Meetings and dancing

I had my first legit sickness, nothing like malarial brain hemorrhaging, just food poisoning from a restaurant in the Lilongwe market. When you eat native fare, you must use your hands, and mine were unfortunately unwashed by yours truly. I lay shivering then burning then shivering in bed (conveniently located near a restroom) for about two days before feeling remotely normal, but the worst part was worrying about the dotor’s feelings—he seemed truly hurt that I forgot his hand-washing advice during rainy season, when food poisoning and diarrhea are pretty common—while I was shivering under six blankets and certain the grim reap was coming. An antibiotics regimen and lots of water have restored me to ship shape.

Recovery came just in time for a day of good meetings! I picked up great ideas and resource materials for AIDS education, perfect for Edzi Toto, (nerd factor, I know) but we also had a cultural adventure to a Mua Mission, a Catholic mission constructed in the early 20th century near Lake Malawi. We saw a display of Malawian dances, and I got some great shots and information; it was strange being tourists for a day when we live so closely with Malawians, but the dancers preserve parts of Malawian culture that are disappearing.

The photos below give you an idea of the more spectacular and spiritualized dances in Malawi, especially among the Chewa tribe. These dances are not part of regular village life, but come from a small spiritual cult which frightens, rather than attracts, most Malawians. Dancers wear masks to conceal their identities and believe that a spirit inspires their movements.

In the first dancing photo, the dancer wears a full body costume made from colorful scraps of cloth and a large red mask, symbolizing danger. He depicts a convict, someone who disrupts the social and moral order, and serves as a warning to the community to obey social norms.

The second photo shows a man despairing over HIV/AIDS. The dancer wears a burlap mask and shorts. His skin is covered in wet mud. He carries two bundles of flaming reeds that he passes over the thick mud as if curing himself from the virus. Usually at the end, the dancer falls to the ground and burns his genitals.

There are dancers inside the large black and white structure in the third photo. In a circular fashion, they move around the dance floor and spin wildly. The black and white costume represents the womb, a symbol common at ceremonies at initiations into adolescence and adulthood. Chewas emphasize that entrance into a new stage of life also connotes rebirth and therefore celebrates the womb.

The rest of the photos come from Mua Mission. Enjoy!