'Good morning':
Rain has never been more beautiful. It gives life to all things- nourishes the ripening avocados and mangos, the pink and yellow plumeria, the tall lemongrass, the dancing palm fronds...and sustains the people, who hurry to line their buckets and basins under the steady trickles of the tin roof. The air is cool and clean, a welcome change from the sweltering dusty heat of African winter. No pestering flies today.
The rain makes winding rivers and tiny craters in the orange, orange sand. Everywhere, mangos dot the landscape- some fallen from trees, others half eaten and discarded. Every once in a while, a heavy thud as another one hits the ground. A mozambican woman walks by carrying an enormous pile of sticks on her head. 'Li xile' she says, good morning. Local language.
Overhead, the rain has stopped. The gray is breaking up, the blue sky and heat struggling to break through. Two children run by, mangos in hand.
Yup, this is Africa.
'Good afternoon':
I've been here approximately two weeks and have yet to spend a single night in my own house. The problem is, I don't have water, which makes it impossible to take a bath, wash clothes, wash dishes, or even cook.
I've been on the search for an empregada, a maid, to get water, sweep the yard, and clean the latrine for me once I move in. Cooking and cleaning indoors are things that I can do and want to do for myself (although many people, assuming that I have a lot of money, have tried to convince me otherwise). For a while, I figured it easier to just hire the same empregada as Erica/alycia (who im currently still house sitting for)-Luise, a single mother with four kids, who happens to be my neighbor. However, I was reluctant because Luise has a tendency to ask for money (despite getting a steady and hefty paycheck from Erica/alycia), which I find awkward and annoying. That, and from what I've seen, her less than stellar work ethic.
Anyway, my counterpart Irma (sister) Daulisa has been helping me get situated in my house and community. She suggests we go talk to a woman that she knows, the mother of a child who attends the day care.
'She lives close,' Daulisa assures me. We walk together past my house, past the escolhina, down a path I'd never noticed before. Past mango trees, past a red house, past mozambican women sitting in front of humble houses. We finally stop in front of a tiny straw hut, the size of my latrine. An old woman is cutting vegetables outside, a group of children playing in the shade of ever-present mango trees. A thin, worn out woman steps out of the hut and hurries to lay out the straw mat (the nice one, not the tattered one I see next to the door) for us to sit on- she has no chairs to offer. Her name is Maria. She is a widow with four kids, all with stick-like arms and distended bellies- a sure sign of malnutrition.
'Boa tarde,' (good afternoon)I say in portuguese as I shake her hand and sit. Daulisa begins conversing earnestly with Maria, in Changana. Maria listens with her brow furrowed, and then bursts out laughing and leans against Daulisa, who is also laughing. Daulisa beams at me. 'She says she is so happy. She will work for you. She says she wasn't sure how they were going to continue to survive. She wants to start tomorrow!' I apologetically explain that actually, im still living at the other house so I can feed the dogs, so it's best that she start in a few weeks, in January. She agrees, but says that she and the children will start sweeping the yard this week, so that it will look nice when I move in. She is so eager to work.
As we leave, Daulisa says to me,'You see? Do you see the way they live? The children eating mostly mangos? We have had to give that child milk at the escolhina so he can continue to grow. He is slow at learning, they all are because their development is stunted by lack of nutrition. That woman will work hard for you. For someone who has nothing, a chance to work and earn money is everything. You see?'
I see. Empowering a woman to care for her family- well, that's 300mets a month well spent.
'Good night':
You're sitting on the veranda in front of the house as night rolls in, bringing with it an army of mosquitoes. You're thinking about how today went. Pretty well, considering you didn't get that much done. That's how life is here, life in the slow lane. The days are filled with unending housework, mangos, reading, getting bothered by neighborhood kids, and otherwise a whole lot of nothing. For a go-getter like yourself, Mozambique can be a very frustrating place to be... At the end of two years you should have acquired an infinite amount of patience. You're thinking about how lucky you are to have the things you do, and how countless others live unimaginably simple lives. You're thinking about the puppy you've kind of adopted. A neighborhood kid asked you to look after it for the weekend and seems to have forgotten to come back and claim it. Typical child, to only want a plaything without the responsibility. That's how Erica/alycia ended up with their second dog. You've renamed the dog Xima, because he's fluffy and chunky from all the Xima and dried fish he eats. You're thinking about all the things that still need to be done to make your house a home: hang up clothesline, buy a fridge, build a fence, get a bed frame, build a bookcase and shelves, paint the walls...a plethora of projects that gets to be overwhelming unless you take things one day at a time.You're thinking about how you forgot to take a bath today. Oops. You're thinking about your organization, the escolhina, and the project ideas you have for the next two years. They've asked you to give English lessons to the children, and English/ computer classes to the community (as an income generation project). Part of you is worried about the sustainability aspect of your work here. You're thinking that you're pretty comfortable with Portuguese, maybe you should tackle Changana soon. Five languages under your belt is, of course, better than four.
You're thinking there's so many damn cockroaches in this house, and it's not uncommon to find one crawling on you in the middle of the night. You're thinking about how excited you are that your wonderful boyfriend is coming to visit in March, and how you are going to put him to work building things for your house. You've told every mozambican you've met that you're married, so they don't start wagging their tongues later. And so the creepsters back off, although that has been met with limited success (creepsters will be creepsters). You're thinking about your sister, it's her birthday, and you're thinking about how much you miss your friends and family. You're thinking about all the people you love, these blogs are for them. You write because you love to write but you share because others care to listen. You're thinking and thinking and thinking, but it's just about bedtime. Go to bed at 9, wake up at 530, that's just life in the slow lane. So then, li pelile! Boa noite! Good night :)
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Chimundo
"Whatever tomorrow brings, I´ll be there, with open arms and open eyes" - Incubus
So much has happened in the past week! Last Friday, 70 Peace Corps trainees became official Peace Corps volunteers. The swear-in ceremony was held in Maputo, at the super sweet house of the ambassador. We all wore our capulana outfits and everyone looked, as they say here, chique [sheeky], despite several setbacks…
First of all, when we first arrived at the hotel at noon, they would not allow us to check in yet so we lounged around in the lobby until 2. We then had approximately 30 minutes to get ready for the swear-in ceremony. My roommate jumped in the shower first, so by the time she was done I had 15 minutes left. After the shower, I was at 10 minutes. At 5 minutes until departure, I asked my friend to zip up the back of my dress and the zipper promptly broke. My response: “You’ve got to be f-ing kidding me.” While my friend Amanda frantically tried to fix the zipper, and my roommate Jen went to beg an extra few minutes from the Training Director, I was scuttling around the room in my underwear putting on the rest of my makeup and accessories. Eventually, my dress was literally pinned onto me with half a dozen needles and our Training director Claudia, smoking a cigarette and cursing at traffic, raced us to ambassador’s house because we had, of course, missed the bus. Ironically, as my friend was getting out of the car, her capulana skirt ripped and Dress Emergency #2 commenced- we had failed to bring the remainder of the needles. Claudia efficiently resolved the issue and we were able to make our grand entrance.
Afterwards, the volunteers returned to the 5-star hotel Cardoso and stayed up all night hanging out, our last night together as a big group- the first group (north) departed for their supervisors conference at 5am. In stages, Moz 15 was separated. My group, the 16 health volunteers of north/central Mozambique, headed to Bilene. We got very lucky with our hotel accommodations here as well: my single, air-conditioned room had a fridge and running water, and was right on the beach. We had buffet-style meals three times a day, plus two snack/tea times. Crab /shrimp curry! Salad! Chicken! Beef! Fruit salad! Flan!
After a relaxing weekend on the beach (mental health break times two, minus the heavy drinking and 50+ volunteers), we had our supervisors conference with our organization counterpart(s). My counterpart was a woman named Irma (Sister) Daulisa, a nice plump woman who likes to laugh a lot and is currently helping me set up my house. Not much to say about the conference, we went over policies and had discussions of what to expect from each other, etc.
Wednesday morning, our volunteer group was split again by region. We said our final goodbyes and left on a private chapa- 6 volunteers, their counterparts, a PC staff member, and a lot of luggage. One by one, the volunteers were dropped off at their sites. Meghan first, Caitlin next, Anne, Naa.. At each site we got off the bus to check out our peers’ new home and I took a picture of each volunteer standing in front with their counterparts, ready to start their new life. At Anne’s site, she was greeted by a crowd of people (her organization? Community members?) who sang songs as she approached, and presented her with a lei of flowers. The chefe then ceremoniously cut a ribbon of flowers strung across her door so that she could enter. It was intense.
Finally, it was my turn. There was still another volunteer, Jess whose site is 5km away in Chibuto, who had yet to be dropped off. We arrived in Chimundo, stopped in front of a large gray house, and unloaded my luggage. I stepped inside the filthy, completely empty THREE-bedroom house and... almost began to cry of disappointment. All the other volunteers had quaint little houses, had at least some furniture- a bed maybe, or perhaps a table and chairs- and had been greeted by at least a few excited community members. I had a grumpy landlord who hadn’t even put locks on the doors or the front grate, fist-sized spiders on the walls, and torn window screens to let all the mosquitoes in. Irma Daulisa and PC staff Rogerio began to argue with the landlord about the locks, which should have been in place already. The landlord responded that he didn’t know when I was supposed to be moving in, and he hadn’t had time to do it. So we sadly loaded my luggage back on the chapa. My house wasn’t ready for me.
