Africa Q&A - Written by Jonathan

Living abroad can sometimes be pretty confusing. Eventually you start figuring out how to get settled in properly though, and then life starts following a regular pattern.

Haha, nice joke, right? Life here never follows a regular pattern, and that's mostly why it's so confusing. Because things can be so confusing, I thought it might be good to answer a few questions a lot of people have. Every time we visit North America people have a lot of different questions and confusions about what life is like here. I've collected some of the most common, and I'll do my best to answer them.

Q: How do you do school there?

Our primary method is homeschooling. Most of our main subjects are taught with homeschooling, and they include History, Math, English, Science, and some smaller subjects like Guitar, German, and French. A lot of people wonder if we homeschool because of living in Africa, but that's not really the case, as we homeschooled even when we lived in Canada. Besides what we do with our homeschooling programs, we also take one or two online courses each semester. Our online school is a great resource provided by the Canadian government, and we're very thankful we have it.

Q: Do you like living in Africa?

Yes! It's not an ordinary life, but I wouldn't trade it for a "normal" life in Canada. Malawi is a beautiful country, and if you're up to it, a place full of adventure! The people here are very nice, and I have great friends as well.

Q: Do you ever see lions and tigers?

Unfortunately not. Lions have been hunted to extinction here like most of the wildlife. I believe there is a nature reserve that is introducing them, but they no longer exist at all in the wild. It's sad, but there isn't much that can be done about it. And as to seeing tigers... well I just try not to laugh when I get asked that. You've got the wrong continent, people! We get used to strange questions after a while though. One time Chris had to explain to an elderly lady that Africa is a continent and not a country. I have a friend who was once asked if he often sees kangaroos in Malawi. Well, like I said, you get used to it!

Q: Do you live in a safe country?

This is a question that is very important to many people, and it is certainly a legitimate one, considering the violence that occurs in some African nations. Thankfully Malawi is a very safe country, however. We are blessed to not have to worry about our safety while living here.

Q: Where do live?

Despite my saying that I live in Malawi, people are still often confused about where I live. I've had more than one conversation that ran similar to this:

Person: "So where do live again?"

Me: "I live in Malawi, Africa."

Person: "Oh right, I forgot. I've heard of Mali before."

Me: "No, no. I don't live in Mali, that's in Saharan Africa. I live in Malawi, which is a small country in Sub-Saharan Africa. They're very different countries."

Person: "Got it. Not Mali, but Maui." Then they repeat the word Maui to themselves a couple of times to make sure they remember it.

Me: "Well it's actually not Maui either. Maui is one of the Hawaiian islands, so it's very different from Africa!"

Person: "Ok, so it is Mali then?"

Me (in a pained voice): "Yeah... Something like that."

Q: What do you miss most about North America?

Oh, boy. I've been asked that so many times, and yet I still don't have one good answer to give people. Obviously I miss having family nearby, but there are some smaller things I miss as well. Things like being able to go to the Dollar Store or Walmart, and really little things like not being able to regularly find items like taco shells. Since there is no Taco Bell here, if you want tacos you have to make your own, including the taco shells. In the end though it always works out, as God has an amazing way of providing for us. Sure, we can't get taco shells, but instead we have access to tree ripened bananas, papayas, and mangoes!

Q: Is it hot in Africa?

I've completely lost track of the number of times people have asked me that. And yet it's still a question that makes me chuckle. Is it hot in Africa? Why not just ask if it is cold on the North Pole? "Yep, it's hot" is what I usually reply. On the flip side though, we do have a "cold" season that lasts about two months. This cold season comes around at basically the same time as when North America has its summer. The seasons are exactly opposite since we are in the Southern Hemisphere instead of the Northern Hemisphere. You're probably wondering how cold it really gets here by now. The answer to that is that it doesn't get very cold by North American standards. The thing is though, indoor heating and housing insulation are basically unheard of here, so 10 C degrees (50 Fahrenheit) outside means 10 C degrees inside!

Q: Do you speak African?

Nope. Do you speak North American?

That's all for now, but I hope you've enjoyed reading this, and I would be happy to answer any additional questions in the comments!