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.