We dropped Jess off and went to buy locks for my house. I was asked to front money for the locks and get reimbursed later, which almost made me break down again. Peace Corps, for reasons beyond me, does NOT give volunteers more settling-in money even if they are opening up a new site. So, I get the same amount of money as a volunteer who moves into a previous volunteers’ house which will naturally already have many things such as furniture. A nice mattress itself, with a box spring, is approximately 6/7 of the settling in allowance I get. Frustrating much? I’ve resigned myself to buying things in spurts, and hoping that eventually, it will actually feel like a home.
Anyway, I balked at the idea of fronting even more money (tables/chairs/bed frame are items that I will be reimbursed for, but are hefty chunks of my allowance that I don’t feel comfortable spending… especially since I'll be missing the money in my account for at least a couple weeks). Rogerio fronted the money and the landlord promised to change the locks. Meanwhile, I went to stay with Erika and Alycia, my two Moz14 Education sitemates. Thankfully, they live just one street over and their house, on the polar end of things, is absolutely cluttered with anything and everything. Their house has had PC volunteers since 2002; there are even beach murals on the walls! They have bookcases full of books, a kitchen full of dishes and pots, two dogs, two cats, blah blah blah. Oh, and a lot of cockroaches. (Side note: This story is kind of disgusting but last night, as I was sleeping on their couch, I dreamt that I had a cockroach crawling on my leg so I instinctively squished it between my knees. This morning, discovered it wasn’t a dream)
Unfortunately, this is travel season for them so they actually left for South Africa two days after my arrival. I am, however, house sitting and feeding their pets (Interesting: in terms of feeding animals, you can either buy scraps from the butcher or, as Erika and Alycia do, mix dried fish with xima. Xima, as a reminder, looks like mashed potatoes but is essentially like corn meal grits). They have two dogs and two cats, and a mangy neighborhood dog who sneaks in the house to steal food and beg to be adopted.
During the day, I am out and about in the community and in the city buying stuff for my house. The Chibuto market is a 1.5 hour walk but it’s very easy to catch a ride on the main road. And, unlike other markets, this one is rather large and comprehensive. A fridge and a mattress I will need to buy in XaiXai, but the rest I think is available here.
The morning after arrival, after some food (I forgot to mention that I didn’t get to eat breakfast or lunch before I got to site) and a good nights’ rest, I was feeling much better. I took a bath and went out to conquer the community. I introduced myself to Erika/Alycia’s neighbors (still useful, because I live so close) and was invited to tomar cha (drink tea / have breakfast). I imagine that the rest of my two years will look something like this, sitting under mango trees and conversing with the neighbors. I mentioned that I like mangoes, and I was offered several throughout the day. Later on, I was greeted by multiple people that I had met, which made me very happy to have initiated the integration process. The only problem is, I cant seem to remember their names although they always remember mine…
I already have an idea of what home improvement projects I will be taking on in the next few weeks. FIRST and foremost, build a backyard fence. This so I can get a puppy (Erika knows someone who is selling puppies) and so the annoying neighbor kids wont peek in my windows like they’ve done to Erika and Alycia in the past. The charming little kids here lack supervision, and spend their days wreaking havoc (I'm exaggerating, but only a little bit). They like to retrieve and sort through the trash of foreigners (us) and then leave the trash scattered everywhere- defeats the purpose of throwing the trash in the trash pit. They steal unripe mangoes from the tree next to the house, take one bite, and then discard the mango.
Erika and Alycia have a recently-constructed fence that gives them some backyard space and now they can leave the back door open to get some air in the house. Of course, the kids do like to push the limits by climbing the trees to peek over the fence, or as I witnessed while washing dishes, every once in a while a bold little booger will try to creep in the backyard just to stare inside. Really annoying. If the front door is open, same thing. They’ll stand right at the doorway and peer in, sometimes try to come in. The only way to get rid of them is to close the door and suffocate inside. These kids do not all speak Portuguese, either. The majority of the families around here speak Changana, the local language, and until these kids have gone to school, they will not know Portuguese.
So much has happened in the past week! Last Friday, 70 Peace Corps trainees became official Peace Corps volunteers. The swear-in ceremony was held in Maputo, at the super sweet house of the ambassador. We all wore our capulana outfits and everyone looked, as they say here, chique [sheeky], despite several setbacks…
First of all, when we first arrived at the hotel at noon, they would not allow us to check in yet so we lounged around in the lobby until 2. We then had approximately 30 minutes to get ready for the swear-in ceremony. My roommate jumped in the shower first, so by the time she was done I had 15 minutes left. After the shower, I was at 10 minutes. At 5 minutes until departure, I asked my friend to zip up the back of my dress and the zipper promptly broke. My response: “You’ve got to be f-ing kidding me.” While my friend Amanda frantically tried to fix the zipper, and my roommate Jen went to beg an extra few minutes from the Training Director, I was scuttling around the room in my underwear putting on the rest of my makeup and accessories. Eventually, my dress was literally pinned onto me with half a dozen needles and our Training director Claudia, smoking a cigarette and cursing at traffic, raced us to ambassador’s house because we had, of course, missed the bus. Ironically, as my friend was getting out of the car, her capulana skirt ripped and Dress Emergency #2 commenced- we had failed to bring the remainder of the needles. Claudia efficiently resolved the issue and we were able to make our grand entrance.
Afterwards, the volunteers returned to the 5-star hotel Cardoso and stayed up all night hanging out, our last night together as a big group- the first group (north) departed for their supervisors conference at 5am. In stages, Moz 15 was separated. My group, the 16 health volunteers of north/central Mozambique, headed to Bilene. We got very lucky with our hotel accommodations here as well: my single, air-conditioned room had a fridge and running water, and was right on the beach. We had buffet-style meals three times a day, plus two snack/tea times. Crab /shrimp curry! Salad! Chicken! Beef! Fruit salad! Flan!
After a relaxing weekend on the beach (mental health break times two, minus the heavy drinking and 50+ volunteers), we had our supervisors conference with our organization counterpart(s). My counterpart was a woman named Irma (Sister) Daulisa, a nice plump woman who likes to laugh a lot and is currently helping me set up my house. Not much to say about the conference, we went over policies and had discussions of what to expect from each other, etc.
Wednesday morning, our volunteer group was split again by region. We said our final goodbyes and left on a private chapa- 6 volunteers, their counterparts, a PC staff member, and a lot of luggage. One by one, the volunteers were dropped off at their sites. Meghan first, Caitlin next, Anne, Naa.. At each site we got off the bus to check out our peers’ new home and I took a picture of each volunteer standing in front with their counterparts, ready to start their new life. At Anne’s site, she was greeted by a crowd of people (her organization? Community members?) who sang songs as she approached, and presented her with a lei of flowers. The chefe then ceremoniously cut a ribbon of flowers strung across her door so that she could enter. It was intense.
Finally, it was my turn. There was still another volunteer, Jess whose site is 5km away in Chibuto, who had yet to be dropped off. We arrived in Chimundo, stopped in front of a large gray house, and unloaded my luggage. I stepped inside the filthy, completely empty THREE-bedroom house and... almost began to cry of disappointment. All the other volunteers had quaint little houses, had at least some furniture- a bed maybe, or perhaps a table and chairs- and had been greeted by at least a few excited community members. I had a grumpy landlord who hadn’t even put locks on the doors or the front grate, fist-sized spiders on the walls, and torn window screens to let all the mosquitoes in. Irma Daulisa and PC staff Rogerio began to argue with the landlord about the locks, which should have been in place already. The landlord responded that he didn’t know when I was supposed to be moving in, and he hadn’t had time to do it. So we sadly loaded my luggage back on the chapa. My house wasn’t ready for me.
We dropped Jess off and went to buy locks for my house. I was asked to front money for the locks and get reimbursed later, which almost made me break down again. Peace Corps, for reasons beyond me, does NOT give volunteers more settling-in money even if they are opening up a new site. So, I get the same amount of money as a volunteer who moves into a previous volunteers’ house which will naturally already have many things such as furniture. A nice mattress itself, with a box spring, is approximately 6/7 of the settling in allowance I get. Frustrating much? I’ve resigned myself to buying things in spurts, and hoping that eventually, it will actually feel like a home.
Anyway, I balked at the idea of fronting even more money (tables/chairs/bed frame are items that I will be reimbursed for, but are hefty chunks of my allowance that I don’t feel comfortable spending… especially since I'll be missing the money in my account for at least a couple weeks). Rogerio fronted the money and the landlord promised to change the locks. Meanwhile, I went to stay with Erika and Alycia, my two Moz14 Education sitemates. Thankfully, they live just one street over and their house, on the polar end of things, is absolutely cluttered with anything and everything. Their house has had PC volunteers since 2002; there are even beach murals on the walls! They have bookcases full of books, a kitchen full of dishes and pots, two dogs, two cats, blah blah blah. Oh, and a lot of cockroaches. (Side note: This story is kind of disgusting but last night, as I was sleeping on their couch, I dreamt that I had a cockroach crawling on my leg so I instinctively squished it between my knees. This morning, discovered it wasn’t a dream)
Unfortunately, this is travel season for them so they actually left for South Africa two days after my arrival. I am, however, house sitting and feeding their pets (Interesting: in terms of feeding animals, you can either buy scraps from the butcher or, as Erika and Alycia do, mix dried fish with xima. Xima, as a reminder, looks like mashed potatoes but is essentially like corn meal grits). They have two dogs and two cats, and a mangy neighborhood dog who sneaks in the house to steal food and beg to be adopted.
