its a bittersweet time, a time of transition…for today, i leave africa for the first time in almost 2 years. sorry i have not been great with my last 6 months of updates. i figured people quit reading my blog anyway at this rate. plus i had some technical difficulties and could no longer post [...]
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January 2011 the first half of december was full of traveling, partly for work and part for fun. i had a conference to attend in the capital, but then went with some friends of mine to the northern lakeshore for yet another wedding. the best part of this wedding was when a certain song was [...]
this is a story about my first ever attempt at cooking thanksgiving…and of all places, in malawi! how did i get the honor? well, i’m pretty sure i’m the only volunteer in country with an oven. first, we were on a turkey hunt. my friend carrie was also looking for a turkey, but they were [...]
thank you stevie for that classic hit circa 1984… some of my fellow vounteers and i have been discussion how we wishing that were true for us. some lucky volunteers get a lot of calls from home. it makes volunteers like us a bit jealous, since we are the other end of the spectrum that [...]
November 2010 so things in my house continue to be surprising, usually resulting in some sort of crisis. (part of me still thinks my house is cursed by witchcraft.) for example, last week i spent a few hours catching up on my washing. mind you, washing everything by hand by myself can take some time. [...]
October 2010 so i had the pleasure of attending yet another wedding in malawi this weekend. wedding receptions here are SO different than those in america. the guests are seated like an audience, while the happy couple and the wedding party sit on a stage. there is an MC who directs the “show” and the [...]
September 2010 now that camp has come and gone, it was back to work – at the office but especially at home. there have been so many problems with my new house that i’m beginning to think its haunted or cursed by witchcraft. the biggest problem is the rats. at first they were just running [...]
camp G.L.O.W. 2010 “I’m Gonna Stand” August 2010 Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) was created by Peace Corps Volunteers in Romania in the early 1990′s and since has been adapted in several countries where Peace Corps Volunteers serve. for the last year or so, our group has been planning our 8-day girls’ empowerment camp [...]
send all carepackages now to: Marla Kasper RN PCV c/o Emmanuel International Private Bag 12 Zomba Malawi as of now, i have a lot of stuff i realized when i moved my stuff again. so the best things to send would be consumables meaning edibles or bakeables. i still love getting packages, it makes me [...]
*not only a reference to my new found love of “gLee” but also to my life in general lately… August 2010 sorry everyone, things have been pretty crazy lately so i’ll try my best to update you in the next few posts, highlighting the latest happenings here in malawi. sooooo as maybe most of you [...]
April 2010 like i said, Amanda had helped me out a ton spending time here at the orphanage. one day we had a brilliant idea to make pillows for the kids in the hostels since they had none. we were rushing to finish before she had to leave (the 2nd time). so we sewed 40 [...]
April 2010 of course i had to take Amanda to the lake…and of course i needed and deserved a couple days’ vacation. we managed to find a great lil B&B in Mangochi. the place was run by a really great Aussie family. we had a great chateau and she cooked wonderful food, especially fish n [...]
April 2010 Amanda got here safely right before Easter…we traveled back to Zomba the day after she arrived in malawi. we had intentions of joining a group of volunteers hiking Mt. Mulanje on Easter weekend. however, due to a combination of jet-lag, heavy rains, and poor planning, we didn’t quite make it. so we hiked [...]
sometime in april 2010… sorry everyone for slacking on my blog. not for lack of excitement that’s for sure…never a dull moment in malawi. my very good friend Amanda came to visit for the month of April. she was supposed to stay for 3 weeks, but thanks to a certain icelandic volcano, she was “stuck” [...]
11 March 2010
some of you have been asking for an updated wish list for some retail therapy. so here are some things that i would love to come my way. my good friend amanda is coming to visit me at the end of this month, so she might bring a lot of these, [...]
12 March 2010
both in the literal and figurative senses. there was a stretch of 2 weeks or so where it was a constant downpouring. they say this is an unusual weather pattern this year. some say its because of El Nino, that the rains came late and heavy. good news for [...]
23 February 2010
well there was some concern at the beginning of rainy season that there would be famine since the rains were not coming. not any more. its been pouring for the last 10 days at least. i have heard its because its an El Nino year and the rains come heavy [...]
01 february 2010
well i think this is going to be an awesome year…2010 is proving to be an amazing year so far, thanks to my great friends!
my birthday festivities started 2 weeks ago when some friends were in town and decided to throw me an impromptu party at a restaurant on the mountain with the [...]
attention all my faithful followers of Malawi Marla!
NOW is your chance to make a difference in some great kids’ lives! the administrative team here at Passion Center for Children have started the process of grant-writing for construction of a Library at the orphanage. we will be a writing a grant proposal offered thru [...]
