I’ve been trying to start this blog for a while now and just can’t seem to find the right words. So much has happened in the past two months and I’m still processing most of it. School ended at the end of October and I was proctoring exams in the first weeks of November. I finally had some free time to travel and coordinated a trip to the north with my friend Amanda for a couple Thanksgiving celebrations. I met her at the house of some other PCVs in Zobue, Tete on the Malawi border and we cut through there to get over to Mandimba and Lichinga in Niassa province. Malawi was beautiful and the roads incredible. We zig-zaged our way through in under six hours and crossed back into Moz in Mandimba via bike taxi. From there a chapa goes the 150km up to Lichinga on one of the worst roads I’ve seen. I understand that the road to The Dombe is unpaved and pretty crappy, but a section of a national highway, leading to a provincial capital should be better taken care of. My butt may never fully recover. But the trip was worth it as I saw several PCVs for the first time since swear in and we had an incredible feast with the local Doctors Without Borders group. The day after Thanksgiving we took our leftovers out to Lake Niassa/Lake Malawi and spent a relaxing day getting sun and swimming. Along with a few other volunteers, I started my journey south the following day. Over the next couple of days I went from Lichinga to Cuamba to Gurue to Macuba to Gorongosa for a second Thanksgiving in the park. After stuffing myself with turkey, mashed potatoes, carrots, stuffing and pie for a second time I returned to Chimoio and Dombe to regroup before meeting my Mom and Marv in Maputo. Unfortunately I got roped into proctoring and grading the English exam for the second round of national exams and barely got out in time to catch my TCO bus to Maputo. And like my 15 hour flight to the states last June, after traveling in country on frustratingly bad roads and slow chapas, my 12 hour bus ride was a piece of cake. I arrived in Maputo at 5am and had a couple days to get my head together before Mom and Marv arrived.

Mom and Marv in Chidenguele

Now describing the next couple weeks will be difficult. We had so much fun and did so much traveling that I’m going to let my pictures do most of the talking (Mom and I both will have a bunch up on facebook here soon). But we started with a couple days in Maputo before going to Kruger National Park for three days of safari-ing. Shishangeni was just incredible. We were at one of the private lodges in the south part of the park and it was truly ‘chique’. Over the course of our four game drives (two early morning, two late afternoon) we saw elephants, rhinos, lots of impala, kudu, wildebeest, buffalo, lions, giraffes, vervet monkeys and so much more. I honestly can’t describe my feelings as we approached the pride of lions picking the remnants off the previous night’s kill or seeing a massive elephant walk peacefully by our truck with its baby.

After our final game drive we returned to Maputo to pick up our rental car and start the journey north. Very little of the trip was preplanned and we hadn’t made any hotel reservations so we ended up rolling into each town with our fingers crossed and were lucky to find somewhere awesome every time. Lots of beachfront property for us. It’s going to be a rude awakening when I finally get back to The Dombe. We spent a stormy night in Chindenguele at a place on the dunes and a couple days on the beach in Tofo. Mom and I swam with the whale sharks (unbelievably cool, a true lifelister) and got a bit sunburned. Onto Vilankulos for our two day dhow ocean safari, lots more seafood and great company. We found a quiet little backpackers to return to for Christmas that was, of course, right on the water.We got up to Chimoio and I was able to get a bed frame made overnight and a new mattress to take out to the mato. Dombe lived up to my descriptions as it was the hottest place we spent time but a few people were around for Mom and Marv to meet. They saw my school and my house, met Panda and had a cold coke in the vila. You’ll have to ask them for more impressions and opinions because that’s just life for me. But I think it was even a bit more remote than they expected. We arrived back in Chimoio as it was getting dark and met up with my friend Amanda for dinner. We “snuck” her into the hotel and she traveled back to Vil with us for Christmas. It never quite feels like Christmas here due to the heat and general lack of decorations and materialistic fervor but we had a great day on the beach complete with seafood dinner (Mom has a great picture of the platter we shared!). We then started our journey back to Maputo with a stopover in Zavora at yet another picturesque dune top resort. Arriving back in Maputo was bittersweet knowing it was our last night together but we had had an amazing trip. To be so far from home at this time of year is hard but having them here made all the difference. Plus we got to talk to Dad, Mary, Jesse and Ashlee and the kids on Christmas day. I love technology!

But then Mom and Marv left and “real life” began again. A good friend and fellow PCV was getting ready to return to America so I spent time with him in Maputo and caught up with others passing through. I had a rough travel day coming north and it took me about 14 hours to travel the 480ish km between Xai-Xai and Vilankulos. Luckily Drew was just arriving back in Vil from a vacation with his family in Paris and I was able to spend New Year’s Eve with him partying with a bunch of Zimbabwean tourists at a nearby resort. Both of us were exhausted from traveling but managed to rally and welcome in the new year until about 3:30am! Now I’m back in Chimoio preparing to head back out to The Dombe and start the new school year. I have no idea what exactly I’ll be teaching this year but I’m excited to get out to my new bed and get rid of this backpack I’ve been living out of for the past month. Feliz Ano Novo! Happy New Year!

Life Is A Highway - Tom Cochrane (It has to be his version because we mentions Mozambique!)

As many of you may have seen on Facebook, our Peace Corps Mozambique family suffered a tragic loss on December 20th when five volunteers were involved in a road accident. Four brand new PCVs from the Moz17 group and one from my group were traveling to the coast for a day on the beach when the driver of the car lost control. Lena Jenison and Elizabeth Alden Landis died from their injuries and Mark Goldfarb, Derek Roberts and Mary Lager were evacuated to Pretoria, South Africa for treatment. As PCVs from the newest group, Lena and Alden had been sworn in on December 8th and had been at site for less than two weeks. I had met them when I went to their PST week 1 and again at swear in and they were both just full of life and so excited to be in Moz. They were confident, beautiful girls and their energy and positive attitude was evident to everyone. I didn’t know either Lena or Alden that well but they were part of the family and we are all feeling their loss. My heart breaks for their families and for their fellow Moz17ers as they have to deal with all this so soon after arriving and during their first holiday season away. Knowing I saw them just a few weeks ago makes it that much more difficult to comprehend. Derek and Mary have both been released from the hospital and will be flying back to the U.S. sometime this week. My friend Mark suffered the worst injuries of the three and may not be released for a couple more weeks. He will also go back to the states to continue his recovery but isn’t stable enough to travel. I just saw him at our Gorongosa Thanksgiving and we spoke about how excited he was for the new year as he was taking on a new position to better connect PCVs and our science fair project with the government. The chances of him being able to return to service are almost zero so I’m glad I have those recent memories to hold on to.

Elizabeth Alden LandisLena Jenison

Over the past week or so, memorials for Lena and Alden were held in each region so we all had a chance to remember and reflect together. I attended the southern memorial in Macia (Mark and Derek’s site) on my way north. It was a small group as many PCVs are traveling but it was a nice opportunity to be together and work through our emotions. Only one Moz17er was present but he shared his memories of Lena and Alden and hopefully he felt supported by our presence. I think we’re all experiencing conflicting feelings of sadness, confusion, fear, relief and guilt. Can we be relieved it wasn’t us without disrespecting the young women we lost? Will we be able to control these new fears and apprehensions about traveling and move forward with our service?

As volunteers we take risks almost every day and have been since we made the decision to apply to the Peace Corps in the first place. We prevent malaria with prophylaxis and mosquito nets and intestinal issues by filtering and treating our water. We learn about cultural norms so we can make good decisions regarding how and when we interact with the community. But there are some risks nearly impossible to avoid. As we aren’t allowed to drive during our service, we take a chance every time we get into a vehicle to travel. Chapas are old, often in poor condition and always overcrowded. Motoristas (drivers) are can be erratic, hurried and not always the best of drivers. They have set routes and sometimes are the only option to get from one place to another but are constantly stopping and can be incredibly frustrating. A boleia (getting a ride in a private car) is essentially hitchhiking and usually very safe. Personal vehicles are typically in better condition, won’t be making so many stops, go faster and if you’re real lucky include air conditioning. You can be far more discerning when it comes to selecting a boleia but it has its risks too. A driver could have been recently drinking or might have crazy road rage issues. You may not realize these things until your under way and then be forced to decide to take the risk or ask to get out. But if you ever plan on leaving your site you must face these decisions and weigh the risks. I can’t speak for everyone, but I’d say a vast majority of us have gotten into a chapa or accepted a ride that we weren’t completely sure about. Somewhere in our brain a little alarm went off but for whatever reason (we’re in a hurry, sick of standing on the side of the road in the sun, or racing against the setting sun) we got in anyway. 99% of the time everything goes smoothly and we make it to our destination but we also start getting complacent and ignore those gut instincts. The events of December 20th were tragic and something that will stay with us for the rest of our lives but maybe it will help us remember to listen to that voice, alarm or gut feeling and make the safer decision.

Fields of Gray - Bruce Hornsby

 fellow teachers October 28th was the official end of the school year here in Moz which means I survived my first year teaching in Portuguese. It’s kind of hard to believe actually. I so clearly remember my first day of classes, the butterflies in my stomach and the doubts I had in my language skills. Would the kids like me? Would they adapt to my teaching style? Would they even understand me? After hearing from 14ers that most kids won’t show up the first week I decided to give a lesson on the scientific method rather than jump into required material. I was greeted with lots of blank stares and silence. But slowly that improved. They did adapt and were soon making comments, correctly my Portuguese writing and sassing off. I squashed the latter two habits and we found a comfortable level of interaction. Just like 8th graders in the U.S., these kids just want to have fun, be with their friends and be popular. Some are real smart and interested in learning; some are simply in class because they are supposed to be there. I learned that I had to identify the dedicated ones and generally teach to them – I can’t make everyone happy and if they aren’t going to try it’s their loss. They tolerated my eccentricities and “strange” teaching style but I had no idea how they felt about me until I returned from my America trip and was left with only two turmas. Those two groups gave me a standing ovation when I announced it and the students from the other three were disappointed and wondered why I was leaving them. I felt bad for them but was feeling really good about myself! And now, three trimesters and the human body later, my grades are done, exams are returned and students are asking me if I’ll teach them again next year (I would love to stay with them but 9th grade biology is a whole year of plants and I think I would go insane teaching that). So one year down and one to go. Who knows what adventures it will bring!

Unfortunately, the end of October also means we’re a little bit closer to saying goodbye to the 14ers. Heath PCVs always COS (Close Of Service) first so some of them might already be down in Maputo but the Education volunteers will be headed that way real soon. I realize that it’s only goodbye until we’re all back in Americaland but these folks are a key part of my Peace Corps service. These were the people that answered all of our questions, encouraged us when we were down and welcomed us into this exclusive group of crazies that chose to leave family and friends to give everything we have to a bunch of strangers in a third world country. I can’t imagine my experience without them and now I’m moving into my second year knowing they won’t be here anymore. But at the same time, a new group of volunteers is settling into training and maybe I can fill that role for some of them. I was selected to help out the first week of PST for Moz17 and it was amazing to be in Namaacha and be on the other side of the situation. I was the “experienced” PCV peppered with questions, offering advice and encouraging them through tough moments. What a difference a year makes! I of course promoted the Central region and have my fingers crossed that PC sends some of them our way.

In other news, we had our English Theater competition last weekend here in Chimoio and had 15 schools from around Manica and Sofala provinces presenting their plays. The theme was ‘Choose Your Future’ and since it’s a PEPFAR funded project they all have an HIV/AIDS education/prevention aspect. The Dombe group didn’t win any awards but they did an amazing job, had a lot of fun and are hopefully proud of themselves for how much they improved. Panda finally made it back to The Dombe after a particularly lengthy adventure in transportation and is doing well. She’s a bit of a diva and a pain in the ass but I love her. I have to remind myself daily that she is still very young and will probably grow out of some of her less than endearing qualities. She finally has a little doghouse and is sleeping outside which is saving me a lot of floor mopping. One of my neighbors also got a puppy (a beautiful white male) and since Panda getting pregnant is an inevitability, Mona and I have decided that we’d be okay with that union. They would be adorable puppies! And I’m officially taking over as the Provincial Coordinator for Science Fair but won’t have to worry about that for a couple months. Right now my plan is to enjoy my summer vacation, see more of this beautiful country, prepare for my mom and Marv’s visit in December and try to avoid getting heatstroke!

Summer Smoke - Girl Talk

*As I've said, my day to day life is not terribly fascinating so I apologize if you're too bored to finish this...

