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.
Monday, November 22, 2010
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
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