Wine and Cheesecake, Malawi Style

We correspond all week with Teresa about prep for the sixth annual wine and cheesecake party back in Boston. By Thursday night, when Nathaniel arrives home tired and damp after a lengthy bus ride back from Blantyre, we suddenly feel that we can’t leave the event unmarked here in Lilongwe.

Friday morning, I send out a few invites to our closer friends here and then spend the afternoon visiting grocery stores to try to round up cheesecake ingredients. Tragically, the decently sized blocks of cream cheese I’d seen at the Shoprite earlier in the week are long gone, but I find ricotta at the Old Town Mall shop and purchase two, 100g (4oz) packages of cream cheese at the Foodworth’s at the bargain price of $3.98 per bar.

Saturday, I follow tradition (I’ve usually had to attend the PBHA board retreat the same day, then rush home to finalize decorations and prep) and spend the day working. I facilitate a department-wide meeting for the Medical Department of Kamuzu Central Hospital in the conference center at the Kumbali Lodge (claim to fame – this is where Madonna stays when she come to the country).

A brief digression about the “conference center” is essential here. We’re talking a traditional Malawian structure – beams and a thatched roof – with a traditional conference center set up (tables arranged in a u-shape with flip chart stands and paper, projection screen, etc.) except for the leopard print table cloths. It should have felt weird, but instead just felt typical Malawi. Check out the picture to see what I mean. Highlight? The cows from the lodge’s diary farming concern that mooed loudly outside for the duration of the session and which all of the participants completely ignored.

Anyway, back to the party. I arrive home a little after five, feeling good about that fact that I established a good rapport with the group, despite cultural differences, and find a gorgeous mango cheesecake waiting in the fridge and Nathaniel puttering around the garden in an amazing combination of flip-flops, cargo shorts, unbuttoned, short-sleeved, collared shirt and Mexican adventure hat (sorry, no picture available). I also find, upon logging into my email, that no one is available to come to our gathering aside from Keith and Melody. We’re grumping at each other as we prep, both wondering if this shadow of the real thing will make us feel better or worse.

Nonetheless, we serve up some party snacks, mix up a lemon basil syrup as a topping, mull a bottle of wine and prepare for good times. I’m just feeling bummed that we don’t have champagne to start things off when Keith and Melody arrive with a delicious bottle of almond flavored goodness they shipped over from the states. It's a little tamer than the 85 guest heyday of the shindig, but Keith and Melody are great company and at the end of the evening, we’re glad to have celebrated, even if only in a small way.