3:00am – Woken up by roosters crowing outside window. Insert earplugs.I'm almost ready to kill my first chicken

and this rooster may be my victim

5-7:00am – Wake up but avoid moving, so you don’t start sweating, until you decide if it’s too hot to sleep anymore. Go for a run if you’re feeling particularly motivated,7-10am – Clean house and/or wash clothes while the shade is still present on your side of the house. Eat a small breakfast of crackers or yesterday’s leftovers (this is risky at this time of year due to the ever present heat but usually works out fine and if you’re real lucky these leftovers might get you through lunch as well).10:00am – Bath #1 (glorious cold water bucket bath). Immediately start sweating again.10:15-12am – Sit inside in your capulana for as long as possible to avoid clothing. This is a good time for reading and journaling.12-5:00pm – Plant yourself on an esteira in the biggest, most solid piece of shade you can find with a pillow and lots of water. Here’s where you have options: read a good book, take a nap, play with/talk with/or ignore the crianças depending on your mood, lesson plan or grade tests and TPC (homework).Remember to periodically check for the shifting shade; don’t want to get caught out in the sun. Feeling social? Visit friends and share their shade instead. If you must, go to school and teach some lessons or proctor an exam. Bath #2 might fit in there somewhere as well.

 5:00pm – Start thinking about dinner but avoid actually doing anything until it starts to get dark and slightly cooler.

(Hours vary at this point)5-8:00pm – Make and eat a lovely candlelight dinner with your sitemate and discuss life’s many mysteries or gossip about fellow PCVs, Bath #2 or 3 depending on the day’s activities and if you still have some battery power, watch some TV or a movie.7-9:00pm –Get ready for bed, tuck yourself into your mosquito net and read a bit. Again, try not to move too much to avoid sweating and to cool down.8:00pm-5 or 6 or 7:00am – Sleep, glorious sleep with a smattering of excitingly vivid, malaria prophylaxis induced dreams.

*This schedule of course varies depending on the time of year and even the day of week. Sometimes, there may even be a trip to the cruzamento or the vila (but let’s be serious, we usually just send the empregado).*

If you’re planning a visit to Moçambique (which you all should) or just want to have a bit of Portuguese in your back pocket in case of emergencies, this is the cabula (cheatsheet) you want to bring along (plus I've included pictures from recent adventures!):My first safari!Sim – YesNão- NoOlá – Hello Bom dia/boa tarde/boa noite – Good morning/good afternoon/good evening Como está? – How are you? Estou bem – I’m good Tudo bem – (both a question and an answer) How is everything?/Everything is fine Por favor – Please Obrigado/a – Thank you (changes with gender of speaker) De nada – Your welcome Licensa – Pardon me Desculpa – Excuse me Como se chama? – What is your name? Chamo-me _________ - My name is _________

Coming down the mountains to Dombe

Onde está a casa de banho? – Where is the bathroom? Estou a pedir _______ - I would like _______ Tem agua/refrescos gelados? – Do you can cold water/sodas? Tem coke light? – Do you have diet Coke? Quanto? – How much? (you can simply point to something and ask) Onde está o parragem? – Where is the bus stop? Tenho fome/sede – I’m hungry/thirsty Estou com sono – I’m sleepy Pode ajudar me? – Can you help me? Estou a vir – I’m on my way (this could mean ‘I am right around the corner’ or ‘I’ll be there in two hours’ and should be taken with a grain of salt)

The river in Dombe

Quero uma Manica grande – I want a big Manica (type of beer) Quero um meio frango com salada e batatas – I want half a chicken with salad and french fries Tem piri-piri? – Do you have hot sauce?Estes vegetais são limpos? Não quero cólera – Are these vegetables clean? I don’t want cholera Onde posso encontrar chocolate? – Where can I find chocolate? Há espacio para meu cabrito em baixo da cadera? – Is there room for my goat under the seat? Por que há uma galinha aqui? – Why is there a chicken here? Esta galinha é de quem? – Who’s chicken is this? Não sou muzungu. Chamo-me _________ - I’m not “muzungu” (a dialect term for white person or foreigner). My name is ________ A que hora é o jogo de futbol? – What time is the soccer game?

a bushbuck in Gorongosa National Park

Deixa-me! – Leave me alone! Barulho! – Quiet down! Sai! – Leave! Liga-me! – Call me!the floodplain in GNP

Obrigado, mas tenho um(a) namorado(a). Não quero um outro. – Thanks but I have a boy/girlfriend. I don’t want another. Mas precisa um namorado Moçambicano – But you need a Moçambiquen boyfriend Um é bom para mim – One is good for me Voce é casado? – Are you married? Sim, tenho um marido e dois filhos em casa – Yes, I have a husband and two kids at home

Warthog!

And now you are ready to tackle traveling in Moz. Let me know when you've bought your tickets!

P.S. I got a puppy this weekend in case you need more motivation to visit. She's ridiculously adorable.

The puppies! Panda is the lighter one in the middle

with her head on mom's side

A big thing we think and talk about here (especially now that the 14ers are a few months away from their COS) is how it will be to adjust back to life in the States. And since I was just back in June I know firsthand how overwhelming it is, even after just 9 months away. We’re not just on some long vacation over here and can be quite cut off from news, entertainment and the changes in technology, fashion and “what’s hot”. I had my moments of anxiety while visiting Colorado and think I handled them quite well overall, but what I hadn’t considered was how it would be to return to life in Moçambique. I figured that three weeks away wasn’t enough to cause me any stress but I was surprised by my reactions and feelings. It was hard to leave all the people I love again but I was excited to get back here and start working again. I was a bit worried about dealing with my luggage once I got back in country but overall felt good. I arrived back in Chimoio after two days of planes, trains and automobiles (and 10 hours in Frankfurt!) to a gathering of volunteers in town to plan a REDES conference that starts here in a couple days. I was so happy to see my friends again and get a chance to catch up about the last month. I was staying with a volunteer here in the city with hot running water and a comfy bed so it wasn’t like I was immediately thrown back into the mato but I woke up that first night at about 3:30am with this deep feeling of homesickness and sadness in my heart and for a second didn’t remember where I was. Just days before I had been in Colorado with all my family and now I was back across the globe feeling confused and isolated. I had trouble sleeping that first week and often found myself thinking about what I might be doing if I were still in Denver. Like clockwork, I woke up every night at 3:30 with all these conflicting emotions and struggled to get back to sleep. During the day, when I was kept busy, I was fine but during those quiet moments alone in my bed, I was really struggling. And since I’m not real great and feeling with confusing emotions, I simply threw myself into activities and books and school (I read nearly 15 books my first two weeks back thanks to my handy dandy Kindle. This by the way was the best purchase I made stateside.). For a couple days back in Dombe I questioned whether or not I could actually do this for two more years. I was down to four hours a week of teaching and had all this time on my hands and my mind just wondered to all the hard parts of life. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows out in The Dombe but I was used to it and my trip back interrupted my natural order. You’ll never hear me say I regret that trip because I would never have forgiven myself if I missed that valuable time with my family but it was an awkward time to leave. But something we talked a lot about in PST was resiliency and this was my first big test. I wrote in my journal and in e-mails to friends, kept reading like a madman and made sure I spent time everyday outside the house and with friends. And slowly I adjusted back to the slow pace of life in the mato. I finished the trimester and proctored an absurd amount of exams (my Kindle helped me through those moments as well) before venturing out again for some PC related conferences. And now? Sometimes it’s seems like I never went back to Colorado. It seems so far away now that I’m re-immersed into my “real life” but now I can look at the pictures and remember the funny moments without getting sad and just appreciate the experience. it was hard to leave these loons

And a brief update of other events: I took part in a programming conference in Chimoio with fellow PCVs and our Mozambiquen counterparts (and by take part I mean I spent two days in bed with a stomach virus), visited my wonderful friend Amanda at her site in Angonia in Tete province, become a Glee fanatic and watched both seasons in just over two days, had a semi-scary encounter with some Malawi immigration officers, was selected for our Peer Support Network and flew to Maputo for some well-paced, warm and fuzzy type training (think happy notes, massage circles and lots of talking about our feelings and experiences) and then returned to Chimoio for the tail end of our REDES (Raparigas Em Desenvolvemento, Educação e Saude) conference. Everything was a smashing success and now I’m preparing to head back to site to start the third trimester. We’re closing in on our one year in country mark (my group arrived at the end of September last year) and I am having trouble wrapping my head around that idea especially because it means my friends from Moz14 will be leaving in a couple months. I suppose us 15ers will have to step up and be the “cool, experience PCVs”. I should start working on that.



With two of my students and my

counterpart at Feira da Ciencias Cabeca do Velho near Chimoio

The Bug - Dire Straits (Thank you for laying it out for us Mark Knopfler)

The last month has been absolutely insane. My last week in Dombe and Chimoio in May was all preparation and anticipation. My trip in Americaland was finally upon me and the anxiety was starting to get to me. How would it be to visit Denver after nine months in Moçambique? How would I handle the reverse culture shock so widely talked about? Infinite questions ran through my head as I started the first leg of my journey. I’ve traveled a lot since starting college and find flying relaxing. I can sleep almost anywhere and after traveling in country by chapa I was looking forward to 15 hours in a comfy airplane seat with someone bringing me my food and drinks and a personal TV screen to keep me entertained. I ended up sitting by a church group from Akron that was returning from a two week mission trip in Moz. They are doing some great sustainable work with two villages in the south of the country and the minister and I had some good discussions about foreign aid and personal spirituality. I didn’t end up sleeping much as I felt obligated to take advantage of the vast entertainment library in front of me. After landing in NYC at 6:00am, I promptly found a McDonalds and enjoyed my first of many fountain diet cokes (breakfast of champions). And as many of you can imagine my first stop in Denver was Chipotle.

I don’t think Denver has changed all that much since I left last September but being inundated with so many people (such diversity), traffic and options was a bit ridiculous. Going to a restaurant here in Moz is a crap shoot. You can’t get excited about anything on the menu until you speak with the waiter because usually only three things are actually available. But in America, you can basically have anything your little heart desires anywhere you go. It’s amazing! Speaking of options, who’s bright idea was it to introduce cafeteria/self-service style concessions at movie theaters? The theater at the Aurora Mall provided me with my first truly overwhelming experience that first Sunday as I spun circles in the aisle trying to figure out where I got my popcorn, if I could get my own drink and where in God’s name do I pay for this stuff? I almost walked out and sent my mom in. I was later assured that any normal person would be caught off guard by this new-fangled idea and felt a bit better. Those first days progressed smoothly as I got back behind the wheel of old Remily, caught up with Mem and Thomas, played a little indoor futebol and spent lots of quality time with family. Final preparations for my brother’s wedding started as the Virginia family came into town and a fair amount of good wine and beer was drunk. The wedding itself was beautiful (I officially have a sister and nieces and a nephew now!) and the reception was quite the party. Ashlee looked gorgeous, the kids were adorable and I am beyond proud of my brother and how much he has grown over the past years. I could go on forever recalling all the details but will end by saying that it was the perfect ceremony for my brother, Ashlee and their family and that I am so happy I could be there.

The next couple of days were spent with the VA family and the kids as the newlyweds jetted off on their honeymoon. I was still on a two hot showers a day kick and was nearly always stuffing myself full of lovely foods and drinks unavailable in the Dombe. The week ended with what is probably the best surprise I’ve ever had as Rachel and Kristin flew in from NC and Florida for the weekend! I thought we were going to the airport to pick up my uncle and his family (they actually were arriving later that day) and was beyond shocked to see these girls emerge from the escalator. They had been planning this with my mom since March and due to their general lack of secret keeping skills had been forbidden to speak with me. I was of course wondering why my best friends were avoiding me during my short time in the states and was slightly offended. It was of course all worth it to have them with me for those couple of days. I got to show off my home state a bit, spoil Thomas some more as he turned the big one year old and celebrate my birthday with my favorite people in a low-key little gathering. It was an incredible weekend to say the least!

