Today is World Malaria Day. As the Malaria Activities Coordinator for Mozambique, this is a special day for me. Volunteers all over the country are doing activities today and blogging about malaria!
But today, I'm not blogging about happy, fun malaria prevention work.
Today, I'm blogging about the time I got malaria.
Since my year long hiatus from blogging, a lot has happened. Including a bout with malaria - malaria that went untreated for 3 days! 3 DAYS! If you know nothing about malaria, just know this: that is SERIOUS! You almost lost me, people.
Here's how it started:
I returned to my site after a fun-fillled cross country trip to two of the most beautiful beach towns in Mozambique: Tofo and Vilanculos. I spent a week in the Inhambane province where these beaches are located, soaking up the sun, hanging with friends and NOT taking my malaria prophylaxis (shhh...dont tell PC....but yes, this malaria was all my fault!)
A few days after I returned, I was at my organization talking to some of my co-workers and I felt kinda...off. My co-workers noticed that I didn't seem 100%, and said that since it was Friday, I should just go home and rest. I thought that was the best suggestion ever, since all I wanted to do was lay down.
On my way home, I knew something was wrong. Not only was I super tired and lethargic, but the joints in my knees were sore for some reason. But what really had me worried was the fact that I was walking home, the sun was beaming down onto me, and for some strange reason, I was...cold. COLD? I thought to myself "I should be hot right now...this is a problem." I made it home and collapsed onto my bed. About an hour later I was shivering uncontrollably. I took my temperature. 101F. Definiitely a fever. I took some Tylenol and called Peace Corps. Unfortunately, all of the PC doctors were at a conference in South Africa. I reached the stand in medical officer, who told me to take a rapid test. I did. It came out negative. He told me to continue taking Tylenol and to watch my fever, which had gone down by then, and I was no longer shaking uncontrollably. But then I realized that my rapid test was pretty close to expiring. And had been stored for quite some time in my super hot, tin roof having house. Not good. PC has a rule that you dont take your malaria meds until you have confirmed malaria. I got symptoms on a Friday, and had a negative rapid test. No treatment for me! I waited.
The next day, I felt a bit better. I woke up with a normal temperature, but I had no appetite. The doctor called to check on me, and I was fine. I still wanted to get a malaria test done at the hospital. My friend came over to walk with me to the local hospital to get a blood smear done. We get to the hospital, and guess what? The lab technician isnt there. It's a Saturday, the lab is closed on the weekend, so no blood smear for me! I met with the on duty "technico", which is the guy who was seeing patients that day, kinda like a nurse. He told me that the rapid tests are way more sensitive than the equipment at the hospital and that if I had a negative rapid test, then it definitely wasnt malaria. On my way home, my joints started aching again. My friend forced me to buy some juice, since I hadnt eaten at all since Thursday. I went home and got into bed. Then, it started again. The shaking. This time more violent than before. I was so cold. My fever shot up again. After maybe an hour of this, I finally calmed down, got really hot, and fell asleep with my sheets soaked in my sweat. There was a constant cycle over the next night and day. Feeling ok, then aching, then violent shakes and cold, then extreme hot and sweating, each cycle was worse than the last. My fever at one point reached 104F. My pee was a weird orange color. My landlord's wife was basically force-feeding me. Everyone was worried. A friend, who is a nurse, gave me some medicine to keep my fever at bay and kep telling me "This sounds like malaria, Kyla. I think you should just treat it" But the rule follower that I am, I waited until I had a confirmed case. Another friend of mine, a missionary who is also a nurse had been regularly checking in on me. On Sunday night, as I was under my blanket shivering so hard I could barely talk through the chattering of my teeth, she told me to go first thing in the morning to the hospital and get a Complete Blood Count. She wanted me to get the report and read her the numbers, because she was worried that I picked up some "nasty virus" on my travels and probably needed anti-biotics. The next day, Monday morning, my friend came over again and accompanied me to the hospital. I was weak. I had barely eaten since last Thursday, and I was so unbelievably sick. But we made it. The lab tech was there (thankfully!) and I told him I needed the blood test. He drew my blood, and I came back an hour later and asked for the report.
