Walk around before you read all these

BLOG (6 May 2011) Liriam Dreams

Itºs funny how quickly life got busy. I went from twiddling my thumbs and writing a lot of blogs to hardly finding time and energy to sit and write in my journal or my blogs. But here is an entry and I need to write it now while the dream is still fresh in my head…Oh, the liriam…

This dream was CRAZY! It involved my sister, Kari, her husband, Noah, and their first born, Aliza. I remember in my dream knowing that Stephanie and Marissa were with Shawn, Kariºs friend. I donºt know if they were on a date and brought Aliza, too, but it was night time and all of a sudden it was a HUGE flood and they lost their car…while driving it in the raging waters of the flood. The raging waters included icebergs floating by. The icebergs were my familyºs savior, without them, they would have drowned.

Somehow they came across a carved out wooden canoe and they sat Aliza in the middle, and they did have paddles. Noah was in the front, Kari in the back and waves were crashing all around them as they paddled fast. But paddled fast to where? There was no land in site!

So here they were, Aliza, Kari, and Noah jumping from iceberg to iceberg and then paddling a canoe with hurricane type waves in this random, out of the blue flood that happened. And somehow all I could do was watch it as if it was something on the news. But if it was on the news, how did the camera get the angle shots or any filmage at all? And why werenºt the news people helping? I felt pretty anxious in my dream, wanting to be there to help, to do something!

So, pshychologists out there, what does this mean? J

BLOG (8 May 2011) Oh, I think they like me…

Shout out to my Granny! Today is her birthday! Happy Birthday! (even though it wonºt be your birthday by the time I type it up and put it on my blog and they you read it…but thatºs besides the point.)

“Oh, I think they like me…or better yet, I know…” Iºm just quoting a song. Iºm not that arrogant…but I do think they like me here.

Most of my time here is spent with the students. Playing basketball, dancing, and letting them braid my hair has been great. Itºs definitely different to live here right with them. I mean, my house is practically a zoo display… “Come look at the mulungu in Casa 2!”

I made it through quarter 1 and we are already halfway through quarter 2. English has been pretty fun to teach. It brings a different challenge to me because Iºm trying to apply how I teach (active and games) into a classroom and about English. Some things were successes, while others failures. But with time, the students were finally getting used to my teaching style. But just as that was happening, they pulled the rug out from under me and I no longer teach English. Iºm now the PE teacher.

Donºt get me wrong, Iºm 100% excited to be the PE teacher! It was just completely unexpected to be the full time PE teacher and no English. I was told on Tuesday and started on Wednesday. Being a PE teacher here has its challenges… and Iºm slowly working that out…

CHALLENGE #1: Language.

Yes, I do know enough Portuguese to get by and I am starting to convey my thoughts better and better (slowly), sometimes thinking in Portuguese or not even having to think about what I am saying exactly, but teaching in another language only? Itºs sure going to help my language in the long run, and luckily PE involves a lot of demonstration versus talking, but there is still a lot of talking…especially because of a later challenge you will read about…

CHALLENGE #2: Equipment.

This is all I have to work with: one basketball, one soccer ball, one volleyball, and one futesol ball (a ball that is like a soccer ball, but smaller and doesnºt really bounce). No cones, no more balls, no team markers, no nets. So here is what I do or have done so far: I have made some hackey sacs, so I have 5 of those, and I use them as cones. I also use my flip flops as cones. I can use chalk on the ground. And Iºm going to have to buy more 2 liter pops so I can use the bottles for games also. I canºt forget, I do have 2 rugby balls and one little Frisbee.

CHALLENGE #3: Teaching Style.

This was a challenge in India a bit, too, but it feels more so here. The students are so accustomed to the teacher just making them run and having them sit there as they talked to them, or even had lectures in a classroom on how to play. During the first quarter, I watched a couple classes, and thatºs all I saw. The kids donºt know how to play basketball or any other sport besides soccer/football. The teacher is not a bad teacher, heºs just accustomed to the Mozambican style, while I am accustomed to the Susan and Carole and Thomas/Purdue University and the way PE should be taught in America style. The students arenºt used to breaking down the skills, to playing little games to develop those skills, and so on and so forth.

CHALLENGE #4: Itºs hot.

