rio steal-my-money savane

I am learning rules and typical cultural extremely fast. I have only been here just over 3 months, and I am curious if its good I learn now, or all these events are just preparing me for what is to come in the next 9 which means I have many more to ‘enjoy’.
Heather, Patricia (visiting from Switzerland) and I decided to take up an offer of a night at Rio Savane, an touristy, island place with a grand beach, a restaurant and barakas to sleep in. It is only about an hour from Beira, so we decided to hitch a ride. As we waited in a little village market at the side of the dirt road, we got the usual strange looks and strange characters coming up asking strange questions, such as if we were triplets > even though Patricia has strawberry blond hair and very fair skin and Heather is 5 foot 1. A few vehicles past before we were able to get a ride in the back of a truck. I talked about the pricing for us 3 girls and me and the man decided 400 mets for all three… a little pricy, but we were willing to pay. I made sure that it was 400 total and for all of us together. Total. Final price. 6 others got into the back with cases of cokes and baskets of fish and other various overbearing packages. We were riding along, enjoying the wind in our hair and small conversation, when the driver stopped literally in the middle of nowhere on the secluded road and came to us 3 whities asking for money. I said we would pay half now, and the other half when we arrived. When I handed 200 mets over, he made a big show and said that we owed him 1200 all together and it was all a big misunderstanding and he was going to leave us on the side of the road. He obviously knew he was in the wrong and quickly lowered the price to 1000 to make it look like he was the generous one, when really I pay only 330 for an 8-hour ride to Machanga, and he wants 400 for a 1-hour ride in the back of his silly truck! We paid the 500 and I was steaming the rest of the ride there, conjuring up things I was going to say to him, making sure I practiced in my head before I spoke so I could get some real good emotion in my words.

We arrived. “Ja pagamos” Firmly, (we already paid) I said as we hoped out of the back of his truck and started walking towards the boats that take us to the island.
“Ja?” (already), he asked a little confused and then caught up to our fast paced walk and grabbed Heather’s arm and purse. I raised my voice more and told him to let go as I took his grip from her. As this happened he stepped on her sandal, thus removing it and keeping it pegged on the ground as a hostage.
“Ja, nos nao vamos pagar mais” (yes already, we not paying more),,, I explained how we are volunteers and how we should not and could not pay this kind of money, how he is a robber wanted to take these poor girls money and lie to us about prices… blah blah blah. The whole ordeal went on for quiet a while and many people watched as if it was some good movie. One thing that Mozambicans like is ‘drama’. This was probably the best part of their day watching a white girl raise her voice shake her hands with frustration at this thief of a man. In the end we paid 800 mets, which is still WAY too much. To be honest, it was pretty fun and felt good to be able to know I can express myself in this manor in Portuguese.

We took the boat to the island. Cesol, the man who owns the island that invited us to Rio Savane, gave us a Baraka for the night for free (a nice little bamboo hut with mattresses on the floor and mosquito nets, very basic, very cute). We spent the two days on the beach and I played in the wild waves until I was told that my skin was dark as the light Mozambicans. Perhaps that is dark enough. We had a nice dinner at the restaurant, I ordered lula (calamari), and it was the best I have ever had! Fresh, big pieces, and classic fried potato fries and cabbage. Yum.

Cesol is one of those socially awkward kind of people. Perhaps he just does not know how awkward it is when he continually came to sit in on our meal while we were eating, and have nothing or few things to say. Silence would set in and I got the ‘giggle fits’. Its just those situations when one should not, or can not , or simply is not the place to laugh, that it is the hardest not to. I could not control myself and would burst out laughing at absolutely nothing whenever I looked at Heather, and thus I pulled her into it and we were hysterical. And then there was awkward Cesol, quite confused, but smiled his awkward smile. It feels so great to laugh until ribs are aching.