During the day, I am out and about in the community and in the city buying stuff for my house. The Chibuto market is a 1.5 hour walk but it’s very easy to catch a ride on the main road. And, unlike other markets, this one is rather large and comprehensive. A fridge and a mattress I will need to buy in XaiXai, but the rest I think is available here.
The morning after arrival, after some food (I forgot to mention that I didn’t get to eat breakfast or lunch before I got to site) and a good nights’ rest, I was feeling much better. I took a bath and went out to conquer the community. I introduced myself to Erika/Alycia’s neighbors (still useful, because I live so close) and was invited to tomar cha (drink tea / have breakfast). I imagine that the rest of my two years will look something like this, sitting under mango trees and conversing with the neighbors. I mentioned that I like mangoes, and I was offered several throughout the day. Later on, I was greeted by multiple people that I had met, which made me very happy to have initiated the integration process. The only problem is, I cant seem to remember their names although they always remember mine…
I already have an idea of what home improvement projects I will be taking on in the next few weeks. FIRST and foremost, build a backyard fence. This so I can get a puppy (Erika knows someone who is selling puppies) and so the annoying neighbor kids wont peek in my windows like they’ve done to Erika and Alycia in the past. The charming little kids here lack supervision, and spend their days wreaking havoc (I'm exaggerating, but only a little bit). They like to retrieve and sort through the trash of foreigners (us) and then leave the trash scattered everywhere- defeats the purpose of throwing the trash in the trash pit. They steal unripe mangoes from the tree next to the house, take one bite, and then discard the mango.
Erika and Alycia have a recently-constructed fence that gives them some backyard space and now they can leave the back door open to get some air in the house. Of course, the kids do like to push the limits by climbing the trees to peek over the fence, or as I witnessed while washing dishes, every once in a while a bold little booger will try to creep in the backyard just to stare inside. Really annoying. If the front door is open, same thing. They’ll stand right at the doorway and peer in, sometimes try to come in. The only way to get rid of them is to close the door and suffocate inside. These kids do not all speak Portuguese, either. The majority of the families around here speak Changana, the local language, and until these kids have gone to school, they will not know Portuguese.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
When life gives you an ugly capulana print... you rock that shit!
One last post before I go to site, just in case my internet is iffy there.
We have finally reached the end of PST! I have become very comfortable with Namaacha and im sad to leave my awesome host family, but im so ready to move on to the next phase of my service. I've been giving my family a few small gifts here and there- a bottle of piripiri because they're always asking for mine, photographs, a binder for my sister who is a teacher, nail polish for my younger sisters. My mae is already asking me when im coming back to visit! I won't be seeing Namaacha again for a couple of months at the very least. She makes me promise that I'll call often.
For the swearing-in ceremony tomorrow, all the trainees had capulana clothes made as a present from our host families- dresses/ skirts for the girls, shirts for the guys. The host moms picked out one print for all of health, one print for all english teachers, and one print for math/science. Let me tell you, our health print is pretty unappealing. It is beige and brown with stripes and a scale- like pattern, with green and blue bows everywhere. Well, determined to make the best of an unfavorable situation, I took the capulana to a seamstress, who promptly lost the drawing I gave her and decided to go ahead and make me whatever dress she felt like (without using the measurements she took). I am now going to my swearing in wearing an off the shoulder dress with satin ruffles around the collar and at the hem. Fortunately, however, she was willing to work with me and make the necessary adjustments (when I first tried it on, it looked like I was wearing a loose, frilly off the shoulder bag) so I actually think it may look kind of cute. I'll be sure to post pictures soon.
The last time I put my camera memory card in a public Mozambique computer, I got 6 viruses and now my photos won't show up on any pc. I cannot fix the problem unless I reformat the drive, which means losing all my pictures. So, for now, im backing up my photos on a friend's mac and im really kicking myself for not bringing computer or an external hard drive. While everyone else is exchanging movies and music, I am getting viruses on all my electronics from the crappy computers here. Eh pa! Thank God I have internet configured on my phone and I can do simple things like blog and check email.
I do have a physical mailing address at site but at this point im not sure if packages sent there will get to me faster than ones just sent to the Peace Corps office in Maputo. It might be interesting to do an experiment. So, if you're mailing something to me, please make sure to date it!
You can send mail to the shared address for the volunteers near the city of Xai Xai is:
Vivienne Chao
CP 85
Xai Xai, Mozambique
And once again, the address for Maputo office:
Vivienne Chao, PCV
Corpo da Paz / Peace Corps
Avenida do Zimbabwe
CP 4398
Maputo, Mozambique
A word on mail, it is very unreliable here and may not get to me in a timely manner. My first package had been torn open (by a person? By a rat?) and several packages im waiting for have not even arrived. If you are sending me something liquid or edible, please put it in a ziploc bag in case it spills. Do not declare expensive things on the customs forms. Some volunteers' parents have been writing things like 'God bless! Jesus saves!' and addressing their packages to 'Sister caitlin,' etc to minimize the chance of someone opening the package. Like I mentioned earlier, date everything you mail.
I have a ton of things I need to buy because im opening up a new site. But in the meantime, here is my american wish list! :)
Wish list:
Dish sponges
Can opener
Spices?
Nylon thread
Vegetable peeler
Ziploc bags (diff sizes)- probably best to put everything in plastic bags
Neutrogena sunscreen (spf 50 or higher)
Nail polish in fun colors
Cheap watch
Dog/cat treats
Dog/cat flea drops
Books
Stickers (for kids)
Cheezits
Herbal tea
Gum
Starbucks via instant coffee
Maps! (US, africa, mozambique, world)
Blank cds
Flash drives
We have finally reached the end of PST! I have become very comfortable with Namaacha and im sad to leave my awesome host family, but im so ready to move on to the next phase of my service. I've been giving my family a few small gifts here and there- a bottle of piripiri because they're always asking for mine, photographs, a binder for my sister who is a teacher, nail polish for my younger sisters. My mae is already asking me when im coming back to visit! I won't be seeing Namaacha again for a couple of months at the very least. She makes me promise that I'll call often.
For the swearing-in ceremony tomorrow, all the trainees had capulana clothes made as a present from our host families- dresses/ skirts for the girls, shirts for the guys. The host moms picked out one print for all of health, one print for all english teachers, and one print for math/science. Let me tell you, our health print is pretty unappealing. It is beige and brown with stripes and a scale- like pattern, with green and blue bows everywhere. Well, determined to make the best of an unfavorable situation, I took the capulana to a seamstress, who promptly lost the drawing I gave her and decided to go ahead and make me whatever dress she felt like (without using the measurements she took). I am now going to my swearing in wearing an off the shoulder dress with satin ruffles around the collar and at the hem. Fortunately, however, she was willing to work with me and make the necessary adjustments (when I first tried it on, it looked like I was wearing a loose, frilly off the shoulder bag) so I actually think it may look kind of cute. I'll be sure to post pictures soon.
The last time I put my camera memory card in a public Mozambique computer, I got 6 viruses and now my photos won't show up on any pc. I cannot fix the problem unless I reformat the drive, which means losing all my pictures. So, for now, im backing up my photos on a friend's mac and im really kicking myself for not bringing computer or an external hard drive. While everyone else is exchanging movies and music, I am getting viruses on all my electronics from the crappy computers here. Eh pa! Thank God I have internet configured on my phone and I can do simple things like blog and check email.
I do have a physical mailing address at site but at this point im not sure if packages sent there will get to me faster than ones just sent to the Peace Corps office in Maputo. It might be interesting to do an experiment. So, if you're mailing something to me, please make sure to date it!
You can send mail to the shared address for the volunteers near the city of Xai Xai is:
Vivienne Chao
CP 85
Xai Xai, Mozambique
And once again, the address for Maputo office:
Vivienne Chao, PCV
Corpo da Paz / Peace Corps
Avenida do Zimbabwe
CP 4398
Maputo, Mozambique
A word on mail, it is very unreliable here and may not get to me in a timely manner. My first package had been torn open (by a person? By a rat?) and several packages im waiting for have not even arrived. If you are sending me something liquid or edible, please put it in a ziploc bag in case it spills. Do not declare expensive things on the customs forms. Some volunteers' parents have been writing things like 'God bless! Jesus saves!' and addressing their packages to 'Sister caitlin,' etc to minimize the chance of someone opening the package. Like I mentioned earlier, date everything you mail.
I have a ton of things I need to buy because im opening up a new site. But in the meantime, here is my american wish list! :)
Wish list:
Dish sponges
Can opener
Spices?
Nylon thread
Vegetable peeler
Ziploc bags (diff sizes)- probably best to put everything in plastic bags
Neutrogena sunscreen (spf 50 or higher)
Nail polish in fun colors
Cheap watch
Dog/cat treats
Dog/cat flea drops
Books
Stickers (for kids)
Cheezits
Herbal tea
Gum
Starbucks via instant coffee
Maps! (US, africa, mozambique, world)
Blank cds
Flash drives
Monday, November 22, 2010
Li xile!
On thursday, we found where we're going for the next two years and then promptly left Namaacha for mental health break. I spent all weekend eating seafood pizza, laying on the beach, and reflecting on my site, or what I know about it.
