madonna.

If you want to feel like a celebrity, you should come to a small town in Malawi. Every place I go there are about a hundred eyeballs on me. I went to a tea room one day just to get some work done and the people there sat and watched me the whole time. I bounced out of there pretty fast. I can chat with my neighbor and tell him all about my day and chances are, he already knows. I'm familiar with life in a small town, but life as the only Mzungo in a small town in Malawi is a step up.

Some kids come extremely close just to look at my skin. Kids are fascinated by my sheer existence. I found a secret path to work to avoid the market (it can take 45 minutes walking through there because of the greetings) and there are handfuls of houses along the way full of kids.

I pass clusters of them and they literally trail behind me. If I take a step left, they take a step left. I get the biggest kick when I turn around abruptly. They freak their freaks. Some jump back. Others get this untrusting look in their eye. Some look like they might even cry. Some do cry. They walk behind me with such enthusiasm but when I make any sudden movement, I'm an unpredictable monster. So I stop, turn around, and ask what their names are, one by one, to make them all feel special. When I'm done, I turn back around, keep on truckin' and the group stops in shock. Then seconds later, erupt in laughter and excitement. They freak out. I turn around many metres down the road and they stand there waving furiously. I see the same kids at least 4 times a day and every time I walk the path it's as if they've never seen me before. Sometimes adults react like this too.

It's the little moments like this that make living in Malawi so much fun. Every single moment is special.