pandastan

I finally got hooked up on Friday; it's been a long haul. I had been gone for the weekend when people told me ESCOM had come by with a meter for me, though they couldn't finish connecting it while I was gone because of some tests they had to make. So I had to wait until Wednesday when someone came, did the tests and completed the connection. But it turned out my main switch was broken. So I had to spend all day in Rumphi on Friday rounding up the only electrician who works for the District Health Office to come replace the switch. There's a fuel crisis again in Malawi right now, so we had to wait all day before we could get our ride back to Chitimba. The poor guy had to finish installing it around 7pm with flashlights and then find a ride back to Rumphi. But it's finished now, finally! I felt bad because there are a bunch of people in town who have been waiting for a meter longer than me, including my Peace Corps site-mate, who's been waiting since January. I had been calling the ESCOM boss about once a week, asking him when the meters would come in. I thought when they finally did, he would hook everyone up in town who was waiting for a meter. But I guess he decided to give one to just me because he was so annoyed by my phone calls.

Anyway, I bought an electric fan, which has been life-changing, and now I can watch movies and television on my computer! So far, I've been plowing through How I Met Your Mother again, but next week when I get back, (I'm in Lilongwe now for Thanksgiving) I have the entire series of Twin Peaks to watch that I got from a friend who lives nearby.

Also, good news on the guardian shelter. The foundation is finished, and the bricks are about to be burned. When I come back on Tuesday, I'll bring all the building supplies and construction of the super-structure can begin!