walk on water

I thought I had run out of pigment, but it seems that each day I end up with fresh tan lines. My face, arms and below the knee are Brazilian dark, but the rest looks like… well like a doll got put together with the wrong torso in the toy-factory.

Jenny and Joel took me to a cute café for lunch. A British woman came in with some Africans, ordered some wine and practically spit it out calling that it tasted wrong. So they cracked open a new bottle. Under her breath she complained it tasted the same. Perhaps it didn't occur that she is ‘not in Kansas anymore’. We three couldn't help but wonder what she was doing in Mozambique. Actually, Chimoio is populated with quiet a few Brazilians I have noticed, and I have been mistaken for one more often then not. It is more of a city setting then rural, so it is okay for woman to wear pants/ capris.

Joel and I took the afternoon to visit Gondola, a city just 30 mins outside of Chimoio; Lots of vegetation and red earth roads. We went down a sloping path with a gorgeous view of other huts and banana trees below to our left. The man we visited had a wife and 9 kids; one in particular kept watching me, and each time I smiled at her she broke into intense laughter and hid behind her father then came out to wait until I looked again. As we began to leave she came close to me, I put out my hand and she grabbed it and smiled so hugely, but not too sure what to do with it but examine it while still keeping watch on my face to see my reaction. She just won my heart; outrageous and mischievous laughter in her dirty-pink-corduroy-dress. I took a shot of her and her little sister, and before I knew it a whole slew of kids came into the shot and screamed when they saw their very own self’s on the small screen on my camera. It never gets old.

Shopping. This is always an adventure. I can honestly testify that all my life in Winnipeg and I have hated shopping. I literally get a headache when stepping into a mall. BUT shopping in Africa is different. It is actually one of my favorite pass-times. The markets are ALWAYS full of people, selling, buying, and dealing. I am always wondering what goodies each person has to offer; bolos (like donuts), sugar cane, roasted corn on the cob (not like Canada thinks, hard so you flake of the kernels and crunch on them), bananas, refrescos (coke, fanta) etc. It may help to make little comparisons of my loves for the shopping in the different places I have stayed at. In Machanga as you walk along the road each hut seems to sell something, usually a type of fish, dried or fresh. Chimoio has Mozambique’s’ largest veggie market. My favorite thing in Beira so far is the ever so popular Chinese shops. They sell cheep imports of everything. It is like a dollarama but with crazy shoes and funny captions on items straight from China. All places, I have noticed, sell crackers, bananas, refrescos, and other sweets in little set-ups along the street. There is no lack of munchies where ever one walks. I also find it hilarious that the SHOPRITE’s (like our SAFEWAY) here blast pop music on their speakers so it sometimes is uncomfortably loud. Lastly I love delving into an outdoor market, getting lost in the mazes of capulanas, shacks closely knitted together, hand-made goodies everywhere, and not knowing where to get out or where ever your got in. exhilarating

Today I just went to visit two orphanages near Beira in order to see what others non-Africans are doing in Mozambique. The two orphanage set-ups are very different but conveniently right beside each other (30 second walk in-between). One is just for boys, which a man named Tom has started. There is a tree-house dorm for the boys, soccer field, baseball pitch, hundreds of pineapples, a cashew orchard, etc etc etc. It is a paradise! One woman from England, Heather, has been at the boys orphanage for over a year and really would like me to come join her. I think a large chunk of my 3 months break (Nov, Dec, Jan when the Machanga girls center has a school break) I will be spending time at this orphanage. I think we will get along really well.
I think I did the most amazing thing since sliced bread > I walked on water. Well.. they have this swamp that is 2 meters deep, but the grass has grown over so thick that if you jump out far enough and land on the grass-paddy you can walk on it! I missed part of the jump off and one of my legs dunked in, but I made it (I was in a skirt okay!). It was like a giant waterbed! Or a ground that moved like jello! It was so sensational.

The orphanage next door to the only-boys one, is a girls and guys orphanage which a very artsy woman started. Also another paradise!

I am doing a pile of computer stuff all night before I head out again on Saturday, but I will have perhaps some connection this time around. Please email, call / text my cell 011-258-824276276. Will try to upload pictures and perhaps videos soon! keep an eye out> have some good ones of capoeira back-flips on the beach!

cheers