No news is good news.
I have been spending time lately integrating and finding my place at work. I'm pretty much "over" doing home visits everyday, so I took it upon myself to revamp my organizations monitoring and evaluation systems, which turn into me creating new forms to track if the activists are doing their jobs, patient care sheets, sheets designed for our activists that cant read or write...etc etc. And I've also been helping out with the monthly reports, and the entire organizational structure...so...yeah. I'm much happier now doing organizational development work than when I was just going house to house visiting patients in our home care program.
Other than that, I'm prepping to leave for our in-Service Training in two weeks (in Maputo! Yay!) and some other things that might be happening. We have a whole new batch of health volunteers coming in June. And so many trainings and things coming up, so yeah....its looking a little busy in the near future. Things are still the same, I wish I had more to write. So many interesting things happen everyday, and I get so caught up in it all, I forget to write things down (and to take pictures). I went to Ilha de Mocambique two weeks ago, which is this beautiful island off the coast in the Indian Ocean. It was absolutely gorgeous. Its all so....vintage. It's home to Mozambique's first hospital (it was actually the first capital of Mozambique) and its just....gorgeous. Yeah, there's really no other words to describe it. All the seafood you could ever want. Giant beautiful seashells. Old forts. Sand. The smell of the salt in the air from the ocean. Yeah...little slice of heaven.
To get to Ilha from the Niassa province, you have to take the train. Its an 11hr (give or take) adventure. If you're lucky enough to get 2nd class tickets, you get these sleeper cars, 4 (although on my way back, it was 6) to a room. Which is great, because you leave at 5am. Every stop, people from the villages/towns RUSH to the train to sell stuff. It is literally way better than a grocery store. I took some pictures of the frenzy, I'll post them later. But really, everyone (EVERYONE) comes when the train rolls by. There's people hanging out of the train windows buying giant bags of onions, tomatoes, potatoes, chili peppers, green peppers, garlic, peanuts, giant esteiras, chickens, mandioca, etc. There's kids running by selling water, bread, bajilhas, samosas, people negotiating. And once the train starts to pull off, you see people actually running after it, trying to get their money, people trying to sell last minute items, people hanging out of the window trying to reach for their change...its really a sight to see. We pretty much spent the entire train ride eating. And everytime the train stopped, we'd stick our heads out of the windows to watch the show. Hundreds of people, doing business. Selling their crops. (cheap too! I bought a bag of onions for 20mts)
The shopping frenzy at every stop makes you forget that the ride is so long. It was actually a lot of fun....seeing what different things were available at what stop. When the conductors come by to check tickets, they offer to make change for people who will be shopping. Plus, the ride is so scenic...and there's no potholes. Way better than a chapa.
Thats the way of the world....
February 26, 2011
I got a care package! Someone actually loves me! Yay for my Dad!
Anyway, it seems like every so often, I find a way to completely freak out my co-workers. First of all, everything I do is fascinating to them. If I wear something different, or wear my hair different, or paint my toenails, no matter what I do, it becomes a huge deal. Sometimes it's intentional, like:
1.) The time I told everyone that I didnt want to have children.
I knew people might find it strange. But... not like this. You know that face that McCauly Caulkin made in Home Alone when he used the aftershave and it burned his face?
This one:
Imagine 5 people giving you that face, all at once.
I then tried explaining to them that lots of women choose not to have children, because they dont want to. Or they (like me) still have things to do with their lives, and dont want kids weighing them down. No one understood me. People in this part of Mozambique are used to girls being pregnant at the age of 15, with like 5 kids (or more) by the time they're my age. I'm already an anomaly. The nurse from my organization completely ignored what I said, and told everyone "No, she means that once she gets done here, and she creates the right conditions, then she'll have children."
although that might be true, maybe one day in the future (but more than likely not), I clarified "No. I dont want to have babies. Ever."
Then I had to answer questions like "but God says we're supposed to multiply. What are you going to tell God?" and "but what are you going to do when you get old, who's going to take care of you?" and "You dont want to get married?"
Of course I want to get married. ''All men want to have babies...so if you get married, you have to have children"
I laughed. I know that isnt true. Anyway, then it turned into a conversation about me only having "5 more good years" to get pregnant, cultural differences, women being alone, homosexuality, and contraceptives....