Here it is: I'll be in Chimundo, a small villa of the larger town of Chibuto, in Gaza province (still south Mozambique, just north of Maputo province). My organization is a preschool/ kindergarten/ day care run by a Mozambican nun and supported by a Portuguese church. I will be living directly behind the center and working with young children and OVCs. This is a new site but I have two education sitemates from moz14. There is a mercado (market) nearby where I can buy everything I need. I've heard a lot of good things about my house, which is apparently BIG and new (two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, outside bathroom).
Before giving us the envelopes with our site placements, we were told 'life may not lead you where you thought you wanted to go, but have faith that you are exactly where you are meant to be!' and I find this absolutely reassuring. Several trainees began crying when they found out their site, which I find a little ridiculous because ultimately what will matter is the work we do, not what part of the country we're in. Although this specific site was not on my top three, it did make the list of 13 (the health volunteers got a chance last week to see a coded description of all 24 sites and pick our top 13). And in a strange way, this site is perfectly fitting. For instance, I mentioned in my placement interviews that I do not have a strong health background and that I would be interested in working with children. Working at an escolinha will give me an opportunity to create my own health projects, especially on the topics that interest me such as nutrition, hygiene and sanitation, malaria prevention, etc. All in all, im super anxious to be done with training in two weeks and move onto the next phase of Peace Corps service! I'd say that most if not all of us are consumed with thoughts of site.
The beaches in Bilene were beautiful- the water was so clear and blue. We rented two houses for the weekend. There were beds but not enough, so many people slept or passed out on the floor. The first night we had a dj and everyone danced and drank and had a good time. I felt like I was back in college, at a house party, which I'm not sure is a good thing...
We swear in on dec 3, at the ambassador's house. All of us are having capulana clothes made from matching print. The ceremony will be on national news! If all goes well, all 70 of us will become official peace corps volunteers. However, this is contingent upon our performance on next week's LPIs and approximately 15 people are in danger of not passing (and may have to stay in Namaacha until they do pass). In the meantime the rest of us are moving on to learning local languages. In my region the local language is Changana, something so different from any language I've studied in my life. I doubt I will be fluent by the end of two years, but at least I'll know a little.
Thus far, only one trainee (a health volunteer) has decided to leave mozambique due to personal reasons (ET- early termination). This same volunteer was mugged in front of her homestay house several weeks ago, just another reminder that as foreigners we are and always will be perceived differently.
Here it is: I'll be in Chimundo, a small villa of the larger town of Chibuto, in Gaza province (still south Mozambique, just north of Maputo province). My organization is a preschool/ kindergarten/ day care run by a Mozambican nun and supported by a Portuguese church. I will be living directly behind the center and working with young children and OVCs. This is a new site but I have two education sitemates from moz14. There is a mercado (market) nearby where I can buy everything I need. I've heard a lot of good things about my house, which is apparently BIG and new (two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, outside bathroom).
Before giving us the envelopes with our site placements, we were told 'life may not lead you where you thought you wanted to go, but have faith that you are exactly where you are meant to be!' and I find this absolutely reassuring. Several trainees began crying when they found out their site, which I find a little ridiculous because ultimately what will matter is the work we do, not what part of the country we're in. Although this specific site was not on my top three, it did make the list of 13 (the health volunteers got a chance last week to see a coded description of all 24 sites and pick our top 13). And in a strange way, this site is perfectly fitting. For instance, I mentioned in my placement interviews that I do not have a strong health background and that I would be interested in working with children. Working at an escolinha will give me an opportunity to create my own health projects, especially on the topics that interest me such as nutrition, hygiene and sanitation, malaria prevention, etc. All in all, im super anxious to be done with training in two weeks and move onto the next phase of Peace Corps service! I'd say that most if not all of us are consumed with thoughts of site.
The beaches in Bilene were beautiful- the water was so clear and blue. We rented two houses for the weekend. There were beds but not enough, so many people slept or passed out on the floor. The first night we had a dj and everyone danced and drank and had a good time. I felt like I was back in college, at a house party, which I'm not sure is a good thing...
We swear in on dec 3, at the ambassador's house. All of us are having capulana clothes made from matching print. The ceremony will be on national news! If all goes well, all 70 of us will become official peace corps volunteers. However, this is contingent upon our performance on next week's LPIs and approximately 15 people are in danger of not passing (and may have to stay in Namaacha until they do pass). In the meantime the rest of us are moving on to learning local languages. In my region the local language is Changana, something so different from any language I've studied in my life. I doubt I will be fluent by the end of two years, but at least I'll know a little.
Thus far, only one trainee (a health volunteer) has decided to leave mozambique due to personal reasons (ET- early termination). This same volunteer was mugged in front of her homestay house several weeks ago, just another reminder that as foreigners we are and always will be perceived differently.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
when in china...
This blog post finds me short on sleep, what with the discovery of a rat in my room last week and the return of the bed bugs. Despite this, I am very optimistic for the coming week, particularly for our site announcements this THURSDAY and mental health break this weekend. Most of us are going to spend the weekend in the beach town of Bilene; we have rented two houses and plan to have a great time during our much needed break :)
This weekend was pretty exciting: field trip to the witch doctor on saturday and hiking on sunday to the intersection of the three borders: swaziland, south africa, and mozambique. The weather was perfect for a 5 hour hike. (pictures to come soon!)
Something very interesting came up last week and I wanted to share. In a session about stigma and discrimination (particularly in an HIV/AIDS context) our two mozambican facilitators asked us to each think about a time in which we felt isolated or rejected (in our personal lives). As we came together as a group to share our experiences, one of the facilitators wanted to get us to do some quick exercises to boost our energy. 'when I say cadeira quente (hot chair) you all stand up!' 'when I say cadeira fria (cold chair) you all sit down!' 'when I say china, you do this!' and he proceeded to yell 'hai-ya!' and make karate chop movements. An uncomfortable feeling settled over the room even as my peers repeated (a little hesitantly) after him. And as I watched this happening, my heart began to pound and I became acutely aware of my status as the only asian in the room. I felt helpless, frozen, unsure of what my peers were thinking and if they felt the same knot in their stomachs as I did in mine. Was no one going to call him out on that culturally inappropriate remark? It took me a minute to find my voice. 'I am chinese, or almost chinese,' I said. 'I am taiwanese, I am asian, and I did not appreciate what just happened. I don't know karate or kung fu, neither does my family, neither do my friends from china ,and I did not find that appropriate.' The facilitator became very defensive and replied,'We're just playing around. Its nothing serious.'
And just like that,he passed over my concerns without really acknowledging them. A few people shared their personal accounts of experiences with isolation, and all the while I continued to feel (ironically) isolated in this session. So when I finally found the courage to speak up again, I surprised even myself to find the tears falling as I said, 'I'm still upset about earlier. I know none of you meant anything offensive but you all still DID it, you still perpetuated something you knew wasn't right. And so I think it's important for us to note that, while we're discussing isolation in different contexts, in a family or in a community, these things can and do occur even in groups such as this. Even Peace Corps, where we all pride ourselves on being open minded. And maybe it's because im in the only asian here, but i felt my identity tested and discarded into a degrading stereotype, and I still feel shitty about this.'
I think that's when it really hit. As people reacted (positively) to my words, we suddenly entered into an open discussion, an impromptu diversity session. We've had several in the past weeks, sessions meant to promote diversity and understanding, but this time it was real, not just for me but for the PCTs with me. The outpouring of support and agreement was immense. It made me strangely glad that this happened because of the thoughts and conversations it provoked, and because i know this is only the beginning of these kind of struggles.
As a Taiwanese-American in mozambique, I know I will face numerous challenges during my service, especially in regards to my race. Kids and adults alike will (and already do) chant,'Chinesa! Chinesa!' as I walk by, never taking into consideration that I may not consider myself chinese. I could be korean, or philippina, or any other sort of asian and it would make no difference to them. I may explain that I am american, but to them that doesn't make sense. Americans are white. 'you have the face of a japanese person' my host sister's boyfriend told me. 'I'm american,' I said. 'Yeah, but you have the face of a japanese.'
A lot of it comes from ignorance, especially of geography. My friend's host family owned a globe that they used as toy, ' the spinning ball,' never realizing that its actually meant to be a map.
Part of my mission here is to teach mozambican about americans and the diversity it entails. But it's hard, to be categorized into a racial group before they even know my name.
This weekend was pretty exciting: field trip to the witch doctor on saturday and hiking on sunday to the intersection of the three borders: swaziland, south africa, and mozambique. The weather was perfect for a 5 hour hike. (pictures to come soon!)
Something very interesting came up last week and I wanted to share. In a session about stigma and discrimination (particularly in an HIV/AIDS context) our two mozambican facilitators asked us to each think about a time in which we felt isolated or rejected (in our personal lives). As we came together as a group to share our experiences, one of the facilitators wanted to get us to do some quick exercises to boost our energy. 'when I say cadeira quente (hot chair) you all stand up!' 'when I say cadeira fria (cold chair) you all sit down!' 'when I say china, you do this!' and he proceeded to yell 'hai-ya!' and make karate chop movements. An uncomfortable feeling settled over the room even as my peers repeated (a little hesitantly) after him. And as I watched this happening, my heart began to pound and I became acutely aware of my status as the only asian in the room. I felt helpless, frozen, unsure of what my peers were thinking and if they felt the same knot in their stomachs as I did in mine. Was no one going to call him out on that culturally inappropriate remark? It took me a minute to find my voice. 'I am chinese, or almost chinese,' I said. 'I am taiwanese, I am asian, and I did not appreciate what just happened. I don't know karate or kung fu, neither does my family, neither do my friends from china ,and I did not find that appropriate.' The facilitator became very defensive and replied,'We're just playing around. Its nothing serious.'
