Minha Casa

Sorry I'm not more exciting

PICS
Lucy (obviously), local market, part of the town where I had training, and the sunset on Xmas in Xai-xai







This morning I woke up to a heard of children on my porch, little Evan peeing on my stoop, my cats fighting, and my embregada trying to get in the front door. All before 7am. Wow! And before my instant coffee fix for the day. Oh, to be popular in a small town.
The last few days have been excruciatingly hot- 37 and 38 degrees. How I miss Alaska! We had a thunderstorm the other day which was pretty nice- I now have fresh rain water to drink. However, it was a bit difficult to teach when rain was pounding down on the tin roof of the school and the power flickering on and off. The power eventually went out so we all went home. We just got power back this morning actually. Just in time too, because I ran out of peanut butter.
I may not speak Portuguese the best, but people are starting to tell me how Mozambican I’ve become. Between the way I dress (my house is capolana heaven- they’re everywhere!), my hand-holding and high-fiving, my ralar-ing of coconuts and pilar-ing of peanuts, and the neighborhood playground being my porch/yard, I think I’ve officially integrated. It’s nice to feel like I’ve made a spot for myself here. Now if I could just get a bit more comfortable with the teaching thing.
Speaking of kids always being around, they can’t seem to stay out of my licho (trash) pit. I find them playing with everything I’ve thrown away, from paper to tin cans to q-tips to eggshells. I won’t lie, it’s a bit unsettling. But hey, they must have some pretty creative imaginations if they’re making toys out of eggshells and q-tips.
Lucy is still adorable, and still sleeping on me, trying to eat off my plate, and constantly underfoot. She’s developed a love to climb the mosquito netting on my windows, and if I’m wearing long pants or a long skirt (which is always) she’s likes to scale up my side and perch on my shoulder. Again, not too worried about it right now but once those claws get a bit bigger I might be in trouble.

Falo portugues!

PICS
Xmas at the beach and New Years with Jenna and Clancy






I’ve gotten really bad at keeping up on my blog- sorry but it’s been pretty busy and things have just kept piling up. Talk about a change from my first few weeks here! So I’ve been grading papers and make-up tests for a week now- I finally finished this morning with the last class so at least I have a two week break before my next test. And I’ve cut my hours back to 24 a week now so that’s good.
Valentines day was great! I got together with a bunch of other volunteers, about 16 other Moz 14rs and Moz 13rs. It was wonderfully to finally get to sit and talk to some people that have been doing this for over a year now. It’s not that I still have questions, it’s just nice to be reassured about some of the stuff that’s going on here.
Today has been a good day for teaching. My lesson wasn’t very hard so they seemed to understand pretty quickly, which made me feel like we accomplished something during class. Granted I almost guarantee that tomorrow when I check homework I’ll have about a 45 percent rate of understanding, if not less. But hey, one student at a time. We have all year.
I’ve cut back on the running- I’m currently nursing an ingrown toenail back to health- so the women in the town keep asking me where I’ve been whenever I see them at the market. It’s pretty cute- we typically don’t actually use words to communicate because I don’t speak Changana and they don’t speak Portuguese, so it’s a lot of actions and laughing and high-five/ hand shakes. Man they love their hand shakes here. You don’t even have to do anything- you just kinda hold out your hand and someone will slap it then hold it. Oh the hand holding! I don’t think I’ve mentioned this yet- Mozambicans LOVE to hold hands. I’m getting a bit more used to it, and most times I actually really like it because other than that there’s really not much human contact happening, but it was awkward to get used to at first. It’s very normal for guys to hold hands with each other, walking down the road or just standing talking. It’s actually more common to see guys holding hands than girls, and even less likely to see a guy and a girl holding hands.

Tests

This past week I gave my first text- was a train wreck!! It was simple- how to conjugate a verb in past tense, how to compare and contrast using and…both or …but…, how to organize a sentence (I walk to school, not school walk I to)- yet my 12th graders scored an average of 8 out of 20. A little disheartening, but I’m telling myself it’s only because the test was a new format for them, and also I controlled the text with eagle eyes and nobody had a chance to cheat  I actually did find one cabula, aka cheat sheet, but not until after my very last class for the day. I took it but I couldn’t tell who it actually belonged to. Oh well. So, I’ve been correcting papers for the last three days- 350 students whose penmanship you can’t read gets a little tough. All you other teachers out there, parabens and boa sorti with your classes.