Needless to say, it got weird. This conversation was about a month ago. And they talked about it constantly, pretty much introducing me to everyone like "this is Kyla, she's from America. She will be working with us for 2 years. Shes 25 and has no children and no husband, she just wants to go to school and be alone for the rest of her life"....until...
2.) The time I didnt put sugar in my tea...
For some reason that is completely beyond me, Mozambicans drink boiling hot tea, in the middle of the day. The sun can be at its highest point in the sky, the temperature can be at 97 degrees, and I could have just gotten back from walking miles around this town in the hot blazing sun, dying for a cold glass of water, and they will bring out hot water and tea bags. And everyone will drink it.
Ok, fine. If you're thirsty, you're thirsty, so whatever.
One day, I was making my tea, and I put the tea bag in, and the water. The nurse handed me a bowl of sugar, which I refused. Someone else handed me milk. I refused. Anyone who knows me knows that I like my tea...just tea. No milk, no sugar. Just tea. the nurse kept trying to give me the sugar, until finally I said "I dont want sugar in my tea", and I took a sip without it.
You know that face you make when you're completely disgusted? Something like...this:
yeah....imagine 4 Mozambicans giving you that face all at once. Then I had to answer questions like "Do you do that at home?" "Why dont you like sugar?" "Are you afraid of getting diabetes?"
No, I'm not afraid of getting diabetes. but of course, everyone settled on that as the answer to why I didnt put sugar in my tea. Then it turned into a conversation about how white people don't like sugar...
Dont ask me how. There were no white people around. And I know plenty of white people who like sugar. But they stopped listening to the things I said. That is until...
3.) The time I told them I didnt drink tea in the morning...
I've gotten pretty used to drinking tea in the mornings. My host mom always served it to me, and I just bought some delicious spiced green tea. I like tea. I usually let it cool a bit, and drink it with some bread for breakfast. But one day, it was obnoxiously hot, and I was rushing in the morning, so I grabbed some bread and some water and headed out of the door. When I got to work, I was still eating some bread, and the nurse asked me "you didnt eat at home?" I told her no, I was rushing, and I just brought my breakfast with me. "So you didnt have any tea?" I told her no, I have water, i'm fine.
Oh my goodness....it was as if NOT drinking tea in the morning would cause my stomach to explode and planes to fall out of the sky and baby Jesus to cry, and the world to come to a fiery end...
EVERYBODY in the office FREAKED OUT. It was kind of scary...."Oh no! You didnt have tea this morning? Wont that mess up your stomach???" "You have to drink tea, you have to warm up your system!!" "Go make her some tea!" "in this weather, you have to have tea!"
I didnt want tea. And I really didnt understand their logic. But that didnt stop them. Before long, I had a cup of tea sitting in front of me, and 4 concerned Mozambicans staring at me, like if I didnt drink that tea, I would drop dead right then and there. So I drank it. And didnt put any sugar in it. And they asked again if I was afraid of getting diabetes. I said no. Then later that day I was asked why I wasnt married and didnt have any children...
then someone offered to set me up with some guy they knew...
this is the life that I live.
this is the life that I love.
I got a care package! Someone actually loves me! Yay for my Dad!
Anyway, it seems like every so often, I find a way to completely freak out my co-workers. First of all, everything I do is fascinating to them. If I wear something different, or wear my hair different, or paint my toenails, no matter what I do, it becomes a huge deal. Sometimes it's intentional, like:
1.) The time I told everyone that I didnt want to have children.
I knew people might find it strange. But... not like this. You know that face that McCauly Caulkin made in Home Alone when he used the aftershave and it burned his face?
This one:
Imagine 5 people giving you that face, all at once.I then tried explaining to them that lots of women choose not to have children, because they dont want to. Or they (like me) still have things to do with their lives, and dont want kids weighing them down. No one understood me. People in this part of Mozambique are used to girls being pregnant at the age of 15, with like 5 kids (or more) by the time they're my age. I'm already an anomaly. The nurse from my organization completely ignored what I said, and told everyone "No, she means that once she gets done here, and she creates the right conditions, then she'll have children."
although that might be true, maybe one day in the future (but more than likely not), I clarified "No. I dont want to have babies. Ever."