And just like that,he passed over my concerns without really acknowledging them. A few people shared their personal accounts of experiences with isolation, and all the while I continued to feel (ironically) isolated in this session. So when I finally found the courage to speak up again, I surprised even myself to find the tears falling as I said, 'I'm still upset about earlier. I know none of you meant anything offensive but you all still DID it, you still perpetuated something you knew wasn't right. And so I think it's important for us to note that, while we're discussing isolation in different contexts, in a family or in a community, these things can and do occur even in groups such as this. Even Peace Corps, where we all pride ourselves on being open minded. And maybe it's because im in the only asian here, but i felt my identity tested and discarded into a degrading stereotype, and I still feel shitty about this.'
I think that's when it really hit. As people reacted (positively) to my words, we suddenly entered into an open discussion, an impromptu diversity session. We've had several in the past weeks, sessions meant to promote diversity and understanding, but this time it was real, not just for me but for the PCTs with me. The outpouring of support and agreement was immense. It made me strangely glad that this happened because of the thoughts and conversations it provoked, and because i know this is only the beginning of these kind of struggles.
As a Taiwanese-American in mozambique, I know I will face numerous challenges during my service, especially in regards to my race. Kids and adults alike will (and already do) chant,'Chinesa! Chinesa!' as I walk by, never taking into consideration that I may not consider myself chinese. I could be korean, or philippina, or any other sort of asian and it would make no difference to them. I may explain that I am american, but to them that doesn't make sense. Americans are white. 'you have the face of a japanese person' my host sister's boyfriend told me. 'I'm american,' I said. 'Yeah, but you have the face of a japanese.'
A lot of it comes from ignorance, especially of geography. My friend's host family owned a globe that they used as toy, ' the spinning ball,' never realizing that its actually meant to be a map.
Part of my mission here is to teach mozambican about americans and the diversity it entails. But it's hard, to be categorized into a racial group before they even know my name.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Highlights of PCT
The street market is open Wednesdays and Saturdays. Vendors set up their wares- dried peixe (fish), snacks, produce, colourful capulanas, shoes, shirts - on makeshift wood tables. You can “pedir desconto” (ask for discount) if you are confident in your Portuguese. The regular Mercado is open every day, but the things you cant buy there can usually be found at ShopRite. Capulanas are sheets of fabric that women wear around the house, do housework in, carry babies around in, and use as towels. They come in beautiful patterns and colors, and are one of my favorite things to buy because having clothes made here is super cheap! For a dress, approx 150 mets ($4-5). I have a dress already, and I am having a skirt made this week.
Chapas are the main method of transport here in Moz, because most people do not have cards. There are several types of chapas, the most common here resemble minivans. These cars are designed to seat 15 people, but the chapa driver charges per person so he fills the chapa as full as possible. Usually he has a partner who lets people in and out and collects money from every passenger. On certain days (ie. Sunday) everyone is trying to get somewhere, so the chapas are crammed. Seats are first come first serve- old people and (even pregnant) women are afforded no luxuries. If there is no room to sit, people will crouch or stand, hunched over with their backs against the roofs of the car, holding on to whatever they can. The guy next to you, a complete stranger, falls asleep on your shoulder without asking. The guy in front of you starts puking out the window right as the trip begins. The woman hovering over you, bent at a 90 degree angle for the entire ride, has her arm gripping your seat for balance and her ripe armpit in your face. The song “Ridin Solo” by Jason DeRulo comes blaring through the radio while youre riding 23 deep… Ironic much?
If you cant find a chapa (Corpo da Paz mandates that you do not ride a car in the dark due to safety reasons), you might need to pedir bolea (hitchhike). It is very much part of the culture here and a relatively safe way to travel (cheaper and more comfortable). You wave your arms and passing cars will stop if they have room. When they see you are a foreigner, they may try to charge to charge you way too much money (for example, 100 US dollars) for a ride that in a chapa would cost 50 mets ($1.50). That’s because they assume you are rich and/or stupid, preferably both. Most of the time, however, boleas are free. Or cost a minimal amount, such as the 10 met/person bolea we took on the bed of a pickup truck (not safe, by the way).
The shopping center in Matola (a smaller, closer version of the capital city of Maputo) has everything a PCT could need. The Mcel and Vodacom stores are right next to each other if you need to buy or have problems with your phone. However, their store hours are highly irregular- closed on Sundays (most of the time), and only open until 12 on Saturdays, so sometimes hard to catch on the weekends. The restaurant Mundos has free wifi (!!!) and sells pizza, burgers, milkshakes and other American-style foods. It’s a bit pricey (about 400 mets for a pizza) but well worth it when you are American and starving for familiar foods. The ShopRite is an actual grocery store, a land of goodies and wonders where its absolutely possible to spend your entire walk around allowance in once trip. My last trip on Saturday found me $800 mets down, but loaded up with soy sauce, black pepper (my cooking staple), sour cream and onion Pringles (don’t judge), TWO kinds of piri-piri (hot sauce- which, by the way, makes every meal exciting), coffee candy, and juice flavoured “Whispers of Summer.”
The weather here, I probably have already mentioned, is ridiculous. You need a jacket in the morning, sweat bullets on the way home for lunch, change into lighter clothes, and promptly freeze your ass off in the afternoon. It rains buckets at night and creates mud everywhere for you to slip on and fall in the mornings. Been there, done that.
The best advice Ive been given yet so far is: learn to laugh at yourself. Last night I got soaked on the way home from class, took a bath, and while walking back in the house, slipped and fell in the mud. My capulana managed to stay on when my legs flew in the air, but my towel slipped and I flashed my boobs to all the neighbors. When that happens, what can you do but laugh?
Chapas are the main method of transport here in Moz, because most people do not have cards. There are several types of chapas, the most common here resemble minivans. These cars are designed to seat 15 people, but the chapa driver charges per person so he fills the chapa as full as possible. Usually he has a partner who lets people in and out and collects money from every passenger. On certain days (ie. Sunday) everyone is trying to get somewhere, so the chapas are crammed. Seats are first come first serve- old people and (even pregnant) women are afforded no luxuries. If there is no room to sit, people will crouch or stand, hunched over with their backs against the roofs of the car, holding on to whatever they can. The guy next to you, a complete stranger, falls asleep on your shoulder without asking. The guy in front of you starts puking out the window right as the trip begins. The woman hovering over you, bent at a 90 degree angle for the entire ride, has her arm gripping your seat for balance and her ripe armpit in your face. The song “Ridin Solo” by Jason DeRulo comes blaring through the radio while youre riding 23 deep… Ironic much?
If you cant find a chapa (Corpo da Paz mandates that you do not ride a car in the dark due to safety reasons), you might need to pedir bolea (hitchhike). It is very much part of the culture here and a relatively safe way to travel (cheaper and more comfortable). You wave your arms and passing cars will stop if they have room. When they see you are a foreigner, they may try to charge to charge you way too much money (for example, 100 US dollars) for a ride that in a chapa would cost 50 mets ($1.50). That’s because they assume you are rich and/or stupid, preferably both. Most of the time, however, boleas are free. Or cost a minimal amount, such as the 10 met/person bolea we took on the bed of a pickup truck (not safe, by the way).
The shopping center in Matola (a smaller, closer version of the capital city of Maputo) has everything a PCT could need. The Mcel and Vodacom stores are right next to each other if you need to buy or have problems with your phone. However, their store hours are highly irregular- closed on Sundays (most of the time), and only open until 12 on Saturdays, so sometimes hard to catch on the weekends. The restaurant Mundos has free wifi (!!!) and sells pizza, burgers, milkshakes and other American-style foods. It’s a bit pricey (about 400 mets for a pizza) but well worth it when you are American and starving for familiar foods. The ShopRite is an actual grocery store, a land of goodies and wonders where its absolutely possible to spend your entire walk around allowance in once trip. My last trip on Saturday found me $800 mets down, but loaded up with soy sauce, black pepper (my cooking staple), sour cream and onion Pringles (don’t judge), TWO kinds of piri-piri (hot sauce- which, by the way, makes every meal exciting), coffee candy, and juice flavoured “Whispers of Summer.”
The weather here, I probably have already mentioned, is ridiculous. You need a jacket in the morning, sweat bullets on the way home for lunch, change into lighter clothes, and promptly freeze your ass off in the afternoon. It rains buckets at night and creates mud everywhere for you to slip on and fall in the mornings. Been there, done that.
The best advice Ive been given yet so far is: learn to laugh at yourself. Last night I got soaked on the way home from class, took a bath, and while walking back in the house, slipped and fell in the mud. My capulana managed to stay on when my legs flew in the air, but my towel slipped and I flashed my boobs to all the neighbors. When that happens, what can you do but laugh?
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Marching on...
This week has been much better, and things are picking up pace again. I just had my first LPI (Language Proficiency Interview) this morning and am already at an Intermediate-Advanced level, although I only need to be at Intermediate by the end of training. No sweat!