I teach outside which is awesome…and not awesome. I love the fresh air, but the African sun can be pretty harsh. And when your students donºt really have shoes so they are playing barefoot, the cement doesnºt feel so great on their soles. And, naturally, they are like magnets to any shade that might be available in the area (making them not participate and move slowly to the game,etc)

CHALLENGE #5: Water.

Thereºs this song that I think anybody who spends time in Africa really appreciates. You might recognize by this one line “Bless the rains down in Africa.” If you havenºt guessed yet, itºs Toto Africa. The rainy season is most definitely over. We pump water from the ground, but it goes 85 feet into the ground, so we need energy/electricity to pump the water, and then to displace the water to the plastic tambors around the school grounds where we actually fetch the water. Three hours in the day, and 3 hours at night was barely cutting it for all of us here. Then, you now take into account that we were having even less energy for a week. We didnºt have enough fuel for the generator… We were scrounging (we are better now!) But when you add a lack of water plus the African sun… itºs not a great combination… And they donºt carry water with them anywhere besides that. Iºm always sharing my water.

CHALLENGE #6: Football/Soccer

Anytime thereºs a ball in site, whether it be a rugby ball, basketball, volleyball, or football/soccerball, they want to play football (for the Americans, when I say football, I am meaning soccer…) They love to take the ball and juggle it ALL the time. Thatºs great and all until it comes time to class and one, we arenºt playing football, we are playing basketball, and two, they kick the ball to you rather than nicely throwing it to you or giving it to you when you ask. (Thatºs getting better…)

CHALLENGE #7: Play Time.

This one kind of goes with Challenge #6. The kids here do a lot of work. The school day is from 7:00 to 17:25. Granted sometimes they donºt have a class for an hour during the day or a professor doesnºt show up so they are free…but even on the weekend they are kept busy with Actividades (Activities). They cut the grass, they sweep the ground, they trim the trees, etc. Thatºs what they do on Saturday mornings versus watching cartoons or playing video games. Play time here is limited not only because of work, but also because of light and heat of the day. Itºs hard to be playing out under the sun here especially when most play without shoes. When it gets tolerable to play outside, time is then limited to when the sun goes down. With a lack of constant energy and no light fixtures on the court or field, we end up playing in the dark, which I must say is not my favorite thing when a ball comes flying at your face. So, what I am trying to say here is that when they actually do get play time, they go at it full force and can make it more difficult to calm them down when I need them to listen.

CHALLENGE #8: Rules and Good Sports.

One great thing that I LOVE about sports is what it can and does teach you in time, given a good atmostphere. My feeling here in Mozambique with sports and the atmosphere is not so great. Yes, rules are a good thing and much needed in games. Without rules, it would be utter chaos. But rules cause disputes also 1) when people donºt really know all the rules; 2) When people arenºt honest with the rules, and 3) When people try to fight over the littlest rules. There seems to be a lot of disputes on rules. I do my best to be a good example towards how games and sports should be… they should be about fun. I try to stop any fighting/disputes when they are happening even though a quarter of the time I really donºt now what they are disputing over (language barrier…) I know this is not something that can be created overnight. It is something that takes time and effort, especially when it is not something they are surrounded by. I am not trying to say that these problems donºt exist in the U.S because they most certainly do, but I also feel it to a different extent here. These are the reasons, though, that I see why developing more sports here as something that is needed and something that hopefully my skills can provide. Sport and Play teach so much. Look it up on Right to Play and anywhere on Google. J

CHALLENGE #9: Diet.

Their diet here is not so good. Things to consider in your diet: proteins, carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits, fats, etc. Unfortunately that doesnºt really happen so well with the food for the kids here. They eat lots and lots of rice and very little else… I took the liberty to eat with the students on night. It just happened to be that I was there playing Ping Pong, and they told me to come eat. So I did. Iºm glad I did. It makes me understand better. This is what I had on my plate: rice, rice, rice and maybe 3 beans. It could have been 4 beans… Low and behold I was not satisfied. It gets hard. A common phrase I get from not only my students, “Estou fome.” (I am hungry) What am I suppose to do? Yes, I would LOVE to feed you, but I canºt be expected to feed everybody and thatºs what they see in a white person here. I canºt do it. Iºm not a food bank or a money bank or a bank at all. It makes me feel terrible. And I do give some food here and there, and yes, I can look at myself and call myself selfish at the same time. And Iºll continue to make excuses of not being able to feed them. Even when I give out a little bit of food, they all come swarming. I also need to keep myself healthy so I have the energy to help them here in a more sustainable way. By giving them food, itºs not sustainable. Itºs just learning to be dependent on people around them, as they already do that too much. Why, do you ask, is this a challenge in PE? Lack of correct food equals lack of energy and lack of health to sustain them through the day. Some students come to class with this lack of energy and therefore try to make excuses for not participating. This also leads to Challenge #10.

