“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

"Never let 'life' get in the way of living"

25 MORE Things I've learned in Peace Corps Mozambique

    April 25, 2011


April 27th marks my 7th month in this country and my 5th month at site. I have definitely learned a lot since then, and definitely more since my last “25 things I've learned” post. So here are 25 more things I've learned in Peace Corps Mozambique


  1. The more times you face sudden death by riding in a chapa, the more numb to it you become.
  2. The reason why roosters arent as obnoxious in the north of Mozambique is because people eat them.

  3. Mozambican children can dance way better than you can.

  4. Street food is ALWAYS worth the risk

  5. There are way more holidays in Mozambique than there are in the States.

  6. Considering the varying levels of deodorant usage in Mozambique, some people's armpit smell is actually tolerable. Some people...definitely not.

  7. Never EVER try to attempt a physical feat that a Mozambican has been doing for years (like carrying 20L buckets of water on your head.)

  8. Everything in Mozambique is like USPS Priority mail: “If it fits, it ships”

  9. Children really enjoy running around naked.

  10. The rainy season causes actual fault lines in dirt roads.

  11. The sunset is way more beautiful in Africa.

  12. The Indian Ocean in the best ocean to swim in.

  13. Although it's a terrible business practice, all of the women sitting next to each other selling tomatoes (or sitting together selling other similar products) are perfectly happy doing so.

  14. There's a fine line between development and changing a culture. Many people dont see that.

  15. The Mozambique 20 years from now will look TOTALLY different than the Mozambique now.

  16. Mozambicans as a whole are some of the nicest people on the planet.

  17. Every person in the world loves free food. Just like college-people will show up if there's food.

  18. Women love gossip. And so do men.

  19. With the extreme lack of rules and regulations, and large amounts of general recklessness, you would think more people/kids would get hurt...the only difference is when they do get hurt, its just more traumatic and serious.

  20. If any man enters your house for more than 5 minutes, you're sleeping with him.

  21. When a PCV finds free internet, it's like gold.

  22. “American” food in Mozambique is generally disappointing and confusing (the waffles are NEVER waffles. Sausage is pretty much just cut up hot dogs. Bacon is unrecognizable.)

  23. You never know how creative you can get with food until your options are suddenly cut down about 75%

  24. The concept of “personal space” is almost non existent here

  25. People are just nosy. Thats just the way it is.

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