"Hi, I'm back to get the complete blood count report"
"Oh yeah", he replied. He grabbed a piece of paper "Is this what you wanted? I finished it, you can take this if you want to, but you have malaria. But here, take the paper"
There it was. Confirmed malaria. I called the stand-in PC doctor and told him. He advised me to start my treatment. Coartem. 24pills in 3 days. By day 2 I felt almost normal again. After I finished the treatment, I was back on my feet as if nothing had ever happened.
I have the luxury of recieving prophylaxis from Peace Corps. Most other people have no form of prophylaxis at all. I'm a healthy, strong adult, and I was pretty much confined to my bed for 3 days. Malaria happens to children, babies, adults, the ederly...and some people don't have the strength or the resources to fight it off like I did. I got lucky. over 600,000 people per year are not so lucky.
How will you Stomp Out Malaria in 2013? Visit www.stompoutmalaria.org for more info.
Malaria Matters
Wow...long time right?
So much has happened since I've last posted. I'm now a 3rd year extendee. I've moved closer to the capital. I've grown and changed immensely as a person. Mozambique has become my home.
I'm also now the National Malaria Activities Coordinator for Peace Corps' Stomping Out Malaria in Africa Initiative. Which is the reason for this post.
I've been in this country for almost 3 years (WHOA!). Before I came here, the word "malaria" hardly had a meaning to me. I knew nothing about it. But since living here, I've seen numerous people sick with malaria, known people who have died from malaria, know people who dont really care about malaria, have even gotten malaria myself, and I now work to coordinate all volunteer activities related to malaria. This disease has now become a part of my daily life.
The thing about malaria is that it isnt necessarily this big, huge scary disease that means an automatic death sentence, like some scary ancient plague. Yeah, it is the same disease that killed Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and continues to kill just under 800,000 people per year worldwide. In Moz, it is the leading cause of death of children under 5 and is the #1 reason for hospital visits. BUT--thanks to modern medicine, it is preventable and treatable. Mosquito nets save lives. Actually - TREATED mosquito nets save lives. I slept under a non-treated net and mosquitoes bit me though the net. A week later I had a fever of 104. Luckily, there are Rapid Diagnostic Tests (which quickly diagnosed my malaria) and Coartem (a combination therapy treatment where you take like 24 pills over 3 days to get rid of the parasites having a party in your bloodstream/liver). Those things saved my life.
Anyway, the issue with malaria is getting people to sleep under nets, to realize that malaria is really a big deal (a lot of times, people get it and think it's just a way of life. Some people build up an "immunity" so their symptoms aren't as pronounced and they go to the hospital, get the treatment and are back on their feet the next day), to get tested at the FIRST sign of malaria infection and to take all of their treatment and don't stop when they start to feel better. That's where Peace Corps comes in. Peace Corps Volunteers work at the community level, and have direct access to the people. Since we're often trusted community members, we can easily share information and encourage behavior change. We can rally community leaders to encourage members to stop using nets to fish and to start sleeping under them. We can accompany our neighbors to the hospital when they have a fever to get a test done. We can help explain how to properly take medication, because many times hospitals don't explain things in a way that people understand. So involving Peace Corps Volunteers in the fight against malaria in Africa is ideal. And that's what is so great about the Stomp Out Malaria initiative. It doesnt ALWAYS work, but getting people to change their habits is never easy. TRYING is always better than doing nothing.
How can the average American help? Well, being informed is a start! Support our projects, Like our facebook page, follow the blogs and the twitter, stay aware of whats happening with Stomp Out Malaria. Awareness is the first step!
How will you stomp out malaria in 2013?
So much has happened since I've last posted. I'm now a 3rd year extendee. I've moved closer to the capital. I've grown and changed immensely as a person. Mozambique has become my home.
I'm also now the National Malaria Activities Coordinator for Peace Corps' Stomping Out Malaria in Africa Initiative. Which is the reason for this post.
I've been in this country for almost 3 years (WHOA!). Before I came here, the word "malaria" hardly had a meaning to me. I knew nothing about it. But since living here, I've seen numerous people sick with malaria, known people who have died from malaria, know people who dont really care about malaria, have even gotten malaria myself, and I now work to coordinate all volunteer activities related to malaria. This disease has now become a part of my daily life.