Since Cesol hooked us up with all the sweet deals, we ended up saving money. To get back, we ended up hitch hiking back with some white Zimbabweans. Great weekend despite the robber-type man we had on the way.

mud mud mud

Bottles tumbled from the shelves in our shower-room, things shifted and tussled making an epic ruckus… Great.. another rat. Suddenly I heard a ‘pitter patter pitter patter’ on my floor of my room, and halting beside my bed. I lifted up my mosquito net and pointed my flashlight on what I thought would be the rat, but turned out to be one of the cats I let in with a giant rat in its mouth. It then went under my bed to have a feast… I let it crunch away not wanted to discourage it from a job-well-done, and put in earplugs to muffle the sound. Not trace of any rat in the morning, other then the evidence of the cats HUGE belly.

I was at a woman’s bible study yesterday morning, and had to leave in the middle of it for a doctor’s appointment. I was dropped off at the hospital to find out some results. Of course they were not ready, so, being too cheep to want to catch and pay for a chapa, I ‘apanhar uma balaya’ (hitched-a-ride) with a bicycler passing on the street. Amazingly I found my way back to the house, and didn't have to pay for chapa fair, and had a good conversation on the way.

The boys seem very exited to try new foods, and so I made a mango-cobbler last night, and today I made Chinese for lunch > fried rice.
They love to cook their concoctions with and for me too: mango jam, mango papa (like a mango hot cereal) and we roasted cashews.

A group of us decided to walk to the beach today. It was about a 2-hour walk there through mud and fields and forest, and mud, and mud, and hidden spiky-things under the mud. Every step in the muddy water just below the knees, one wonders if the next step will bring pain with a sharp piece of something or a soothing ‘slosh’ of soft mud. We made it and the ‘beach’ was mud not sand. One can literally sink up to their ears in mud! One of the guys dared to go in and he was the one carrying the portable radio. As he kept sinking, the radio was made sure to be kept up out of the mud, and his whole body except his head and one arm was out of the mud. What a sight! The radio was rescued first, then he was able to free himself.

At the ocean we met some local fishers who live in grass houses build on the shore, and the boys asked for free fresh fish. They succeeded, so we made a little fire and put the fish right on until ready to eat. That is what I call fresh fish, it was delish!

Just got in from a grand chicken run. Since tomorrow is the American Thanksgiving, Jon is going to celebrate and we had to find and catch 7 chickens for supper tomorrow!

watch your pocket

Nov. 18 / 09 Mata o Rato

The night before last was possibly the most sleepless night I have ever had. After watching a movie with the boys, it was time to go to bed. I opened my slightly-not-closed suitcase and a giant rat sat amongst my things. I screamed a high-pitched typical ‘house-wife’ scream. In seconds the boys ran to the house ready to defend me. It was just the rat, false alarm. At least I know I will be protected on the double if any trouble does come my way. That night, that thing and perhaps many others scurried around my room, and even dared to enter my bed under my mosquito net! AH! The nerve! I probably got a total of 7 minutes of sleep, I had never been so happy to see the sun rise.

Last night the scurrying persisted, and I was awoken at 3 am. But this time, the scurrying was stuck in the corner of my room> it was trapped in the rattrap I set up with a piece of soap as bait. It was caught but still very alive. I took a brick and dropped it on the squirming body. It squealed and squirmed all the more almost getting out! I must have been in some kind of aggressive state and I was shouting at the thing telling it was not going anywhere. The brick broke in a million pieces, so I took a bigger, stronger brick and like a barbarian persisted until there was no movement. The rest of the night, scurrying persisted. At least I know that there is more then one rat in the house. But I decided I would let them scurry in, see what happened and spread the word that they are not welcome in this house.

Nov. 20 / 09 Reality Check

Fridays are a day to prepare for the Seventh day Adventists’ Sabbath. The boys prepare for Saturday and part of it is making the flat breads. Once again I end up being covered in a floury mess.

Heather and I went to town in the afternoon to pick up some things and laugh at people together. She has the same humor as me and it is so great to laugh so hard your ribs hurt and you cant possibly laugh loud enough or slap your thigh hard enough to express how funny something was or how you are feeling.