CHALLENGE #10: Sick.

Lack of proper food and not having clean water and having malaria carrying mosquitoes leads to a lot of students being sick. But hereºs the thing, some students are actually sick, but some students are not, yet they tell me they are sick Or thereºs the “I hurt my toe” or “I scraped my knee.” Some of these are also common excuses in America also, but how do you weed out the people being honest and those who are not? Right now Iºm using “I need a not from a doctor or from the pedagogical director or from the head of the dorms.” For them to not have to participate. But I donºt even know if that is realistic…especially the doctor one…

CHALLENGE #11: Commitment/Attendance.

So this one applies to sports after school and to class. Iºve tried to make teams in the class that will be their basketball teams for the rest of the unit, but when a good handful or more donºt show up to class, there goes the theory of teams making things run smoothly. Then with sports after school or on their free time, there is a lack of commitment. One of my students asked me to coach a basketball team, so, of course, I say yes. I show up the first day and we were able to do some things. The next day was a different set of students, maybe one or two the same. How can I make a team if people donºt commit to it? Itºs one of those things that hopefully can be learned as more sports and such are hopefully developed.

BLOG (18 May 2011) The Mixing Mandy Cooking Show

I still find it funny I was an English teacher. I donºt think I was bad, but I donºt know the different parts of speech, different types of verbs, etc. I donºt even speak English well, especially now speaking some Portuguese. (We now call our language PorEnglish). Anyways, if anything I try to have fun with what and how I teach. Might as well, right? If Iºm having fun, surely theyºll have some fun, and when youºre having fun, you tend to unconsciously learn. Thatºs my theory and Iºm sticking to it!

Anyways, this unit I taught food and cooking utensils and verbs in present continuous. If I havenºt mentioned it before, I hate tests, especially here because cheating on tests is widely accepted all around Mozambique schools. So, I decided to have fun with this test. Iºm no Rachel Ray, but I can make my own “cooking show.”

That`s right, it was an oral test. I acted in front of the class, I put on an apron, had pictures of food, and I had my kitchen utensils so I could “cook.” It was the Mixing Mandy Cooking Show.” Just thought it would be fun to mention this for yaºll. . .

BLOG (24 May 2011) FREEEEEEDDDDDOOOOOMMMM!

If I could only have 5 movies to watch for the rest of my life, they would be:

1) Braveheart

2) Crash

3) Finding Neverland

4) The Lion King

5) GI Jane

But so many more are coming to my head that I definitely want more than 5!!!! I mean, thereºs classics like Jurassic Park. And then of course, Moulin Rouge should be on the list! And 7 pounds is another favorite of mine. I also really enjoyed Where the Wild Things Are. Okay, as you can tell, Iºve been a bit deprived of movies! Iºm not use to not having movies to watch. Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings… Perhaps I should get on to the actual blog I was meaning to write. . .

Iºm not going to lie, I have a pretty good feeling of who I am and I am definitely comfortable with myself. Some things I know of myself, but at different times in my life they come into the spotlight. Freedom is now in the spotlight for me. Itºs such an important thing, in my opinion, for everybody. But something I have found myself doing, more so within the last few years, is fighting some rules, regulations, paperwork!!!! Donºt get me wrong, I understand the importance of these to a certain extent. I guess my feeling is that in our society today some things have gone to the point of exploding (would that be the word to use?) Letºs take rules and regulations for example. Yes, they are in place to keep us safe and make us all work together more smoothly, etc. Thereºs a lot of reasons for rules in general. But sometimes specific rules can be what brings it down. When does it become a rule/regulation and when do we become captives of this world? When can it be my risk to take when it is dealing with MY life and no others? If I know the risk I am taking by participating in something, isnºt it then up to me to decide what I should and should not do with my life? Now, when it maye affect the life of another person by my action, perhaps thatºs when to thing about the rule. Hence, we donºt murder people…

Today in the American society we are so worried about being sued. If you think about it, the rulese arenºt, in the end, solely for the safety of the person themselves, but instead to save their own ass in case something happens. Granted they donºt truly want something to happen to anybody, but what has society become if we canºt just naturally trust each other? I guess Iºm talking about a perfect world, Utopia, and itºs starting to get a bit philosophical. Itºs funny, sometimes you think you know the basics of what you are to write (in a blog) and then suddenly your hand has a mind of its own and does all the writing for you.