Week three was another hodgepodge of family, friends, food and wedding preparation as we counted down to my dad and Mary’s ceremony on Saturday. My uncle Steve cooked Thursday for Mary’s birthday and everyone was later mesmerized by stories from Mary’s mom Hildegard and her time in Germany during and after WWll and how she came to the U.S. to be a nanny as an 18 year old knowing no English. I could have listened all night and can’t wait to hear more once I return. On Friday most of us helped set up the reception hall at Regis and had the wedding rehearsal before enjoying my “special” spaghetti and meat sauce for dinner (it’s basically straight from the jar with tons of ground beef). Again lots of wine was drunk (have you noticed a pattern here?) and stories were swapped. The wedding was outside in a garden at Regis University where my dad and Mary both work and were they met. It was another beautiful ceremony that really embodied their relationship and lives of the bride and groom. I got to catch up with a lot of people for the final time at the reception and had some teary goodbyes in the parking lot after the Rosser side of the wedding party closed down the bar! (I'm lacking pictures from my Dad's wedding at this point but I'll get them eventually).  I just love other people's babies! So much more happened in between those major events that I can’t really remember them all. Mom and I saw Mumford & Sons at the Fillmore (check out Matthew & the Atlas and Nathaniel Rateliff if you’re a fan of Mumford) and I was Mary’s date for Rock of Ages at the theater. I ate either 10 or 11 Chipotle burritos, had a wonderful sushi night with mom, Susan and Jordan, got to the zoo and aquarium, spent a couple hours in awe of super markets, Target and Costco and spent as much time as I could with Emmah, Amelia and Luke (shockingly, none of them wanted to return to Africa with me). Basically I had an incredible time and it went by way too fast. I had left all of my packing for Sunday morning but it kept me busy and wasn’t able to dread the idea of leaving all day. I was actually excited about getting back here but leaving my family is never easy.And now I am safely back in Moçambique trying to mentally prepare myself to return to the Dombe. The culture shock hasn’t been too bad aside from my lack of patience for stupidly slow lines and inefficiency but I’ll get over that quickly and slip back into my life. Plus I’ve got lots of pictures and great memories to help me through those rough first days in the mato!

Awake My Soul - Mumford & Sons (I'm particularly fond of the line "In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die. Where you invest your love, you invest your life")

Somehow we've made it to June. I have no idea where April and May went but I'm not complaining because in about two days I will be back in Colorado for three glorious, action packed weeks with family and friends. I've got two weddings, a couple of birthdays (including my own), out of town family catch up with, new babies to meet, wine and good beer to drink and a whole lot of food to eat (the first stop after the airport is Chipotle). It will be amazing and exhausting and wonderful for sure.

I am obviously excited but as the last few weeks disappeared I have become more and more nervous. Maybe it’s more anxious than nervous but it’s that odd feeling in your stomach and restless nights but I associate with public speaking and major life changes. I have definitely had some of those changes the past eight months and this trip will be the first opportunity to see how these events have changed me as a person. I'm too close to it all here to see clearly but I imagine I'm not the same person that got on the plane in Denver last September. Aside from that, I'm also a bit nervous to be back in "Americaland" with all its noise, traffic, options and luxury. I've spent the last eight months in small cement houses, living out of my suitcase more or less, without electricity, taking bucket baths, using a latrine (it's not all bad!), cooking over carvão and traveling in less than ideal conditions. But that's my life and I love it. I love my little house, my housemate, my students, my friends, my neighbors and even that little town of Dombe 5km up the road. Its home.

But as this trip gets closer and closer I’m back wrestling with those familiar feelings of leaving one home for another. Colorado will always be home for me. My immediate family is there, some of my best friends are there, and my beloved Rocky Mountains are there. But Wilmington quickly became home when I started college. I had family there, new best friends and the Atlantic Ocean that has a permanent hold on my heart. Moving between the two was often hard as I felt torn between two very different places that I loved and where I felt safe. And then what did I do? I threw Maine into the equation as my restless nature kicked back in. This third home lacks that blood family tie but is by no means less important. I got more friends, more amazing experiences and new knowledge that set me off on my current path and to a new home on the other side of the world. A new home that the first three helped prepare me for because I know that at any given moment I have family and friends all over those great states of ours wishing me well, praying for my safety and keeping me in their hearts. And really what else could I ask for?

So back to the main dilemma here: what is it going to be like to go back to Colorado after eight months in Moçambique? Overwhelming? Probably. Hectic? Most definitely. Educational? On a personal level, yea. Worth the long hours traveling? Without a doubt. I get to be present at my brother’s wedding, my dad’s wedding and my best friend’s son’s first birthday. I get to meet both my cousin’s and one of my oldest and dearest friend’s babies. Throw in my 26th birthday, a play, a concert, a massage (Gracias a Deus), a pedicure, a haircut, lots and lots of hot showers (hm, so that nice tan I’ve been getting is really a deeply imbedded layer of dirt. Who knew?), Chipotle, diet coke, sushi, wine, Target, washer-dryer cleaned clothes . . . oh I could go on and on with the benefits.

So, when does the plane leave again? Cause I wouldn’t miss this for the world!

Here et al - Ryan Montbleau Band

Somehow we’ve reached May. Not real sure where the past year has gone. A year ago I was working at the Don Lee Center in North Carolina – teaching kids about salt marshes, fish anatomy, pond life and pirates, singing songs about scat and little red wagons, and sailing the Neuse River. And now I’m in Moçambique teaching human biology in Portuguese, catching boleias up and down the country, cooking with carvão and swimming in the Indian Ocean. I use to complain about driving the 15 miles up to road to get to the grocery store or CVS and now it’s a 5 km walk to a very basic outdoor market and at least 4 hours through the mountains in a packed chapa to reach other basic amenities. But you know, it doesn’t seem all that bad now.  Team Central This past weekend was a holiday for most of the world (Dia dos Trabalhadores, Worker’s Day, the equivalent to Labor Day in the U.S.) so we all had a long weekend at our disposal. Here is PC Moçambique world, that meant Beer Olympics in Vilankulo! More than anything it’s a chance for all of us PVCs spread throughout the country to get together at the beach and catch up. There may or may not have been beer drinking and crazy events involved. What this meant for me was my first opportunity to get to the beach since our Bilene trip last November. And it was way over due. As most of you know, I’m a bit of a beach bum. My friends in college called me a fish and not because I enjoyed studying them. I am perfectly content with a long day on the beach, swimming when I get hot, munching on goldfish and drinking a huge diet coke. I miss those days especially when I’m in Dombe depending whether it would be cooler to sit very very still inside the house to avoid sweating or move outside under a tree and have to deal with the chickens, crianças and bugs. But the weekend was wonderful! I got some beach time in as well and good catch up time with volunteers I rarely get to see. Vilankulo is a beautiful, postcard like place that I will be visiting again very soon! I am again borrowing pictures from Audrey and Hannah because my camera was left behind in Chimoio due to the downpour we left town in.naturally we had a torch and sang the national

anthem for the opening ceremonies!

 a very flat beach and big tidal differences

trap boats at low tide

Not much else exciting to share except that my Colorado trips is now just a month away and I am beyond excited, but starting to get nervous. I can only imagine (but trying hard not to) the reverse culture shock I’ll experience but so many wonderful things will happen in those short couple weeks that I’m sure it will be worth it! I did have an oh so lovely evening that involved Mona and I sleeping in the cab of a truck on the side of the road in the mato but I'm saving that little gem to share in person!

Kokomo - The Beach Boys (this song always comes to mind when I'm at the beach!)

Looking back over the past month or so, many exciting things have happened in the lives of my friends and family. Two of my fellow MOZ15ers got engaged, my best friend and her husband celebrated nine months with their beautiful baby boy, my brother and my dad have been planning weddings and my cousin brought a gorgeous little girl into this world. Those are big life changes in my book. The most exciting things in my life are sleeping through the night without back pain and being able to sit inside my house during the day. I’m noticing some differences between these two lists of highlights. When did a cold bottle of water become worthy of a 10km walk in the African heat? How is that a bar of chocolate can make me happier than a kid on Christmas? And all it takes is a hot shower for me to feel “made-up” and “dressy”? How simple my life has become.

Looking back I remember telling myself multiple times that I was going to simplify my life. I specifically remember standing in Rachel Toman’s dorm room in Cornerstone after our freshman year at UNCW – the floor covered in clothes, make-up, shoes and papers. We vowed that we were going to take the opportunity of moving to minimize our lives, to get rid of all the crap we didn’t need. And I really think we tried. But each year I acquired all kinds of stuff that I just couldn’t seem to part with. And now I’m living in a house about the size of that dorm room. I’ve got one suitcase of clothes, a mattress, two boxes of books and other Peace Corps supplies, some basins and buckets, a bike and a water filter. That’s all I really need (although a bed frame would be nice) and sometimes even that seems excessive. I look around at the kids wearing the same dirty clothes they wore the day before and feel bad that I have so many options everyday, that my clothes don’t have holes in them and that sometimes I wish for more clothes simply so I can do laundry less frequently. Peace Corps says that we will live at the level of our community but I often feel awfully wealthy.

The NFL lockout and the government’s almost shutdown are all about money. Yes, the U.S. government is ridiculously in debt and we do need to figure out how to best deal with that, but tell someone here in Moz that the U.S. is several trillion dollars in debt and they will look at you blankly. The people around me can’t even fathom that much money. I was disgusted as I read about the issues between the players and owners before the lockout occurred. These multi-million and billionaires were fighting over more money without any thought for other people affected by their decisions. Rick Reilly’s column a few weeks ago summed it up nicely (and humorously) as to who else is affected by this stalled season (http://espn.go.com/blog/rick-reilly-go-fish/post/_/id/855/nfl-labor-decision-winners-and-losers). And a New York Times op-ed piece (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/10/opinion/10kristof.html?scp=1&sq=cowardly%20congress&st=cse) about Congress dealing with the budget states it perfectly – we’re dealing with junior high kids with too much power. Petty issues are interfering with more serious matters.

I have a unique perspective out here in the mato but it shouldn’t take a move to Africa to understand what’s going on here. America is self-centered and selfish. We have access to anything and everything and don’t like being told we can’t have something new and shiny; we always want what the other person has. Now not everyone is like this and I’ll admit to having similar thoughts at times – I have a cute dress but I really want this other one, I have plenty of food at home but it would just be so much easier to stop and grab something from Panera’s. My neighbor in Dombe spends the entire day preparing food, cleaning dishes, washing clothes, caring for children. She has got to go to bed absolutely exhausted every night and yet she always has a smile on her face and a minute to help Mona and I start carvão or prepare feijao for our dinner. If anyone deserves more money or a beachfront vacation home it’s her. Not those staunchy old NFL team owners or the rich Republican Congressmen who can’ comprehend that organizations like Planned Parenthood actually help manage the population and future spending.

I’m sorry it took moving to Moçambique to get this clear view of things but I’m sure glad I have some perspective and a new appreciation for the simple things. Maybe we should require people to serve two years in the Peace Corps before they can run for office or buy a football team?

Against All Odds - The Postal Service

So it’s nearly the end of March and I’ve just reached the six months mark. I found a half written letter to my uncle the other day from early November (once I realized how expensive the mail system was I gave up my goal of long hand letters, sorry folks) and reminisced as I reread those fears and apprehensions after being in country for a month. I still have my language struggles and miss home all the time but I can communicate, I have a purpose and feel connected to the community. I have a home now and friends and inside jokes.Speaking of the new house, I really wish I could post some pictures but my computer died and I currently don’t have a way to transfer them off my camera but maybe in a few weeks at our reconnect conference. Either way, the new place is wonderful. It’s back from the old oven house in a different row amongst the barrio dos professores. And since its situated further back there are more trees blocking the sun which makes the house a good 10 degrees cooler than the other one. We also each have half of the duplex so we can finally settle in and personalize the space. We each have a sala (living/family/front room) and a quarto (bedroom) with doors to the outside in opposite corners. There is a “door” between the sala and quarto on each side which is actually just a space cut out of the dividing wall. I plan on making a curtain door to get a little separation but it’s not a high priority at the moment. Our dealings with the slimy carpenter were well worth it as the big windows provide good ventilation and create some light crosswinds. I am also going to get curtains made for them as my neighbors can currently see into my house at all times. I still don’t have any furniture but am going to talk to the Dombe carpenter this week about getting a bookshelf, wardrobe type thing and maybe a table made. Apparently he is not capable of making bed frames (multiple people had tried and it’s usually a disaster) so we’ll have to get those in Sussendenga and arrange to get them back in the back of a truck. I’ve been able to go through and organize my stuff but am still pretty much living out of suitcases and boxes. I did however paint my side blue (it’s definitely Carolina blue but I’ve gotten over that because it makes the house so light and open) with a darker blue stripe along the bottom. The big tree out front provides nice shade and the quintal (backyard) will eventually have a fence of some sort around it. Our casa do banho is in sad shape at the moment – you have to put your capulana over the entrance or everyone in the area can see you and I’m just barely short enough to avoid having to duck to be concealed by the walls. Our latrine is our biggest problem as we’re fairly sure it’s going to cave in. Mona and I found out that if we speak loud enough we can hear each other through the walls and it’s become custom to warn the other person if you’re headed out the latrine so they’ll know that a scream means you’ve fallen in. We’re being slightly dramatic but it’s like a little gamble every time you go in, makes life exciting I suppose. Although Mona’s notified me that if she ends up in the latrine it’s a new beach side house or a ticket back to America for her. I may be left alone in the Dombe if we don’t get it fixed soon! But we have talked to the DAP (Directora da Pedagogica) and she is working out the logistics for getting our cement casa do banho/latrine figured out. Maybe it will all be done by the time I can post pictures and I can do a real before-and-after show and tell.Not much else happening besides teaching and dealing with the ridiculous heat. Our neighbors are all wonderful and make sure we eat properly (which usually entails us eating with them) and get a few luxurious cold sodas every week. A big group of the central volunteers (those of us in Manica, Sofala and Tete) and a couple from the north met up this weekend at a retreat of sorts to celebrate a birthday. Casa Msika is just 46km outside Chimoio on the edge of Lake Chicamba near a dam (http://www.casamsika.com/). It was beautiful and open and very relaxing. You can’t actually swim in the lake due to wildlife but the infinity type pool overlooks the hills and water. As usual we ate amazing food, played ridiculous games and drank in the comfort of our anonymity. That website has good Google map of the area but the pictures don't work so I got these from Audrey's facebook:

 poolside cakes it was a D-themed party in honor of Diana feeding the crocs

I suppose that’s about it for now. I have yet to get my good mattress but my back is doing well and rarely hurts or is tight at all. I gave my first test and despite warnings from all MOZ 14ers had a small percentage actually pass and was slightly depressed. But life goes on and the adventure continues!P.S. I’m going on record for the first time to say that I am officially coming back to Colorado for three weeks this June and I’m proposing to all those outside of Colorado that you plan a trip to see me! It’s just an idea but otherwise it will be a long year and a half before you’ll get the chance again. Of course you could also visit me here in Moz but I’m fairly certain its cheaper to get to Colorado!P.S.S. I posted this once of Facebook but watched it again last night with some fellow PCVs and just had to get it out there again. I just die everytime! Happy 50th Peace Corps!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-wDq17zyN0

Waka Waka - Shakira (I've been having a lot of "Holy crap I'm in Africa" moments lately, so This Time For Africa!)

My first week back at site after my month long medical mystery was successful. I had to go at in alone since Mona got the dreaded malaria and spent the week in Chimoio doped up on meds, but I think I handled it quite well. Don’t get me wrong, I am by no means actually alone in the mato. My fellow teachers are always around, trying to stuff me full of rice and xima and random vegetables, and the students are around all day, but I had to go about the day-to-day household activities by myself. Even when there we were together, Mona and I rarely fired up the carvão more than once a day, but it’s frustrating when you just can’t seem to get it lit and you can’t pass it off for the other person to try. I will forever be grateful for the people who invented the electric and gas stoves. Carvão sucks. But I made food, I planned my lessons, wrote a test for next week, went to the market, swept the house, worked with the painters to get my side of the house painted (it’s done!!), fixed the make shift mosquito net on the back window every night, killed some bugs (Dad, you would be proud of this spider killing machine!), read 3 books in as many days and even taught an English lesson. It was a productive week. And I learned some valuable lessons: I can and will kill spiders if there’s no one else around, I am really glad I’m not an English teacher and I’m lucky to have a roommate because I would not want to do this whole tour alone!On a completely different topic, I want to thank everyone again who has sent me care packages so far. It’s impossible to truly describe how wonderful it is to come to Chimoio after weeks at site or weeks away on medical stuff and see so many things waiting for me! I used one of the three big bags of Starbursts I got as prizes for the winning team during a label-the-cell review game I did this week. They were a hit. I actually had kids trying to sneak into my later classes to try and get candy again! I am loving the American snacks and candies and foods. Oh and my dad and Mary sent me some clothes I requested and I can’t tell you how amazing they smelled – just like dryer sheets! I almost don’t want to wear them so they won’t lose that washer-drier cleanness. And Jean and Charlie’s sweet solar flashlight makes my electricity-less house a little brighter each night! You guys are all amazing!Next on my agenda is to start moving into my new house and getting some furniture made. I’m looking forward to eventually having an actual bed frame. It’s the little things in lifeJ

We No Speak Americano - Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP (No particular significance to this one. I hear it atleast 3 times a day and just love it! You should all check it out. It's rather addictive.)

Aren't you all just so lucky to get three posts in such a short period of time!? Well don't get used to it because I am headed back to Dombe tomorrow!

Everything went well in Maputo and I got cleared to go back to site. I enjoyed Maputo more than I thought I would but was over the noise and commotion and heat. Its just like any other "big city" where all the pavement, cement and buildings make it feel hotter and I miss the tranquility of the mato. Not to mention the fact that my students haven't had a biology lesson in like three weeks (no substitute teachers here). I'm excited to get back into the swing of things. And another big plus is that Mona and I's house is finally ready! We are buying more paint in Chimoio so we can paint our rooms and then we can move in. Y'all have no idea how big this is. But after living in the oven for three months we need some space to unpack, settle in and breathe! My computer died a couple weeks ago and I don't have a transfer cord for my camera right now but I'll be taking more pictures and I promise to get some up some how in the next month or so.

Thanks again to the amazing people who have sent me packages and mail. Its really an amazing feeling to open a box of goodies and get a little piece of the sender as well. Everyone back there has been so supportive of me and It means the world to me! I love you guys!

Rise & Shine - Guster

*Disclaimer – these were seen in Maputo so it’s a slightly biased survey.

1. Escola de condução (by the way people drive in this country I definitely didn’t think they had driver’s ed)

2. A McDonald's cup (a cruel, cruel joke for this fountain diet coke addict)3. A walking club/ personal trainer4. Kids on rollerblades with helmets and wrist guards yea, like that. except Mocambiquen and on a trashier looking sidewalk 5. Dog trainer (A Moçambiquen teaching an old Portuguese guy how to walk and control his dog)

To be continued...

I just wanted to post a quick update about life. I am down in Maputo for medical right now but am doing fine. I was having crazy back pain and trouble breathing during the night and in the morning and nothing seemed to be working. I saw a doctor in Chimoio and got all kinds of tests done but still nothing definite. The Peace Corps doctor finally flew me down here to see a specialist and get to the bottom of this medical mystery. This doc (I was hoping for House but got this quirky German guy who speaks like 6 languages but told me not to learn German unless I really have to) thinks it might be inflammation at the transverse process of my thoracic spine where the lower ribs come in. Now I don’t really know if that’s correct or if I am even using the right words, but I do know that it should be something treatable. I am now getting physiotherapy everyday which is a combination of ultrasound, electrotherapy and massage. I’m definitely not going to complain about a daily back massage but I want to get back to Dombe and school and my students. I will be down here for at least another week and then hopefully this will have done the trick. But like I said, I’m doing well. I’m stuffing myself full of Thai food, ice cream, pizza, pastries and draft beer before I have to return to the mato diet at site! And there have been MOZ 14ers coming through for their mid-service medical checkups so I haven’t been alone and depressed in my hotel all the time. I was actually out until 1am a couple days ago – so see I’m not dying!Oh and my hand is healing nicely and other than some slightly pinker skin you can barely tell anything even happened.



Three Little Birds - Bob Marley



So I’m at the two month mark at site and it’s been an adventure. Mona and I are still in our temporary house, much to our dismay, but the new house is truly almost finished. Hopefully we can get in and paint this week and start moving in. Between the holidays and issues getting our windows made, we were away from site for nearly three weeks. When we first saw the new house we knew we’d need some bigger windows. You’ll understand when I eventually get pictures up, but we decided we were willing to pay for them if it meant not suffocating. With the help of our sleazy old director we found a carpenter in Chimoio to make us four meter by meter windows with screens and glass. Turns out he was as shady as ol’ Rui and we nearly took him to court! It was a ridiculous situation that involved threats, name calling and a trip to the police station. Let’s just say I’ve seen enough to know that I don’t want to be on the wrong side of the law here. Think of the show Locked Up Abroad. Creepy. Anyway, we finally got the windows and they were put into the house last weekend. One step closer!

 First Day of School!  And then of course school started on January 18th and we are now three weeks in. The school is really nice too. There are three blocks of salas (rooms) and the newest one has a library and laboratory. I don’t think there is any equipment in the lab yet but it’s a start and the library is pretty decent considering. Every classroom has a big chalkboard and all the kids have desks. We are lucky enough to have classes with just 40-50 students because some schools up north have over 100 students per class and not enough space. Our pedagogical director is on top of things and is really involved with the kids and keeping them in line and accountable. Overall it’s a good situation. I’m teaching 8th grade biology which of course is all in Portuguese and I was so nervous my students would ask me something and I wouldn’t understand or be able to answer their questions. I proceeded to write out every word I wanted to say and even anticipated possible questions. Needless to say, they were silent; a sea of blank stares looking back at me while I explained the scientific method. I’ve given aulas (lessons) on the scientific method, characteristics of all living things, prokaryotic vs. eukaryotic cells, animal vs. plant cells, levels of organization and the five taxonomical kingdoms (I definitely learned it as six kingdoms but apparently in Moçambique they only recognize five. I figured it best not to rock the boat this early). I still write out everything but I’m getting more confident and by the last session I don’t have to use my notes as much. The frustrating part is the lack of participation from the students. I ask if they have questions and I get silence. They say they understand when I ask, but who really knows. I think they just say what they think I want to hear. The first test is week after next so I guess I’ll find out then.

Despite the frustrations, I am enjoying teaching. There are some really sharp kids (I had a girl explain sexual versus asexual reproduction better than I could) and I can tell I’m getting through to a few of them. My lessons aren’t exactly thrilling at this point but I think I can find ways to spice it up when we get into the body systems. The school actually has posters and charts showing the human body and the various systems; which is good because as most of you know I am no artist (my animal and plants cells turned out well though!). I’ll keep ya’ll updated on how school progresses.

In other news, I’m currently in Chimoio on medical hold due to back issues and my newly burnt hand. The back thing is a giant mystery at this point but my hand is supposedly healing well. Hopefully we’ll get everything settled soon so I can get back to Dombe and back to teaching.a Mocambiquen style picture



Fresh Feeling - Eels

I miss Chipotle and fountain diet cokes. I miss being able to get cold, safe drinking water right from the tap and not having to light carvão anytime I need hot water. I miss driving, blasting music on the highway and even Denver traffic. I miss the east coast. I miss the convenience of having my bedroom, bathroom, laundryroom and kitchen all in one structure. I miss washers and dryers. I miss good customer service, self efficacy and the efficient workplace. I miss drive thru ATMs and even the drive thru window at Wendy’s. I miss Super Target where I can get everything I need in one stop. I miss reliable public transportation and personal space in crowded settings. I miss air conditioning, although not as much as I thought I would, but I do miss feeling clean for more than 10 minutes after I bathe. I kind of miss having meat in my diet but am actually enjoying this mostly vegetarian lifestyle and don’t think about it much. I miss my favorite TV shows but not TV in general, if that makes sense, and I miss sitting in a dark movie theater with my spiked diet coke waiting for new trailers to start. I miss the pedestrian right-of-way. I miss the cold weather and snow that I typically associate with December through March but like the tan I am getting during this African summer, even if it is slightly uneven. I miss cheese. I miss walking through a crowded place and not being the immediate center of attention because I’m a branca or muzungo. And I miss my family every single day and wish I was around to see how my friends and their families are changing (Tommy in particular!) but am thankful for Skype so I can occasionally see their faces while we talk.

But I like waking up without the sounds of a city and traffic. I like being called tia, amiga, irmã and mana by kids in the street and around my house. I love that you can buy fruit, chicken, cashews, sodas, vegetables, bread and phone credit from a chapa just by sticking your arm out the window. I like eating mangos that you know fell from the tree within the hour and getting a “pineapple popsicle” from the market to eat as you walk. I enjoy speaking Portuguese even though I haven’t been doing it as often as I should lately. And I like our mashed up English/Portuguese language that may be slightly confusing to our family and friends back home (I apologize if random Portuguese words make it into our conversations. Just ask for a translation). I like not worrying about bills, buying gas or paying over a dollar for a soda. I like the view from my future house and the contrast of the vibrant green vegetation against a cloudless blue sky. I like the sound of rain against our tin roof and the way it drowns everything else out and leaves the air crisp and cool for awhile. Part of me likes the fact that there isn’t a paved road within 50km of my site - it’s charming. The other part thinks it’s a bit obnoxious. I love that random people on the street greet you, asking how you are and are not always rushing off to something “more important”. I like that I’m just a few hours away from the Indian Ocean. I like sandes de quiejo e ovo and cold Fanta laranja from the street vendor in Chimoio and eating meals we have literally made from scratch. I think I like the idea of teaching eighth grade biology and am excited to have some structure to my week. I like that there are nearly 200 other people in this country that I know understand these struggles and joys even if I never speak to some of them about it. And I like that when I stop and think about it, it still catches me off guard that I’m in Africa and that I’m actually taking on this adventure.

