It started as a plan for a small Christmas event for Chomora Mikeka, James and Yvonne Kenani, and my family. But we thought that it was going to be better if we had floated the idea to our friends within the Society of Malawian Students (SMS) in Japan. Someone also suggested that we inform the Malawi Embassy so that they should not be taken by surprise.
It was a memorable occasion
Malawian students outside the Kanto area were asked if they would be able to attend the party. The SMS wing in Oita which includes two undergraduate students, Yankho Fungatira and Lester Kakhuta, and two postgraduate students, Hastings Nasoni and Rabson Kachala, unanimously agreed to come to Tokyo for the party. Kondwani Munthali from Tsukuba University also confirmed his availability. Then the issue became much bigger than we had planned initially. We had to book two nights accommodation for the guys coming from Oita in Bandobashi, Yokohama. We also booked the venue for the event in Akasaka, Tokyo.
The Embassy was also notified about the impending Malawian style Christmas party. The ambassador, His Excellency, Mr. Roosevelt Gondwe, and the staff at the embassy were more than happy with the initiative. They promised to contribute financially and even to bring some dishes. Our trusted treasurer, James Kenani, prepared the budget.All participating SMS members, the ambassador and the staff at the embassy, i.e. Mr Chilima and Mrs Karonga, made their contributions. We bought the meats, drinks, snacks etc. We also paid for the venue, transportation and accommodation of the guys from Oita.
Then finally came the day of the party on 24 December. We were supposed to visit the Tokyo Tower in the morning but we cancelled the event because most people did not come in time. We, therefore, focussed on the party itself. We started cooking at 1:00pm and finished before 3:00pm.
The Ambassador arrived with his wife and children arrived at the end of the cooking session. Mr.Chilima, Mrs Karonga and her son, Charles, and a Japanese couple (Masanari-san and Nozomi-san), friends to James and Yvonne Kenani, also arrived shortly after that.
I was the MC for the day. The program started at 3:00pm . We observed a one-minute silence in memory of the people that lost their lives in the Karonga earthquakes, and Mr. Hamiltom Chimberenga, a Malawian student who passed away last month in Malaysia. Then Chomora, in his Coordinator of SMS in Japan, made brief introductions of all the participants. Then the Ambassador made his speech and the eating, drinking and chatting begun.
The ladies did a great work in the kitchen
Men were also doing their part
Ziwalo zankhuku migolomigolo
His Excellency, Mr Roosevelt Gondwe, Malawi's Ambassador to Japan making a speech.
Eating and drinking
Toward the end of the event, Chomora presented a certificate award to the Ambassador for the support he gave in the formation of the Society of Malawian Students in Japan. All participants were given SMS in Japan pens.
The party finished at 6:00pm. After cleaning the place, Mr. Chilima took a few guys for a nijikai (second party) in Roppongi.
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7 users commented in " The 2009 Malawian style Christmas Party in Tokyo, Japan "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackExcellent report Clement; infact, i wish we had it again much sooner, lol.
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Abale uku ndiye kudza. Inu zoona munapangadi izi? Koma a Malawi ali pa Mainland China dzukani muone zili kunjaku.
Koma chaka cha mawa simuzatiposa fanzi mwamva? Ngakhale sitiyambepo tachita zazikulu ngati zimenezi.
Koma zina kambu zina leku, abale inu ine ndasilira zediditu! Ndipempha thransifara from here to there, ndidzadyeko nkhuku abale inu. Koma ndalamazo munazitenga kuti?
Boma limodzi lomweli la Malawi?
I will give Hon. Roosevert Gondwe another certificate.But before that. I wanna give you guys each honorary doctorate degrees in kudya kwa mgwirizano ngati umenewu. komatu mwaonjeza baki guys, hahaha
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Clement Nyirenda says:
January 27th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
Bambo Chigoba, zikomo chifukwa cha uthenga wanu wabwino. Inde ife tinapangadi zimenezi. Tili ndi bungwe lathu lotchedwa Society of Malawian Students (SMS) in Japan. Amalawi onse amene akuphunzira kuno ku Japan ndi mamembala a bungwe limeneli. Tili ndi mailing list yathu; wina akatsokomola, timadziwitsana mwamsangamsanga ndikumuthanga mwa chimalawi. Ndiye chaka chathachi, kwa nthawi yoyamba, tinasonkherana makobidi ndikupanga party yathuyathu ya chi Malawi. A ku Embassy monga waona kale anatichita support popanga ma contributions awo ndikubweretsa zakudya. Chaka chino tidzapanganso zimenezi. A ambassador monga ndanena kale mu uthenga wanga m’mwambamo amatisunga bwino kuno. Tikakumana nawo pamakhala kucheza kwa ndiii.
Inunso kumeneko, mungathe kupanga zangati zimenezi. Tayambitsani. Paja kumeneko ma students a ku Malawi muliko angati?
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chigoba chachikulu says:
January 28th, 2010 at 1:36 am
kunotu sitikuchepera 40 abambo.
Aaa koma ine ndasunthika zedidi apa. Ndipanga kampeni (campaign) yowirira kuti abalefe pa Mainland tidzikhala pamodzi namamwa thobwa lopenya. Kodi achikulire lopenya thobwa mumalidziwa nanga? Akuti lothawa pang’ono, ena amalakwitsa namati losasa.
Ayi nzeru mkupangwa apa tapangwaAyi nzeru mkupangwa apa tapangwapo.po.
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Clement Nyirenda says:
January 28th, 2010 at 1:56 am
40! Ndinu ambiri kuposa ife kuno. Muyesetse kumeneko kuti muyambise Society of Malawian Students (SMS) in China. Mupangenso mailing list yanu pa google groups kapena pa Yahoo, namalemberana pafupi pafupi. Kenako muyambe kupanga organize za Christmas party yachimalawi cha mu Beijing umo kapena mu Shanghai.
Ifetu kuno tilipo cham’ma 20 koma tikugwirizana bwino. M’thengo muno ndimofunikira kumayanjana bwino pa uMalawi wathu. Mukakhala kuti mukufuna uphungu wina uli wonse pa m’mene mungayambitsile SMS in China, ife tilipo mungathe kutifunsa nthawi ina ili yonse.
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That was indeed great though your photos cannot be viewed from this part of the world. Christmas is indeed time for sharing and associating with friends. It is time for giving as you had done with the Karonga earthquake victims. For your information, on its part, Govt is doing its best to help the victims with support from NGOs and private entities.
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Clement says:
February 19th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Thanks for stopping by and notifying me the photo problem. I will try to scale their size down so that they can be viewed from that side.
Good to hear about the efforts that are being done for the people in KA. How is the situation as of now?
Clement´s last blog ..Global Health Corps Fellowship Applications are now open!
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