Holidays!

Almost at the end of week two in my new place! It feels like home most days but I’m still getting used to not having running water or knowing if I’ll have electricity. The temperature has been in the 90s and 100s all week so that’s been quite a change from Alaska. I keep telling people in my town it’s going to take me some time to get used to because I’m from a place that is cold and has lots of snow, but the people here can’t conceptualize anything less than 60 degrees so it’s been a little tough to explain.
Christmas is right around the corner, so all of us in my province are headed to the beach for the weekend to bask in the sun (not that I need any more sun but why not), grill out, and drink mimosas. Most of us are not thinking of it as Christmas break but more as a chance to get together and share stories from our first two weeks at site. It’s strange not having snow on the ground and holiday music playing constantly, but in a way it’s nice.
Ok- fun facts. Sand is everywhere- a nice change from constant mud. The sky is always blue, cloudless, and gorgeous. Not many trees but the ones we do have are huge and beautiful. Several trees in town are right out of The Lion King so that’s pretty cool. (For those of you unfamiliar with the movie, think of the most stereotypical African tree, and that’s it.) My house has cement floors and walls with a tin roof- I feel like I’m in an oven all the time. I don’t actually have an oven or a fridge but I’m learning to cook little by little. I can cook an egg on my floor- I did it on accident yesterday. I cracked my one and only egg into a container to beat it, set it on the floor to prepare a few other things, and when I came back it was already cooked. Who needs a stove when I have heated floors! I have cockroaches that fall from my ceiling. I actually just killed two that fell onto my couch as I was typing this blog. While raking my sand yard the other day, I threw a rock into my lixo pit (a hole dug in the ground where I put all my trash- and where children like to find new toys) and accidentally hit a chicken. I have neighborhood galinhas do mato (“bush chickens” that I’m pretty sure are turkeys) that squawk from four am until ten at night (and I thought roosters were bad!). My neighbors and colleagues are so friendly and helpful and are making my first few weeks here very enjoyable and comfortable. Professora Telma invited me over for dinner to make Matapa (coconut milk, crushed peanuts, and green leafy veggies- amazing!) and Professora Carlota has come by with cooking and fruit and other yummy treats. Every day several herds of cows and bulls come through town. Because they take up the whole road, I usually have to move to the side of the road in the bushes to get out of the way. I’m sure they’re not harmful but when I have sixty sets of horns coming at me a get a little nervous. My laundry dries outside within 10 minutes which is awesome. Then again yesterday I had to look through my health manual and find out how to get rid of the bugs that attach themselves to cloths left outside to dry. They’re not pleasant- believe me. I have about 14 neighbor criancas (children) that like to play on my porch (so much for it shocking kids). They typically stand in my doorway and watch whatever I’m doing, usually reading. Stare and scream are what they’re best at. A few are pretty adorable, but it’s sad to see them with their distended bellies and ringworm covered heads. And let me note my power has gone out six times in the last 10 minutes. It makes me cherish the moments when I can use my fan. All in all, many funny moments throughout the days due to things previously mentioned. I’ve learned to laugh at most things and really appreciate the things I used to take for granted. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love it here. I wouldn’t change a thing about my situation, even the spider that lives in my kitchen. It just takes time to get used to.

Wish List!!! I know I won’t get any of this by Christmas, or New Years, but think of them as valentines wishes 
**Powder drink mix (ice tea, Gatorade, Kool Aid, lemonade)
**More drink mixes
**Powder cheese from Mac and Cheese boxes
**Brownie or cookie mix
**Letters!
**Powder soup mix (Really any powder mixes- i'm craving it all!)
**Cute tank tops
**Visitors!!

Happy Holidays to all!!

Suprise!

Fun fact about me new house- my porch shocks people. There must be some loose wiring under my house because randomly if someone steps on my stoop they get a surge of electricity running though them. This fact was first discovered when Telma and Carlota (my two women colleagues) were helping me clean my house and Telma couldn’t leave the porch because every step she took she got shocked. We gave her some flip flops and she was fine. Two days ago the same thing happened to me- I could feel the electricity through my feet and into my legs. So strange! Well, yesterday, these two little girls kept estou pediring me (“estou pedir” means “I’m asking”- it’s almost like begging here) yet I couldn’t tell them no because I don’t know Changana yet. They decided to get closer and estou pedir from my porch- they both got shocked. Not bad, but enough to scare them and make them question if they really want to get close to the new crazy Americans house. Maybe I’m a witch? They don’t know what happened. Needless to say, I’ve had less visitors to my front porch.