You Can't Always Get What You Want - The Rolling Stones (liking the Glee version too)

Feliz Natal! Merry Christmas! Boas Festas! Happy Holidays!

Well my first Christmas in Mocambique was a good one. I have to say it definitely didn't feel like Christmas with the heat, no lights and lack of Christmas music for the last month but it was good. I was able to travel to Gorongosa (the villa near the actual national park) where two married volunteers live on a mission. Brian and Jordan Mills are just amazing people and really took us all in and gave us a wonderful holiday. Jordan made us all stockings which were filled with candy on Christmas morning and had a whole array of amazing food planned for the weekend. We had a cookie decorating contest (I won!), fiesta night, pancakes and a fabulous sausage pasta dinner. We were spoiled. Christmas Day we opened out stockings and ate candy, went swimming in the river, hiked down to some falls and jumped off rock outcroppings with Mocambiquen kids and sat around cooking, eating and talking. It was definitely not you're typical Christmas Day but this isn't exactly a typical time of my life.

Being away from my family was hard for sure but I've found a family here amongst the volunteers. We had a good mix of MOZ 14ers and 15ers (I'm in MOZ 15. MOZ 14 arrived in country last fall) and we were able to just relax together, play games, share stories and enjoy the time together. Brian and Lauren, from MOZ 12, were two of the first people we met when we got off the plane in Maputo and were with us for the first two weeks pf PST. So getting to see them again in a less bewildering situation was so good. Jordan came to training around week 5 and is one of the most memorable PCVs that visited. She is an incredible teacher with so much energy and so many ideas. Mona and I told Brian we were taking her back to Dombe with us until we got our own cooking situation under control. Other 14ers, Dov and Tim, were wonderful too because they have that year under their belts and can give realistic descriptions of service and traveling. The rest of us were 15ers ready to be away from site, with other people and missing our families. But like I said, we were in it together and had ourselves a really wonderful day. And I am so thankful for cellphone rede so that i could talk with my family! Everyone was together celebrating and hearing their voices just warmed my already sweating heart!

Oh and I've put pictures on Facebook going back to orientation for your viewing pleasure. And of course there is more to come as things progress!

17/12/10I have been in this country for nearly three months now and things still surprise and frustrate me. I imagine (and hope) it continues throughout my service because stuff like this just doesn’t happen in the States. Let’s take my latest chapa ride for example. Mona and I were able to escape from Dombe Wednesday afternoon to come and restock and regroup in Chimoio. We caught a chapa to Sussendenga outside the mission with help from some neighbors and were on our way. As we hit the first bump in the road I were this yelp like sound from beside me and thought the woman next to me had been jostled or something. It was an odd sound but people here make odd sounds. I let it go until I heard it a few times in a row and quietly asked the guy on my other side what it might be. He very casual replied “o cabrito” (goat). Shocked, I asked “O cabrito? Onde?”. And again, as if it was completely normal, pointed and said it was just under the seat. I busted out laughing, which the woman thought was hilarious, and we all had a good laugh. So for the next three hours I was treated to the yelping and crying of a goat from under my seat. There was a chicken as well but I didn’t know that until we reached our destination. Of course no chapa ride through the mountains is complete without a loose tire and “cuidado com elefantes” signs. But we made to Sussendenga alright and enjoyed the last leg of the trip into Chimoio on the back of an open-bed truck with our new friends and that lovely goat.On the other side, are the frustrating moments when you just have to bite your tongue and realize that this culture is simply different than that in the U.S. Plainly stated, this country has a lot to learn about customer service and efficiency before they advance very far in this world. I spent over two hours at the bank yesterday trying to pick up my new ATM card and withdrawal money because communication between Chimoio and Maputo branches is archaic and nobody does anything quickly. Apparently I don’t have a signature for my account in the system so everything I try to do requires authorization from Maputo by fax. Naturally the fax system was down. I decided to change some money as well just in case that authorization didn’t come through but that was a struggle in and of its self. Everything is done in multiple forms on paper first, a single mistake requires you to start over and unless you keep the pressure on, your forms are easily forgotten and pushed aside. Getting upset really doesn’t get you anywhere, especially when you can’t actually explain your frustrations, so I smiled, stared and threatened to go to move to a different bank. They eventually just gave me my money and we went and got a beer.

16/12/10

So I almost made it a week without a break down. Almost. Tuesday was the toughest day yet. I felt so helpless and trapped. After another restless, sweaty night in our oven, Mona and I got up and started our normal morning routine of getting water, bathing, hiding in the shade and scrounging up something to eat. Our director was still M.I.A. from his latest trip so we went to talk with the other pedagogical director, a Brazilian woman who lives at the mission. We approached her with our concerns over moving, the rumor that the director was leaving and maybe trying to find an empregada (maid) to help us once school started. She said the director had in fact been transferred to a different school, she didn’t know when the new one was starting although Director Rui was coming back today; the maid thing was complicated because you want to find someone you can trust but that we would probably be fine on time, and the real downer, the house was not ready. She walked us down to the house and it’s definitely got a ways to go. The cement floor isn’t even poured, there are holes to be patched around the window, door and roof frames and there aren’t actually doors, screens or bars on yet. Director Rui made it seems like it was just days away from done. It’s another duplexy thing but oriented differently. I think the rooms are a bit bigger and the front window is larger. She didn’t think screens would be added but we insisted that was a requirement from Peace Corps. Gotta prove we’re not pushovers. She said it would be at least another week but I’m guessing it’s January before we move in.

On top of this we were getting texts from our APCD and security coordinator saying we could no longer travel for Christmas and that we needed to be staying at site until the 23rd when we could go to our provincial capital to do some visa stuff. I had been planning to travel up to Tete to spend the holiday with friends there but those plans were squashed. It was looking like a depressing Christmas with just the four of us MOZ 15ers in Chimoio. Mona and I returned to our house, set up our mat under the big tree and just bitched and moaned. A few tears were shed, texts were sent out to friends in search of encouraging words and escape plans considered. We called some people to fill Peace Corps in on the situation, hoping someone could step in and put the pressure on Director Rui to get things done before he peaced out. My dad was planning to call so I warned him of the impending break so he could be prepared and standing under a mango tree outside the mission I just lost it. God bless my dad because he was patient, let me vent and did his best to encourage and support me. I can’t imagine how hard it is to be so many thousands of miles away, hearing your daughter cry about her life and know that you are completely helpless (you’re amazing Dad!). But he talked me down, got me to describe the good parts, the things that make it all worth it and even joke a bit. Meanwhile, Mona is talking with the recently returned director about the house and gets a bit of good news: he will actually be around until after the school year starts, insists the house will be done soon and is going to speak with PC to get permission for us to leave site on Friday because no one is going to be around until the new year. We felt a little better as we sweat ourselves to sleep that night.

Wednesday came and we started the usual routine but the depression returned as good ol’ Director Rui came by saying he was going to Beira until Sunday and that he would try and talk to the Peace Corps over the next couple days to get our leaving cleared. So it looked like we were stuck at site until the normal departure date anyway. In a fit of frustration and anger, we called Custodio in Maputo and just explained the situation and our issues (he was genuinely surprised by the news of the director leaving), begging to be allowed to leave for Chimoio early. We did finally get permission, packed our things and left. It was exhilarating to have a plan, some positive news. I’ll share the chapa ride soon but it was uphill from there.

Everybody Hurts – R.E.M.

13/12/10

It’s day 6 in Dombe and we are surviving. We’re figuring out the carvão (charcoal) stove and are able to light it in about five minutes without much paper. The lack of electricity really sucks but we’re dealing with it as best as we can and know who has solar panels so we can charge our phones when it comes time. We got some big water jugs in the market and have a good system of getting water regularly from the pump down the path so we always have it when we need it. And we boil water for our filters at least twice a day to stay ahead of our thirst. Issues we’re still working on are the nasty latrine, the bugs and critters in our house and food.

First off, we are in a temporary house right now while our real one is finished. It’s half of a duplex that is better described as a cement block with a tin roof. Professors at the school basically all live on site in these rows of little houses. Our current row is three of these two person structures with us sharing half of the last one. The front has a slit of a window with a screen and a door that opens into the front sala (room). Its small, maybe 8ft by 10ft, and stuffed full of our suitcases, boxes, buckets, the two chairs the school gave us and at night, our stove, water jugs and carvão. There’s a doorway that leads into the quarto (bedroom) but no door so I rigged up a curtain with a couple capulanas, some safety pins and a bamboo reed. The back room had a window but no screen so we have to keep it closed if we leave or go to sleep making the whole house a little oven. I don’t think the new digs are much different except newer with a bigger front window, screens and we’ll each have our own. Supposedly we will be moving this week. Cross your fingers for us.

Okay back to the issues at hand. The latrine is pretty terrible and, how shall I put it, not exactly built with the female anatomy in mind. First off it’s small, so close quarters with the smell and flies. But the opening is literally a 6in by 6 in hole in the cement with these two raised spots for your feet. Their location isn’t very accurate so you end up squatting awkwardly and aiming. There’s no cover of any kind and no door so the flies are awful and it definitely smells. Makes you appreciate that lovely porcelain throne at home right? It’s our only option so we obviously use it and don’t complain but we’re hoping and praying that our director lives up to his promise to build us a new one with a door and lock.

As for bugs and critters, we’ve had more than our fair share so far. The school didn’t have the money to get the bed frames we were supposed to be provided with so our mattresses are currently on reed mats on the floor. The first night was cool and rainy so bugs weren’t really an issue but night two provided our neighbors with some lovely entertainment as we screeched and screamed for an hour or so. First was the weird flat spider I found near my bed, then the rat/mouse (who we’ve “affectionately” named Stuart), the cockroaches and the alien like creature that emerged from the wall after I missed the cockroach with my sandal. Fortunately we have a fabulous neighbor that said we can knock on his door whenever we find something big and scary. He killed the spider, helped us unsuccessfully search for Stuart and got assistance to try and smoke/burn the alien out of the wall. Quite literally, I smacked the wall, missing the cockroach, and this large blackish thing pulled itself out of the large crack in the wall. We didn’t stick around long enough to get a good look but by then a crowd had gathered and some brave souls went in to investigate while we stood outside in the dark. It was determined that it was either a bat or a scorpion but either way it couldn’t stay. Meanwhile my mom has called and she’s on the phone as two neighboring professors attempted to kill the beast with smoke and fire as we watch from the corner. They called it good after a while and we had a restless night sleep tucked into our mosquito nets. The following morning we were woken up by our director with two guys to fill in the crack with cement. So whatever was in there is now sealed in and hopefully long dead. The good that came out of that adventure was that word spread quickly to the guy in charge and we fixed the situation quickly. Good to know for future “issues”. Unfortunately now our fearless neighbors are all off on holiday and we’ve been left to fend for ourselves. Last night after another round with Stuart and mid-conversation with mom, I found a huge, hairy spider crawling along the wall in our room. I screamed and ran out the door with Mona on my tail and luckily the spider followed suit. But we couldn’t leave it to re-enter the house so we proceeded to push it along the wall with a broom, throw large pieces on cement at it and trap it injured in a hole. This morning the hole was swarming with ants feasting on its defeated body. It was a scene worthy of an audience I think. But like I said, my mom was conveniently on the phone so you can ask her for confirmation. We’re now in search of a carpenter to get some bed frames made and us off the floor. Oh and Stuart is still loose in the front room.

The third and least exciting issue is food. We are limited by both the carvão stove and the inadequate food availability at this point and aren’t sure how to proceed. We have lots of beans, rice and pasta and can get bread, bananas, tomatoes, onions and garlic in the market 5km up the road. We had bought Agua e Sal crackers, peanut butter and apples in Chimoio before we left but those running out and our current money situation leaves something to be desired until we can get back to the bank in Chimoio. We’re trying to be creative with our dinners (mango curry pasta, feijao and veggies, curry rice) but it’s tough. We’re always thinking of things we wish we had or are missing. We’re often hungry during the day but then we aren’t doing a whole lot that requires much energy. We have a plan though and a growing list of things to buy when we are in Chimoio before and after Christmas. Maybe we’ll be the exception to the “girls usually gain weight” rule?