As the sun began to set its fiery ball down amongst the buildings and vendors in the city of Beira, chapas filled up quickly for those who wanted to get to their home destination. We were part of the hustle and bustle squeezing into crowds to try and get on the next chapa back to KEDESH. Heather told me how these are the kind of moments people get things stolen, and the next second she suddenly yelled at one man who tried to steal her purse! We got a couple boys from KEDESH to meet us up at the end of the road to walk us home. As we talked about our daily events and about the robber I checked to see my phone in my zipped pants pocket, which had been open and phone vacant. Great. Sorry for those who are trying to contact me and text etc, I will get you my new number as soon as I get a new phone. Could have been worse, my friend who got his phone stolen in Beira got his face punched first.

can your really chew through anything?

Nov. 14 / 09 - SLUMBER PARTY!!!

Me, Heather, Joe (UKers) and Zee (USA) went to the Nautico Club for sodas, went for an ocean swim then had lunch. The Nautico Club is a ritzy, ocean front restaurant / café, and also has a pool. Jumping into the ocean on this HOTT day was absolutely satisfying. Joe just recently bought a 4 bedroom flat and so we had a slumber party, even though each of us got our own rooms to sleep in. We got fancy cakes and had tea and sat on her second floor veranda chatting… mostly fussing over the funny, different things UKers and North American say. I want to try and adopt some > such as ‘balderdash’ Hah, makes me smile every time.

Nov. 17 / 09 – 3 months in Mozambique

13:02 - I have thought that I have been very patient with all the waiting I have practiced in these 3 months in Africa. Perhaps my patience is running thin about now. By the suggestion of colleagues I am to get my hurting feet checked out, and so yesterday I went to a foot doctor, only to be sent to another doctor, to be sent to another doctor, for them to tell me to go to the hospital. At this point it was the end of the day and was too late to chapa back to KEDESH safely and too late to go to the hospital. I had made plans with the boys to teach me to make matapa (a Mozambican dish) and felt like I was letting them down, but I had to sleep in the city. This morning I went to the hospital and waited 4 hours with colleagues. I wanted to tell him many times that I would rather just go back and not worry about it at all. Riding in a chapa 8 hours is better then 4 hours of stagnant waiting, not going anywhere, not knowing if you are or when you will be served. Turns out the doctor was not there and was not coming in. The knot in my throat swelled as I wanted to cry because the wasted time and the people I let down. The rain outside is a metaphor to how I felt all morning, but I am happy to be back at KEDESH. I am not waiting for things not to arrive.

16:48 – My hands are covered in filth. The one night I was out of my room, the rat I have been dealing with decides to take sweet action. I opened my suitcase of cloths, activities and art supplies to have found my black-India-ink bottle chewed open on all sides. Cloths, art supplies and other various items have been covered in the black ink, as well as other various things chewed. Hours of cleaning, things still are covered in a black layer (including my hands and my peeling, laminated bedroom floor). My hiking-pack on my bed had also been a place of venturing for the rat, for he chewed open bottles of liquid, which spilled on cloths and other various items, leaving interesting mixtures of smells soiling them. The rattrap set up, generously offering a delicious prune, was left untouched, and my bar of soap was ravaged instead. I’m not sure how many there are, but it or they are going to get it.

lets go eat a mango in a tree

Childhood has not left me yet. I arrived at KEDESH the boys’ orphanage in Beira yesterday and have already had so many adventures. Jon, the American who started KEDESH 17 years ago, has made this place a year-round camp. There are climbing walls, structures, obstacle courses, clay to play with, a bog to jump around, LOTS of places to run and play and climb. Great place for boys in general. This is where I will be for the 3-month African-school holidays. I am living in a mud-house with a girl named Heather. This is no ordinary mud house> we have a toilet, running water AND electricity and wireless!!!… and I have a giant waterbed by the way (which actually is FREEZING at night… which is pleasant in this HUMID / HOTT weather… so it balances out).

Today after breakfast, Heather and me went with some of the boys to dig up sweet potatoes. If you have ever done hot-yoga, you would know what I am expiriencing. It is a super humid make-you-sweat-everywhere sort of hot. It was great having conversations getting to know the boys as we worked in the sun digging up treasures in the dry earth. When it is wet we will be putting in rice patties!