The thing about malaria is that it isnt necessarily this big, huge scary disease that means an automatic death sentence, like some scary ancient plague. Yeah, it is the same disease that killed Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and continues to kill just under 800,000 people per year worldwide. In Moz, it is the leading cause of death of children under 5 and is the #1 reason for hospital visits. BUT--thanks to modern medicine, it is preventable and treatable. Mosquito nets save lives. Actually - TREATED mosquito nets save lives. I slept under a non-treated net and mosquitoes bit me though the net. A week later I had a fever of 104. Luckily, there are Rapid Diagnostic Tests (which quickly diagnosed my malaria) and Coartem (a combination therapy treatment where you take like 24 pills over 3 days to get rid of the parasites having a party in your bloodstream/liver). Those things saved my life.
Anyway, the issue with malaria is getting people to sleep under nets, to realize that malaria is really a big deal (a lot of times, people get it and think it's just a way of life. Some people build up an "immunity" so their symptoms aren't as pronounced and they go to the hospital, get the treatment and are back on their feet the next day), to get tested at the FIRST sign of malaria infection and to take all of their treatment and don't stop when they start to feel better. That's where Peace Corps comes in. Peace Corps Volunteers work at the community level, and have direct access to the people. Since we're often trusted community members, we can easily share information and encourage behavior change. We can rally community leaders to encourage members to stop using nets to fish and to start sleeping under them. We can accompany our neighbors to the hospital when they have a fever to get a test done. We can help explain how to properly take medication, because many times hospitals don't explain things in a way that people understand. So involving Peace Corps Volunteers in the fight against malaria in Africa is ideal. And that's what is so great about the Stomp Out Malaria initiative. It doesnt ALWAYS work, but getting people to change their habits is never easy. TRYING is always better than doing nothing.
How can the average American help? Well, being informed is a start! Support our projects, Like our facebook page, follow the blogs and the twitter, stay aware of whats happening with Stomp Out Malaria. Awareness is the first step!
How will you stomp out malaria in 2013?
Yes, It's True. I'm an Idiot.
October 28, 2011
Today I did something stupid. And I'm pretty sure everyone will be talking about it tomorrow. And the next day. And probably for the next year that I'm here. My pride is hurt. I'm embarrassed. I want to pretend like the whole thing never happened. And most of all, I feel like a stupid idiot. Lesson learned: If your gut it telling you “You know, this might not be a good idea...” then is probably isnt a good idea. But I might as well write it here, because, well, I think these are the kinds of things that you laugh about years from now. I told the story to some friends after it happened, and they found it funny. Maybe you reading this will find humor in my stupidity as well.
Lets start from the beginning...
The boys that live in my quintal (in the other house in my yard) are awsome. They bring me all of my water, run to the market if I need them to, and they take out my trash. I dont know what they do with it, but all I have to do is put out the bag, and later it disappears, never to be heard of again. I'm not sure if they bury it, burn it, or put it down a never ending hole in the ground. Who knows? Who cares?
Well, today, I kinda cared. They werent at home, and the dog was in the yard, so I didnt want to put the trash outside. I have some friends coming to visit this weekend, so I wanted the house to be nice and clean. Plus, I'm always making the boys do things, and although they dont mind, and its a cultural norm to make people younger than you do stuff, I felt bad for bossing them around so much. So what did I do? I decided to burn my trash.
I know its bad for the environment, but most people burn their trash around here. I had never done it before, but its just “setting the trash on fire”...cant be too hard, right?
Wrong. These are the kinds of things you should think through. And this is definitely a situation where you should have a Plan B, or escape plan in case things go wrong. Guess who didnt?
I walked to the field out behind my yard. That was mistake number 1. Well actually, that was the main mistake...and thats where it all went wrong. Because the field is full of dried leaves and things...you know, FLAMMABLE things. But I wasnt thinking about that. I was thinking of all of the times that I've seen people burning trash, and if they could do it successfully, I could do it. So I lit a match. But it went out – because today was a pretty windy day.
Wind tends to help increase the strength of the fire. I know these things. But was I thinking about that in relation to this fire I was about to start?? Nope.
I lit another match, and dropped it on the trash. It caught, but it wasnt catching fast enough. So I lit another. Then I realized that the leaves were catching a bit. So I threw some leaves on top of the part that wasnt burning. Next thing I knew....things got a bit out of hand. Then, they got REALLY out of hand...