Then I had to answer questions like "but God says we're supposed to multiply. What are you going to tell God?" and "but what are you going to do when you get old, who's going to take care of you?" and "You dont want to get married?"
Of course I want to get married. ''All men want to have babies...so if you get married, you have to have children"
I laughed. I know that isnt true. Anyway, then it turned into a conversation about me only having "5 more good years" to get pregnant, cultural differences, women being alone, homosexuality, and contraceptives....
Needless to say, it got weird. This conversation was about a month ago. And they talked about it constantly, pretty much introducing me to everyone like "this is Kyla, she's from America. She will be working with us for 2 years. Shes 25 and has no children and no husband, she just wants to go to school and be alone for the rest of her life"....until...
2.) The time I didnt put sugar in my tea...
For some reason that is completely beyond me, Mozambicans drink boiling hot tea, in the middle of the day. The sun can be at its highest point in the sky, the temperature can be at 97 degrees, and I could have just gotten back from walking miles around this town in the hot blazing sun, dying for a cold glass of water, and they will bring out hot water and tea bags. And everyone will drink it.
Ok, fine. If you're thirsty, you're thirsty, so whatever.
One day, I was making my tea, and I put the tea bag in, and the water. The nurse handed me a bowl of sugar, which I refused. Someone else handed me milk. I refused. Anyone who knows me knows that I like my tea...just tea. No milk, no sugar. Just tea. the nurse kept trying to give me the sugar, until finally I said "I dont want sugar in my tea", and I took a sip without it.
You know that face you make when you're completely disgusted? Something like...this:
yeah....imagine 4 Mozambicans giving you that face all at once. Then I had to answer questions like "Do you do that at home?" "Why dont you like sugar?" "Are you afraid of getting diabetes?"
No, I'm not afraid of getting diabetes. but of course, everyone settled on that as the answer to why I didnt put sugar in my tea. Then it turned into a conversation about how white people don't like sugar...
Dont ask me how. There were no white people around. And I know plenty of white people who like sugar. But they stopped listening to the things I said. That is until...
3.) The time I told them I didnt drink tea in the morning...
I've gotten pretty used to drinking tea in the mornings. My host mom always served it to me, and I just bought some delicious spiced green tea. I like tea. I usually let it cool a bit, and drink it with some bread for breakfast. But one day, it was obnoxiously hot, and I was rushing in the morning, so I grabbed some bread and some water and headed out of the door. When I got to work, I was still eating some bread, and the nurse asked me "you didnt eat at home?" I told her no, I was rushing, and I just brought my breakfast with me. "So you didnt have any tea?" I told her no, I have water, i'm fine.
Oh my goodness....it was as if NOT drinking tea in the morning would cause my stomach to explode and planes to fall out of the sky and baby Jesus to cry, and the world to come to a fiery end...
EVERYBODY in the office FREAKED OUT. It was kind of scary...."Oh no! You didnt have tea this morning? Wont that mess up your stomach???" "You have to drink tea, you have to warm up your system!!" "Go make her some tea!" "in this weather, you have to have tea!"
I didnt want tea. And I really didnt understand their logic. But that didnt stop them. Before long, I had a cup of tea sitting in front of me, and 4 concerned Mozambicans staring at me, like if I didnt drink that tea, I would drop dead right then and there. So I drank it. And didnt put any sugar in it. And they asked again if I was afraid of getting diabetes. I said no. Then later that day I was asked why I wasnt married and didnt have any children...
then someone offered to set me up with some guy they knew...
this is the life that I live.
this is the life that I love.
Y'know...that really grinds my gears...
January 21, 2011
Living in Mozambique isn't all beaches and mangos and fun times. Some parts of living in Mozambique have been....downright annoying.
Of course, everything on this list is a normal part of everyday life...so I have no choice but to get over it. But anyway, here are 10 things that are currently grinding my gears...
1.)Chapas
- I've touched on the chapa experience in previous blog posts before, but last Friday's chapa trip was...well....it almost sent me over the edge...