So today I not only got to play in dirt, but I got in many water fights, and climbed the most AMAZING trees. I am trying to decide which kind was my favorite. To get into this huge mango tree, we had to climb a nearby tree and, like monkeys, switch branches onto the mango tree and climb up up up into the tall parts to pick off ripe mangos and eat them in this huge tree! It was ginormous… there were 8 of us in the tree… they were all much higher then I was, walking on tree limbs like they were just above the ground… and we all had our own sections of tree, not crowded at all. Some of the other great trees are cashew trees > they are lower to the ground and typically sprawl out their limbs so you can walk along them like a tight rope with other nearby branches in hand. The cashew fruit is very sweet and very juicy but some how puckers up your mouth like something dry or bitter. But excitement-wise, I find that the mango tree is more exhilarating, being SO high from the ground amongst massive leaves hiding quantities of mangos. The boys are very keen on teaching me more capoeira and tai-Kwan-do. I also went for a long walk in the machamba (vegetable crop) with Joldo the gardener who knows everything you need to know about African farming… we planted beans, then he showed me all the land and ended up sitting under cashew trees talking about plants, food, and life.

Heather and I were out to town today, and I told her how I love all the street-treats and discovering something new is always exiting and I always have to try it. She, being here almost 1 and half years has never had street food! So I bought some peanut-brittle-like bar and later some dried masanica berries, and she dared to by some peanuts. As we walked along the street we came along a vendor selling dried caterpillars. We both had never seen them before and she dared me to try one. Instead of buying a cup full, I asked to try just one. They are black, and about the size of a pinky finger. It almost tasted like dried, salted fish. We walked down the street, and Heather, being from England and very proper with a pretty accent, exclaims “You just ate a caterpillar…” and we laughed until the not understanding vendors were laughing as well. I did eat a caterpillar didn't I … perhaps again one day?
All I want to do all day is play… *sigh*- childhood is still with me ☺

sandals or not, here i come

‘Working’ is essentially exploring these days. My job for these couple days is to hop on chapas (pronounced SH-apa) and get my knowledge and bearing about Beria, the second (Maputu is the first) major city developed in Mozambique. So I went around and did more walking then anything, and explored to find many cute little cafés as I love to do. As I was making my trip back, I noticed my sandal was rubbing one of my poor feet the wrong way, making yet another sore on my beat up little foot. I bent down and tugged at it, hoping helplessly that it would make some kind of a difference. In fact, it sure did. My sandal strap snapped in between my toes and therefore became useless. I took it off and wondered if it was better walking with a sandal that rubbed my skin raw and irritated, or being humiliated by walking with one sandal and the other foot bare in the dirt. Local woman obviously thought it was a must I not be humiliated, and within only 13 steps of being sandal-less some woman came to me and pointed me to the conveniently placed man who sat under a tree repairing shoes and sandals, only another 13 steps away. For one metical (equivalent to about 3 cents), and a couple minutes he fixed my sandal and I was on my way.

HEY SISTA...im fine an you

So this last week has been wonderful sitting on multiple beaches (running in the evenings with Sara (PCV), sometimes getting washed up my the tide… why not go for a swim after!?), eating minimum of one papaya a day, enjoying deep-fried street food (my new fav> mystery bean-cakes… like mini veggie burgers), meeting up with awesome people and sharing experiences with them. I have really been blessed with the hospitality these PCVs (Peace Corp Volunteers) have, since I met most of them only once and others never before. After Vilanculos, it was time to head back to Inhassoro. Looking back on my last long chapa ride in. I decided to apanhar uma balaya (hitch-a-ride). So I walked to the main hi-way with my pack and walked a little ways, flagged down a couple cars and before I knew it I was in the back of a red truck with another fellow on a delivery. His father, driving, claimed to be American when he first talked with me. Yes, he could speak English, but sadly his Mozambican accent was a dead give-away that he had never even been to North America. They dropped my off at a crossroads, where moments later a spiffy SUV stopped, and an East Indian man came out and a Mozambican, both very wealthy. In their clean, perfumed SUV I felt very dirty and smelly and felt much more at home in the back of an open dirty truck. They drove very fast and I prayed the whole time that no big pot wholes would send us flying in the air (if we had wings on that thing I am sure we would have been air-born). I was dropped off at the last crossroads and less then a minute later was picked up by a SUV of South Africans with some oil company. The AC was almost too much I felt I was back in the Peg. Once again feeling smelly compared to the trimmed and primed company in the car. Got dropped off right at my friends place. God is good, and has protected me. > My trip was less then half the time of the first and so much more comfortable.

