody who has been away from this beautiful continent myself and now seeing things through the eyes of a tourist, it’s a significant trademark we present! I almost feel obligated to thank the driver and the conductor for their hospitality and the passengers for their contributions after every bus journey!
The thing about being in this culture that gets me, is one is never alone, be it on your way to work in the small hours of the morning or in the middle of a busy market on a Sunday afternoon, yes, even in your own homes and communities, the neighbours will always know what you are doing and where you went out, what time you will be home and what you had for dinner. Sometimes it gets annoying, and frustrating, sometimes you really just do need your privacy, but the greatest thing about being a part of one big happy family, is that when times do get tough, when you slip and fall, when you hit a wall, when you are in the direst of straits (if that is an expression), it is this very same community that comes around. Malawi is not just a part of Africa; we are the very heart of this warm continent
“Kuthyola Dansi Limodzi” That is our Lake of Stars tag this year. It roughly translates as “Joining the party as one.” When you’re new to this culture, you’ll discover the value of this unity and what it encompasses. You will not see the sights or hear the music dance and celebrate the lake and the stars, you will not just take away memories, photographs and souvenirs, you will embrace the experience, leave with a different spirit. And more likely than not, next year, you won’t come back alone. WE will… Together!
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