With my landlord's dog staring at me, as if she were thinking “you know you started that fire, right? Thats not good...” I ran to my neighbors house. With an empty bucket in my hand. I was so worked up, and afraid of burning my house down, that my Portuguese was terrible. First she thought I was asking for carvao (coal) to light a fire to cook with. Then she thought I was asking for water. Finally, I just grabbed her arm and said “Come with me!”
We got to my yard, and she saw the smoke coming from behind the reed fence. She yelled for her son. Then her daughter. Then her husband. They all came...and the first thing each of them asked was “Who started this fire?”. I swallowed my pride, and said “I did. I wanted to burn a bit of trash”. They all gave me a look of...I dunno....pity? Disappointment? Shame? Anger? Confusion? Who knows....but they quickly worked at putting the fire out....before it reached my other neighbors' reed fence. Then my neighbor yelled to me “You know, if this were earlier in the day, you would have burned down the whole neghborhood!!” referring to the extreme heat mid-day and the oppressive sun. She's right, I would have. But I didnt. Thank Goodness.
The fire got pretty large, and spread quicker than I could have ever imagined. Thankfully, they were able to get things under control. As they were leaving, they told me to sit and make sure that no little fires popped back up from under the ash of what was once the field behind my yard. I sat with a bucket of water, with some little girl who appeared out of no where, and we went around the smoldering ash sprinkling water on the parts that still had a bit of fire going. When we were done, the little girl asked if she could go get me more water. I said sure. While she was gone, I stayed out back, making sure that no fires came back. I was super paranoid (even now, about 2hrs later, Im still paranoid that the fire will come back....) She finally came back after about 30 minutes with my water....then she asked me for bread. I gave it to her, because she deserved it. She did something for me, and the least I could do is give her some bread. From now on....I'm not stopping anyone who wants to help me. If the boys want to take out my trash...so be it. Its better than burning down my entire town...
********PS - I have very regular internet access now. I mean, typing on a computer isn't nearly as satisfying as typing on my blackberry, but I'm getting used to it. So I promised to update more often. My life here is pretty amazing, and I think I'm just taking it all in...and forgetting to share. I promise....more updates and observations and stories coming soon. but hopefully no more fires. Those are bad...
I am Fine, and You?
September 20, 2011
Let's have a moment of silence...for my Blackberry. It died a horrible death a few days before my birthday.
Let's have a moment of silence...for my Blackberry. It died a horrible death a few days before my birthday.
Why have I been so silent? Well, I had about 5 saved blog entries on my Blackberry, that I cant manage to get off. They were good ones too. About being African-American in Mozambique, my take on women's rights and the current state of women in Mozambique...stuff like that. Oh well... One day I'll get the energy to write some meaningful posts, but for now, you just get a random update
Here's whats been going on:
1. A few months ago, in June, a kitten appeared on my doorstep. I fed him, and he never went away. I named him Pfifer. He was cute, until he became an attention whore, and always wanted me to pet him and hold him. He was really loud and obnoxious. Especially if I wasnt paying attention to him. So I made him an outdoor cat, which really meant he just hung out in the yard until I let him come inside to eat. Two weeks ago, he fell down the well in my yard and drowned. I'm a horrible mother. And thats the end of that story...
2. My landlord got two puppies. They were so cute. He sold one, and we kept the other, Whiskey. I dont know what I did to that dog, but she WILL NOT leave me alone. And she's figured out a way to get out of the fence when I leave so she can follow me. Whenever I try to leave. For work (or whereever else I may be going). Its cute that she loves me, but I literally cannot leave my house without this dog running after me. So I've been late to work a lot lately...
3. I started a REDES group, which is going well. What is REDES, you ask? Well, it stands for Raparigas Em Desinvolvimento, Educacao, e Saude...which in English means Girls in Development, education and health. Its a national Peace Corps project that essentially creates groups of adolescent girls in the community and we meet and discuss all different types of issues related to these 3 topics, as well as self esteem building, critical thinking and life skills. Some groups also do income generation or computer classes or other activities. My girls do theater and singing. And lucky for us, our first performance is coming up! I have about 13 girls, and they came up with a skit about HIV/AIDS that they will be presenting next Sunday. We even made matching headbands out of capulana fabric (with little flowers!) that we'll be wearing. I'm so proud of them!
4. The general consensus around these parts is that at first glance, people automatically think I'm either Mozambican, South African or Brazilian (Brazilian especially if my hair isnt braided). Those are what I get the most...but here's a list of other countries that people have guessed I'm from:
-Angola (The new Miss Universe is from Angola!)
