Why can't things be simple?

Hi everyone!
Only 7 1/2 weeks until I am back on American soil! So, I have been in Zomba town since Saturday and I am kinda going a little stir crazy even though I have had internet every day and have been in good company. I am staying with another PCV, Sika. She is a nurse who teaches at the college of nursing. I came in on Saturday to meet up with her and then buy some cement and collect bricks for the guardian shelter on Monday.

Well, I showed up on Monday and they said they had scheduled the lorry to be used for something else, so I didn't get to collect stuff then. They said I could use it on Tuesday. So, I called the chiefs and let them know the change of program. I came on Tuesday and they said the lorry needed to get new tires since the tread was worn through. The tires were supposed to arrive from the supplier on Monday, but didn't and then maybe come sometime this week. So, I checked with the technical college to see if they could borrow us their lorry and they said their's was in use all week. So, then I talked to the central hospital people and they said we could use their's but that it would be postponing their programs of building as well.

On Wednesday, we bought cement and then delivered it to the health center. Then, we proceded to the chief's house. He told us that the people wouldn't be coming because they had already spent all day monday and tuesday waiting for the vehicle to come to collect bricks. They were in their fields harvesting maize...funny thing I noticed...in the fields, only women were harvesting maize and we use the men to collect bricks, so where were the men? I don't know...So, we set up to do this all over again on Friday....

Things that have been going pretty good for me lately: I taught at People Living with HIV/AIDS group how to make peanut butter as a source of nutrition. It is really easy to make and locally available so they can improve their nutrition! I also taught the female students a reproductive health lesson. They were really responsive! I introduced them to female condoms and they were so excited about them! I got 100 for them from the reproductive health NGO, Banja la Mtsogolo. While I was there, I tried to set up a system for them to bring about 100 every month when they come to do female sterilization. So, we'll see if it happens. I am so excited about the women having a choice in protecting themselves from HIV, STDs, and pregnancy. I don't know if there's any way to measure how often these girls use female condoms since sex is such a taboo issue to talk about, but it would be interesting to see how successful they are.

I have about 7 1/2 weeks left in country and about 6 weeks left at my site. It is really weird to think that I am actually leaving Malawi relatively soon. Everyone keeps asking me how I feel about it and I don't want to really think about it. It is kind of bittersweet to be leaving because I am excited to come home and start the next part of my life, but at the same time, it will be really hard to leave all of the friends I have made here behind.

I have also been dealing with not being able to talk to Paul since he is in training in Moldova for Peace Corps. It has been really hard since he is a huge part of my support system. He knows everything I am doing and gives great advice on how to deal with some things...I have gotten a few emails but no letters yet, probably because he is so busy with training. He gave me the phone number for his host family and I was able to call him this week! It was so good to hear his voice. He sounded good, but tired from training, which sounds just about right for the length of time he's been gone. He found out his site this week and this weekend was heading to see his site! I am really excited for him!

Well, that's all I've been up to lately....just trying to get through the last few weeks and wrapping up projects and hoping they get finished! Hope everyone is doing well!

Love ya,
Nikki