I left my house at 11am and after a nice stroll through my neighborhood, arrived at the chapa stop at about 1120. I immediately saw a chapa turning towards the direction I was heading. They asked where I was headed. I told them Lichinga. I hopped on. I was kind of shocked, because the chapa wasn't full at all. This actually might be a comfortable ride...
Who was I kidding?
The chapa (like a mini-bus) is made for 15 people. I counted the seats. But we sure drove around...and waited....until it was packed with 22 people, 3 babies, and a chicken that I was afraid was going to start pecking at my feet. Did I mention that we didn't leave until 1255pm? Yeah...over an hour on the chapa, not going anywhere, because they didn't want to leave until it was "full"....all so they could make as much money as possible. It was hot. People were annoyed. Especially me.
Oh, and chapas aren't made for people over 5'7, so my knee was jammed into the seat frame in front of me, and during the entire ride, my legs were numb. And the woman to my right had nowhere to put her arm, so she put it around me...and was kind of caressing me the entire trip...and the woman to my left fell asleep on my cleavage. And the guy behind me decided to lean forward, and fell asleep with his head between my shoulder blades. And the baby in the back was hot and crying. And the road to Lichinga is only paved in random spots (and I don't think the shocks/struts on that chapa were any good) so the ride was bumpy and painful. And the chicken under the seat in front of me kept freaking out every 20 minutes...
Thank God it didn't peck my feet....
2.)People talking too low
- I'm quite aware that I am a loud, obnoxious, rude American. I can't help it, its in my nature. So maybe this is why I am annoyed, but people talk ENTIRELY TOO LOW. I don't get it. when addressing a room full of people, why aren't you projecting?? Its hard for me, because Portuguese is not my first language, so I need people to speak loudly and clearly so I can understand what they're saying....I find myself all the time wanting to yell "SPEAK UP!!". Ugh....people can yell things on the street to each other, but can't speak up at a meeting.
3.)The sun
- Yes, it is summertime in Mozambique. And its not that its hot...its that the sun is 7 inches from your face at 10am. In the shade, its usually nice. There's a breeze...its not too bad. But the sun here is oppressive and cruel. If it would just go away, life would be easier. And I wouldn't have this weird, awkward tan (and tan lines) that I now have to deal with...
4.)Mud
- mozambican summer=rainy season. The only time you find relief from the sun is when its raining. And when it rains, it gets REALLY muddy, REALLY quickly. Something about this mud...its different from regular mud. Its sticky and slippery at the same time. It sticks to your clothes and shoes and if you step on it the wrong way, you go sliding. And apparently I'm the only person who slips in the mud. I have yet to see anyone else slide...my shoes are always covered in mud....and then when I wash them, it rains again
Its a never ending cycle.
5.)Men
- most men are cool. But I'm just tired of refusing marriage offers and men staring at me drooling with their tongues hanging out.
6.)People on bikes
- I have never liked people on bikes. It was one of the most annoying things about Chicago and its the same here too...people on bikes think they get the same rights as drivers, and they don't. They want to ride on pathways where people walk, and demand the right of way. They whip around corners without warning and almost run you over, and then want to pretend its your fault...
7.)Crianzas
- or children. Kids. You know how I feel about them already. But in Mozambique, they are EVERYWHERE. They run in my yard and steal my mangos. They never say anything when I try to say hi to them. And the other day I found one playing in the corn my landlord had soaking outside. Why she decided to take a bath in the corn, I have no idea. Why he had corn soaking outside, I have no idea either...
8.)Greetings
-back to me being a rude American. If I greet a group of people with a "hello everybody", shouldn't that be sufficient? Why do I have to greet everyone individually? And why are the greetings so long and extensive?
9.)Unreliable phone networks
-my network was out for 2wks. I'm still not over that.
10.)Stereo systems
-the problem isn't the fact that the music starts blaring through the neighborhood at 6am and doesn't stop until 2am. I have earplugs for that. The problem is the fact that the SAME 5 songs are played over and over and over again. I know I can't be the only person annoyed by this. if I could find the exact house and give them a monthly mix cd...just so they would switch it up a bit....
Living in Mozambique isn't all beaches and mangos and fun times. Some parts of living in Mozambique have been....downright annoying.