-Malawi
-Zimbabwe
-Zambia
-Tanzania
-Sao Tome & Principe
-Cabo Verde
-Cuba
-Nigeria
-Guinea Bissau
-Portugal (I know right? WTF?)
-I have also been asked if I speak French, which I assume means people are thinking I'm from West/French speaking Africa
One guy (a cab driver in Maputo) guessed American. He got a gold star (no...he didnt really. But I was impressed) Most people just think I'm from Maputo, even people in Maputo are shocked that I'm not from there, but the further out I go, people automatically know I'm not like them, and start with their random guessing. I think most people just guess the countries they know of, and its not really based on how I look at all (like Nigeria...and Portugal...I dont look Nigerian at all. And I sure as heck dont look Portuguese...)
5. I GOT A BIRTHDAY CARE PACKAGE! My college friend Brian...it was right on time too! So happy...
6. I was walking the other day to the store in my community. I usually cut across the primary school because I'm lazy and dont want to walk around. I heard this little boy talking to his friends in Portuguese "I'm gonna do it! Watch! There she is!" I kept walking. His friends were giggling, and the little boy walked up to me, with a big smile on his face, and said, in English "How are you today, friend?" I responded "I'm good, thank you, how are you?" and in one breath, he said "IAMFINEANDYOU!" then he ran off, squeeling to his friends in Portugese "I DID IT! I DID IT!" I thought it was cute.
7. Further proof that I am crazy - I just finished a cross country trip, overland, from my site to Maputo. All so I could see the opening ceremony of the All-Africa Games 2011. Did I make it? Yes. Was it worth it? Yes! 3 days of traveling, each way. (with stops to visit friends of course). I had so much fun. Yes, I would do it again.
8. There are times when I feel like I am going to die from boredom. That was just a random thought.
9. We just got 30 new health volunteers. And in a few weeks, we're getting new education volunteers. In total, there will be around 170 volunteers in Mozambique.
10. As of the end of this month, I will have been in this country for a full year! Yay me! (I did it...somehow, I actually made it...)
Anyway, you people reading this should send me things.
I will hopefully post my other blogs soon, or at least rewrite and post soon.
The Sweetest Words ive Ever Heard...
June 6, 2011
So the other day, I was sitting at the office with the other women in my org, and we got into a very heated religious debate. The head of admin and I are about the same age. The nurse and our domestic help lady are older. The nurse tried to say that the "fruit" that Adam and Eve weren't allowed to eat was representative of sex, and once they had sex, God became angry with them, and that's what happened. She said she was taught by old Portuguese Catholic nuns, and that it was the truth. Violetta agreed with her. Angela and I contested that man and woman were put on the Earth to procreate, and to procreate, you have to have sex, so that interpretation couldn't have been true at all.
I could tell you how heated it got, but you wouldn't believe me. But it was intense.
Eventually, someone brought up the fact that I don't want to have kids, so how was I arguing that man and woman were made to procreate. And then everyone turned on me...and it was another one of THOSE conversations....
"You don't want to have a little baby that looks like you?". "You don't want to see what your child would look like?". "What kind of legacy do you want to leave on this earth?". "How will people remember you?". "Just have a baby and give it to me, I'll take care of it". "What if you get pregnant? You're not going to abort it, are you?". "You know, its a sin for a woman not to have a baby."
The usual arguments. I was fully prepared to defend my decision, no big deal. But then it took a turn for the worse....
The nurse said "this time next year, you're going to be pregnant. I know these things. You're GOING to get pregnant". She said it with such seriousness and impact...its as if she plans on chasing me down and impregnating me herself. Then she said "its gonna be twins". Then Angela, the younger one, said that she's going to pray every night that I get pregnant with triplets.
Now...I'm certain that God knows just as well as I do that I am the LAST person who needs to have a baby (or 3). So, in the interest of the child (ren), and my mental health, that will probably be one of the prayers that He doesn't answer. But still....I was actually OFFENDED. And hurt. I told them they were all really mean, and I left the conversation.
I mean...how could someone wish something so terrible on me?
Anyway, fast forward to last week. The nurse has a worried look on her face. "All that money I had....I just got paid, and my daughter needed money for school, and my granddaughter needed money, and I had to buy them food....I think you're right.."
