CUSTOMS AND TRADITION (CONTINUED)

I now continue from my other blog which got interrupted coz of some technical hiccups and i was forced to publish before completion.We were somehow well received though i could see the faces that they thought we had gone for tit for tat or with an axe to grind.The best they could was to avoid us in a diplomatic way not directly."Akulu-akulu oti mukambe nao achoka anapita ku Ntcheu,ndiye mungodikila achemwali ake,aah koma mungopita kumudzi mwina mungakapeze anthu........."all sorts of stories to make us give up on the issue of getting back the daughter of Kaunda-my cousin.We all thought we could easily get the child  because we had paid part payment of the agreed sum of their customary charges.With our pockets full with the remainder,to us it was just "here you are with this" and let our offspring back as for the family issue thus husband and wife to be sorted out latter.Little did we know that that first lump sum was for "aphungu' only and that 'makolo' had to be compensated(sorry for the term used).Another destination had to be arranged so that we could not just go empty handed and it was here that we experienced the real sena tradition.Soon after taking our seats,a lady,i would call her agogo rushed inside her house and brought that big 'kapu ya chitsulo'.When i say big steel cup i mean it where under normal cicumstances and in many of our traditions you would be anticipating 'thobwa lozizira' but fortunate enough ,it was madzi a pa chitsime.Iwas wondering coz nobody of us had asked for it.So whilst the owners of the village were busy with the sitting arrangement like bringing more chairs and mphasa to make "bwalo likule bwalo. likule,tchalosi"i asked my aunt in low tone that mwaitanitsa madzi akumwa?I did not know that there was a young boy(probably six years of age) from the same vicinity behind me and he answered strongly on top of his voice saying TIMATELO.And agogo came to clarify that it is tradition.It was the same boy who reminded agogo the name of the church she goes to after agogo had fotgotten the name thogh she is a frequent goer and having showered praises to the Lord in the same for the past five years ,all she could remember was that she used to be catholic before.Agogo could be in her late fifties.

CUSTOMS AND TRADITION

Much as i appreciate the existence of several cultural beliefs,i tend to fail understanding and interpreting customs and traditions.Looking at the words from various dictionaries,i just force myself to go according the way they are expressed and i have my own reservations,I partially disagree with many interpretations.Much of my arguement on this will follow since the aim of blog is discussing my trip to the lower Shire district of Chikhwawa/Chikwawa which ever you like according to where you belong politically and/or culturally.It was on this very sunday the march 27th,2011.As one of the elders in our clan(one is saying aah),i was sent to co-preside over a case involving my cousin and his so called wife who happens to come from that side of the country.On the mentioned date,whilst just waking up from previous night slumber,i received a phone call at around 600hrs from KK informing me that he is already in central town Blantyre waiting for me as previously arranged and aggreed.He did not know that i was still in Mulanje brushing my teeth getting prepared for the trip(how time flies when you are having nice nightmares).In the next two hours i was busy with the brake pedal going down heights of sena land,thanks to MN 1648 for keeping the promise.We went to the area where we were looking for a man to guide us to our destination and on our way we found some guys in jovial mood singing and with branches of shrubs on their heads pointing to a specific direction.We were suprised why they were showing us the direction as if they know where we were going and coincidentary in the process of asking for the residence of atchifi(a well known man believed to have full stocks of curry weed),who is a neighbor to our would be guide,we were told they thought we were going to a development meeting(tree planting) led by the minister of energy and mining who also happens to be the MP for the area just a few metres to where we were going.My cousin got married to a lady from this area.According to their tradition,there are several steps which are to be followed for one to get a she from their motherland which include money changing hands into theirs.I will not mention the terms used because they are many and they just tend to confuse the already confused characters.My cousin was and still is on separation with this better half of his for almost six months now

IMMIGRATION FORMALITIES AND EXPERIENCES

This is the first in a series of many reflections on the call and vocation of an Immigration officer.Ague ably,many will regard this as not included to be a call as much of this is associated with religious circles but i for one feel it is a vocation(more to follow). Now after almost a decade and half of experiences in real life and imaginations,i have a feeling that i need to share with my comrades in different parts of the world in what a lot of people regard as profession or occupation.It will be coming in episodes or rather chapters stressing on a specific topics with vivid examples and experiences.Imaginations will also take a central part since some of the aspects have not been seen in black and white but there are strong indications and likelihood to have taken a part in various decision making and conclusions of important cases.I will need feedback through various fora and contributions from the public at large.Some could suggest the way forward or the right channel of discussing these important matters.All in all, it will be a way of expressing what we feel and what people expect of us.