As of now I am in Chimoio with Jenny and Joel from MCC. Made dinner tonight, is so great to have a kitchen to myself and cook with a familiar scene and appliances. Prayer here is MUCH appreciated because today, Nadia their 4-month-old baby was diagnosed with malaria.

I have a capulanah obsession. I don't feel like buying anything else because there are so many and they are all so beautiful. I got a great tailor, Tomas, in Inhassoro to tailor me 2 dresses, a shirt and a skirt. It cost less then 8 dollars US! Hah. So now when I see a nice capulanah, I start thinking of potential cloths I can have. I bought 2 new ones today. I can’t contain myself.
As I road my bicycle back to JJ’s (Jenny and Joel) home, a little boy asked for a balaya. I told him to hop on the back-rack and took him a ways to the main road. I felt pretty African ☺ although people still look at me with curious, big smiles and still do their regular greet of "HEY SISTA!"

when will chapa rides be non-eventful?

Is there a limit to the amount of animals that can fit ontop a chapa? Apparently not. I have been in Inhassoro, running on the beach each night with Sara, and making delicious food with her and Hans (the 2 Peace Corp volunteers). Life is not too bad. Today I bought a fresh papaya and left for Inhassoro by chapa. If I had taken a car it would be about an hour drive. With a chapa, once again, you never know. Sometimes I wish I could have someone with me just to laugh at the things I see. To so many people it is just everyday-life. After loading and unloading the chapa with people and cargo, stuffing it so full you would think that it was going to burst (it actually had burst > the door popped off the hinges and two old ladies and a man were hanging out the open door side), they stopped to load up 4 one-hundred pound bags of salted/dried fish on top the chapa and then on the other side of the street 5 full-grown, live goats bleating their terrible cries. Of course 3 minutes later a bouquet of chickens (4 chickens tied together at the legs) was added to the sagging top-rack…a couple more minutes a man carrying a duck and a rooster entered… the trip was easily over 3 hours. Finally got into Vilanculos alive an well…papaya still in tacked.

Last of Machanga for 2009... i will return

Oct. 20

Quickest chapa ride yet! Only took 8 and half hours to get from Beira to Machanga. On the way here, we saw 4 flipped-over vehicles. 2 in the ditch, one was a semi, and 2 some how, upside-down in the middle of the road, they were both other chapas. Scary,,, this just goes to show that taking a chapa ride is no picnic in the park.

Back at home, after getting off the chapa and starting my journey down the path to the center, my running buddies – the group of about 8 little girls, took my things for me and carried it to the center for me. Laughing all the way of course. I was greeted by the wonderful hugs, kisses and greetings from the girls. I had bought ¾ inch irrigation tubing to make hoola-hoops. We got 6 out of the 20 meters I bought and I got out the ribbon and colored electrical tape to decorate. It is all of their first time, you can already tell whom are the naturals.

A favorite night activity for the girls is watching movies. The other night we watched “Happy Feet” which is an animated film about a penguin who can not sing, but can dance > another branch off of the ugly duckling. The day after, Tia Cacilda and I were eating lunch together and she said she had a question for me. She asked if the birds in the movie really could talk English, or if it were men in suits that were dancing and singing. It is difficult to explain ‘digital animation’ when neither of us have the capacity to explain or understand this type of vocabulary in Portuguese.