Making it work

The people are so incredibly friendly! I went to the market today because all I had in the house to eat was more rice (which I ate for lunch and dinner yesterday), and it was definitely an awkward experience with everyone staring at me with dropped jaws, but the few that said hello back were very sweet and welcoming, and most already knew my name. In less than 24 hours the fofoka train (gossip) has spread through the town. I think what makes things a bit more awkward is that not everyone speaks Portuguese here. Most people (all the kids and almost everyone over the age of 30) only speak Changana, the local language. It’s tough at the moment, because when I have a heard of children sitting at my door I can’t talk to them or get them to go away because I don’t know the language (again! I was getting so good at the Portuguese thing and then this is thrown at me). At least when I leave here in two years I’ll be able to say I’ve learned at least two languages.
Ok so this morning was my first morning of living alone- sad for a bit, not sure what to do, but it turned out pretty good. My fellow English teacher Silvino came by to make sure I was ok and to ask how my first night went. I walked through the market- the only foods we seem to get here are onions, tomatoes, potatoes, mangos… that’s actually about it. I found two cucumbers and bought them both, found a few eggs, and there were definitely a few live chickens but I’m not ready to take that on solo yet. I have a feeling I’m going to be eating many of salads in the coming months. I met up with the teachers again today and learned a bit about how they do the end of the year grading and whatnot. And they all keep commenting on how well I speak for only being here ten weeks, and that’s such an amazing compliment and so encouraging to hear. I think I fake my Portuguese knowledge well ;)

Here I GO!!!!

Wow so much to say- but where to start!!! I’m officially a Peace Corps Volunteer which is very exciting. And I’ve moved into my own house in a small little town about six hours from where I had training. It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions these last few days. I had one day where I wasn’t sure what I was doing here and the next I was on top of the world, then scared out of my mind to move to a foreign town where nobody speaks English, then so exciting about my new place, and at this moment I can say I’m pretty content with it all but I’m still pretty lonely. This is the first time I’ve lived alone so it’s going to take some getting used to. Not to mention I’m going to have to start practicing my Portuguese even more than before.
My first impressions of my town are great. It seems fairly small even though I haven’t done much walking around yet. And I’m their sixth PCV (I believe) so the people here are used to having an American among them and I have a feeling they’ll all be pretty welcoming. My colleagues all seem welcoming as well. There is one other English teacher so I’m exciting to have him to talk to when all I want is to hear English. I was pretty surprised when I met many of the teachers yesterday at lunch. We’d been told that most likely the teachers would be primarily male but I was surprised that not only were they all male except three but that they were all in their early to mid twenties. I think there are two or three teachers a bit older, otherwise they’re all pretty young.
Ok, my house. It’s a three room house that the previous volunteer has painted lime green (living room), aqua marine (bedroom), and coral (kitchen). It’s impressive to say the least. She also left behind a house full of things which was a nice surprise. I have an electric two burner stove, some pots and pans, spices, a couch, four chairs, a couple small tables, and so many book and teaching supplies. I haven’t tried to go through that stuff yet- for the moment I’m just trying to figure out where all my things are going to fit. Animal wise, last night I came across several cockroaches that really didn’t want to leave my house, several lizards in my bathroom (which backs up to the director of my school’s bathroom- awkward!), a few more spiders, but nothing that I can’t handle. I think I found a nest of some sort when I was cleaning the ceiling with my ten foot poll (I feel like a jouster when I hold it) but we’ll see what happens with that later. All in all I’m really happy with my place and I’m looking forward to make it my own.

Wow time flies!!