"Right about what?". I said.
"Not having children. They're expensive. And now I don't have any money. You're right"
I laughed. I know I'm right. But she wasn't the only one to realize it...
Last Wednesday was "Dia da Criança" or "Children's Day". Its a day where Mozambican parents pretty much spoil their kids. And through spoiling the kids, adults reap ther benefits too (like if you're in a house that can never afford meat, but you saved up so your child could eat meat on dia da criança, this 6yr old isn't gonna eat this entire slab of ribs by herself, right?). Anyway, Angela, the younger one turns to me and says "you're right". I say "what" and she said "this day is expensive. You're right not to want children..."
I think they finally get it. And I think they might leave me alone now...well a little bit. I think they're getting used to it. Someone had a baby at the office, and they all said "oh! It looks like Kyla!". Then they laughed, and said "oh, she doesn't want kids"...and then that was that. No long debates. No evil wishes. Could it be?
So the other day, I was sitting at the office with the other women in my org, and we got into a very heated religious debate. The head of admin and I are about the same age. The nurse and our domestic help lady are older. The nurse tried to say that the "fruit" that Adam and Eve weren't allowed to eat was representative of sex, and once they had sex, God became angry with them, and that's what happened. She said she was taught by old Portuguese Catholic nuns, and that it was the truth. Violetta agreed with her. Angela and I contested that man and woman were put on the Earth to procreate, and to procreate, you have to have sex, so that interpretation couldn't have been true at all.
I could tell you how heated it got, but you wouldn't believe me. But it was intense.
Eventually, someone brought up the fact that I don't want to have kids, so how was I arguing that man and woman were made to procreate. And then everyone turned on me...and it was another one of THOSE conversations....
"You don't want to have a little baby that looks like you?". "You don't want to see what your child would look like?". "What kind of legacy do you want to leave on this earth?". "How will people remember you?". "Just have a baby and give it to me, I'll take care of it". "What if you get pregnant? You're not going to abort it, are you?". "You know, its a sin for a woman not to have a baby."
The usual arguments. I was fully prepared to defend my decision, no big deal. But then it took a turn for the worse....
The nurse said "this time next year, you're going to be pregnant. I know these things. You're GOING to get pregnant". She said it with such seriousness and impact...its as if she plans on chasing me down and impregnating me herself. Then she said "its gonna be twins". Then Angela, the younger one, said that she's going to pray every night that I get pregnant with triplets.
Now...I'm certain that God knows just as well as I do that I am the LAST person who needs to have a baby (or 3). So, in the interest of the child (ren), and my mental health, that will probably be one of the prayers that He doesn't answer. But still....I was actually OFFENDED. And hurt. I told them they were all really mean, and I left the conversation.
I mean...how could someone wish something so terrible on me?
Anyway, fast forward to last week. The nurse has a worried look on her face. "All that money I had....I just got paid, and my daughter needed money for school, and my granddaughter needed money, and I had to buy them food....I think you're right.."
"Right about what?". I said.
"Not having children. They're expensive. And now I don't have any money. You're right"
I laughed. I know I'm right. But she wasn't the only one to realize it...
Last Wednesday was "Dia da Criança" or "Children's Day". Its a day where Mozambican parents pretty much spoil their kids. And through spoiling the kids, adults reap ther benefits too (like if you're in a house that can never afford meat, but you saved up so your child could eat meat on dia da criança, this 6yr old isn't gonna eat this entire slab of ribs by herself, right?). Anyway, Angela, the younger one turns to me and says "you're right". I say "what" and she said "this day is expensive. You're right not to want children..."
I think they finally get it. And I think they might leave me alone now...well a little bit. I think they're getting used to it. Someone had a baby at the office, and they all said "oh! It looks like Kyla!". Then they laughed, and said "oh, she doesn't want kids"...and then that was that. No long debates. No evil wishes. Could it be?
Random Ridiculousness...
Here's a collection of really random things from my really random mind...
1. In Americaland, we are right natured. We're taught to walk on the right side, drive on the right side, etc etc. Well here...its the opposite. And I'm having issues with that. Every time I get into a car, I go to the wrong side...the drivers side, then I have to run around to the other side and apologize to the driver. Everyone stares at me when I ride my bike, because I tend to ride on the wrong side...against traffic. When I cross the street, I have to constantly look both ways because I'm not quite sure which way traffic is going. Not to mention when I'm walking down the street and someone is approaching on the same path, I step to the wrong side to let them pass, so we end up in an awkward standoff type situation, where I step to the left and they step the same way, and so I try to go the other direction and they do the same and both of us are confused and don't know how to let the other person pass so we just pause until someone decides to just go around....