I feel loved

I find myself looking forward to standing under the tree and listening to my students sing. What an amazing thing to teach the young kids. I’m sure they don’t see it as impressive, but I can tell by the way they sing their anthem how much pride they take in their country.
Ok, so week two over and done with. I’m still alive! Actually this week was pretty easy- I don’t have but two classes on Tuesday (compared to my ten on Monday or eight on Thursday) and Wednesday was Heros day in Mozambique so we didn’t have school. It was a weekend inside my week. I’ve gotten a bit better at teaching to the students that don’t know how to form a sentence in English. I’ve decided an entire trimester of review is not going to be the worst thing for anyone. Everyone needs review now and again, and if they haven’t learned it before than hopefully I’ll cover the important information sufficiently. I have a LONG way to come as a teacher, but it’ll come.
I have a kitty! I call her Lucy- she’s only about 4 or 5 weeks old so she’s still tiny! The first few days her hell because she didn’t eat and she cried constantly, but after she got a little more used to me it got easier. As my own mother pointed out, she’s imprinted on me, which is both adorable and annoying. She follows me around the house, constantly underfoot, and always wants to be touching me. She cries when I leave the room until I come back or she follows and finds me. She sleeps often, but always on me. For example, right now she’s lying on my chest asleep. It’s unbelievable how much heat a tiny little thing can give off. She still doesn’t like to eat except from my plate, which is getting annoying. And she LOVES to climb my mosquito net- inside and out. I regularly wake up with a kitty dangling above my head. Right now it doesn’t scare me too much because she can’t weigh more than 4 ounces but it might be different once she grows. As of now I’m more worried of my cockroaches eating her than the other way around.
Funny things- There’s a one-footed chicken that walks by my house everyday around 6pm. I’ve gotten used to watching her hobble by. My friend the duck continues to circle my house, usually between four and eight times each day. I saw a duck the other day that not only had duck babies but also chicken babies. I’m wondering if the eggs got mixed up somehow? It was pretty adorable- they seemed to waddle just like little ducks. I cannot count the number of times I’ve been asked if I am married or have a boyfriend. The newest question is how many boyfriends do I have. Today two different people- correction, students- asked me to marry them. Another student told me he loved me. What a day

Singing sensation

So I learned the Mozambican national anthem when I first arrived here. (Funny, I lived in France for a year and never learned the French anthem). So anyways, we sing it everyday at school. The kids line up in their turmas (classes) underneath a giant tree (for shade) and face the teachers to sing. Normally I can only really hear the first few rows of students singing. It wasn’t until I was standing to the side of all the students that I actually heard the whole group- they were harmonizing! It was amazing! I’d never heard it before because I’d been listening to the girls in the front, but the boys all were harmonizing in the back. Wow it was so beautiful. I’m trying to think where they all learned to sing like this- is it something they teach in school? Is it mandatory to take singing class? Do they separate kids in grade school and teach them the different tunes? Who knows, but it’s amazing. Today I actually listened for the harmonizing, making sure it wasn’t a fluke from yesterday, and I got chills. They’re beautiful.

Rollercoaster of a week

First week of school is over and done with- what a trip. I may have shed a few tears in both frustration and discouragement, but they didn’t see me cry so I still have the upper hand. Student 0, Anna 1. I did kick out a student- I first threw chalk at her (told you the throwing would happen eventually). Hopefully she knows not to sleep in my class from now on. So I’ve come to realize, even though I’m suppose to teach an elevated level of English in 12th grade, I’m going to have to start back with basics and pretty much review for an entire trimester. As I said earlier there are those few students that really do know a lot, but the majority are really struggling. I’m trying to stay optimistic! I just really want to be a good teacher. And it’s so much harder to teach my native language than I thought it’d be! I’m definitely brushing up on the basics, or at least trying to.
So, school aside, I made a friend last week. She was a student last year and friends with the last volunteer, so she and her family have kind of adopted me because they know how hard this is for me right now. The first day I came over, we made cookies, ate lunch, and talked. The next day I came by just to say hi but ended up staying for a good five hours just hanging out. Today was the best- I came home from the ‘city’ and walked over to their house on my way home. I was warmly greeted, handed a chair, and involved in conversation right away. We sat and chatted for an hour without awkward silences or conversation happening around me rather than involving me. It may not seem like much, but it felt hug to me. It felt like I actually belonged somewhere. After four months of being on the outside I finally felt part of something. Total highlight.

SCHOOL!