Of course, everything on this list is a normal part of everyday life...so I have no choice but to get over it. But anyway, here are 10 things that are currently grinding my gears...
1.)Chapas
- I've touched on the chapa experience in previous blog posts before, but last Friday's chapa trip was...well....it almost sent me over the edge...
I left my house at 11am and after a nice stroll through my neighborhood, arrived at the chapa stop at about 1120. I immediately saw a chapa turning towards the direction I was heading. They asked where I was headed. I told them Lichinga. I hopped on. I was kind of shocked, because the chapa wasn't full at all. This actually might be a comfortable ride...
Who was I kidding?
The chapa (like a mini-bus) is made for 15 people. I counted the seats. But we sure drove around...and waited....until it was packed with 22 people, 3 babies, and a chicken that I was afraid was going to start pecking at my feet. Did I mention that we didn't leave until 1255pm? Yeah...over an hour on the chapa, not going anywhere, because they didn't want to leave until it was "full"....all so they could make as much money as possible. It was hot. People were annoyed. Especially me.
Oh, and chapas aren't made for people over 5'7, so my knee was jammed into the seat frame in front of me, and during the entire ride, my legs were numb. And the woman to my right had nowhere to put her arm, so she put it around me...and was kind of caressing me the entire trip...and the woman to my left fell asleep on my cleavage. And the guy behind me decided to lean forward, and fell asleep with his head between my shoulder blades. And the baby in the back was hot and crying. And the road to Lichinga is only paved in random spots (and I don't think the shocks/struts on that chapa were any good) so the ride was bumpy and painful. And the chicken under the seat in front of me kept freaking out every 20 minutes...
Thank God it didn't peck my feet....
2.)People talking too low
- I'm quite aware that I am a loud, obnoxious, rude American. I can't help it, its in my nature. So maybe this is why I am annoyed, but people talk ENTIRELY TOO LOW. I don't get it. when addressing a room full of people, why aren't you projecting?? Its hard for me, because Portuguese is not my first language, so I need people to speak loudly and clearly so I can understand what they're saying....I find myself all the time wanting to yell "SPEAK UP!!". Ugh....people can yell things on the street to each other, but can't speak up at a meeting.
3.)The sun
- Yes, it is summertime in Mozambique. And its not that its hot...its that the sun is 7 inches from your face at 10am. In the shade, its usually nice. There's a breeze...its not too bad. But the sun here is oppressive and cruel. If it would just go away, life would be easier. And I wouldn't have this weird, awkward tan (and tan lines) that I now have to deal with...
4.)Mud
- mozambican summer=rainy season. The only time you find relief from the sun is when its raining. And when it rains, it gets REALLY muddy, REALLY quickly. Something about this mud...its different from regular mud. Its sticky and slippery at the same time. It sticks to your clothes and shoes and if you step on it the wrong way, you go sliding. And apparently I'm the only person who slips in the mud. I have yet to see anyone else slide...my shoes are always covered in mud....and then when I wash them, it rains again
Its a never ending cycle.
5.)Men
- most men are cool. But I'm just tired of refusing marriage offers and men staring at me drooling with their tongues hanging out.
6.)People on bikes
- I have never liked people on bikes. It was one of the most annoying things about Chicago and its the same here too...people on bikes think they get the same rights as drivers, and they don't. They want to ride on pathways where people walk, and demand the right of way. They whip around corners without warning and almost run you over, and then want to pretend its your fault...
7.)Crianzas
- or children. Kids. You know how I feel about them already. But in Mozambique, they are EVERYWHERE. They run in my yard and steal my mangos. They never say anything when I try to say hi to them. And the other day I found one playing in the corn my landlord had soaking outside. Why she decided to take a bath in the corn, I have no idea. Why he had corn soaking outside, I have no idea either...
8.)Greetings
-back to me being a rude American. If I greet a group of people with a "hello everybody", shouldn't that be sufficient? Why do I have to greet everyone individually? And why are the greetings so long and extensive?
9.)Unreliable phone networks
-my network was out for 2wks. I'm still not over that.