I’ve noticed my blog entry frequency is directly related to my access to my power outlet in my house. Yes, that is a singular outlet. It’s usually not a problem to use it but we’ve had my host grandmother living in our living room (again) for the past week and I feel a bit awkward trying to get around her to plug something in. She’s blind- it adds a bit of a challenge to the situation. Anyway, my computer is now charged and I have a few updates to make. First week of model school over and done with!! And I’m actually done teaching- all I have left to do is help lead a review lesson and proctor a test. I gave my last lesson today on HIV risks and preventions- the most awkward lesson I’ve ever has to present for sure, trying to explain breast milk and masturbation to eighth graders who don’t speak English. Needless to say, it was a fun 45 minutes and I’m definitely more comfortable talking about touchy subjects with my students.
So this last week was a bit rough in the weather department. It rained all day everyday for an entire week. It was insane because the rain wasn’t only constant but so heavy. The town I’m in is practically all soft dirt so with the rain, the mud was inches thick everywhere, so not only were all my clothes soaking wet for a week but also covered in mud. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted a dryer in my life. Thankfully the sun came out yesterday and I got to wash and dry a few key items for this week.
I named my spider (with seven legs) Stan. And he has two new spider friends that frequent my room (Cynthia and Sylvester). You know cabin fever (or something of that nature) has kicked in when you start naming the bugs and creatures that live in your room with you…
I saw two baby goats being born today! Amazing! On my way back from language class I stopped for a bit and watched them try to walk. They didn’t have too much success if that mama wasn’t helping them along. So adorable.
Today was Mae’s (my host sister) 16th birthday so we made American pizza, which actually turned out pretty great. My whole family was so excited to try it. Even if they didn’t love it they were still so into the fact that it was American food, not Mozambican, and therefore it just tasted better on principle. I’m thankful because as a cook I need a lot of practice. You know you’re cooking in Mozambique when you cut open a pepper and worms fall out but it doesn’t phase you. Or cockroaches crawl in and out of your oven while you’re baking pizza. These things have become routine for me. Speaking of cooking, I learned how to make cheese! And it’s delicious. Next is the home brewing lesson.
So almost two months here in country and it seems as though most things have become routine and I’m not noticing the craziness of daily life anymore. Lack of running water (or clean water for that matter), tractors driving down the main road, trying to hitch a ride on said tractors, people stopping on the side of the road to pop-a-squat (aka urinate in the middle of the street because they have decided waiting is too inconvenient). I did however take note of the peacocks trying to cross the road in Maputo, or trying to turn down a street to find a restaurant but instead saying “I don’t think it’s this one because there are men with guns.” Also my normal wake time is now 5am, which is absurd in relation to American time, but here 5am is normal and refreshing. Plus I get to see a beautiful sunrise every morning. I’m also spoiled in regards to the sunset, which sets behind my house, overlooking the rolling hills of Swaziland.

"Are we in South Africa?"

I was in three different countries this week!! We made the all-day-long hike up the mountain (if you can really even call it that…) where Mozambique, Swaziland and South Africa all meet. The day started out with a run and doing laundry, then 5 of us made the walk out of town. We definitely took the long way out, but it was gorgeous so no complaints. After about an hour and a half we came to a house- it was the weirdest thing (I thought). A food delivery truck was in the driveway and we could see they had a whole farm of animals. Three huge dogs ran from around the corner toward us, but they were harmless and adorable- the first non-mutts I’ve seen since coming here. Then a young girl came from around the corner of the house, and when she spoke in English we were all shocked. She was from South Africa, and in my confusion of how far we’d walked already, I asked “Are we in South Africa?” Apparently that was the funniest thing anyone had heard all day. But really, who knows how far the boarder really was, and it’s possible that there wouldn’t be a well defined country boarder… Needless to say, she said no so we continued on our hike. Another few hours of hiking (and beautiful views) we made it to our destination. For the record, there was not a well-defined boarder into South Africa. It was pretty cool to stand on the mountain and look around in all different directions and see three different countries. I can’t say that’s something I often have the opportunity to do. One for the record books for sure.
Also this weekend, I went with Lisa into Maputo and got dreads. Yes, dreadlocks (sorry mom). It took 8 hours from start to finish! But totally awesome and I love them. When in Africa!!
I started model school today- an adventure to say the least. It’s great to finally get in front of real Mozambican students who don’t yet know much English, but it was still so challenging. The students here are much different from those in the states. They’re taught to copy, memorize, and regurgitate, so trying to involve them in my lesson was a bit tough- like pulling teeth. It was the longest 45 minutes of my life. But I’m learning and I can only go up from here. Even through my frustration I’m told I had a good presence in front of the class, so at least I have my silver lining ;)
On a great note for the day I’m officially in the intermediate medio language level, meaning I know just enough to pass the language test and swear in! I had myself a bit worried about learning enough, so the confirmation today was a great relief.