But don’t get me wrong, things are rough out here in the mato, but we’re doing okay. It’s absolutely beautiful and so green. The vivid greens against the clear blue sky is impossible to describe and the scattering of mud houses amongst the trees reminds us we truly are in Africa. I’m incredibly thankful I’m not alone out here and we do have amazing phone service. We have tons of free time to fill right now and are counting down the days until Christmas but I imagine we’ll be beyond busy once school starts in January, looking back on our languid days in the shade with envy.

Running Up That Hill - Placebo

6/12/10

So I'm in Chimoio now mid-way through our Supervisor's Conference. Chimoio is my provincial capital but also the regional capital for the Central Provinces of Manica, Sofala and Tete so all the central education volunteers are together for the next couple days. We are meeting our school directors, colleagues and/or counterparts and having sessions to get them better oriented with how we work and what can be expected. It’s pretty much all in Portuguese and incredibly exhausting. I feel like it’s week one again and everything is new. But I need to get used to that feeling because come Wednesday Mona and I are headed to Dombe and, quoting my friend Amanda, “things are about to get real”!

So as you should remember, I am opening a new site here at the Escola Secundaria de Dombe which is a Catholic mission school 2-3 hours south of Chimoio. Now in my mind mission school meant nuns, padres and some money floating down from the Catholic Church. Maybe I was being naïve, bringing in my American way of thinking. Either way I was wrong because I am headed into the mato complete with elephants, crocodiles, forests and no electricity. I was talking to Custodio, the PC guy in charge of my conference, and he was saying “oh Dombe is so beautiful, right in the forests, close to the mountains. Oh you just have everything there, it’s so beautiful. The one thing you don’t have is electricity”. The one thing? I was expecting to hear “oh but you don’t have mangos”, something innocent. But this throws a whole new wrench into the situation. Okay I’m being dramatic; it’s not really that bad. Mona and I are going to be experts at cooking with our carvão stove and I’ll finally complete my goal of trying to live more simply. I just wish I’d had some more time to wrap my head around it. There are some positives though – we won’t be spending money on a refrigerator or electric stove, we don’t have to worry about finding fans and there won’t be an electric bill to pay every month. Custodio says that when conference time rolls around it’s us in the mato that have money to spend and the city folks are all broke. It’s the little things in life, now more than ever.

What this all means for you, my faithful followers, is that these posts may start to get pretty far apart. I still plan on writing things up as they happen I just might not be posting them very often. I found out for sure that I can get mail at the PC office here in Chimoio so that’s sweet and I’ve included that address down below. I have a few requests if you’re up for sending packages (I realize it can be expensive): movies (old and recent), books, any new music, candy (specifically skittles, starbursts, Swedish fish, sour gummies), dry foods (macaroni & cheese, couscous, seasonings, oatmeal, spices, raisins), rechargeable batteries and stickers. As much as I would love chocolate and peanut butter type things, the heat and time it takes to get here makes those items a bad idea. I guess that also rules out me getting a Chipotle burrito anytime soon but the sacrifices have to start somewhere.

Emily Rosser, PCV

Corpo da Paz/Castelo Branco Hotel

Rua Sussundenga 295

Chimoio, Moçambique

Carry On - Pat Green

4/12/10

I’m back in Maputo. Swear-In was yesterday and most people left this morning for their regional supervisor’s conference. Seven of us are staying another night here before flying out early tomorrow morning. We are actually staying at Hoya-Hoya again which is the hotel I was in during those first orientation days before Namaacha. It’s slightly surreal. Combine that with the fact that I’m an emotional wreck and you can imagine my current condition. It feels amazing to have gotten through these nine intense weeks of training and be an official Peace Corps Volunteer. I’m ready to get to Manica and be just days away from being at site but nervous to start all over again and not have anyone to show me the ropes. I’m slightly depressed after saying goodbye to so many of my friends this morning not knowing how long it will be before I will see them again. I’m completely satisfied after having two amazing meals of Thai food and a swanky night in a 5-star hotel. And I’m excited to get to look through my 2-year bag after wearing the same clothes for the past nine weeks. My stunted emotional maturity can’t quite handle all this.

But backing up a few days, we closed PST on Thursday with a hub day at the IFP in Namaacha, went out to our usual barraca for a drink and went home for our last night with our families. Throughout the week we had our boxes and big suitcases picked up, so we just had our carry-ons when we left Namaacha Friday morning. Our swearing in ceremony was held at the ambassador’s house overlooking the water in Maputo. The ambassador, our country director, a couple trainees and someone from the Ministry of Education all spoke and we were officially sworn in. We took the same oath that members of the Foreign Service, military and all government employees take so it was a slightly daunting moment. In the spirit of cultural exchange we had prepared a song and some of us learned a traditional dance and chant. Then it was a little cocktail hour so we could get pictures and talk with our language and tech trainers one last time. Peace Corps spoiled us by putting us up in the Hotel Cardoso and letting us pretend for a night that we weren’t about to head out into the unknowns of Moçambique. A few of us went out to pick up Thai and were able to relax for a bit before partying the night away in the hotel with everyone. Knowing the morning would be hard enough, we tried to focus on having fun and being together rather than moping about the impending separation. We got hot showers, comfy beds, English TV shows and an incredible breakfast buffet. Groups were heading out in shifts starting at 5am towards their regional capitals for their Supervisor’s conference but most of us were splitting up between 8:30 and 10am. Everyone was gathered in the lobby, bags packed, hugging and crying as we said goodbye to our friends before they left. I was doing okay until our cars showed up early and we were frantically saying bye so they could get back to the hotel and take others to the airport. I turned around and my friend Meagan was standing on the bottom step looking overwhelmed, I caught her eyes and we both just starting bawling. She’s headed out to the coast of Zambezia Province and is a serious chapa ride away from me in Dombe. We’ve gotten each other through a lot and it sucks to get ripped apart just when we need that support most. I’m lucky enough to be going into this with a roommate so at least I’m not completely alone. With such a big group we have naturally formed cliques but those melted away as we sought out those people who will be the furthest away. It’s entirely possible that I won’t see some of them until our Close-of-Service (COS) conference in the fall of 2012. The distance factor can be disheartening but it’s always possible to see people if you make the effort. I will see my closest friends even if they are in the far corners of this rather large country and a 15 hour chapa ride away! Anyway, we were raced over to Hoya-Hoya only to learn that we probably wouldn’t be able to check in for another couple hours. Exhausted and slightly hung-over, we sat around in the dark lobby, laughed at ourselves and how ridiculous we must look and napped until we got our rooms. Eventually we made it out for another amazing meal of Thai food and ice cream. In the morning we will catch our flight up to Chamoio and meet either our counterparts or school directors at the conference. Because Mona and I are just two and a half hours south of the city we should get to our site by Wednesday. Hopefully we’ll learn a little more about our house and have an opportunity to buy a few essentials so we can actually function and eat when we get there. Because it’s a school holiday, lots of people travel for the holidays and most of our villages will be pretty empty. I imagine the nuns at our school don’t take off so we should have at least a school community around.

I don’t know, it’s quite the transitional time around here. My emotions are running on high, my life is about to change dramatically again and I’m headed into the holiday season without my family around. Apparently one of the toughest times during service is when you have to watch that Peace Corps truck drive away leaving you at your site alone. I guess we’ll see how that goes here in a couple days…

This is the first big holiday away from home. And I use the term “home” loosely because Colorado, North Carolina and Maine are all home to me. I suppose Moçambique should be on the list too but I’ll wait until I get to Dombe and my house. Anyway, it’s a bit strange to be so disconnected from the United States, especially during the holiday season. Growing up, Thanksgiving meant driving up to my Aunt Judy’s house, having a huge meal with my mom’s side of the family and then laying around watching football. It was never formal and everyone was welcome. During college in North Carolina I got two Thanksgiving feasts: Wagsgiving at the dining hall on campus and then up in Virginia with my dad’s family. I suppose in Maine it was a smaller affair with my roommate Bri but I was always with family. Everyone around me was into the festivities and understood the meaning. It’s hard to explain some of our holidays here as they have no context and my Portuguese still isn’t amazing.

But Claudia and Peace Corps came through again and gave us the afternoon off after model school to prepare a Thanksgiving feast for ourselves complete with turkeys! People are making mashed potatoes, green beans, salads, other veggies and tons of desserts. As we did on Halloween, we have the chance to create out little ‘America’ bubble and pretend for a bit that we’re not halfway around the world. And with just a week left before we swear in and are spread throughout the country, I think we all need this time together.

But sticking with traditions I’m going to share what I’m thankful for on this first Thanksgiving in Africa. I am thankful for my amazing support system of friends and family in the States that have supported me through this entire crazy process. I’m thankful for my parents who raised me to be independent and have the confidence to move to Africa to teach for two years. I’m thankful for Marv and Mary and for their constant support of both me and my parents. I’m thankful for my brother because he’s the only other person who knows what it means to be a product of the incredible Rosser-Newman household and for Ashlee because I’m super psyched to have a sister and because she brought Emmah, Amelia and Luke into my life. I’m thankful for Kristin for putting together my book of letters and for everyone that contributed to it. It has truly saved me on some of those bad days and since the mail sucks here, I always have something to open and read each week. And on that note, I’m thankful for care packages. The first one from my mom finally got here and it was wonderful to hold that little bit of her and America in my hands. I’m also thankful for Moçambique, my host family and their generous hospitality. But right now, I think I’m most thankful for my fellow volunteers. I am with some absolutely incredible people and I wouldn’t be able to do this without them. We are now friend/family/counselor for each other and it’s going to be even more important to have these bonds over the next several months as we spend more holidays alone and adjust to our new lives. My closest friends are going to be pretty far away which is a major downer but I’m getting to know others better now and am confident that my nearest neighbors will be there when I need something. It’s kind of crazy how quickly we all bonded but this isn’t exactly a normal situation. Overall I guess I’d say I’m thankful to be here, to be healthy, to be happy and to have so many wonderful people in my life.

I love you all so much!

21/11/10

As I sit down to write these entries I always wish I was better with words. The things I experience, see, hear, taste are all so unique and new. I want to be able to put them into words to share with others as well for me to remember down the road. But really no words, or even pictures, can truly describe the past eight weeks of my life. I still find it hard to believe that I’m actually here. I get so wrapped up in the day to day activities that technically I could be doing anywhere that sometimes I forget I’m not in the States. And then I remember that I’m teaching in Portuguese and that my lessons are based around African biomes and the mutualistic relationship between a pico-boi (a type of bird) and a boi (a steer). Or I see a young woman with a baby strapped to her back with a capulana and a bundle of wood balanced on her head. It’s really an indescribable feeling but I’ll try my best over the next couple years to give everyone an idea of what it’s like.

Take this weekend for an example. After the craziness of the first week of model school and site placement, we had a long weekend free. With the help of current PCVs, most of us went out to Bilene for a little beach relaxation. We had big houses, running water and actual showers, and spoke very little Portuguese. It was incredibly easy to forget where exactly this beach town was located. Friday night we drank, danced and socialized just like you would in any college town across America but then someone would come up and ask what province you were placed in and the conversation would turn to who has access to what and how long it takes to get from point A to point B in a chapa. As I swam in the lagoon the next day I drifted back to all those Outer Banks vacations with my Uncle Steve, my beach bum college years and lazy weekends away from Don Lee. And then I would look around and remember that this was Indian Ocean water and not Wrightsville Beach. A mix of amazement and sadness washes over me every time because I am so happy to be right where I am but I miss my family and friends and wish they could be here to see everything as well. On the bus ride back to Namaacha this afternoon I stared out the window at the most beautiful scenery of savanna, grass houses, road side markets and children playing with homemade toys. Then there’s the woman working in her machamba answering her cell phone and I realize I’m not quite as isolated as I think. It’s an odd combination of rustic living, abject poverty and modern conveniences that I still haven’t quite gotten my head around. You’re family may not have running water, a car, a refrigerator or a stove but everyone over 15 has a cell phone.

Everyone has been comparing what they know about their sites determining who has pizza and ice cream, who’s near the beach or the mountains and who is too mato (in the bush, very remote) to have cell service. My friend Meagan will be in a big city on the water with access to everything you could possibly want while Hannah is headed toward the mato of Tete Province without electricity. Meagan says she’s not going to get the quintessential “Africa experience” but obviously there are people that live that same modern way or she wouldn’t be needed there. Since we will all live at the level of our community everyone’s “Africa experience” is going to be different based on where they’re posted. Of course I would have loved to have been put at the beach, but I am stoked to be in the mountains with more mild weather and a plethora of reserves. I like the idea of being at my school but hope the rest of the community is nearby. I’m crossing my fingers for internet access or these posts will become fewer and further between. I’ve decided that I am fine going without soda for the next two years so long as I’ve got chocolate and/or ice cream around. I’m excited to be opening a new site, even though replacing someone means lots of hand-me-down household items, because this house can be whatever Mona and I want and there isn’t the reputation of a previous volunteer to compete with. I imagine the roller coaster of emotions is only just starting and that I will proceed through every possible one in the coming months and years but right now I am happy and anxious and ready for this next step of the journey.