10.)Stereo systems
-the problem isn't the fact that the music starts blaring through the neighborhood at 6am and doesn't stop until 2am. I have earplugs for that. The problem is the fact that the SAME 5 songs are played over and over and over again. I know I can't be the only person annoyed by this. if I could find the exact house and give them a monthly mix cd...just so they would switch it up a bit....
Reasons
January 8,2011
One of the many reasons why I love Mozambique....
I spent a good part of my two week vacation taking out my braids. It was time...they were hanging on by a wish and a prayer. I washed, conditioned, twisted my hair and rocked a cute fro-hawk for NYE and New Years Day. (I got all cute both days with nowhere to go...) During this period of time everyone thought I was Brazilian...I guess Brazilians are the only people who wear curly fro hawks....anyway... On the 4th, the nurse from my org came by (she calls me her daughter. She said she missed me) and noticed I took out my braids. She asked if I wanted more. I told her yeah, it would be nice if I could find somebody to do them. She left and about 20mins later she came back with a girl. We went to the market, bought some hair...
And voila!! My hair is braided again. And it looks really good! And I only paid 100mts. Which is the equivalent of like...3dollars. And this girl is probably the fastest braider on earth...
Yep...I love it here. Its the simple joys :)
One of the reasons why being in Mozambique isn't always so great...
All kinds of people were texting me the past two weeks, but the mcel network was out, so my blackberry didn't have service. How the service could be out for TWO WEEKS is beyond me....ugh. So annoyed. Thankfully, I could still communicate because I have a vodacom phone, and that cell phone provider is actually more reliable here where I am. But anyway, today when my service came back, I got a text from my cousin (you know, from my host family in Namaacha) that he had sent on Wednesday. He was asking how I was doing, saying he missed me, asking when I was coming back, etc etc. I responded by saying that I didn't have cell phone service, so I couldn't respond on wed. Then I asked how he was doing. He responded with "I'm fine".
That was weird because he's usually way more talkative/expressive than that. I responded with "so where are you? How's the family in Namaacha?". And that's when he responded with "I'm in Namaacha. Vanya died.".
If you remember, I had 4 host sisters. Vanya was the 2nd youngest sister. She had a 9month old baby boy. I was shocked and immediately called him. He said she had been sick and she died this morning. Then he got another phone call and said he'd call me back.
The thing about Mozambique is that people die. A lot. Granted, people died everywhere. But in Mozambique, it happens way more often than in the States. Its one of the things that they prepare us for in training. People will die. On my home visits here in Niassa, I see people who are sick. Really sick. Everyday...and already, just this week, one of the people on our home care program, died. When you see these people everyday, emaciated and weak, with high fevers or low blood pressure....its a little easier to process the fact that things may not get better.... you hope they do get better. And that whatever antiretrovirals or other meds that they're on work to make them healthier. But that's not always the case. Sometimes people don't make it, and when you work with mostly HIV+ people in a country where there are so many complexities adding to the problem...you kinda prepare yourself for these things.
But when someone who was seemingly healthy passes away, its a little harder to accept. Then...when it's someone who isn't REALLY your family...but was a part of the only family you had for the first 10wks in a new country, who took you in and made you one of their own....well that also complicates things. And when you're way across the country, unable to see them...it adds to the frustration. And when language barriers and cultural differences get in the way of knowing what to say or what to do....well.....
You see where I'm going.
Everywhere in the world, life has its ups and downs.
New Years!
January 1st, 2011
Happy New Year!!
Since I couldn't leave my site for New Year's, I rang in the new year...well....asleep.
Yeah. I slept through it.
Everyone thought I had left the town for the weekend, so no one thought to invite me anywhere. I thought people had left for Lake Malawi, so I didn't think to call anyone to hang out with them. My landlord and I were supposed to go to church...but I fell asleep. Turns out, he fell asleep too...
Oh well.
This was the first NYE in a while that didn't involve the "usual NYE activities". Actually, I tried to stay awake...but I couldn't. I woke up at 12:06am because people outside were playing music, singing, and cheering loudly. I said a prayer, thanking God for allowing me to see another year, put in my earplugs, rolled over and went back to sleep.