Storms Away!!

I’m currently sitting through a lightning storm that’s been going on for about five hours at this point. It’s crazy! Growing up I didn’t experience many thunder storms but I absolutely love them (unless I’m trying to get home and scared of being hit by lightning- otherwise they’re great). It was an interesting walk home from Lisa’s house this evening- the lightning had started but for the time being the rain had slowed so I tried to get home quickly. I saw my first snake!! Scary when it’s pitch black outside and the only lights are my head lamp and flashes from the sky, and here goes a snake across the road in front of me. Thankfully he didn’t notice me and just continued on his way. When I got home, I walked into my room and was greeted by a frog that proceeded to jump around my room and hide under my bed. My host brother and sister found it hilarious that I was anything but happy to have a new friend. After the fiasco of getting him out of my room was over, I started to patch up my windows so water doesn’t come in tonight. More fun times. The rain has been coming down!! And lightning is lighting up my room which is pretty cool. It’s almost like a strobe light there’s so much. Thankfully I don’t have a tin roof like most other PCTs- it makes it tough to sleep when the rain is coming down this hard.

Site Visit

This past weekend we went on site visit, which was such a fabulous break and an exciting experience! I went up to Inhanbane province to visit a Moz 12 English teacher (I’m Moz 14 if I haven’t yet made that reference- we’re the 14th group to come to this country). We had a blast! The first day was spent traveling and then relaxing on the beach. The next few days were spend exploring the site of the volunteer I was visiting and learning about her job, her school, her home, how she got water to her house (because, of course, no running water here), where she goes to buy food… all the necessities. Her site was beautiful- right on the water, coconut and mango trees everywhere, sand roads, beautiful starry nights. It was all wonderful. I took my first bath outside- that was interesting. Me with my bucket and a head lamp in the backyard under the stars- what a site. At least the water was warm. It was a nice break from training and the constant work and activity that goes on here. My Portuguese definitely suffered a bit but I’m sure I can make that back up.

I learned to cook!!

End of week three we had a cooking day with our language groups- it was quite the experience! Five Americans, five host mothers/sisters, one current PCV and one teacher all working together to make chema, cove, and matapa, kill a chicken (kudos to Alice for killing it with the ridiculously dull butter knife- you’re stronger that I am), scrape out coconuts for leite de coco, and crush (or “pilar”) peanuts down to a fine powder. The finished products were amazingly delicious, and I learned a lot about every bit of the process, but I have a feeling I won’t be doing a lot of cooking like that once at my site- it took about 6 hours from start to eat time! I don’t have that kind of patience yet. Maybe eventually…
I’ve officially lost my ability to sleep in, which stinks. Without fail, by 6am I’m out of bed and doing something, be it jogging or studying or just wandering around. I think it’s all the chema I’m eating- I have way too much energy. That and the roosters that crow at all hours of the night.

Today was an AMAZING day, again. We spent all of today, like yesterday, learning about Permaculture and how to implement what we learn these two days at site. I have never been more excited about dirt and water in my life! I can’t wait to start a garden at my house and one in my community. It’s a simple technique that we’re learning, and it’s a great way to integrate ourselves into our communities in a way other than through our primary project (i.e. teaching). Also I’ll get to eat fresh veggies anytime I want!

Funny moment from this week- I was caught outside during a lightning storm, raining like crazy- and I was locked out of my house when I finally got home soaking wet. I had to run through the abandoned mansion that lives behind my house and through its deserted courtyard as lightning was flashing above me… slightly scared for my life but all worked out in the end. There ARE creepy crawlies that go bump in the night- I encountered more than I care to remember earlier this week. I do not plan on walking around after dark unless I absolutely have to. The word for thief in Bantu is “ninja” and this word alone has supplied many of us with constant jokes and entertainment (thank you Sam for dressing up as the ninja in our play- unforgettable). Parabens! (meaning congrats) is my new favorite word. Oh, and Presidential elections were held this week- the whole country practically shuts down for the day- no kids have school and many people don’t have work. It’s been interesting to learn a bit about Mozambican politics so far, and I’m interested to see how these next few weeks shake out.

I’d like to dedicate this blog entry to my two year bag. I miss you.