The weather has been ridiculously bipolar here, switching back and forth from hot and sunny to cold and windy. I wake up in the middle of the night sweating or hear the wind blowing violently outside my window. Ive developed a cough but have been drinking excessive amounts of ginger tea, so hopefully it wont last too long.
Things that are keeping me going, and making me excited for the upcoming weeks:
- Finding out my site in two weeks!
- Im over halfway done with training!
- Permagardening sessions were useful, and I cant wait to start my own garden and compost
- We finally received mail this week! Although one of my packages was ripped open, as was one of the packets of M&Ms inside...
- Tomorrows trip to Matola to run errands and hang out
- Hiking next weekend to the mountains, where the three borders meet (South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique)
"We'll have the days we break,
And we'll have the scars to prove it
We'll have the bombs that we saved,
And we'll have the heart
Not to lose it
You put one foot in front of the other,
We move like we ain't got no other
We go where we go,
We're marchin on, marchin on
There's so many wars we fought
There's so many things we're not
But with what we have
I promise you that
We're marchin on"
- OneRepublic
The weather has been ridiculously bipolar here, switching back and forth from hot and sunny to cold and windy. I wake up in the middle of the night sweating or hear the wind blowing violently outside my window. Ive developed a cough but have been drinking excessive amounts of ginger tea, so hopefully it wont last too long.
Things that are keeping me going, and making me excited for the upcoming weeks:
- Finding out my site in two weeks!
- Im over halfway done with training!
- Permagardening sessions were useful, and I cant wait to start my own garden and compost
- We finally received mail this week! Although one of my packages was ripped open, as was one of the packets of M&Ms inside...
- Tomorrows trip to Matola to run errands and hang out
- Hiking next weekend to the mountains, where the three borders meet (South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique)
"We'll have the days we break,
And we'll have the scars to prove it
We'll have the bombs that we saved,
And we'll have the heart
Not to lose it
You put one foot in front of the other,
We move like we ain't got no other
We go where we go,
We're marchin on, marchin on
There's so many wars we fought
There's so many things we're not
But with what we have
I promise you that
We're marchin on"
- OneRepublic
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Sitting, waiting, wishing
“I cant remember when the earth turned slowly, so Im just waiting with the lights turned out again \ I lost my place but I cant stop this story \ I found my way but until then, Im only spinning” – Jacks Mannequin
Halfway into the 4th week of training (Ive been in this country a whole month!), I feel that I am in a bit of a slump. Spending day after day with the same 24 health volunteers in a small room, talking about the same topics, becomes absurdly tedious. We are halfway through training but the finish line seems so far away still. I feel very fatigued, which is apparently normal during PST.
I am fortunate enough to get at least some alone time, unlike many of my peers. My family knows I close my door after dinner at 8. I tell them that the light in my room is better for reading and doing homework, which is true. The family just sits around and watches Brazilian soap operas at night anyway.
I did, however, wake up last week in the middle of the night to a strange scratching noise coming from the corner of my room. I turned on the light and noticed a fairly large hole above me in the wood plank in between the roof and the wall. As I continued to watch, a little nose poked through the hole and suddenly I was having a staring contest with a rat (mouse?). It was pretty cute, actually, with big ears. I told my mae the next day so she borrowed the neighbors cat and locked it in the kitchen overnight and my little visitor hasn’t been back since.
Speaking Portuguese from sunrise to sunset is certainly a challenge. I am in a fairly advanced group with 5 other students and a professor named Meque. This Saturday we are having an American cooking session, and our group is planning to make pancakes and omelettes. I am also going to start cooking for my host family once a week… Im excited for fried rice, mashed potatoes, banana bread, garlic bread… If only it were possible to have a nice, juicy steak mailed to me. Food is a common topic of conversation among trainees, as you can probably tell.
Today, all 71 trainees must cross the Swaziland border to renew their visas. My group was first, so we have the rest of the day off (thankfully). Unfortunately, we are not official volunteers yet and cannot travel and play in other countries, so we basically had to walk across the border and come right back. Peace Corps has had some issues with our visas, because the price of a permanent visa has skyrocketed from about $100 about $1000 US.
Next week we have a couple of permagarden sessions (how to create a sustainable garden), which will be useful. Although Im usually awful at growing plants, I hope that when I get to site I will have a chance to cultivate my green thumb.
I may have already mentioned this, but I also plan to get a baby goat (to mow my lawn and omg they are so cute), a cat (to deal with mice), and a ferocious dog (to guard my house). It will be quite the farm.
There seems to be a problem with the mail getting to us, unfortunately. A staff member told us that at this time last year, the packages were rolling in, in large quantities, which is not the case this year. I have only received 1 out of 6 pieces of mail I am expecting. Hopefully the mail starts arriving soon; everyone seems to be waiting for something. Next week should be the last week you should send me mail if you plan to, until I receive my site placement and can give a permanent address.
I hope everyone is doing well! I would love to hear from you guys. It would certainly lift my spirits.
Halfway into the 4th week of training (Ive been in this country a whole month!), I feel that I am in a bit of a slump. Spending day after day with the same 24 health volunteers in a small room, talking about the same topics, becomes absurdly tedious. We are halfway through training but the finish line seems so far away still. I feel very fatigued, which is apparently normal during PST.
I am fortunate enough to get at least some alone time, unlike many of my peers. My family knows I close my door after dinner at 8. I tell them that the light in my room is better for reading and doing homework, which is true. The family just sits around and watches Brazilian soap operas at night anyway.
I did, however, wake up last week in the middle of the night to a strange scratching noise coming from the corner of my room. I turned on the light and noticed a fairly large hole above me in the wood plank in between the roof and the wall. As I continued to watch, a little nose poked through the hole and suddenly I was having a staring contest with a rat (mouse?). It was pretty cute, actually, with big ears. I told my mae the next day so she borrowed the neighbors cat and locked it in the kitchen overnight and my little visitor hasn’t been back since.
Speaking Portuguese from sunrise to sunset is certainly a challenge. I am in a fairly advanced group with 5 other students and a professor named Meque. This Saturday we are having an American cooking session, and our group is planning to make pancakes and omelettes. I am also going to start cooking for my host family once a week… Im excited for fried rice, mashed potatoes, banana bread, garlic bread… If only it were possible to have a nice, juicy steak mailed to me. Food is a common topic of conversation among trainees, as you can probably tell.
Today, all 71 trainees must cross the Swaziland border to renew their visas. My group was first, so we have the rest of the day off (thankfully). Unfortunately, we are not official volunteers yet and cannot travel and play in other countries, so we basically had to walk across the border and come right back. Peace Corps has had some issues with our visas, because the price of a permanent visa has skyrocketed from about $100 about $1000 US.
Next week we have a couple of permagarden sessions (how to create a sustainable garden), which will be useful. Although Im usually awful at growing plants, I hope that when I get to site I will have a chance to cultivate my green thumb.
I may have already mentioned this, but I also plan to get a baby goat (to mow my lawn and omg they are so cute), a cat (to deal with mice), and a ferocious dog (to guard my house). It will be quite the farm.
There seems to be a problem with the mail getting to us, unfortunately. A staff member told us that at this time last year, the packages were rolling in, in large quantities, which is not the case this year. I have only received 1 out of 6 pieces of mail I am expecting. Hopefully the mail starts arriving soon; everyone seems to be waiting for something. Next week should be the last week you should send me mail if you plan to, until I receive my site placement and can give a permanent address.
I hope everyone is doing well! I would love to hear from you guys. It would certainly lift my spirits.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Vida em Namaacha
"If I just breathe, let it fill the space between, I´ll know everything is alright." - Michelle Branch, "Breathe"
Life in Namaacha is becoming normalized. I know my way around Bairro B and how to get to the places I need to go- mainly the market, the agencia where I use internet on a very slow computer, my friends houses, health class, and of course, the barracas (bars). Haha, just kidding. But not really… There are definitely limited places where large groups of volunteers can go to hang out.
2nd week seemed to go by much faster than week one, now that I have language basics, a stronger relationship with my host family, and the establishment of a daily routine. I wake up at 630 to the sound of roosters. Theyre everywhere. The 1st week, Id wake up when they started at about 3am but now, I just tune them out until the sun is actually out. I take a bath first thing (tomar banho), then eat mato-bicho (breakfast)- almost always fried eggs, bread, and tea (or instant coffee). Language class is from 730 to 930 and from 3-50, always held at one of our homes. We rotate every week and its interesting to see how different our lots are… Some homes have running water or gas stoves or indoor toilets, although mine certainly does not.
My lingua class, as of yesterday, was the smallest language group with only 3 of us. The teachers and classes were rotated yesterday based on how well we did on our first test. Id like to think Im in an average to high group, but who knows. My Portuguese definitely still sucks :)
Health class is from 10-1230 with a lunch break that is usually 1 or 1.5 hours, depending on the day. Some days I need to bring my lunch, which tends to be an ordeal because Mozambicans do not just have already prepared food waiting to be eaten. After class, I usually hang out with other volunteers, walking around (passeando) which is quite the pasttime here. Its probably culturally equivalent to just ´chilling with friends.`
On Sundays, I go to church with my family. Its a lengthy experience- approx 3 hours, but also very culturally rich and different from anything Im used to. They spend an hour singing in small groups, another hour collecting donatios in conga-line dancing and singing formations.
