It's not where you are, it's who you're with

Enrico is going home (sniff). We picked him up the day we dropped Mum and Jennie off and I can't believe that's three months already!

We'll miss him lots but are celebrating his last weekend in Malawi by sitting at the outside hut table drinking special brew (his favourite Malawian tipple) and putting the world to rights.

In particular, we've concluded that the difference between being Italian and being Italian Swiss is enormous, but the difference between being Italian and being Malawian may not be so big; for example:

- Both Italians and Malawians drive like total mentalists;

- similarly, the time it takes to get an Italian drivers' licence is measured in days;

- polenta is actually the same thing as nsima (or 'sema', the basic Malawian food);

- car horns (and even worse driving) are the main way to celebrate a football win;

- haggling is compulsory;

- you suspect the hawkers are trying to trick you, particularly when they call you 'boss' or, in Malawi, 'bwana';

- in both countries you are not trusted to fuel you're own car;

- Malawian's describe themselves as the 'warm heart of Africa', Italians claim to be the 'friendliest nation in Europe'; and

- (posh) Malawians say 'ciao'.

F x