Today was my first day of classes!! Well, kind of. We were supposed to start last Monday, but then things got postponed, so we started Thursday. However, on Thursday I had literally zero students come to class out of all four classes (only one other professor showed up) and on Friday I had a total of seven students (and one other professor) so I don’t really feel like those counted as my first days. So today I had five douplas- five sets of two 45 minutes classes. Forty-five minutes can be a long time! I didn’t really know exactly how to prepare for all the classes because I had no idea the level I’d be walking into, but it wasn’t too much of a train wreck. I had a few students that could carry on conversations with me in English and others that didn’t know how to say good afternoon- all in the same class. The way they divide classes here has nothing to do with the level of the student, it’s based on when they registered or their age (depends on the mood of the person forming the turma (class). Anyways, it became very clear very quickly that I’m going to have a few students who are where they should be after six years of learning English and many students who can’t form a sentence. I’ll have to start from the basics, move quickly, and be patient yet forceful. There was one moment where I thought I might either faint or throw my notebook at a student, but it worked out that I did neither. I think the throwing will happen first. I let the students ask me questions- in English- the popular ones were am I married, do I have a boyfriend, how old am I, how many kids do I have, who’s my favorite student, and one student asked did I think the political shift between president Bush and president Obama was a good thing for my country. Huh?!?! Well, the power was out all day, which didn’t really matter because we don’t use lights during the day, but once the sun started to go down and the students started to leave I was pretty much SOL. I was somewhat bummed that I couldn’t teach my last class, but getting out an hour and a half before I was supposed to wasn’t really that bad.
Now I’m sitting, eating and typing by candlelight, melting away from the heat and humidity. It’s been around 34 and 35 for the last few days- that’s in the 90’s, which doesn’t actually sound too horrible. But believe me, when you don’t have AC, no fan (remember no power!), no breeze, and you have to wear a bata (button-up lab coat for teachers) all day, ninety-something is disgustingly hot.
Oh, and I have an ‘intern” type figure who follows me around. He’s a Mozambican university student who was a Portuguese teacher for four years but is now becoming an English teacher, and is about to start his internship elsewhere yet wants a bit of experience first. I find it strange that he’s asking me for advice about how to lesson plan and give said lessons when he’s been teaching for four years longer than I have, but hey- what can ya do. I’m really hoping I learn a thing of two from him in the process.
So I had my students complete a few sentences- here are my favorite answers. “I am tall boy”, “I like to drink”, “I am wonderful and thin boy”, “I like to matapa” (matapa is my favorite food here- but when I read that it made me think of some kind of dance “I can mash potato”), “I like to chicken”, “I like to pass this class.”
The last few weeks have been a weird limbo between not being on ferias (vacation) anymore yet not having solid/ consistent work. It was a bit hard to know what to do with myself or how to feel about what was going on around me, but after today I have hope that once I get into the swing of classes and my students get a bit more comfortable with me it’ll start to come together a bit more.

More pics

The top are all from swear in, the one with all the boys is at our family party (my brother´s the one holding up the peace sign) and the last is me and my host mom cooking.

Change in Address!

I’ve added my new address for mailing letters- they’ll get to me a bit faster (hopefully). If you decide, out of the goodness of your heart ;), that you want to send a package, send it to the (new) Maputo address on this blog, that way I don’t have to deal with customs. Not sure if I’ve already mentioned this, but due to Mozambican curiosity to see what’s in packages and possibly take what they like, write “jesus saves” or something along that line on the outside of the package- this seems to have helped previous volunteers. Also, when writing what’s in the package, no need to be exactly accurate on what you’re sending; it could be religious reading/teaching materials, tampons… Just an idea.

p.s. The 4:45am jog mentioned in the previous blog did not happen. I was too tired. But I did find out if I go jogging at 5 or 6pm I don’t have as much of an audience, and no livestock, just kids. And I saw another snake- huge! Practically the size of my leg! (maybe not my leg but bigger than my arm for sure). Dead but still scary. It put the garden snakes I was seeing during training to shame. I’m really hoping I don’t run in to a living one…

p.p.s The pics are old but I'm posting them! Be happy

Beautiful Sunrise

I started my morning running again. Last night Nando took me on a little tour of our neighborhood and showed me the road that leads out of town, where it’d be best to go running. This morning was beautiful, watching the sun come up. I had first thought I’d be somewhat alone at 5am, but there were SO many people (and livestock) walking out to the machamba (large garden- working field). It was a little uncomfortable at first, having everyone stare, but I got over it after a few minutes. I’ve heard stories of volunteers that run through their towns and are followed by children- I instead was followed by cows. When I’d pass a small heard of cows, they’d see me and start running along with me. The first time I was a little scared because I thought maybe they were chasing me, sharp horns and all, but after the third group I got used to it. We’d jog together for a hundred yards or so and then they’d get bored and stop and I’d continue on to pick up another heard. I’m thinking I may have attracted a bit less attention if I’d been running without the cows but what could I do? Tomorrow Nando and Professora Telma have both asked to join me, and I’m interested to see what happens. Most Mozambicans don’t understand the idea of running- it’s lost on them. And when they do go for a job, it’s usually 10 minutes and then they get bored. Then again Nando says he used to go running with Matt and Paulo (two volunteers that were here before me) so we’ll see.
The tour last night was beautiful, as the sun was going down. My town is very flat and there are no mountains or hills for as far and I can see, so it’s definitely a different view than I had during training. Once you get out of my town, about a ten minute walk from my house, there are no other towns for about 4km, nor are there trees or tall bushes, so it’s quite a flat view. Anyway, it was beautiful both last night and this morning, and I’m interested to see the sunrise again tomorrow at 4:45am with my fellow joggers.
On our walk last night, we came across the cemetery for our bairro (neighborhood). It was the first time I’d walking through a cemetery here in Mozambique. All the graves were above ground which is a change from cemeteries in the states, and this change made me notice the size of the graves. Many of them were very small. I guess I can’t say I’m surprised because we (volunteers) have been told children die frequently around here, but it was still hard to see. But it was a beautiful place, with flowers growing on and around the graves.
This morning started with an amazing sunrise and ending with the stars. I’ve gone outside at night only one or twice since I’ve been at site because I’m not a huge fan of the dark or the mosquitoes, but I just went out to brush my teeth and I’m pretty sure I brushed for at least ten minutes. The sky is just full of stars here- it’s amazing. In those ten minutes alone I saw two shooting stars. I’m feeling the backlash from the mosquito bites now but it was worth it. The sky is beautiful.