So, some other things going on here in my life…

I think there is a reason that every year on my Purdue rugby team I got the Team Spirit award. One, Iºm pretty loud so everyone can hear me. And two, I find cheering and being a good sport quite fun. NOO!! Not being a cheerleader! I never clap my hands and kick my legs up saying “Rara, shishkoomba!” And 3, I never doubt or give up on the team Iºm cheering for…no matter how far they may be behind. What I mean by Team Spirit is keeping the morale of the team high. Why not have fun when you are playing? People tend to feel good when they know someone/people believe in them. Plus, if Iºm on the sidelines, I donºt just sit there. Itºs like my own little game on the side with the opponent “cheerers”. Why am I talking about this? Weºve been having a futesol tournament going on the past few weekends, classes versus each other. I cheer for my class, my homeroom. And the kids really get into it!

More…

Iºve decided Iºm going to try making my own clothes (for the most part). I just finished a pair of pants, and Iºm working on a skirt and another pair of pants. After that will be 2 dresses and a shirt. Not sure why the dresses, but Iºm sure one day Iºll wear them. One will look pretty “African”. And all these clothes will be made out of the capalanas (material) here. Iºll model them and put pictures online sometime.

We are lucky enough to have a Ping Pong table here. Unfortunately there it no net on the table and both of the ping pong balls I had have broken. But, low and behold, these students are resourceful. For a while, we had cardboard to make the net, and now for the balls we use the little roller ball you find in a deodorant thing. Yes, itºs a little bit heavier, but, by goodness, it works! Iºm hoping that I can perhaps set up a ping pong tournament. I can tell they are getting better.

For about a week, I had to lizards living with me in my house.I named them Shababa (which means left in Shitzwa) and Shaneinee (means the direction right). By the time I got back from my week holiday, they left, though. I guess I didnºt have enough bugs for them…

Well, thatºs all for today, folks. Tune in next time to read about a sexy dance… J

BLOG (30 May 2011) Iºm too sexy…

The students here have created a dance/theatrical group that they call G-PIDS. I donºt know when it was created and Iºm still trying to understand it all. No other teachers are a part of it as far as I know. The students made it and the students run it, which I think is awesome. Iºm still trying to understand things about it, though.

The theater part is about HIV/AIDS, the problem it is here in Mozambique and prevention/education and such. The dance is Mozambican style dancing, plus, get this, a “catwalk”. Iºm not sure why the catwalk. Every Saturday night is the “production”. It changes a little bit from week to week, but for the most part, itºs the same, especially the “catwalk” or as I call it “the sexy dance.” They walk a certain path, walk sexily, do a turn or 2, and then walk sexily out. And every week the audience hoots and hollers. Itºs the same people doing the catwalk and doing the same thing. Itºs one of those cultural differences…

I have somehow got involved with the G-PIDS now… I mean, how can I miss out on dancing? Instead of going to the bars and dancing the night away with Chelsea and Doc G and drinking rum and cokes, I grab my water bottle and go dance with the students. Donºt worry, I donºt do the sexy dance, and I donºt bump and grind with the students. Iºve been teaching them Salsa and they love it. So what I have become with G-PIDS is one of the “dance instructors” which should be fun. Iºve also been learning more Mozambican style dancing. Iºm not going to lie, and I think Iºve said this in a previous blog, the dancing that is common here for all ages (as soon as they can stand and dance to when they canºt anymore) would seem provocative and very “sexual” in the eyes of America. Not all of the dancing is like that, but a lot of it is. It was kind of hard at first to know what I should do… I mean, itºs dancing with my students, in what may seem inappropriate. But there is a fine line because itºs also the dance of Mozambique, can I not participate because I see it as inappropriate? If itºs not inappropriate in their eyes, why make it something bigger than it really is? And yes, I make sure I have my space to dance and no students dance close to me (no student bumping and grinding dancing with me). And dancing has been a great integration tool, especially when they see me trying to learn from them.