Yeah...its awkward.
2. Did you know people create and keep pigeons as pets??? Who knew that stupid annoying bird could be a pet. A pet that is cared for way better than the dogs around here...
3. My new name is "Americana". I was walking to work one day and a chapa drove by. The cobrador was sitting ON TOP of the chapa (I mean...why not, right?) And he saw me and started yelling "Americana!! Hey! Americana! We're going to Lichinga, are you coming! Hey!!! Americana!!". Then, the next day, one of my activistas couldn't remember my name (or didn't even care to use my name) and addressed me as...you guessed it..."Americana". Someone on the street was trying to get my attention..."Americana". Yeah...that's my name around these parts.
4. I was walking home for lunch one day past the primary school. The kids were singing the Mozambican National Anthem. I realized that while they were outside singing, people across the street had stopped and started singing, and I was the only person walking. So I stopped and thought "is it disrespectful for me to walk by while they're singing the National Anthem?" I stood there and waited for them to finish. Thing is, I had stopped right out in the open, so everyone could see me. I felt awkward, because if I could have kept walking, everyone saw me standing there watching kids sing...I dunno. It was kind of weird. I felt like people were looking at me like "why are you watching these children singing, weirdo?". But I couldn't move because I didn't want to run the risk of being disrespectful.
5. Women in groups can get really rowdy. That's all I have to say about that.
6. I love street vendors, I really really do.
1. In Americaland, we are right natured. We're taught to walk on the right side, drive on the right side, etc etc. Well here...its the opposite. And I'm having issues with that. Every time I get into a car, I go to the wrong side...the drivers side, then I have to run around to the other side and apologize to the driver. Everyone stares at me when I ride my bike, because I tend to ride on the wrong side...against traffic. When I cross the street, I have to constantly look both ways because I'm not quite sure which way traffic is going. Not to mention when I'm walking down the street and someone is approaching on the same path, I step to the wrong side to let them pass, so we end up in an awkward standoff type situation, where I step to the left and they step the same way, and so I try to go the other direction and they do the same and both of us are confused and don't know how to let the other person pass so we just pause until someone decides to just go around....
Yeah...its awkward.
2. Did you know people create and keep pigeons as pets??? Who knew that stupid annoying bird could be a pet. A pet that is cared for way better than the dogs around here...
3. My new name is "Americana". I was walking to work one day and a chapa drove by. The cobrador was sitting ON TOP of the chapa (I mean...why not, right?) And he saw me and started yelling "Americana!! Hey! Americana! We're going to Lichinga, are you coming! Hey!!! Americana!!". Then, the next day, one of my activistas couldn't remember my name (or didn't even care to use my name) and addressed me as...you guessed it..."Americana". Someone on the street was trying to get my attention..."Americana". Yeah...that's my name around these parts.
4. I was walking home for lunch one day past the primary school. The kids were singing the Mozambican National Anthem. I realized that while they were outside singing, people across the street had stopped and started singing, and I was the only person walking. So I stopped and thought "is it disrespectful for me to walk by while they're singing the National Anthem?" I stood there and waited for them to finish. Thing is, I had stopped right out in the open, so everyone could see me. I felt awkward, because if I could have kept walking, everyone saw me standing there watching kids sing...I dunno. It was kind of weird. I felt like people were looking at me like "why are you watching these children singing, weirdo?". But I couldn't move because I didn't want to run the risk of being disrespectful.
5. Women in groups can get really rowdy. That's all I have to say about that.
6. I love street vendors, I really really do.
The Great Mato Adventure
A few weeks ago, my org decided to round up the nurse, some activistas, me, and some other colleagues in our pick up truck, and head out to the mato.
What and where is the mato, you ask?
The mato is way out there. Like the boonies, but in Africa. The bush. Not in the town, but the outskirts. Like...you know...far. But we have people there too who need our help. And our activistas work way out there (sometimes 30-40km away) so we had to visit.
