Maybe some other time. Instead, I give you pictures of five-day old piglets, which I took this morning in the garden. Enjoy - I'm off for a swim!
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| Bunkbed |
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| Mum, keeping a watchful eye |
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| Piglet dreams |
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| Robert and piglet |
Cute pictures of piglets (suitable for vegetarians)
Today marks one year since I moved to Lilongwe. I could write about the deteriorating macroeconomic situation in the country; the challenge of creating inclusive growth and transitioning away from subsistence agriculture; the opportunities and risks posed by Malawi's 'demographic dividend'; the state of democracy in the country; or my predictions for the year ahead.
Maybe some other time. Instead, I give you pictures of five-day old piglets, which I took this morning in the garden. Enjoy - I'm off for a swim!
Maybe some other time. Instead, I give you pictures of five-day old piglets, which I took this morning in the garden. Enjoy - I'm off for a swim!
The Circle of Life (not suitable for vegetarians)
The beautiful thing about life, is that eventually it ends.
After seven months of eating, digging holes, and running away from me, it was time for one of our pigs (note: not Strawberry) to meet the great pig in the sky. I took her to the local abattoir because I don't have the equipment at home to humanely kill a pig. There, they electrocuted her to render her unconscious, before cutting the blood vessels close to her heart and bleeding her to death. She was then dehaired and hung for a day, before being cut into the requisite bits. The abattoir was clean and well-run; the staff professional and friendly. I've no doubt she lived and died in the best possible manner.
After seven months of eating, digging holes, and running away from me, it was time for one of our pigs (note: not Strawberry) to meet the great pig in the sky. I took her to the local abattoir because I don't have the equipment at home to humanely kill a pig. There, they electrocuted her to render her unconscious, before cutting the blood vessels close to her heart and bleeding her to death. She was then dehaired and hung for a day, before being cut into the requisite bits. The abattoir was clean and well-run; the staff professional and friendly. I've no doubt she lived and died in the best possible manner.
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| Hanging |
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| The constituent parts |
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| Porks chops, cooked in white wine with rosemary and homegrown red onions |
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| Omnomnom |
Legless
Since I last wrote (over six weeks ago...), I've managed to break my left leg by falling over in a field in Teddington, England, and spent a lovely weekend being pushed around Paris in a wheelchair by a very patient girlfriend; Nepear has passed his Permaculture Design Certificate and is now hawking his knowledge around the affluent suburbs of Lilongwe; Strawberry has given birth to five very thirsty piglets; my Aunt has been out to visit; and Mighty Be Forward Wanderers have reclaimed the Carlsberg Cup title from their age-old rivals, Big Bullets.
Here are some pictorial highlights:
Here are some pictorial highlights:
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| Notre Dame |
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| Nep and Family at the Lake |
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| Carlsberg Cup Semi-Final |
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| Cape Maclear |