I have made connections with Peace Corp. and a couple girls on another Mozambiquan sight donated 2 huge sacs of cloths. We distributed them, Tia Cacilda helps arrange the fairness> the cloths set in a pile then girls line up and take what was on top. I found it funny that she would snatch a nice piece out and wait for another girl she favors come to give it to them… so much for fair. She held a gnarly broom-like-branch to chase away the swarm of girls from the pile of goods> she looked threatening, and was not afraid to bat away those not listening… we all had a good laugh though. Once all had been chosen, we had a fashion show down the red-carpet…. which was actually my orange yoga-matt. Nonetheless, they loved it and their sweet new garb. The left over’s I gave to Tio Jeorge, our guard, and Tio Machau, our cook. They took each peace with happiness, no cloths seem to go to waist, they have some family connection, wife’s and kids, that can make use of it all.

Oct 21 / 09 > Journey to Salina

My feet have really taken a beating these last months and as a result have pretty cut up feet. Me and Richie, one of the peace corp guys herd of this place that people go to collect salt. It is a giant salt deposit near Machanga. He was given general directions by a young boy he knows and we were off after having a big Mozambiquan breakfast at their place > French fries, tomato and onion salad, eggs and bread. It was about 7 kilometers, and we asked many people along the way to redirect us. A man gave us his kids to take us there, and the rest of the kids in the area followed suit of course. We defiantly would not have made it there without them. We walked through remote land with random huts and the kids that lead us didn't even speak Portuguese! Suddenly we came to a desert like clearing where is looked like a lake surrounded by snow, but was actually salt. Women were in there with buckets collecting huge salt crystals. I HAD to experience the magic so I took off my shoes to bare my beat up feet. I stepped one step into the salt covered matope (mud) and wanted to scream. The burning sensation was seriously the most, to put it nicely, sensational feeling I have ever felt. I made squeals and yelps as I took steps deeper in towards a group of woman. The kids loved the entertainment. I made it in, mud up to the knees and a layer of salt on top, with about half a foot of water on top of that. Every step was like a slow-motion picture, very difficult to walk. I got out and couldn't put my shoes on with my mud-covered feet, so I proceeded walking it off. Unfortunately the EXTREMELY HOTT sand didn't do my feet so good. I screamed and ran to the nearest shrub for a shadow. The little escorts, who also were barefoot, laughed and jumped with joy at my actions. They took me back to their house so I could be washed up and shoes put back on for our journey home. Mission accomplished.

Oct. 24 / 09

My feet are a big show these days. When I first came my feet were just interesting because they were white, now they are fascinating because they are swollen. My toes and right foot blew up and the intense heat sure does not help. The little bit of pealed skin has been infected and irritated by the mass amounts of dust and dirt that enter on a continual basis, and the amounts of activity I like to do. I stayed off my feet yesterday and the girls were sure to come to see how I was as well as Tia Cacilda to clean them often, by sticking rough rags between my tender toes. She is my Mai de Africa.

School is over, and all girls left expert 15. It was a exiting but sad morning to see them off. Yesterday, I baked a cake for them and we strategically tried to cut it into 40 pieces in the dark with a flashlight, ya right… when the flash-light quit working, the cake magically disappeared instantly. Everyone got at least a taste. I made a good-bye speech and told them how I will miss them and can’t wait to see them when we all return in February. Gave them Canadian hugs and Mozambican kisses on each cheek. It is VERY quiet without all the singing and laughing right now. Time to do some art, reading and reflecting I guess.

Oct. 25 / 09

This energy thing is getting pretty difficult. I can’t charge anything here, internet has not been working at all and I have more devices then I can handle that have to be plugged in. I am not a high-maintenance person, but in this community my needs exceed the average person.

One of our girls has disappeared. She left the center this afternoon with her things, unannounced. This is very strange, since she seemed fine here, she has no family anywhere near here, and she never indicated anything to anyone.

I think my bed has mystery bugs. I have a lot of itchy bites that are not mosquito bites. Time to wash my sheets?

I had my first chicken in the center! We have been eating that crazy mini-dried shrimp with sand bits in it for a LONG time, lunch and supper. Now that 25 of the 40 girls left, I guess we can be a little more creative with food choices and splurge! It was so delicious.

