From Java with Love :)

This is it, the end of the chapter although I believe this is not literally the end. One year journey in Malawi that I committed has flown faster than I could imagine. Right when I started to feel  the beat, right when I realized I am doing something, right when my project manager started to talk to me that making my works a lot easier, right when I was in love with what I am doing, with the people, with place where I am staying, right when I accepted bitter sweet that has happened.  It ended there.

I am going home with pride. I was doing something. I wasn't waste my time. I was gaining what I wanted to get when I said YES to volunteer.  Self acceptance..yesﾅsadly, i didn't appreciate who I was before I went there. Badly, I didn't realize that I was able enough to do big things.  My farmers who were weeping over my leaving  helped me to understand that I did something.  If they could see me as I am why shouldn't i? if they could appreciate who I am why shouldn't i? if they could accept me as I am, why shouldn't i?  The moments that we shared together was significantly changed me as a person.
It wasn't good bye, it was just "see you soon" moments.  Though I don't know how soon, may be in this life, may be in the next life.

Now I am starting my Java chapter.  I hope I can stop comparing so that I can live my life easier. People always told me that my life will change after African experience, which turn to be true. Jakarta seems too big for a small girl like me. Crazy traffics and rush hour makes me missing the solitude in Malawi,  a lot of stairs of crossing bridge make me missing quiet road while walking and crossing the road, plenty of choice of clothes shoes bags makes me missing the simplicity of Karonga, Actress wannabe of 10 year old girl with full of make- up that I met in the mall make me missing Olivia and Wani, the sweetest children in Karonga, People who are busy with their big gadgets makes me miss "Muli Uli" or " Matsuera Bwanji" greetings. Oh, how I live a different life nowﾅI hope I wont turn to be the same human after some timeﾅ

My fellow returned volunteer told me to give myself time that apparently went through the same process. I promise myself to take it easy  and live a day at a time.


Ps: i will keep writing this blog and tell stories about how I miss Malawi. Will also post some photos as I can access faster internet now, so stay tune everyone..

Sweet Love,
Lili

Karonga and the trees

I always tried to keep writing and updating this blog, but always fail. I even avoided some friends who were asking how my life is here in Malawi. It’s not because I am being ignorant, but simply because i still don’t know what to feel yet, regardless today is my 17^th days being here. Some people might already find its rhythm by now, but to be honest i need more time to find my passion, and I am going to give myself time.

My 10 days in Lilongwe where I supposed to have my proper in country introduction passed amazingly. As amazing as it is, I almost lost my confidence over my program office. They seemed to make “office moving” as the reason not to take care of their new volunteer, not that I can’t take care of myself. But being new and totally blind with the situation here, I needed support.  With their “support”, they successfully made me feel useless and abandoned. I am so grateful to have other volunteers next to me who supportive enough to each other, which turned out to be the best healing to the frustration and my broken hearted. In this case, I truly passed my first 10 days amazingly. I got all support that i’ve ever needed. “Thank you guys” and I know these words would never be enough.

Freddy always told me that I would feel better when I move to my placement, which is true. All the way from Lilongwe to Karonga I was blessed with a beautiful view, another healing process. I got a good feeling about my mission as soon as left Lilongwe. I couldn’t explain how good I felt when I was watching that wild green landscape from the bus that I ride accompanied with “through the veil” by Kevin Kern played on my ipod. I told Reggie that 10 days frustration in Lilongwe was gone, I even feel grateful with the fact I am now in Malawi.

I spend a week now in Karonga, and I like it so far despite of the minimum access to whatever comfort I found at home, despite that I couldn’t find shampoo in its Market (well, I can always cut my hair), despite that I will only find 4 kinds of vegetables that I can eat (wait until I have my garden), despite that people called me “mzungu (white people) me..white?? puhlease…” or “china..china” or “japan…japan”, I don’t care. I will not let those scarce or people who label me make me lose my appreciation on the life I live in now.

My partner, The District Planning Office is pretty functioning, plus they already assigned one officer who will always help me with the project and go to the field with me. Speaking of which, I spent my first week with the community already which for me is awesome. First week at work and you already exposed to the grass root community?. Amazing. They were so happy when I started to greet them in my basic Chitumbuka. One thing that I learn from my first week in the field, there is no village hall, there is no “Meunasah” like in Aceh, there is no “banjar’ like in Bali, people meet under the big tree. There might be few wooden stools for the leaders but the rest of the meeting participants sit on the ground. I sit together with the amama’s (women) who came with their babies as I like to look at them during the meeting. Often, the babies fallen asleep during the meeting and the mother simply laid him in the dirty ground. There was also a small boy who cried out loud when I smiled at him, which made me feel bad.

This year, I will attend a lot of meetings under the tree. So far, there were akasia trees and Baobab trees. I will try to keep record on the trees, as it will become one witness of me in Malawi. Hope to have a story written about it at the end of this journey.

Wider Role of Volunteer and the Phillipines

Ok, it still relates to pre-departure preparation. Since VSO Bahaginan in Manila is the recruitment based for Asia, i have to attend the WRV training in Philippine. I would say it was a sleepless days. My flight is at 1 am and only will arrive at 5 am (Bali doesnt have time difference with Manila). at 10 am the same day, i have to be at the hospital to undergo my medical clearance and some shoots of vaccines. The WRV coordinator instructed to wait for couple of hours (read 3 hours) at the airport, but i am just so lucky having some good friends in Manila. They dont want me to feel homeless by waiting at the airport that they woke up early, pick me up, bring me to their favorite Starbucks coffee shop and having breakfast. The are so concern that i will be confuse explaining my direction to the taxi driver that they take me to the hospital, wait for me and finally deliver me to VSO Bahaginan Office. They really make my life easy in Manila.

That`s about it. The venue of the training itself is quite far from the city. we have to drive for 2 hours to reach Silang, Cavite City where International Institute of Rural Reconstruction is located. Apparently, VSO Bahaginan always conduct the training in this place. They have all facility for long term training though. IIRR have several hostels, training halls, dining halls, and  BEAUTIFUL greenes all around which make it perfect for me. the contents of the training is exactly what we need as a volunteer, although i would say the time is too short as we have to compress many information into one. I studied globalization and development in one year, but here we have to tackles issues of globalization and development in 3 days. My favorite module are how to deals with conflict and corruption. The actual case from the field that the trainers presented make this module more helpful.

Anyways, the preparation is on going. I hope VSO Malawi can issue visa easily as the departure date is only a step ahead. I can`t wait to actually sit in the plane and start my journey.