Yes, we are no longer in Malawi. After a day in the air, we dropped out of the sky to Pearson Int’l Airport. We were the only plane landing around then. I’m not sure what the daily schedule is, but it was our planeload that made its way through the airport to be hassled by immigration and then find our baggage. I guess the immigration staff weren’t so bad, but after sitting on a plane for all that time, you just want to get somewhere comfortable!!!
If we have the C19 virus, it’ll be because of the time we spent in crowds between Blantyre and Toronto. We left Blantyre with a couple of dust masks we bought at an retail agriculture supply store. When I went to put mine on at the airport, I realised it was too small and I threw it away. We tolerated the possibility of getting sick. About a quarter of the travellers were without masks, like us. One woman who sat near us sanitised her seat and personal space on the plane with wipes ever couple of hours and applied gel every hour, it seemed.
We are actually very comfortable in Toronto now. Nora is cold and wearing her hoodie in the apartment. I’m wearing shorts and my new T-shirt from Malawi. The Presbyterian church office is taking good care of us, no need to worry. Although in theory we don’t have provincial health coverage because we were away, I guess Ontario will still take care of us. I called Service Ontario and they won’t help reinstate our coverage over the phone because of privacy laws – what an excuse. Likewise with email. That’s bad enough, but we also are in quarantine and if we were more free to move around, they don’t want anyone to go the Service Ontario offices because of the epidemic / pandemic. I think we’ll watch the movie Catch 22 tonight.
Or maybe before, we have Netflix at the apartment. Last night we watched a 50s Noir movie on Youtube because we couldn’t find anything we liked on Netflix. Netflix will never catch on. They think I want to watch a cartoon called Boss Baby. I found an episode of Mr Ed on Youtube that we might watch today.
We have a pot of chili on the stove. We’d invite you over, but the door is locked and barred from anyone coming or going. I am trying to figure out how to get a pizza delivered from Pizza Hut without going to the door to let the delivery guy in. Maybe he can slide it under the door.
Malawi was sorry to see us go. We said goodbye to our largest class, the Form 1s and to our guard, “Prince”, and the head master. Also to the synod’s general secretary and others. Even the immigration official at the airport expressed sadness at our going and encouraged us to return. Here’s a link to a description of some of the work we do. It’s a Sunday drive to church, not reflecting the actual traffic.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1HQoaztlAn9h6uBvcrQ7vv48C8cOiKIKl
Oh, and I found Catch 22 on Youtube, but not on Netflix. There’s also a TV show by the same name, but I don’t see it on Youtube. Maybe I’ll get the DVDs.
In the Warm Heart of Africa 
Really glad you made it back safely. Praying that you and Nora will stay healthy. Welcome home!
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Welcome to Canada!! Grateful that you returned safely. Thanks especially for the video — brought back wonderful memories as you drove through the CCAP campus, past St. Michael’s and All Angles, HHI, turned right onto Makata Road under the bridge to the clock tower, and then left onto the Chichiri Road on the way to Limbe. I didn’t see the Queen Elizabeth Hospital but imagine it is still there. When you turned left at the roundabout I noticed a new white mosque.
Patience and Hope in your transitions. Sometime after you and we are finished with our self isolation, and the pandemic has passed (pray God), and you are in the KW area, we would be delighted to have you visit and give us an update on all things Malawian.
Ron
On Wed, 25 Mar 2020 at 15:14, In the Warm Heart of Africa wrote:
> stevemcinnis posted: ” Yes, we are no longer in Malawi. After a day in the > air, we dropped out of the sky to Pearson Int’l Airport. We were the only > plane landing around then. I’m not sure what the daily schedule is, but it > was our planeload that made its way through the air” >
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Hi Ron,
I’m glad you could recognise all the features in the video. We weren’t thinking anyone familiar with the area would see it. Makata Road has been upgraded recently, which I’m sure you noticed. The hospital is across the Mahatma Gandhi Road from the Mosque. About the time we ended the video, we had turned right onto Mahatma Gandhi. The hospital was on the left with the mosque on the right. If we had immediately turned right again or south onto Mandala Road, we would have driven to Mandala house, which you would have recognised. Our bank [s further south past Mandala House along Mandala Road – its address “Top Mandala Road”, which they meant was at a high elevation along the road. A little further and we would have been at the Blantyre market and the bus station in the “downtown”.
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