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PARTY PARTY!
Party Piece
"There's
not much to say about this party, really!" More...
Breakfast Party
"Should
I tell you about the camping holiday, that became 2 nights
at The Savoy?" More...
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Nov. 1996
This month I returned to Zomba, with
Caro-Anne, to savour the splendour of being "lost and
alone" on the Plateau. (And there was a bit of a birthday
bash too!)...
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Party Piece!
THERE'S NOT much to say
about this party, really. I mean, a party's a party, innit! You
gather some friends, buy loads of beer (and in this case buy lots
of meat for the barbecue), and boogie-on-down to Madness 'til the
early hours. Admittedly, we danced outdoors with the plateau acting
as a magnificent backdrop; and the (almost) full moon brightened
the dance floor - but these are just minor details. It was just
a party - Anne-Marie and Clare's joint birthday party - where everyone
was trying to have a good time: mingle a little; flirt and dance
a little; and laugh a lot.
I am happy to report
that I mingled, flirted, danced, and laughed a good deal at this
party. I met some familiar faces, and compared notes on our travelling-around-Malawi
horror-stories. (Ploughing through a herd of cows, whilst travelling
by bus, is the best story I've heard so far!) I met some new faces,
and gladly told them how much I have enjoyed working at DPD, but
it really was time that I did something else. (Anything else, actually!)
And yes I did dance to Madness. Hey! I've got the Madness walk down
to a tee. As for laughing, and flirting - well, how can you laugh,
and not flirt? Just natural companions, aren't they?
But parties are tiring.
(I bet!) All that socialising, looking good, and saying something;
it's tiring, innit! And as I just came back from the party TODAY,
I think it's time I did something a bit more relaxing instead (like
reading about 'Couples who go to prostitutes' in Cosmopolitan!).
Now I bet you don't know much about that, do you? Do you!?
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Breakfast Party
I DON'T know where to
start. Should I tell you about the camping holiday that became Two
Nights at the Savoy? Or should I tell you about walking along the
plateau, and witnessing the Emperor's View? Or would you be more
interested in my ultimate breakfast experience? A tough choice,
eh! (Well, the title of this piece somewhat dictates the answer,
doesn't it?)
The walk to Emperor's
View was quite splendid, as I'm sure you can imagine, but I'd rather
not have to try and bring the walk back to life, with colourful
prose and idyllic forestry images; I'd rather not have to describe
the Emperor's View of Zomba and surrounding area. Find a guide-book,
or just click the image above: Thomas Hardy-descriptions are not
my thang!
The camping surprise
is worth a few paragraphs, though. A two day camping holiday had
been quickly arranged between Caro-Anneeand myself. We would wander
around the plateau, camp under the stars, and then continue onwards
to Mangochi, where Caro-Anneelives. After a conversation we had
about Caro-Anne's ultimate breakfast, however, I decided I could
afford one last luxury in Malawi: I booked a standard room at Ku
Chawe Inn - the Savoy of Malawi - for two nights if you please!
(I know "standard" implies cheap and cheerful, but it
just so happens that the standard rooms have easily the best view.
They're not cheap either!)
I booked the room in
Blantyre, so that all I needed to do at Ku Chawe was check-in and
collect the key. And that's what I did; whilst Caro-Anneesat out
in the landscaped 'beer garden', I dashed off, all furtive-like,
and returned with the keys to room 138. Caro-Anneewas... surprised.
(We VSOs don't usually get to stay at Ku Chawe!)
Ku Chawe Inn is part
of a chain of hotels, owned by Protea. Now all Protea hotels in
Malawi are famous for their location, and they are famous for their...
breakfasts! A self-service affair, where you help yourself to as
much cereal, fruit salad, yoghurt, fruit, cold meat and bread as
you like, then you get to eat a full English breakfast. (I know
the hotels are infamous, too, for being overpriced. The standard
of service, and the overall quality of food is poor, but I don't
wish to break the spell. Breakfasts are good!)
The first morning, we
breakfasted in the dining room. We sat ourselves down and ate several
bowls of cereal; we drank a few glasses of real fruit juice; and
'vanished' a plate of sausage, bacon, eggs, potatoes, and tomatoes.
Full, but satisfied - that were us!
The next day - and not
forgetting my conversation with Caro-Anneeabout her ultimate breakfast
- I ordered tea and coffee for 6am (remember this is Africa, and
the days start and end early). I then ordered breakfast in bed,
for 7.30am. Our break-fast was to be two pots of coffee, two bowls
of cereal, fruit salad with yoghurt, toast, croissants, and other
scrummy things (again, remember I have been starved of luxury for
most of my two years here). There was no log fire, but we had privacy;
we had the outdoor fresh air of the verandah; and we had the glorious
view of Zomba and surrounding district (that I can't be bothered
to describe to you). I will use the word 'breath-taking', to describe
the sunrise, though.
Room service was on time,
and all that we had ordered had been served us. We munched away,
whilst in the distance Zomba slowly woke. It was a very enjoyable
morning, and proof to the adage that "money is meant to be
spent."
I said that this had
been Caro-Anne's ultimate breakfast experience. My ultimate breakfast
would be different(*): It would be shared with all of my family,
sat round the table - Caro-Annel, Phil, Shelli, Marcus, Julie, Paul,
and myself. Where we would be, and what we would eat wouldn't matter.
It would be one big family gathering. Awwwhh! How sweet!
(* Who am I kidding?
It was a bloomin' marvellous weekend, and the best breakfast ever!)
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