For anyone readying this who’s done Peace Corps recently (because probably things have changed over the years) you understand my longing for my two year bag. So, how this works is I was allowed to pack two bags to bring to Africa, with a combined weight of 80 pounds. I was told one of these bags I’ll have with me throughout training but I won’t have access to the other until after I swear in in December. Little did I know how infamous this “two year bag” would become. I did a great job of packing a variety of clothes and shoes in the bag I have with me now so I have no complaints there. However, I find myself finishing sentences with “oh yeah I have one of those… in my two year bag” or “I need my (insert any item here) … in my two year bag.” It seems like all the little things that would make my life just a bit easier I remembered to pack… in my two year bag. And by no means am I the only one. We’ve decided swearing in isn’t only going to be exciting because we get to go to site and start working, but it’ll be like Christmas morning getting to open our two year bags.

Week 3

So busy! The days are flying by. Eu peco falar un pouco portugues que eu gosto muito! So, my typical day in Moz goes roughly like this. I wake up at about 5am (sometimes 5:30 when I sleep in) when the roosters are squaking and the dogs are barking. I take a bath (from a bucket), get dressed, have tea (which is usually instant coffee, not tea), and head off to school. Depending on the day, I walk between 10 and 45 mins to my first class- language. After two hours we walk to a different location and have two hours of teaching training (which always take place outside, which is aweomse!). Then it’s back home for lunch, back to teacher training, and the end of the day is language application (walking around the market asking questions, talking to each other, etc). After classes get done at 5pm I have about an hour to get home before the sun sets. Usually I come home, come to my room to study, have more “tea” and bread, and try to have any sort of interaction with my family. My siblings are pretty great about getting me talking, and they really help me conjugate verbs and make coherent sentences. And none of them speak ANY English. I take my second bath around 7:30 or 8 and then we eat between 8:30 and 9. I eat in the living room watching tv with my dad, mom, and little brother (Pai), while my sister (Mae), older brother (Valdo), and Gilda (I think she’s the embregada?) eat in the kitchen. Considering I can’t make conversation, I usually come to my room right after dinner to study more and read. My days are pretty full, and it’s extremely tiring to be listening and translating and trying to speak Portuguese all day. I can’t wait for it to get easier! During our teacher training classes we’ve begun practicing teaching short lessons to each other which is very helpful because most of us have never been teachers before-getting these 10 weeks to get a base is wonderful. Also I’m starting to realize how difficult it really is to teach the basics of my native language.

Randoms of week three: Cleanliness is very important here, so I learned how to clean my room- scrub the floors and rearrange everything. I also learned how to wash clothes- my hands are STILL beat up from both the harsh detergent and the stones I have to pound everything against. I was chased by the neighbor goat, who continued to nnnnaaaaaay at me as I walked up my road. I got my hair braided- it hurt and I look bald, but it’s easier to wash! My host mom bought peanut butter! I had my first official phone conversation in Portuguese- the cell service company here is not very receptive. My host mother and I have had a few more… interactions… She’s very much like my first host mother in France- if you know that story I don’t need to explain farther, if not I’ll explain later.

sorry these are so short but things are happening here so fast, and i only have internet rarely. I'll try to do better next time ;)
and pics to follow, when i know how