The weather here is rather unpredictable, sometimes violently rainy and windy at night. It is also amplified by the tin roof over my head, so sometimes I feel (as another voluteer described it) as if I am stewing in a giant pot. Lets not mention the plethora of animals that trek around on the roof as well, particularly when Im trying to sleep. When it rains, the roads turn to mud that cakes to your shoes and weigh your feet down when youre walking to class. Its also been colder than I expected, certainly colder than San Diego... But then again, we were warned that Namaacha has a microclimate similar to that of Swaziland, and not to expect the same throughout the rest of Moz.
In Mozambique, theres no such thing as different types of food. Food is food and if youre picky, this country is not for you. Salad and french fries for breakfast is entirely possible, especially if you happen to mention to your mae that you really enjoyed having them for dinner last night. Some things you can expect every meal: rice, pasta, or xima (a disgustlingly tasteless mush of corn adn flour that looks heartbreakingly like mashed potatoes). Xima is the one thing I have informed my host family that I intensely dislike, by the way. Theres always a type of protein as well, be it chicken (freshly killed in the backyard, of course. Also something on my training to-do list), goat, rarely beef, or peixe (fish that is most of the time fried and contains a million annoying bones). Oh, or bologna. Yes, bologna, and of a suspiciously bright shade of red too. Most veggies, aside from salad, are cooked in the rice or sauce to the point of absolute softness (read: no nutritional value). Some volunteers have had stomach problems, but Ive been okay.
I cannot wait to get to my own site and make fried rice! And spicy ramen, does anyone want to send me some more? Thatd be great, thanks. Ive also had multiple cravings for the strangest things, particularly skittles, goldfish crackers, cheezits. (Hint hint)
My mailing address is on a previous blog post (I dont have it on me right now)
and my PHONE NUMBER is 258 820 653 968. Its cheapest via google, and skype is 2nd best. Call me!! I would love to hear from you. I havent had time to keep up with anyone via internet, unfortunately.
Until next time, take care!
Life in Namaacha is becoming normalized. I know my way around Bairro B and how to get to the places I need to go- mainly the market, the agencia where I use internet on a very slow computer, my friends houses, health class, and of course, the barracas (bars). Haha, just kidding. But not really… There are definitely limited places where large groups of volunteers can go to hang out.
2nd week seemed to go by much faster than week one, now that I have language basics, a stronger relationship with my host family, and the establishment of a daily routine. I wake up at 630 to the sound of roosters. Theyre everywhere. The 1st week, Id wake up when they started at about 3am but now, I just tune them out until the sun is actually out. I take a bath first thing (tomar banho), then eat mato-bicho (breakfast)- almost always fried eggs, bread, and tea (or instant coffee). Language class is from 730 to 930 and from 3-50, always held at one of our homes. We rotate every week and its interesting to see how different our lots are… Some homes have running water or gas stoves or indoor toilets, although mine certainly does not.
My lingua class, as of yesterday, was the smallest language group with only 3 of us. The teachers and classes were rotated yesterday based on how well we did on our first test. Id like to think Im in an average to high group, but who knows. My Portuguese definitely still sucks :)
Health class is from 10-1230 with a lunch break that is usually 1 or 1.5 hours, depending on the day. Some days I need to bring my lunch, which tends to be an ordeal because Mozambicans do not just have already prepared food waiting to be eaten. After class, I usually hang out with other volunteers, walking around (passeando) which is quite the pasttime here. Its probably culturally equivalent to just ´chilling with friends.`
On Sundays, I go to church with my family. Its a lengthy experience- approx 3 hours, but also very culturally rich and different from anything Im used to. They spend an hour singing in small groups, another hour collecting donatios in conga-line dancing and singing formations.
The weather here is rather unpredictable, sometimes violently rainy and windy at night. It is also amplified by the tin roof over my head, so sometimes I feel (as another voluteer described it) as if I am stewing in a giant pot. Lets not mention the plethora of animals that trek around on the roof as well, particularly when Im trying to sleep. When it rains, the roads turn to mud that cakes to your shoes and weigh your feet down when youre walking to class. Its also been colder than I expected, certainly colder than San Diego... But then again, we were warned that Namaacha has a microclimate similar to that of Swaziland, and not to expect the same throughout the rest of Moz.
In Mozambique, theres no such thing as different types of food. Food is food and if youre picky, this country is not for you. Salad and french fries for breakfast is entirely possible, especially if you happen to mention to your mae that you really enjoyed having them for dinner last night. Some things you can expect every meal: rice, pasta, or xima (a disgustlingly tasteless mush of corn adn flour that looks heartbreakingly like mashed potatoes). Xima is the one thing I have informed my host family that I intensely dislike, by the way. Theres always a type of protein as well, be it chicken (freshly killed in the backyard, of course. Also something on my training to-do list), goat, rarely beef, or peixe (fish that is most of the time fried and contains a million annoying bones). Oh, or bologna. Yes, bologna, and of a suspiciously bright shade of red too. Most veggies, aside from salad, are cooked in the rice or sauce to the point of absolute softness (read: no nutritional value). Some volunteers have had stomach problems, but Ive been okay.
I cannot wait to get to my own site and make fried rice! And spicy ramen, does anyone want to send me some more? Thatd be great, thanks. Ive also had multiple cravings for the strangest things, particularly skittles, goldfish crackers, cheezits. (Hint hint)
My mailing address is on a previous blog post (I dont have it on me right now)
and my PHONE NUMBER is 258 820 653 968. Its cheapest via google, and skype is 2nd best. Call me!! I would love to hear from you. I havent had time to keep up with anyone via internet, unfortunately.
Until next time, take care!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Boa vinda a Moçambique!
"Say, all I need is the air I breathe, and a place to rest my head." - Onerepublic
After leaving the comforts of Hotel Kaya Kwanga in Maputo on Saturday, we arrived in Namaacha, Mozambique- our training site and homestay for the next 10 weeks. All the families came in singing and holding up post-its with our names on them, and then held our hands all the way home.
I live in Bairro B with all the other Health volunteers. I have a mai, a pai, four host sisters ages 4-20, and a host brother (22). We have electricity but no running water. My bathroom is an outdoor latrine (aka hole in the ground) with a chimney on top, and I take bucket baths no less than 3 times a day, as it is Mozambique custom to bathe before every (large) meal. (We eat three big meals a day and two small meals.) Food is generally very carb-heavy: bread, pasta, crackers, french fries, more bread... Mozambicans love to feed you, and being fat is good here. I find small cockroaches in my house sometimes, but its a part of life here. The one thing I havent gotten used to, is hearing the roosters start going off at 3 in the morning, and the big rats that scuttle around on the roof above my bed.
When I arrived at my home on the first day, I was surprised to see a Justin Bieber music video on the TV, followed by Lil Wayne and Rihanna. I visited a middle school the other day, and the students were eager to ask if I knew Beyonce and Justin Bieber personally. I guess I just cant get away from Bieber fever... even in Africa.
On a similar note, I was caught off guard to see how Westernized everything is. They refer to toothpaste as "Colgate," yogurt as "Danon," and kids run around with Nike shoes and Western brand clothing. When I met my pai, he was wearing a Miller Lite shirt.
However, Mozambicans tend to have little concept of geography (which I was warned about beforehand)... The first day I showed my family pictures from my camera. "Las Vegas" I said, pointing. My mai gave me a confused look, until my oldest sister (a teacher) clarified, "En Espana." (In Spain) Everyone nodded and then continued on scanning through the rest of the photos.
My Portuguese is improving immensely, even after less than a week of being here. It is certainly not as similar to Spanish as I expected. Now I can understand most things and even speak a minimal amount... I guess being immersed in a foreign culture will do that to you. Or maybe the 10 hours of language classes a day.
Something else I find interesting, is the difference in concept of privacy. Here, being alone is a bad thing. Mozambicans take it to mean something is wrong. However, Americans enjoy their alone time and for this reason, by the end of the first day I just wanted to shut myself in my room and journal and go to bed.
As I was taking my first bath in Mozambique, my mai walked around the corner of the bath hut and told me I was doing it wrong. I needed to tie up my hair, she said (or motioned, because I had no idea what she was saying) so she called for my sisters to get a hair tie for me. Then, before I knew it, two of them walked around the corner and I suddenly had three pairs of curious eyes on me as I was already naked and soaking wet. They finally left and I was able to finish my bath in peace.
My second bath, no such luck. Because it was dark outside, my mai had a flashlight which I assumed she would leave with me. Instead, she held it up for me and waited for me to bathe... So I did, slowly and awkwardly. After a couple of minutes, she shook her head, spewed some foreign Portuguese at me, and proceeded to bathe me, literally. She scrubbed me with her hands and a bar of soap like I was a baby. (And in many ways, I am, because I dont know how to speak or prepare food in this country- or bathe, apparently.) I didnt know who should feel more awkward, me or her, but she seemed to have no problem with it. I guess that was my introduction to Africa. Welcome to Mozambique.
After leaving the comforts of Hotel Kaya Kwanga in Maputo on Saturday, we arrived in Namaacha, Mozambique- our training site and homestay for the next 10 weeks. All the families came in singing and holding up post-its with our names on them, and then held our hands all the way home.