Got some yarn given to me, and I broke out the crochet hooks and the girls went to it. Since they are amazing with their fingers in hair and strings etc, they are very good at crocheting! For most of them it was their first time to get a-hold of these materials, but it came naturally.

Madinha > What a gem. She is a very well off, large woman who is over generous; more then words can explain. She put ointment on my gross feet, vigorously brushes my messy hair (ripping most of it out), feeds me cheese, deep-fried things, shrimp, and give me refrescos every time I come just to say ‘hi’. I know that when I can’t bare to eat anymore of this sandy shrimp, I will just wait it out and visit her shop and I am sure to be filled to the brim. We are making a cake together tomorrow ☺

I made a big mistake. The girls were sitting around doing each others nails. Instead of using nail polish they mixed some ‘black henna’ in a water-bottle cap and put the gunk on their nails with a little stick. They asked if I would like to try. Being me, always trying almost everything once, I said yes. I asked what the result would be, thinking a orangey-red. But no… > black. I immediately started scpraping my nails on the back of the chair… they noticed and asked what was wrong. I washed my nails and scrubbed it off, leaving me with one black-nailed hand. They said it was beautiful, and asked if I would like my other one done up. I didn't really try to explain ‘goth’ to them, but told them that it wasn't very appealing to me. Silly mazungu.

Oct 28 / 09 Dia de Votar!

Today voting day for elections in Mozambique. Medinha invited me to come join her in Mambone. Like I have said before : She is one well-off woman. I was surprised we ended up walking to the river and some one did not carry her in a chariot-like contraption. It was so hot out, and when the days activities were done we bathed in the river! It was the most refreshing thing ever! I laughed so hard at my whiteness, I think I look as strange to myself as I do to everyone else since I am so used to seeing their cocoa skin. I added quiet a bit of salt to the salty river with all my sweat washing off.

I think I could live here with no money and never go hungry. I have had so many lunch, refresco and food offers from so many people that if I keep rain checks I will never go hungry. For the little that people have, they love to give. Africa is very generous and I have learnt that if people have something, they share it until it is gone. That also is part of the result of why there is so much poverty. They feel obligated that if they have a lot of something, it must be shared. So they give it away. Or others will notice this wealth and ask for it, and so the person with surplus feels obligated to give or to spend this wealth so they use it up, and have full benefit before people can ask for it. This may all seem complicated, and perhaps I cant explain in better terms, but the book “African Friends and Money Matters” by David Maranz explains this and many other interesting insights on the African financial system.

Now that I am comfortable with the language, Machanga feels more and more like home everyday. I will have to adapt quickly to a new world as I am leaving for a 3 month period to work in Beira. Sad to leave my girlies! We are now so comfortable with each other, as we dance together to second-hand music from a house that has energy and speakers after supper in the moon-light. *sigh*

Corizon de boi! > Heart of a bull… another one of my favorite fruits! That, and leechies. Corizon de boi, I think is also known as jack fruit, has almost a yogurt-pear like texture capturing black seeds. Tangy and delish! Spiky on the outside. Mangos are ripe in about a week! Can’t wait!


Oct 31 / 09 Halloween

Got things packed, last night me and the girls watched “Ever After” and ate cakes we made, and popcorn. Since there is only 15 of us watching, we could hear the words and sounds coming from the computer, it was no longer drowned out by 40 girls reacting to the strange and new things they saw actors do.

Jenny and Joel were heading to Inhassoro for a holiday, and I have Peace Corp connection down there so I tagged along and now am in one of their houses about a 4 minute walk from turquoise ocean. You can see it from my doorway. We went for a long run on the beach yesterday, and my poor feet not accustomed to sand-runs got blood blisters. Common LEX> take care of your feet! But it was so worth it.

Me, Sara, Emily and Hans got dressed up for Halloween. I was a butterfly using a pretty capulanah as my wings. People who saw us thought we were crazy. There are a lot of South-Africans here that don't even understand. To be honest, this was my first year not going “trick-or-treating”!