Today, my landlord invited me for lunch at his father in law's house. We walked over, and entered the quintal to this gorgeous...estate. We walked in the main house, and I was immediately shocked....
Did I feel...AIR CONDITIONING?? I sure did!!!
I sat on the couch and noticed how large the house was, and how nicely furnished it was. It was almost...unnecessary....
The front room is a livingroom. It had a table in the middle, which looked like a dining table, but it wasn't where we dined....and there were two TVs. And both were on. Playing two different stations. And some people were watching one, and some were watching the other. Oh...and they had cable TV....
Then there's the next room, which was also a livingroom, with more couches and things....and two MORE TVs....those weren't on though...but why would someone need 4 TVs? Then there was the diningroom. Where we ate our lunch....and were waited on hand and foot by the domestic help...
Something I've noticed here in Mozambique is that they make use of domestic help WAY more than we do in the States. Maybe its because we have more appliances to make life easier, so we can just do it ourselves...I don't know. But my house in Namaacha had an empregada. Here, my house has Miguel, who is pretty much performing the empregado duties until they hire a new one. And in this house, there was a guy who was pouring my drinks the entire time, like the butler. There was a girl and a guy serving the food. And there was the cook-who got yelled at for burning the meat right in front of everybody....talk about awkward.
(I didn't think it was burned, I actually thought it was pretty good)
I felt like I was the only one saying "thank you" whenever "the help" poured my drink, or served me food. Once they served us, they stood there...and watched us eat....and as each person finished, they rushed to clear the plate and serve the next course. I pretended like I was comfortable
But I wasn't.
After lunch, we got up and returned to the seating area. No one really said anything to me. We just sat there. Thankfully, one of the TVs was on the station from Malawi, so it was all in English. Much to my amusement, it was like a Malawian version of BET, so I was watching music videos and concerts and things.
Anyway, after lunch, we just sat. I was bored out of my mind....and I had no clue WHY we were still there....no one talked to me, and the other people were speaking a local language. It was just me, watching TV, playing with my cell phone, and getting googly-eyed glances from the little boy (who I've since learned has a crush on me. He's like 6years old...) After a few hours of watching Malawian BET, the other people asked my landlord a question, he responded and I knew they were talking about me.
(I've become really good at figuring out when people are talking about me in local language)
Anyway, turns out that these people were from Malawi (duh! THAT'S why the TV was on the Malawi station!!). This whole time, I could have talked to them in English, but they don't speak much Portugese and thought I was Brazilian, and I don't speak much Portuguese and thought they were Mozambican.
So we finally started a conversation, and then I found out why we had been waiting that whole time.....it was time for dinner! We ate again, then we finally left.
Oh yeah...the food was FANTASTIC!
And that's how I spent my New Years. Yeah I know...nothing special.
Happy New Year!!
Since I couldn't leave my site for New Year's, I rang in the new year...well....asleep.
Yeah. I slept through it.
Everyone thought I had left the town for the weekend, so no one thought to invite me anywhere. I thought people had left for Lake Malawi, so I didn't think to call anyone to hang out with them. My landlord and I were supposed to go to church...but I fell asleep. Turns out, he fell asleep too...
Oh well.
This was the first NYE in a while that didn't involve the "usual NYE activities". Actually, I tried to stay awake...but I couldn't. I woke up at 12:06am because people outside were playing music, singing, and cheering loudly. I said a prayer, thanking God for allowing me to see another year, put in my earplugs, rolled over and went back to sleep.
Today, my landlord invited me for lunch at his father in law's house. We walked over, and entered the quintal to this gorgeous...estate. We walked in the main house, and I was immediately shocked....
Did I feel...AIR CONDITIONING?? I sure did!!!
I sat on the couch and noticed how large the house was, and how nicely furnished it was. It was almost...unnecessary....
The front room is a livingroom. It had a table in the middle, which looked like a dining table, but it wasn't where we dined....and there were two TVs. And both were on. Playing two different stations. And some people were watching one, and some were watching the other. Oh...and they had cable TV....
Then there's the next room, which was also a livingroom, with more couches and things....and two MORE TVs....those weren't on though...but why would someone need 4 TVs? Then there was the diningroom. Where we ate our lunch....and were waited on hand and foot by the domestic help...
