Rooster Alert and Crocodile Caution

This morning, the RU/VT students set out to paint all of the chalkboards at Malemia Primary School as a gift to the teachers for their hospitality. The group painted at action-speed, and finished before 1pm. The chalkboards looked shiny and new! With two other students, I walked behind the school to a couple's house who have been friends for a long time. They are even pen pals with my parents. Those of you who know me well know that I have a fear of chickens...yes, chickens (especially roosters). I can deal with spiders; don't like snakes but am ok with them; birds that hop I'm fine with, but birds that walk like people....now that's a different story! I don't like the way they strut and bobble their heads -- very unpredictable; hence, my fear. The sunshine was dim coming through the windows of the little house; I went inside and started to sit down on the couch. And there, right beside me was a rooster!!!! (~a live one!)! It was black with a big red comb and huge feet. It startled me so, that I jumped up and screamed. I ran out of the house, and it cackled and fluttered out behind me. After I caught my breath, we all got a big laugh out of it, and I'm certain they think I'm crazy. We had a nice visit, and I shared photos on my phone of various members of my family. They laughed when I referred to my dogs as my 'babies'. After school, we went to buy water, shop and purchase a cake which we plan to take to the ceremony at the school tomorrow. We decided to try something different for dinner. We took the bus and went up on the mountain to a lovely place called the Casa Rossa. We had a wonderful Italian meal, followed by crepes and ice cream. It was a real treat, and I nice "celebration" for all that has been accomplished here. On the way home, someone commented on how dark it was and that rarely anything goes on in Zomba after dark (mainly because everyone is sleeping). About that moment, we drove by the police station, and there was a huge dead crocodile on the side of the road. It looked like a dinosaur. They were butchering it. We asked the driver to stop the bus. We got out and watched. What a scene! The crocodile had been killed at a nearby lake, and it was a big one -- almost 9 feet long and heavy! A nearby restaurant stopped to purchase its tail and they were hacking on its limbs for the meat. We squealed a bit, and one of the girls commented that it was disturbing and exciting all at the same time. ~Crocodile butcher shop in the middle of the road -- definitely a first for me in Malawi!