One Month!!

Not too many things have changed in the last month, but I can only guess with the quickly approaching start to school that my life is about to take a turn. Today is Saturday and we start Monday so I’m looking forward to that.
I bought a fridge! Not sure if I mentioned that in my previous blog, but it’s been quite a help this last week. I finally have cool water, and somewhere to put leftovers. I’ve been cooking a lot lately which has been fun. Today I made roasted peanuts and then coconut rice. It was the first time I opened and ralared (‘ralar’ means to grate- they have a little stool thing here that has a round grate on the front, used for coconuts) on my own! I made coconut milk from the grated coconut, which is delicious, and then sweet rice with cinnamon. It’s been an interesting experience having to start everything from scratch here, even cheese. For example, I bought peanuts the other day, had to soak them, dry them, and roast them before I could eat them. I had to buy a coconut, break it, grate it, make it into milk, and then cook it. Or for sprouts I take beans, soak them in water, and wait five days for sprouts to grow. Cheese is one of my favorites to make because it’s so delicious when I can finally eat it. And I miss cheese. I first thought I could probably lose weight here because of how much work and time goes in to cooking EVERYTHING, but I’m realizing it may take more time, but I’m cooking large quantities and eating everything (because of no fridge) so no worries mom, I’ll be nice and plump when I come home.

**2010**

I found internet two towns away so this might mean I'll be posting more oftne! We'll see...

So Christmas was great! Nine of us volunteers went down to Xai Xai beach for a few days to soak up the sun and speak English for a bit. It didn't feel ANYTHING like Christmas, it being 100 degrees and summertime, no Chirstmas music or decorations, but it was wonderful all the same. We made hambugers and french fries and enjoyed each others company. Chirstmas morning Valerie and i sat under a mango tree after retieving said mangos for a snack, and enjoyed the breeze while (unfortunately) listening to a squeeling pig being made into Christmas dinner. Not something that I've ever experienced in the states for sure. After the beach, I went home for a few days to spend time with my neighbors, althugh most everyone was gone for the holidays. I regret to inform you that my electric porch has been fixed and I now have about 20 kids that come by regularly. I'm learning a bit of Changana so I can tell them to "get away" when necessary, but really they can be a lot of fun. I taught them how to throw a frisbee even though I'm awful at it, so that's been a nice change in activities, rather than them sitting and staring at me. I came back out to Chokwe for New Years, which turned out to be so much fun. Five of us went with a Mozambican friend to his house to celebrate- for the most part the festivities are the same here as in the states. We danced, corked champagne at midnight, had a huge dinner around 11pm, and stayed up as late as we could keep our eyes open. New Years day had to have been about 110 degrees so we stayed inside in front of the fan, made french toast (I'm becoming a good cook!), and eatched movies. Pretty tame, and it was great. We walked down to the Limpopo river and sat under the bridge for a bit watching people swimming in the rivier, and one of our Mozambican friends asked if I was used to all the cows and bulls wandering around in front of us. It's something I'm still trying to get used to.

I'm looking forward to starting school next week. I'm nervous about the whole experience but I'm ready to have something to do with my time. And once school starts there will be more people in my town (the teachers and students willl come back from break) and I'll have more people to converse with and practice my Portuguese with.

We (those of us in Gaze; Clancy, Valerie, Jenna and Louise) have come to the realization that all the things that used to shock us when we first got here (no running water, lack of electricity, chickens in the yard, carrying water on my head,the herds of cows walking down the street, the market, my two to three baths a day, peeing in a whole... the list goes on) no longer seem that strange. It's become comfortable. I miss my family and friends like CRAZY, especially during the holiday season, but i know things will get easier.

And I'll try to get some pictures up! Definitely something I'll work on in these next few weeks. But feel free to blog-stalk other Moz volunteers and look at their pics. I know some of you already do ;)

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).