15 January 2010
well i think many would agree that i’ve upgraded from princess to African Queen. sometimes i feel a tad guilty…but then i justify it knowing i work 24/7 as a nurse to 40+ orphans, living and working at the same place. so i think i deserve to keep using my newly [...]
08 January 2010
i feel like i’ve become a step-mother of 40 kids all of a sudden. they only drive me crazy part of the time. but it makes it all worth while when they can read a book to me in english or laugh with me playing a game. my sister-in-law jenn [...]
27 December 2009
So most people in Malawi cannot pronounce my name because they use L’s and R’s interchangeably. for example, when they say they like to eat “lice” they mean “rice.” so pronouncing my name becomes problematic.
i was joking with the kids one night and i told them they should give me a [...]
25 December 2009
Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without Captain Morgan, he’s been my holiday companion for the last several years, which is why I call it “Christmas with the Cap’n.” Thanks to Emma’s boyfriend Rylan visiting from the U.S., I was able to carry on my tradition thankfully.
The day started out quiet, got [...]
20 December 2009
here are some things that the kids would highly benefit from:
-bubbles
-coloring books/pages
-paint
-games
-anything to stimulate creativity/imagination
-Michael Jackson music, per their request
-movies (cartoons, Disney, Veggie Tales, etc)
-small speakers so that i can play the movies on my laptop with better sound
-Flavor Ices
03 December 2009
well i’ve come home after a long month away and ready to move on (or move in) and get started on my new job. moving is such a pain in the arse though, stressful. altho UNpacking is easier and faster usually than packing. but it reminds me why i wanted to stop travel [...]
30 November 2009
over the last couple of weeks, i had some great experiences connecting with UNC in Malawi, believe it or not!
the first was representing UNC-CHapel Hill at a college fair that the american embassy put on for local students. UNC sent some admissions materials and i got to talk about how much i love [...]
26 November 2009
happy thanksgiving to everyone! peace corps volunteers were invited to the Ambassador’s Residence for a barbeque and pool party! there was no barbeque turkey, unfortunately, but there were pig roasts and plenty of other delicious treats. then we got to play in the pool which was so relaxing and refreshing!
we also had gone [...]
24 November 2009
today was very first time seeing lake malawi…and damn was it beautiful. went to visit a fellow volunteer who lives in the central region, close to the lake. we got a ride to the beach, via hitch and bike taxi. we entered thru the fancy hotel to get access to the lake…no one [...]
17 November 2009
a new spin on an old christmas carol. yes it is starting to get decorated here for Christmas, so its not just Americans stores who start decorations in October. it just feels weirder here since it sooooo HOT here, still can’t put my head around that – seeing photos of friends [...]
11 November 2009
well we are now on week 2 of our In Service Training. it’s going great so far, good to see everyone and catch up with each other’s lives and sites, etc. it would be nice if the water was In Service. but since we’ve been back in Dedza there has [...]
28 October 2009
sometimes living in malawi is a love/hate relationship.
example of the love part:
getting 2 huge care packages from the post office and attempting to carry them back to the school, which normally 20 minute walk. but these suckers were heavy and i’m not skilled enough to carry things on my head [...]
28 October 2009
well just call me “Nurse Hanningan” because i now will be working at an orphan care center starting in december! its been in the works for a few weeks, but now that its official i can tell y’all how excited i am about it!
i was not excited about teaching in the first [...]
no not mine, altho i often get puzzled looks from malawians when they learn i’m 28 and without husband or children. but i forgot to tell y’all about the malawian wedding i went to a few weekends ago…
so we went to the church service at Zomba Cathedral, a Catholic church at 7:00am! who [...]
ok so i’ve thought of some more things y’all can send since some of you are worried about repeated gifts. believe me there is no such thing, since there are many other volunteer i will share my goodies with. we are all the sharing kind here, its nice. so in no particular [...]
11 October 2009
just want to say a big THANK YOU to all my care package senders! i’ve gotten some incredible ones so far and you have no idea how happy you make me and my fellow volunteers, bc of course i share! i have even shared some of my coveted american treats with [...]
11 October 2009
well this weekend i decided i need a mental health break, so some other volunteers & i went to Liwonde national park for their annual game census. this is yearly event where locals are taken on a pseudo-safari by foot with a “scout” (wildlife expert) and count the animals for their data. [...]
so some of you know the history of Mo, my travel gnome companion. but for those who don’t allow me to introduce you…
my sister-in-law Jenn got me hooked on the tv show the Amazing Race, naturally due to my love of travel. maybe more than the show itself, we love the Travelocity commercials [...]
28 September 2009
well today has been my 2nd breakdown. i had a tough weekend…not only am i having a hell of a time shaking this lingering “virus” but i had diarrhea all weekend on top of it. double whammie. so for the 2nd weekend in a row, i did not leave my [...]
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