I live in Bairro B with all the other Health volunteers. I have a mai, a pai, four host sisters ages 4-20, and a host brother (22). We have electricity but no running water. My bathroom is an outdoor latrine (aka hole in the ground) with a chimney on top, and I take bucket baths no less than 3 times a day, as it is Mozambique custom to bathe before every (large) meal. (We eat three big meals a day and two small meals.) Food is generally very carb-heavy: bread, pasta, crackers, french fries, more bread... Mozambicans love to feed you, and being fat is good here. I find small cockroaches in my house sometimes, but its a part of life here. The one thing I havent gotten used to, is hearing the roosters start going off at 3 in the morning, and the big rats that scuttle around on the roof above my bed.
When I arrived at my home on the first day, I was surprised to see a Justin Bieber music video on the TV, followed by Lil Wayne and Rihanna. I visited a middle school the other day, and the students were eager to ask if I knew Beyonce and Justin Bieber personally. I guess I just cant get away from Bieber fever... even in Africa.
On a similar note, I was caught off guard to see how Westernized everything is. They refer to toothpaste as "Colgate," yogurt as "Danon," and kids run around with Nike shoes and Western brand clothing. When I met my pai, he was wearing a Miller Lite shirt.
However, Mozambicans tend to have little concept of geography (which I was warned about beforehand)... The first day I showed my family pictures from my camera. "Las Vegas" I said, pointing. My mai gave me a confused look, until my oldest sister (a teacher) clarified, "En Espana." (In Spain) Everyone nodded and then continued on scanning through the rest of the photos.
My Portuguese is improving immensely, even after less than a week of being here. It is certainly not as similar to Spanish as I expected. Now I can understand most things and even speak a minimal amount... I guess being immersed in a foreign culture will do that to you. Or maybe the 10 hours of language classes a day.
Something else I find interesting, is the difference in concept of privacy. Here, being alone is a bad thing. Mozambicans take it to mean something is wrong. However, Americans enjoy their alone time and for this reason, by the end of the first day I just wanted to shut myself in my room and journal and go to bed.
As I was taking my first bath in Mozambique, my mai walked around the corner of the bath hut and told me I was doing it wrong. I needed to tie up my hair, she said (or motioned, because I had no idea what she was saying) so she called for my sisters to get a hair tie for me. Then, before I knew it, two of them walked around the corner and I suddenly had three pairs of curious eyes on me as I was already naked and soaking wet. They finally left and I was able to finish my bath in peace.
My second bath, no such luck. Because it was dark outside, my mai had a flashlight which I assumed she would leave with me. Instead, she held it up for me and waited for me to bathe... So I did, slowly and awkwardly. After a couple of minutes, she shook her head, spewed some foreign Portuguese at me, and proceeded to bathe me, literally. She scrubbed me with her hands and a bar of soap like I was a baby. (And in many ways, I am, because I dont know how to speak or prepare food in this country- or bathe, apparently.) I didnt know who should feel more awkward, me or her, but she seemed to have no problem with it. I guess that was my introduction to Africa. Welcome to Mozambique.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Hello from moz
The longest flight of my life was at least prefaced with a day of Peace Corps group bonding in Philadelphia. Our training group, Moz 15, has 71 volunteers with about 45 in education and 25 (like me) in health. It is so refreshing to meet other people from all over the U.S. who share the my trepidations and aspirations. Everyone is super nice and we all hang out together for meals and such. This is my family for the next two years and I already appreciate them so much.
After waking up at 2am to bus to New York, we sat at the airport for about 4 hours (we're getting good at the game bananagrams) before taking off for a 15 hour flight to Johannesburg. I slept a little bit, but woke up with a sore back, a sore butt, and sore legs. My friend next to me stayed up and watched five movies in a row. After that, it was a 45 min flight to Maputo, Mozambique and now here I am. One of my suitcases did not arrive with our flight, which stressed me out a bit but it ended up coming with the 2nd flight of Moz volunteers.
We'll be at this hotel for a few days, adjusting to jet lag and getting our shots- before we leave for training in Namaacha.
I am so optimistic for the future, but I don't think it's quite hit me yet- I'm in Africa!! Of course, where else would I find such an abundance of bats and mosquitoes? ;)
After waking up at 2am to bus to New York, we sat at the airport for about 4 hours (we're getting good at the game bananagrams) before taking off for a 15 hour flight to Johannesburg. I slept a little bit, but woke up with a sore back, a sore butt, and sore legs. My friend next to me stayed up and watched five movies in a row. After that, it was a 45 min flight to Maputo, Mozambique and now here I am. One of my suitcases did not arrive with our flight, which stressed me out a bit but it ended up coming with the 2nd flight of Moz volunteers.
We'll be at this hotel for a few days, adjusting to jet lag and getting our shots- before we leave for training in Namaacha.
I am so optimistic for the future, but I don't think it's quite hit me yet- I'm in Africa!! Of course, where else would I find such an abundance of bats and mosquitoes? ;)
Saturday, August 28, 2010
pre-departure preparations
The mind of man plans his ways, but the Lord directs his steps. -Proverbs 16:9
With less than one month before departure, I am frantically organizing my belongings into two categories: coming with me to Mozambique, or staying here (most likely in storage). Unfortunately, with an 80 lb luggage limit, most things fall in the latter. I'm wracking my brain for all the things I need to buy... Spicy ramen to last me two years! An extra camera battery in case I don't have frequent access to electrical outlets... A power converter set... An extra pair of glasses... Durable shoes... Good books... The list goes on and on.
Moving and packing are among my top dislikes, so I'm trying to do it all slowly but steadily so that I don't get too stressed. I've been reading through some blogs by previous volunteers in Mozambique to get a better idea of what I'm getting myself in to. Apparently, spider bites are pretty common. Did I mention that creepy crawlies love me? Especially mosquitoes... I can't wait.
Itinerary
Sept 26- departure to Philadelphia, PA for staging event
Sept 29- departure to Maputo, Mozambique with a stop in Johannesburg, South Africa
I will be training in Maputo for 3 months before beginning my 2 year service. During this time, I will be living with a host family, and I'll be learning Portuguese and probably a local language(s)! I accumulate two days of vacation a month after training, which I cannot use during the first or last six months. I plan to use this time to tour Africa and possibly Europe, instead of coming back to the states.
My address during pre-service training:
Vivienne Chao, PCV
Corpo da Paz/U. S. Peace Corps
C.P. 4398
Maputo, MOZAMBIQUE
... Although snail mail will be delayed, please write to me!! I have heard from past and current volunteers that mail is a godsend. My skype username is vivienne.chao, although I'm not sure how frequent my internet access will be. I'll probably be getting a cell phone once I'm in Mozambique as well :)
With less than one month before departure, I am frantically organizing my belongings into two categories: coming with me to Mozambique, or staying here (most likely in storage). Unfortunately, with an 80 lb luggage limit, most things fall in the latter. I'm wracking my brain for all the things I need to buy... Spicy ramen to last me two years! An extra camera battery in case I don't have frequent access to electrical outlets... A power converter set... An extra pair of glasses... Durable shoes... Good books... The list goes on and on.
Moving and packing are among my top dislikes, so I'm trying to do it all slowly but steadily so that I don't get too stressed. I've been reading through some blogs by previous volunteers in Mozambique to get a better idea of what I'm getting myself in to. Apparently, spider bites are pretty common. Did I mention that creepy crawlies love me? Especially mosquitoes... I can't wait.
Itinerary
Sept 26- departure to Philadelphia, PA for staging event
Sept 29- departure to Maputo, Mozambique with a stop in Johannesburg, South Africa
I will be training in Maputo for 3 months before beginning my 2 year service. During this time, I will be living with a host family, and I'll be learning Portuguese and probably a local language(s)! I accumulate two days of vacation a month after training, which I cannot use during the first or last six months. I plan to use this time to tour Africa and possibly Europe, instead of coming back to the states.
My address during pre-service training:
Vivienne Chao, PCV
Corpo da Paz/U. S. Peace Corps
C.P. 4398
Maputo, MOZAMBIQUE
... Although snail mail will be delayed, please write to me!! I have heard from past and current volunteers that mail is a godsend. My skype username is vivienne.chao, although I'm not sure how frequent my internet access will be. I'll probably be getting a cell phone once I'm in Mozambique as well :)
Friday, August 13, 2010
This Time for Africa
It arrived today, the long anticipated Peace Corps invitation. It's been an arduous year long process, fraught with unexpected twists and turns, not the least of which include my assignment: Community Health Promoter in Mozambique. Like my friend Cameron Bradley, I'll be serving my two years in Africa.
Honestly, I never imagined myself on the African continent. When I began the application process, I expressed a strong desire to serve in Latin America but was disappointed when I was nominated for the region of Central Asia/Eastern Europe instead. Ukraine? Turkey? Not my ideal choices, but the idea began to grow on me.
Leave it to Peace Corps to throw me another curve ball. Not only will I not be teaching English as presumed, but my assignment will be focused on HIV/AIDs prevention.
I've always known I'll accept whatever assignment I am given. I realize that God has a plan for my life and that every challenge I encounter on this journey will only make me stronger and mold me into the person I am supposed to be.
As the initial shock is wearing off, excitement is starting to build. I'll be leaving for orientation on September 27, which seems so very soon...
We'll never be ready if we keep waiting
For the perfect time to come
Won't be steady, I'll never be ready
Where we don't know, though we can't see
Just walk on down this road with me..."
- Mat Kearney, "Never Be Ready"
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