I Can´t Wait - Ryan Montbleau Band

20/11/10

Somehow we have completed seven weeks of training. The last several weeks have been routine, almost boring. Then Model School started and the countdown to site placement. Amazingly I wasn’t terrified before teaching that first lesson. Up until this point, when I started teaching or had a big presentation I called my dad. He was the one who could calm me down, get me focused and remind me that I would do fine, that no one would know if I messed up but me so just go with it. It worked every time too. A quick phone call was all I needed to chill out and get through it. But then here I am in Africa, thousands and thousands of miles away, nine hours ahead, preparing to teach in Portuguese and I can’t call him. The time when I figured I would need that pep talk the most and I was all alone. But you know what, I did okay. I took a moment and thought about what he used to always tell me and proceeded from there. Sure I was a bit nervous when I look out at those kids’ faces and realized I was about to teach them about the levels of organization of ecology in Portuguese but it went well and I felt confident. I taught my second lesson later that week and have my first “dupla” (two classes back to back) in the morning. I imagine my Portuguese can only get better at this point so hopefully I’ll still feel confident when the real deal starts in February.

Speaking of the real deal, we had site placement on Thursday before heading off for our mental health break at the beach. Claudia, the PST manager had asked for suggestions to make the announcement more fun than just opening our envelopes all together and those of us in Education thought it would be cool if there was a giant map of Moçambique and we were all blindfolded and silently led to our site. We would still have our envelopes with site details but when you removed your blindfold you’d be standing at/near your site and could immediately see who was nearby. It’s a shocking experience anyway so why not make it more fun and have immediate locations results. Unfortunately the Heath folks complained that they didn’t want the shock factor (for them the site placement is more about the organization they’ll work for and not location within the country) and we got overruled. Instead we opened our envelopes together and then walked to our province on the giant map. It was still entertaining and exciting and tense but the blindfolds would have been fun! But back to the point. As I read the letter on the outside of the envelope I realized my packet seemed rather light as compared to others which only increased my anxiety. I wish I could really describe what it felt like to open the envelope and pull out that sheet and read my name. There was electricity in the air as everyone digested what they saw and walked to their province, looking around to see where their friends were going and who was moving in the same direction as them. After so many months of unknowns, we finally knew where we’d be living and working for the next two years. And without further adieu, although I did already post it on facebook, I am headed to Manica Province and the Escola Secundária de Dombe. It’s a brand new site so information is limited. What I do know is that it’s a mission school nearish the Zimbabwe border, in/close to the mountains, cooler in temperature and supposedly very beautiful. From the Lonely Planet Moçambique book I can say that’s its near several national reserves, the tallest mountain in Moz and has a lot of opportunities for hiking. The biodiversity is supposedly amazing and I should have access to a variety of food. I have a roommate, Mona, who is wonderful and they are actually building our house as we speak (cross your fingers for it to be actually done when we get there in two weeks). We will live on the campus of the school but it’s hard to know what that means exactly. I think it’s safe to assume electricity but maybe even running water. And even though we will be living at the school, the actual village isn’t far but again I don’t know the amenities available. Hopefully some access to internet and maybe a restaurant. Okay so I guess when I said that I was finally happy to have something concrete to work with I was getting a little ahead of myself. But I know my site and that’s really all I need right now. I am excited for the surprises still ahead and am really happy I have someone to face them with.

These Are The Days – Van Morrison

We just finished week 5 of training and things are becoming routine. That initial excitement and thrill has worn off as we have each settled into our daily schedule and grown accustom to the ways of our families. I feel very much at home here in Namaacha and enjoy being around all the other volunteers. On the other hand, I’m ready to get out to site, to see new things and start cooking for myself. Little things are starting to frustrate and annoy me. I’m not use to explaining my every move to people or having my silences analyzed. My mom has decided that when I’m quiet I’m thinking about the boyfriend I left behind in the States. Based on some pictures I’ve shown she’s convinced she knows who it is but assures me that I will meet a nice Moçambiquen man and forget all about this lost love. Sometimes I just don’t feel like talking and anyone who’s spent time with me knows I’m always like that. Not being able to say whatever’s on my mind is tough though and sometimes rather than explaining it in a roundabout way, I stay quiet. The last several days between the heat, wind and thunderstorms we’ve lost power quite a bit and that’s led to some good discussions with my family. Last night I explained that I’d be teaching 10th grade (decima classe) for model school and then had a Portuguese-English vocabulary session with everyone around the table. I enjoy those evenings but typically everyone is watching their telanovela until we eat around 8:30 or 9 and then I go to bed. Doesn’t leave a whole lot of time for deep discussions.

But things are starting to change. We took our mid-way language proficiency exam (LPIs) last week and language groups are shifting a bit as we head into more technical training. The first five weeks were more language intensive and now those classes will taper off as we prep for site. For those of us in education, the next week will be mostly lesson planning for model school where we will each teach four full length classes in Portuguese to local kids. It’s good for us to practice in a “safe” setting where we can get feedback and ask questions. I’m already nervous. Right in the middle of model school is our mental health break and most of us are headed out to the beach at Xia-Xia. Some current PCVs have set everything up for us and I think everyone is ready to see a new part of the country. We find out our site placements the night before we leave so it should give us a chance to debrief/vent/party/mope away from PC staff and our families. It’s a bit crazy because after Xia-Xia it’s the second week of model school (with an afternoon free for Thanksgiving!) and a week with our homestay celebration, final LPIs, World Aids Day, closing sessions, swearing in and shipping off. A couple of whirlwind weeks to finish off PST.

Happy Halloween!

I think Halloween fell at an appropriate time for us here in Moz. We’ve reached the one month in country mark and are about halfway through training. Luckily some arrangements were made so we could have a Halloween party at Casa Grande. We needed it too. There has been some tension in the air lately as we approach our first big language proficiency exams and cliques are becoming more defined. A diversity session yesterday afternoon got some tempers flared and feelings hurt. Looking back at diversity training in the college setting I remember similar outcomes but this is a group of 71 very different, very strong, very forward people so it’s exaggerated a bit. We’ll all get through it and be fine but it’s a delicate situation at the moment.

Anyway, back to the party! As every child in the States knows, Halloween is a time for costumes, creativity, pranks and candy. That concept is quite foreign here. I tried to explain it to my sister as we walked to the market the other night but the idea of children dressing up as characters, animals and scary things so they can run around and ask strangers for candy was lost on her. I think I described it quite well but I wish I’d had a camera to capture the look on her face. Last weekend a group of us went into Matola for some pizza, shopping and a break from Namaacha. As we walked through the gloriousness that is Shop-Rite, we tried to figure out costumes using what little Moz has to offer in that department. By chance, Meagan and I found these glow stick mouse ears and thus Minnie and Mickey Mouse were created. Our glowing ears were a hit and made it easy for us to find each other all night! I was super impressed with the creativity in the group. We had a loofah, a couple chapa drivers complete with cardboard cars, some Fanta girls, hula dancers, the Cat in the Hat, Thing 1 and Thing 2 and a whole language group came as a cow with a butcher leading it to slaughter. It was amazing. We danced and talked and reconnected and then went out afterwards to continue the night. For the first time since I got here I was not in bed before 10pm. I actually ended up crawling in through my window at around 11:30 as a miscommunication left my family thinking I was staying somewhere else and me coming home to a locked door. I’m such a rebel!

But I woke up this morning after another vivid, malaria prophylaxis induced dream and was slightly overwhelmed by emotion. At first my dreams were always about being in the U.S., with friends and family, back in Wilmington as an RA. They have slowly transitioned into U.S. settings with Peace Corps people and finally very clear Moz situations complete with Portuguese. But last night’s was a combination of it all. I remember traveling with my family around what was supposed to be my site here in Moçambique; there were other volunteers and definitely some Portuguese being used. And I mean my entire family was there: mom and Marv, dad and Mary, Jesse and his lovely crew, my cousin Rhonda, my uncle Steve and even my Granny was there at one point. The exact details have already started to fade but I clearly remember hearing Rhonda on the phone telling someone that she was at my PC site and that she had lost a shoe to the mud. I wake up from dreams like that with a heavy heart; missing my family, wishing I could just get up and easily communicate all my thoughts with the people around me. There haven’t been as many of those mornings lately, but I imagine there are more to come.

As this one month mark approached I have had a lot of “holy crap I’m in Africa moments”. Sometimes they happen as I walk down the road to the market or sit and study outside in the yard. Moments when I’m reminded of the beauty and friendliness of this country. Sometimes they’re a little more harsh. Like on our return trip from Matola when we were temporarily stuck in Boane as the sun began to set and there weren’t any chapas to Namaacha in sight. Or when we finally found one and shared it with a record breaking 24 people. The most memorable moment thus far is when a masked, hissing man jumped out of the shadows on my road and scared the shit out of me. Don’t worry, I had a friend walking me home, he remained calm and the guy didn’t do anything but slink back into the darkness. The results may have been different had I been alone, although I think he just wanted to scare passerbys, but there was a moment of fear and uneasiness as I realized I couldn’t call 911 or even reason with the guy had he wanted to rob me. Don’t get me wrong though, I feel very safe hear and think that as long as I’m making green-light decisions (thanks Larry Wray) I won’t have any serious incidents. There are just those times when you realize you are completely out of your element and at the mercy of Moçambique.

So we are about two weeks away from learning our placements and four weeks away from being sworn in as real Peace Corps Volunteers. Our tech sessions are starting to focus on lesson planning and we’ll be having model school in a couple weeks. By December 6th or 7th I’ll be at site and come February I’ll be teaching my own classes in Portuguese. I think we are all ready to cook for ourselves, to not have a family watching our every move but at the same time it’s safe and comfortable here. There are 70 other Americans within a 30min walk of me and I know I could call or find anyone of them if I needed anything. In a month I may have one site/roommate and be a several hour chapa ride away from the next closest PCV. It’s a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. And for someone who enjoys emotional stability it’s a challenge. But as the PC posters say: it’s the hardest thing you’ll ever love.

Beautiful World – Dierks Bentley and Patty Griffin

10/15/10

Okay let’s be frank. Moçambique is a beautiful country with unbelievably friendly people and some damn good bread but it’s also a completely different way of life. In our sheltered world in the states it’s hard to believe that this is how a majority of the world always lives, never knowing anything else. My two weeks (sometimes it seems like a lot longer)here in Namaacha have opened my eyes to more new things than I can explain.

I’ll start with the fact that I’m in place where very little English is spoken and the only real way to communicate with the people I live with is through butchered Portuguese and hand gestures. And while my language skills are improving, most conversations revolve around how we are feeling, the day’s activities, the weather and those words I can quickly look up in my dictionary. We’re not solving the world’s problems here but we’re communicating. I understand when my mom tells me I don’t eat enough (um when you eat five good meals of carbs and starch a day it’s hard for any given one to be very big), when my sister tells me which water to use to tomar banho (take a bath) and when my uncle continually explains the geography of Moz and southern Africa to me. And I was well aware that I got scolded this morning for leaving my boiled water in the teapot to cool overnight and for not refilling it to warm water for morning cha (tea). I was actually really happy about that one because I really felt like one of the kids and not the poor little American girl who doesn’t know a rinse basin from a pot of shima.

I’ve also experienced some interesting new things here in Moz. Last weekend my mom was in Maputo visiting a family friend who was in the hospital, so it was pretty much just me, my sisters and my nieces and nephews in the house. On Sunday I learned how to wash clothes and really clean my room and that night my sisters asked if I knew how to cook. I smiled and explain that of course I did - if it meant boiling water and adding the contents of a box to said water. I pointed to a package of massa (pasta) and said “oh, I can make that”. My sister looked back and said “okay, show me”. I proceeded to make my massa to my standards (which means an eighth of the oil) and learn how to sauté chicken feet with onions and tomatoes. I didn’t actually eat the chicken feet but I can’t knock the flavor they added to the meal. I was proud of myself until one sister laughed and said I had a lot to learn. Okay fine, burst my nice little bubble with your terribly true dose of reality. My confidence is fine.