This Saturday night will be the 7^th sexy dance … I think Iºll give them the song “Iºm too sexy”…

BLOG (7 June 2011) They called me fat…

Itºs such an American cultural thing to automatically think that fat is bad. Itºs definitely something that is hard for me to get out of my head. I mean, think about it, we are brainwashed with this fat equaling bad thing since we are born or even while in our motherºs womb. Even pregnant moms hate that they get “fat” when pregnant… perhaps not recognizing the beauty of a pregnant body and the crazy things our bodies can do…

Anyways, on with the blog..,

I have started my Aunt Janet wall with the pictures I have. I have some pictures of my nieces and Kari, of my dad, of some friends, of my rugby team, and yes, Iºm in some of the pictures. The students love to come in and look, at first thinking the 3 cute babies on my wall must be my kids…haha… as if I should even have kids! (I think I make a great aunt…not so sure about the mom thing). Well, a couple of students were looking at the pictures and mentioned I was fat…FAT! Okay, I know Iºm not skinny by any means, and I do consider myself on the fatter side, but to be blatantly called fat as if it was nothing…thatºs a different feeling. He said Iºm skinny now…I donºt think I have changed all that much since last year…January 2010 when the other photo was taken.

BTW, I would still love more pictures!!!

BLOG (8 June 2011) “Fingers-crossed…”

Imagine a world where something you do often, some kind of hand symbol, something you do in a good manner, means something totally and completely different than intended. Now imagine “fingers crossed” which in America is a way of saying “good luck” or “letºs hope”etc. actually means “letºs go have sex.”

I think Iºll leave the rest up for your imagination. (letºs just say I donºt think I have asked anybody to have sex with me…)

BLOG (27 June 2011) “Ooh, eeeh, ooh, ah, ah. Ting tang, wolla wolla bing bang!”

Carandeiro = witch doctor

The female dorm at my school apparently has “spirits.” And these “spirits” possess some of the girls some of the nights. This is definitely something new to me, and I canºt just say itºs not true. I donºt personally believe in spirits myself, but what I have seen of this is something quite strange to my eyes.

I sometimes go and visit the girls in the dorms, joking around with them. They love to help me with my Shitzwa. I donºt see these “possessive spirits” every time I go and visit, but I did once and it was different. Two girls were “possessed”, their bodies convulsing in ways that it looked like they couldnºt control. Other girls would try to hold them back or down so they wouldnºt harm themselves. Their eyes are kind of rolled back in their heads. They can walk and they try to get out of the “captivity” of the other girls. At first, I thought it was a kind of joke, but it continued. Some of the girls would laugh some, but it was still a serious matter. I didnºt know what to do. Itºs apparently somewhat common and just happens some nights.

On the Friday night before I was heading out for my vacation, our schoolºs winter break, Senhora Carla told me to come to the girlsº dorm. There was something going on. I didnºt quite understand. She looked like she was playing some pretend drums with her hands, so I thought maybe a festa (party)? I locked up my house and followed her and Professor Guambe. Coming from the entrance of the school was a group from the community. The group included the secretary of Makwakwa, the traditional chief of Makwakwa, some other men of the community and a few women. Some held rattles and rattled them behind the “head man”, the carandeiro. The carandeiro was dressed in a capalana around his waist and one tied like a cape on his shoulders. He also had a dread wig on his head.

I fell in line with the group and followed the carandeiro, not really knowing what was going on. The carandeiro stood in front of the girlºs dorm. The girls were all sitting inside in the hallway along the wall. There were 3 girls “possessed” this night. He walked in to the dorm, turned around and came back out. He did some changing around a tree/bush right outside the dorm. As he circled around the bush, he came around the other side as a mean dog on all 4ºs, growling and barking. He came back to the door to the dorm and growled. Some girls got scared and ran off in the other direction. He crawled into the hallway and made his way to the “possessed” girls.

I believe he was trying to “scare” the “spirits” out of them. He also took a black brush thing and would “brush” them. This seemed to work for the most part. One girl, though, remained “possessed.”

