All in a day's work

Back in Maputo again, this time saying final goodbyes to previous sitemates Erica and Alycia, and picking up my boyfriend Kevin from the airport. Funny enough, it looks like Erica and Alycia are leaving on the same plane that Kevin is getting in on- What are the chances?

Life has been crazy busy at site, less so with my primary project (Tsembeka and CACHES) and more with my secondary projects (REDES and English Theatre). Saturday the 15th, 70 girls showed up at the Secondary School of Chicumbane for an inter-group exchange, where they learned to make capulana flowers and peanut butter, did an activity regarding gender in contemporary music, and interacted with a panel of HIV+ activists. I've realized that being the financial director for the program is a lot of work! I felt like a chicken with its head cut off, scribbling receipts right and left, and double checking our budget. Two hours after the event ended, I was still organizing receipts and filling out excel sheets. It's great though. I love it.

The English Theatre group is busy preparing for the upcoming competition, which means long nights of sitting through rehearsals for me. The piece that they are doing is pretty heavy, involving themes such as prostitution, multiple concurrent partners, sex before marriage, HIV, and the importance of education. I laugh, finding myself constantly correcting students on the pronunciation of interesting words like "virginity", "whore",and "ultimatum."

The puppies are doing well, still living in my latrine but not so content to stay there all the time now that they can walk and see and play. Mel seems to have little interest in feeding them anymore, so they swarm me and try to jump on my legs anytime I'm near and especially when I'm going to the bathroom. Heather, another PCV, came by to claim the first, who she named Solzinho (Alone) because of his tendency to wander around and explore by himself. I've fallen in love with one of the other puppies, a big fat brown one that the kids have named Magorducha. I don't need a third dog, but I am still reluctant to give this one away. Fortunately, all the people I have promised puppies to live close by and I can always visit. (As long as no one steals any while I'm out of town.)

Several days ago, I was sitting in my house drawing with some of the kids when a girl showed up at my front door saying that someone had taken two of the puppies. I leapt out of my seat and ran to check. Sure enough, two puppies were missing. Some kid down the street had up and decided to take two to his house, without saying a thing to me. The other kids called him back, and as he was putting the dogs back in the latrine I yelled at him that he had no right to take them out of my yard, but he didn't seem fazed in the least. When I went to his house to speak with his aunt, she explained that the kid is raised by his grandparents, who never discipline him. Because of this, he tends to steal things and do whatever he wants. I returned home very disturbed by the situation, and paranoid about the safety of the puppies.

I have also currently banned XimaXima and Mel from the house, after finding fleas in my bed. My new kitten Mazambane ("potato" in Changana) should be ready to leave from my friend Megan's house soon, so pretty soon we'll just be one big happy family.

Aside from work work work, I've been really looking forward to play play play- Kevin's whisking me off to South Africa in a few days!!! I'll be sure to take lots of pictures.