Oh, to be home

It took a fwe days to get back settled in Kalumbu after 3weeks away; there were numerous factours not aiding my resettlement: this feeling of detatchment as I'm leaving again in less than two days and the fact that it's the start of the rainy season and this was when I first got to site a year ago and my house feels so desolate and all of my feelings of lonliness from the previous year resurfaced. Ah, nostalgia. But then I saw how clearly I AM NOT in that same place. This is my life here, it's mine and I fit. I know exactly how long it takes my water to boil [both on open fire and charcoal], I can make ridges with a hoe and not get blisters anymore [well, at least not ginormous ones], I can haul 50L of water, I have a compost that's doing it's job, I have a REAL garden [as in it's actually growing], I know where to find bricks and how to get them to my house, I know which of the two tailors will cheat me and which baker has the better scones. I know the mango lady will always give me a prizey mango and I have perfected the 'get the fuck out of my yard' whistle that the chickens here understand. I have also come to love and appreciate my neighbors immeasurably [and naturally I show my love in baked goods :)]. I used to be rather terrified of them.
And I think they may like me a little bit too. As I came back last week I was met by a neighbor as I was still a little ways off and he informed me that 'chinali chimphepho! Mpanda inagwa, denga pa chimbudzi ujoka!'...or...'We had a HUGE wind and your fence collapsed and the roof on your pit latrine blew away!'. By this time we had gotten to where I could almost see my house and I'm having visions of utter devestation...but no, everything is pristine -- my fence is upright and strong and the roof is sturdily in place, albeit with a couple more heavy boulders sitting on top. I looked at my neighbor questioningly and he bashfully ducked his head as he told me they had set the roof right and his younger brother [my former F4 student] was almost finished repairing the fence. Actions speak far louder than words...anyone?
So, the past week has been strange -- being in the village but not teaching or prepping for teaching or stressing out about teaching! I could just weed and replant my garden [no small feat]. Thankfully another neighbor made me a few ridges adjacent to his field so I have planted soya beans and then most wonderful zama. For zama, imaging a peanut plus bean all in one fabulous legume! I've planted more dill, basil and chive; broccoli, onions, lettuce, watermelon, yellow corn, squash, tomatoes and ground nuts. Oh, and pumpkins. I'm excited to get back in January!
I've been walking and biking around and chatting with those I haven't seen in a while. I rode to my BOMA [the nearest trading center] to see my headmaster's family; one morning I inadvertantly rode my bike right into a student's village, so that couldn't be helped. I've met with my new Chichewa 'tutor' [aka Chimwemwe, F2 student] to work on my presntly stagnant language, worked on letters, christmas suprises, a windchime, general cleaning and organizing, baking brownies for the neighbors and then delivering them :) And I was home.

Random Kalumbu Occurances:
1. I found a tarantula living under my firewood pile and a black momba in my bean field.
2. A woman I've never seen at the borehole before was repimanded by one of the regulars for not believing that I was capable of getting my bucket home. Pretty sure she watched me until I crested the hill!
3. Children standing open-mouthed as I ran by on my early morning jog in....oh, goodness...TROUSERS!
4. Learning how to use the gears on my bicycle properly!