Probably the most eye opening and uncomfortable experience was my first trip in a true Moçambiquen chapa (taxi like van). Last Saturday we all went into Maputo with our language groups to do some shopping and practice our Portuguese. We left Namaacha at 6:30am in PC only chapas. Now a chapa is like a really well worn 15 passenger van that will take you and 20 of what you better hope are your nearest and dearest, very clean friends from point A to point B. Safe to say it was tight in those chapas as we headed into Maputo but it was other PCTs (Peace Corps Trainees) and our language teachers so everyone was cool. Seven hours later the situation wasn’t quite as neat and tidy. Groups were spread out throughout Maputo and surrounding areas to shop because the place they normal go is officially off limits since it was discovered that the owner sells drugs to fund terrorist groups. Now that order comes straight from Obama so there’s no arguing. Anyway, our group stayed with another group to do our shopping and after hours of walking all over Baixo (downtown Maputo) we headed towards the chapa terminal to catch a ride back out to Namaacha. This time it was our group of 10, 8 other adults, a baby and everyone’s shopping bags. It was hot, there was traffic leaving town and 1.5 hours turned to 2 as our chapa struggled up the hills to Namaacha. One thing to mention is that Moçambiquens don’t use deodorant and have a very distinct odor to them. They are actually very clean people but being crammed into a chapa with a bunch of them can do number on your nostrils. Luckily we had all just bought our phones so we had some good distractions. I learned that I feel quite strongly about my personal bubble, it’s important to open your window if possible despite the glares from the person practically sitting in your lap and I will be in incredible shape after two years because I plan on riding my bike whenever possible.

10/8/10

I have this tradition with a friend where we write e-mails when we can about whatever is going on in our lives and somehow we got to using song titles as subject lines. For me it was a song that described my life at the time or I was particularly enjoying. I’ve been slacking on my end of that exchange but it got me thinking about music and how important it is in our lives. Even here in Mocambique music is everywhere and usually being played really really loud. So as I have transitioned into this new life, I’ve been relying on music to calm my nerves and comfort my heart.

I’d be lying if I said everything was perfect and I’m loving every minute. It’s been hard. Really hard sometimes. There was jetlag at first, the adjustment to new foods and dealing with the subsequent “system issues”, then came latrines, bucket baths and the language barrier between me and basically everyone else. It’s difficult and stressful and sometimes I just want to throw in the towel and return to my easy suburban life. The first night in Namaacha with my host family was my worst and I’ll admit there were some tears and some “what the hell am I doing”’s and I’m fairly certain I’ll probably have other nights like that. But then there are those truly wonderful moments of connection and beauty and joy. Showing my host family the dance I learned in class that day and having them laugh at my “dance skills”, juggling a soccer ball with my brother, understanding an entire conversation in Portuguese, hearing rain on the tin roof of my little house. I’ve only been in this country a week and a half but the soundtrack of my life might rival that of any hit film.

So, back on topic. For anyone who knows me, ‘Wide Open Spaces’ is basically the story of my life and you can’t really get any more wide open spaces than in Africa. The landscape is beautiful and natural and seriously straight out of The Lion King. I half expect to see Pride Rock off in the distance one of these days. Namaacha, my current home, is on the frontera (very close to the Swaziland border) about an hour and a half outside Maputo. Basically as far south as you can be in Mocambique without hanging out with the border patrol. I think I heard that there about 40,000 people in the district but most are quite spread out and not directly in town. Its remote and rustic and like nothing I’ve ever experienced. True open spaces.I’ve found over the years that certain songs will forever take me back to particular moments in time. Jeff Buckley’s ‘Hallelujah’ drops me back into the emotional turmoil that was the end of my freshman year of college. Anything Ryan Montbleau reminds of my adventures at the Don Lee Center and Kenny Chesney’s ‘Better as a Memory’ reassures me that some people, things and places are simply meant to be items of the past. I fall asleep to the soothing sounds of Jack Johnson, Bruce Hornsby and Michael Brooks. I remind myself that I have the most amazing support system back home with the mix my mom made me (and that amazing book of letters!) and pump myself up with some Justin Timberlake and G. Love.

I guess what I’m saying is that I’m surviving. Some days are harder than others but overall things are good. I’m learning Portuguese little by little, making friends with some truly amazing and motivated people and loving the immediate acceptance I received from my host family. I will describe them more another time but they are wonderful. It’s a huge family and I don’t exactly know how everyone fits in but everyone is accepted and welcomed. They are patient with me, laugh at my American ways and give me the space I need without isolating me from daily activities. I’m getting used to and enjoying bucket baths and am mastering my skills at Charades when words aren’t available. This weekend my mom is teaching me to cook. Obviously she’s a patient women!

I have been in Mozambique for about a day now and am completely in love and completely overwhelmed (in a good way). Staging in Philadelphia went really well and I met a bunch of wonderful people but it didn't do all that much to prepare us for actually being in country. The 15 hour flight wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but then I was able to sleep for 11 or 12 hours of it. And if you haven't seen WALL-E yet, its wonderful. I bonded with that little robot somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. My group (the second half of the alphabet) had a long layover in Johannesburg before our connection into Maputo and got lots of stares as we sprawled ourselves out surrounded by piles of backpacks and dufflebags. We probably looked a little rough and ragged after our time in flight so I can't blame them. The best news is that everyone's luggage made it with nothing damaged or lost. My half of the alphabet is staying at a hotel in the center of Maputo and we come over to the other half's hotel for training sessions.

Today we've gone over safety and security, water filtration and medical kits, gotten vaccines, met the ambassador and had our introductory language assessments. There's a lot of information to absorb and my jetlagged mind is a bit stressed. Overall though its been amazing. The food is great and the PC/Moz staff is forever helpful. We head out to our homestay in Namaacha on Saturday and will be there until December. The training schedule looks intense between technical and language sessions but I can't wait to get started.

I don't know how internet access will be in Namaacha but I'll try to get on again soon to give more details and maybe add some pictures.

Miss you all!

I’ve been making this mental list for a while and with my departure less than two weeks away I’ve been feeling pressured to get everything ready while still enjoying the people and places here. So in no particular order:

-Spend time with and say good-bye to everyone out East (that was a tough and very emotional task) some of the VA family  It's an old picture, but we're together!

 Don Lee Center Staff Spring '10 Getting excited for Harry Potter World -Get all my belongings from 7 years on the east coast back to Colorado (roadtrip!)-Spoil Tommy rotten! (I love that kid)

-Serious family time (an ongoing process)-Pack for two years in Africa (Ha! Pretty sure I’ll be working on that one until I leave for the airport)-Attend a couple of Broncos games (two down and one regular season game to go!)-Apply for my special passport and visa (applications are practical and logical so I’m good there)-Spend as much time as possible with my nieces and nephew (finally saw some soccer games) Ashlee & Jesse in back with Luke, Emmah & Amelia (l-r) -Learn a bit of Portuguese (Fale mais devagar. A phrase I need to get down now.)-Consolidate the stuff I’m leaving behind to help my mom out during any future moves (Eh, it will come)-Get up to the mountains a couple of times (Vail, Steamboat Springs, Rocky Mt. National Park, Estes Park) A view from the top of Vail Mt. -Eat at Chipotle at least once a week and drown myself in diet coke (finally an easy one)-Make a little money (Or should I say “get a job I enjoy and meet some great new people”. Darn you Regis Bookstore!) -Mentally and emotionally prepare for some intense culture shock (I’m not even going to touch that one)



So I think I’m doing pretty good with my preparations. My mom and I have done a lot of shopping this past week and are making a solid dent in the extensive list the PC Mozambique desk sent out. I’m fairly certain the majority of my 80lbs of luggage will be toiletries and practical stuff rather than clothes. I’m bring like 10 pairs of shoes (which is really not me) but I’ve got all my bases covered plus some “comfort” shoes. Packing should be a fun process.

Side Note - I’ve been asked a couple times what little things I need for this adventure, so much to my dismay I am including a list of such items: single serving drink mixes (crystal light, kool-aid, nestea, etc), AAA batteries, US postage stamps, dry spices or herb seeds, pictures of the familiar people/places/things I love.

I’ve had a week to look through my invitation packet and am starting to digest all the information and required forms. There’s the new passport and visa to apply for, resume and aspiration statement for my host country desk, life insurance, property insurance, safety guidelines. You name it, this thing has covered it. But what I’m fixated on now (all the important documents have been sent off) is the packing list. How am I suppose to decided on clothes, shoes, supplies and entertainment for two the next two years AND fit it all into two bags with a combined weight of 80lbs? Now I realize I’m not going to the South Pole and can buy things once I’m there but packing for a weekend can be stressful enough at times, packing for a two year long trip just seems ridiculous.

Don’t get me wrong, the Peace Corps does a good job of listing the types of clothing that will be culturally acceptable (knee length or longer skirts/dresses, no spaghetti strap tank tops, etc) and weather appropriate (raincoat, good shoes, quick drying fabrics) but it’s an overwhelming task to tackle. I’ve never been the business suit, high heels, must get decked out to go to the store type of girl, so it’s not hard to leave those behind but the idea of not being able to throw on some shorts and a tank top is a bit odd. And where do you find ankle-length skirts these days?

Now based on the PC’s list and the blogs of fellow Volunteers, I won’t need to pack two years worth of ibuprofen or soap but some supplies are hard to come by over there. Looks like I’ll be loading up on AAA batteries, stamps, ziploc bags, drink mix packets and razors. And it seems like anything that has a solar charging option is good since electricity is not guaranteed. But one girl said that bringing her laptop and iPod was one of the best ideas because she had music, movies and word processing.

Which leads me to my first request of anyone reading this blogging adventure of mine: I need some new music and lots of it. I listen to almost everything (heavy metal is low on the list though) and love finding random bands and singers. So e-mail, text, comment, or facebook me with your current or all time favorite artist and help me expand my music collection. Thanks!

Looking back I swore I would never have a blog. Those who know me know I tend to keep things to myself. Besides I’m not terribly creative or crafty and never felt my day to day life was interesting enough to share with the public. But I thought it through and this is the most logical way share my adventures, stories and experiences while in Africa and I like things that appeal to my logical side.

So, a little background to start things off. I’m originally from the beautiful state of Colorado but moved to North Carolina about seven years ago for college and have been out east ever since. While in my last semester of graduate school up in Maine, I attended an info session about the Peace Corps and spent an hour and a half swapping stories with an amazing recruiter from the Boston office. He and his wife volunteered together in Belize after their kids were grown and gone and since I had been down there three times myself for research, we had many common experiences. He was really enthusiastic about me applying to the program and thought I’d be a good candidate based on my education, experience and passion for new challenges. And so it began. I had my interview down in Boston in June 2009 and received a nomination to teach secondary science in the African region that August. The challenging part of the next process was the amount of medical and dental paperwork I had to get completed while teaching at an environmental camp in a rather isolated part of North Carolina. To make a long story short, I was finally cleared this past June and received my official invitation and placement last Friday. And now I am just five weeks away from a really long plane ride to Mozambique!

For those of you who haven’t been studying the Peace Corps’ map of Africa for the past year, Mozambique is a coastal nation in southeast Africa. It’s just north South Africa, south of Tanzania and east of Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi. And if you cross the Mozambique Channel to the east you hit Madagascar and the Indian Ocean. I’m psyched about the location because it’s far enough south that I might actually see some cooler weather and it’s relatively close to the coral reefs off Kenya.

Mozambique was a Portuguese colony for nearly 500 years, only gaining its independence in 1975. This means I will be learning Portuguese over the next couple months because it’s the official language and used in all schools. It’s actually the first language of a very small percentage of the population so I’m hoping to pick up some other language bits as well.

I’m sticking with general information right because I have no idea exactly where I’ll be within the country. Kind of makes it hard to plan and pack. It’s definitely a tropical/subtropical climate with wet and dry seasons but the coast can see up to 54 inches of rain a year while the inland areas may only get 12 inches. And while average summer (remember it’s the southern hemisphere so November through March) temperatures can be in the high 80s and the winters getting down into the 50s, the inland altitudes can see much more mild temperatures. One good thing I’m reading, humidity is typically only 60-70% and after years of east coast air thick enough to choke on I think I’m set to go.

I’m sure there’s plenty more to tell about this amazing country but this is starting to sound textbookish and I’ll have plenty of time to educate everyone once I’m in country and experiencing it for myself. Until then I am enjoying what's left of my summer!

.............Oh and slight change to the schedule. I have to be in Philadelphia for staging on September 27th not the 29th. That’s just four weeks from now. Yikes!