On our first stop, we got out of the car with pretty much the entire community watching us. That's the thing about the mato, they don't get many visitors and when people come...its pretty much the only thing happening at the time, so people come out to watch. The nurse, the activista for that area, and I were led to the home of the community leader. We sat at his house, and I was introduced. Afterward, we discussed the situation with people in the community, the people that we knew or suspected of being HIV+, or having terminal illnesses, and the work of the activistas in the community. After our conversation, we came outside to about 50 kids playing on the back of the truck and maybe 50 more surrounding it. Laughing and playing. I took a picture, and they all squealed with delight. This went on in each of the bairros we visited. Throngs of children on the truck, completely fascinated. Riding through communities with kids chasing behind. Driving through tall grass, through narrow paths, on a sunny day with big puffy clouds in the sky. Meeting people, who had no clue which language to greet me in...so they just guessed. People who speak Makua (Emakua) usually see me and greet me in Ciyao. People who speak Ciyao usually see me and greet me in Makua. People that know Portuguese just assume (correctly) that I'm not from around here and its best to just stick to Portuguese. We encountered a group of people, and since its customary to greet everyone individually, I got bombarded with 3 different greetings at a time...and left completely confused.
It was all so beautiful.
That is...until we were driving through tall grass and trees and got a flat tire. No one had cell phone service. And we couldn't find the spare. We all got out and a group of kids, like 40, crowded around us (children just appear out of nowhere around here...). I started to think "what if we're stuck here in the mato?? I have no clue where I am, no clue how to get back home, it'll be dark soon, and I'm thirsty!"
I thought about what would happen if I died out there in the mato. In the wilderness. With the grass and trees and mato kids and bugs and goats. Stupid me for not bringing water. I had some mandioca and sugar cane. That was it. And I don't even like sugar cane, but if I have to chew it to stay alive, I will...
While I was going off into a paranoid rant in my mind, they found the spare. And we all sat around: me, the nurse, the activistas, and the crowd of children, while the driver changed the tire. Things were well, we all piled back in the car, and I didn't die in the mato.
A happy ending.
What and where is the mato, you ask?
The mato is way out there. Like the boonies, but in Africa. The bush. Not in the town, but the outskirts. Like...you know...far. But we have people there too who need our help. And our activistas work way out there (sometimes 30-40km away) so we had to visit.
On our first stop, we got out of the car with pretty much the entire community watching us. That's the thing about the mato, they don't get many visitors and when people come...its pretty much the only thing happening at the time, so people come out to watch. The nurse, the activista for that area, and I were led to the home of the community leader. We sat at his house, and I was introduced. Afterward, we discussed the situation with people in the community, the people that we knew or suspected of being HIV+, or having terminal illnesses, and the work of the activistas in the community. After our conversation, we came outside to about 50 kids playing on the back of the truck and maybe 50 more surrounding it. Laughing and playing. I took a picture, and they all squealed with delight. This went on in each of the bairros we visited. Throngs of children on the truck, completely fascinated. Riding through communities with kids chasing behind. Driving through tall grass, through narrow paths, on a sunny day with big puffy clouds in the sky. Meeting people, who had no clue which language to greet me in...so they just guessed. People who speak Makua (Emakua) usually see me and greet me in Ciyao. People who speak Ciyao usually see me and greet me in Makua. People that know Portuguese just assume (correctly) that I'm not from around here and its best to just stick to Portuguese. We encountered a group of people, and since its customary to greet everyone individually, I got bombarded with 3 different greetings at a time...and left completely confused.
It was all so beautiful.
That is...until we were driving through tall grass and trees and got a flat tire. No one had cell phone service. And we couldn't find the spare. We all got out and a group of kids, like 40, crowded around us (children just appear out of nowhere around here...). I started to think "what if we're stuck here in the mato?? I have no clue where I am, no clue how to get back home, it'll be dark soon, and I'm thirsty!"
I thought about what would happen if I died out there in the mato. In the wilderness. With the grass and trees and mato kids and bugs and goats. Stupid me for not bringing water. I had some mandioca and sugar cane. That was it. And I don't even like sugar cane, but if I have to chew it to stay alive, I will...
While I was going off into a paranoid rant in my mind, they found the spare. And we all sat around: me, the nurse, the activistas, and the crowd of children, while the driver changed the tire. Things were well, we all piled back in the car, and I didn't die in the mato.
A happy ending.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)