Something I've noticed here in Mozambique is that they make use of domestic help WAY more than we do in the States. Maybe its because we have more appliances to make life easier, so we can just do it ourselves...I don't know. But my house in Namaacha had an empregada. Here, my house has Miguel, who is pretty much performing the empregado duties until they hire a new one. And in this house, there was a guy who was pouring my drinks the entire time, like the butler. There was a girl and a guy serving the food. And there was the cook-who got yelled at for burning the meat right in front of everybody....talk about awkward.
(I didn't think it was burned, I actually thought it was pretty good)
I felt like I was the only one saying "thank you" whenever "the help" poured my drink, or served me food. Once they served us, they stood there...and watched us eat....and as each person finished, they rushed to clear the plate and serve the next course. I pretended like I was comfortable
But I wasn't.
After lunch, we got up and returned to the seating area. No one really said anything to me. We just sat there. Thankfully, one of the TVs was on the station from Malawi, so it was all in English. Much to my amusement, it was like a Malawian version of BET, so I was watching music videos and concerts and things.
Anyway, after lunch, we just sat. I was bored out of my mind....and I had no clue WHY we were still there....no one talked to me, and the other people were speaking a local language. It was just me, watching TV, playing with my cell phone, and getting googly-eyed glances from the little boy (who I've since learned has a crush on me. He's like 6years old...) After a few hours of watching Malawian BET, the other people asked my landlord a question, he responded and I knew they were talking about me.
(I've become really good at figuring out when people are talking about me in local language)
Anyway, turns out that these people were from Malawi (duh! THAT'S why the TV was on the Malawi station!!). This whole time, I could have talked to them in English, but they don't speak much Portugese and thought I was Brazilian, and I don't speak much Portuguese and thought they were Mozambican.
So we finally started a conversation, and then I found out why we had been waiting that whole time.....it was time for dinner! We ate again, then we finally left.
Oh yeah...the food was FANTASTIC!
And that's how I spent my New Years. Yeah I know...nothing special.
Stupid Me
December 30, 2010
So I'm on vacation from my organization until January 5th, but because of Peace Corps rules, I can't leave for New Years weekend. So I'm relaxing at site. Today, I woke up, washed and deep conditioned my hair, and decided to take a nap. After my nap, I walked to the store, bought some stuff, and came back and cleaned. After my intense cleaning session, I decided to get some water from outside to rinse my bucket....and that's when I found myself locked out.
Awesome.
I didn't want to leave my door open because bugs would fly in, and being the idiot that I am, i shut the door too hard. And it locked. It had just finished raining and it was now dark. There were about 100 fireflies in my yard and thousands of stars in the sky, as well as steady lightning strikes off in the distance. Mozambique is just as beatiful at night as it is during the day...too bad I was standing outside against my will, without bug repellant...
My landlord wasn't home. His wife has been in Nampula for the past two weeks, and Miguel (who I learned ISN'T the empregado...he just does all of the work while he's on break from school...to "keep him from getting lazy") was missing in action. So I was all alone, in the dark, with the fireflies, under the stars, stuck outside....
I had nothing to do but wait. My ipod was still playing music through the speakers. I leaned against my door and listened through the window. About 20 minutes later, my landlord showed up. I told him what was going on.
He laughed.
Then he went into the house, grabbed a chair for me to sit, and started working on opening my door. I soon found out that with about 5 different tools and about an hour of time, someone could successfully break into my house. From now on, I'm keeping my security gate locked at all times.
And I'm keeping my keys on me at all times as well.
Christmas
December 27, 2010
How did I spend Christmas you ask?
On Lake Malawi (well, on this side its called Lake Niassa)
Was is beautiful? Yes.
Was there a GIANT mango tree with a hammock under it? Yes.
Did I spend Christmas day laying in the hammock reading a book by Barack Obama? Yes.
Did I spend Christmas night on the beach under the stars? Yes.
Did I spend the rest of the time frolicking about on the beach, playing card games, eating delicious vegetarian food, collecting rocks and shells, and spending time with my amazing fellow Niassa PCVs? Yes.
Did I have an amazing Christmas?
What do you think?
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