First Impressions

I can’t believe I’ve only been here 2 weeks! So much has happened and I feel like I’m actually getting the hang of a few things, so I feel like I’ve been here quite a while, but at the same time it feels like I just walked in my front door yesterday. So, I’ll begin with my first day with my host family.
When we got to our town, we were greeted by all of our new mothers and many of the village kids with singing and dancing. All the women in their copolana’s (dresses and head wraps) all so excited to have us there- it was so overwhelming some shed a few tears (yes, I was definitely one of them). My brother Pai and my sister Mae (translated to dad and mom in Portuguese) met me and took me home. The house is small, but has an inside toilet and bath!! Not that I can actually take a bath- I just set the bucket of water in the tub with me. Next, I played a few games with the kids on my street, their favorite being dodgeball, where I am the target. I redeemed myself when it was my turn- they didn’t expect I’d know how to throw, much let aim.
The first week of classes was pretty tough, trying to gain any bit of language I could. But little by little, it’s coming along. Everyone working with Peace Corps is amazing- they’re all excited for us to learn and we all want to learn so bad (I can honestly say I’ve never been more interested and eager to spend 8 hours in classes and then study after as well).
So, interesting moments in the first two weeks- my backyard is Swaziland, so no jumping over any fences. I have a spider that lives in my room with me- big step for me considering I’m a huge arachnophobe. It takes 3 hours to make cookies here- but they’re delicious and in 3 hours we can make enough to feed an army. I’m not allowed to bathe until at least 30 minutes after eating- this rule confuses me slightly. It’s not like I’m going swimming in there- all I have is a bucket... Oh, and I HAVE to bathe twice a day (I’m just glad it’s not 3). My French has gotten much better because in an attempt not to speak English, that’s what comes out. Neighbor kids are great for learning random vocabulary and labeling things- they love it. Sunsets are beautiful here but the sun drops so fast I had best be at home while watching it or I won’t be able to find my way back. I miss being able to sit down to pee- only broken toilets and holes in the ground here. Goats typically run through the school during lunchtime. Mozambicans are fanatical on the second breakfast and second lunch (amazing! I love snacks). Brazilian soap operas are always on TV- day and night. Chicken feet and fish heads (not together) are fun dishes to eat- and by fun I mean my family gets a kick out of watching me try and eat them (thank goodness my host mom likes them so I don’t have to feel bad about passing on seconds). Everyone in my town in related, and they all love to gossip (the host family who fattens their Peace Corps Trainee up the most get bragging rights for the year). And the baby goat that gets tied up down the street from my house is the cutest flee-ridden animal I have ever seen!!
I really like it here- many things are tough, like trying to live with a family who I cannot communicate with, but baby steps will eventually get me somewhere. The people are incredibly friendly here, like today I had my first real conversation, with someone not paid to talk to me, on my way to class. I don’t have much of a vocabulary yet so it was a conversation based on the weather and what I’m doing in Moz but regardless, it made me feel great. And these people make me feel very comfortable. The Americans are also pretty awesome- I love everyone in my group (69 of us total).

I'm in Mozambique!!

Traveling for 42 hours was quite interesting- long plane rides and many hours in airports, but I'm glad I'm here! Cliff not version because I have 3 minutes of internet left- South Africans are beautiful, Mozambiquans are very nice, I don't understand a word anyone is saying, and I'm so scared about meeting my host family tomorrow. I know everything will do over great, but still, it's a big step. Language classes start Monday so that's exciting. Other than that really I'm just hanging out and trying to get to know people. Also there's a lot of venting going on with everyone- we're all confessing our fears and concerns, and it's amazing. Hopefully I can update soon!!!

Staging in Philly

So I've been in Philly for a day now and I already feel much more relaxed and comfortable with everything. Most everyone else is very much like me- anxious about not being able to learn the language, not fit in with our community, not be able to really get through to our students- and although many of the things we share are anxieties, it's so comforting to know that I'm not the only one with these fears. We're all also very excited about the upcoming adventure and ready for it to actually begin. I can't believe it's finally here! 18+ months in the making and I leave for the airport in about 2 hours!

Well, this may be my last blog for a bit, concidering I have no clue when I'll get internet access again. All i know is 3am bus ride to New York, wait in the airport for 6 hours, 15 hour flight to Johannesburg, 5 hour layover, one hour flight to Maputo, then sleep in a fabulous hotel :) Wish me luck and lots of sleep!

Pre-departure Jitters!!

So, about 36 hours to go before I get on a plane for my staging in Philly. Very excited and very nervous at this point! I've finished shopping (which I've done far too much of, but it always seemed to calm me down) and tomorrow I will start to pack. As of now I have about 150 pounds of stuff and I have to get it down to 80lbs and cram it all in two bags. Wish me luck!!

Besides fitting everything into my suitcases, my main concern at this point it is the language. I've been trying to learn Portuguese online with Rosetta Stone but I haven't gotten too far with it. My first assignment was to Mauritania (last June) and I was confident about the language there because I already speak French- now I'm a bit more concerned. Other than language, I feel pretty good about things, knowing it's going to be very difficult and at times harder than I care to try, but I know I'll get through it (however, any love sent through the mail would be much appreciated!)

I may not have much internet access during my first few months in Mozambique, but I'll try to keep everyone updated as much as I can.