He crawled into one of the 3 bedrooms and sat in a corner. I kind of pushed into the room to see what was going on. He was talking, of course, everything is in Shitzwa, so I donºt really know whatºs being said. At one point, he wanted some water. I just stood at the door taking it all in. he eventually stood up to leave the room, and low and behold I was RIGHT in front of him. He got this really startled and scared look and told people in Shitzwa something. The other teachers/community members pulled me back into the crowd of the rest of them. They said he was scared of me, the mulungu. It was really funny and everyone was laughing about it.

He left the room and went to sit outside the back of the girlsº dorm. We all sat around him. At first there was people sitting between me and the carandeiro. But then he was telling people he needed wine and they needed to run to get it for him (Watsozuma!) Well, the person who “ran” to get him wine was the person sitting between the carandeiro and I. At first, he let this go, but apparently he couldnºt handle it anymore. I was “scaring” him still. No, I didnºt have to leave. He was letting me stay, but he pointed at somebody else and told him he had to sit in front of me. When he moved, me “mandar-ed” (ordered) another person to block me from his site. I needed a “wall” between him and I for him to continue on with his business.

There was talk about me, the mulungu. I just kept hearing the word “mulungu” being used. I was trying to imagine what they were saying about me. Was I the cause of the “spirits” in the dorm? Was he going to put a “curse” on me? I had a lot of time to imagine… I started to think “Are they expecting me to do more for the community than I am even capable?” “Do I have these really high expectations from the community I donºt know if I can actually do?” I donºt know what was really being said, but the feeling I got during this was the community on my side, defending me or sticking up for me in some way or another. The administrator at me school speaks real good English and heºll tell me more later, but he said something about me and pregnant. Another guy from the community kind of laughing and said to me “Be careful with the carandeiro” Am I going to be the Virgin Mandy? Haha Iºll have to inform you the rest of that part later…

More things were going on, I am not sure what, but I had to leave. The girls said I could come in their room, so I snuck in there. Somebody in the community came over and said “no, you need to go to your house. You can come back later…” Okay.

Itºs not over…

The next morning I was heading out for my vacation, heading to the tallest mountain…of Mozambique. So, I locked up my house and took my bag out to the road and began my wait for a boleia (hitch) to the vila (village). The carandeiro group came back to the school in the morning. They happened to come by where I was standing. Another man, not the carandeiro, was heading this up…he had a table knife hanging from some red yarn/string and was using it like a metal detector. He walked around the front of the school and stopped in front of a tree and started digging a hole with a spoon and water. The hole was maybe 5 inches in diameter and he probably went 10 inches deep. He stuck his hand down in the muddy hole, searched around a bit with his fingers, and came up with a plastic tube thingamajiggy. He put it on a wood block and they put some salt on it and on the hole. Then he took his “detector” and walked around again. He found another spot maybe a foot in front of the first spot, dug and found a little stick with a band tied around it. They put some salt on it and then took a walk around the school grounds.

When this was happening in front of the school with the digging and such, the carandeiro from the night before, now dressed in everyday clothes, came up to me, shook my hand quite energetically and was smiling and said something I did not know at all. I just nodded and smiled, as you would when you have no clue what is being said. Again, the same guy from the community last night, just smiled and laughed and told me to be careful with him…

It will be interesting to find out when I return to school if the carandeiro and artifact digging has helped the problem of “spirits” around the school.

When I was sharing this story with me friend, she said she has read something about this before. What she read was that this happens sometimes when a girl gets pregnant and doesnºt know it. She gets morning sickness and doesnºt know whatºs going on with her body. Then it kind of creates a hysteria in the dorm where the girls truly think they are possessed by a “spirit” of some sort.

It was definitely something really neat to experience and be a part of. Iºm thankful I was able to be a part of it. I may not understand it, but itºs something….

Hope you have a while to sit and read...

8.Jan.2011

More and More Like my Dad… sort of…

So, for Christmas and New Year’s, I spent the time on a beach. Yes, it was just SO tough…being able to swim everyday, seeing the sun rise over the ocean, laying in a hammock to read, all really difficult things to do… And to top it off, I look tan! J

Okay, don’t steal my thunder here! (I know a tan for me isn’t necessarily all that dark when you look at my Nurrenbern side of the family!) My Granny tans so easily, my dad, my uncle…but not me. I may look like my dad, I may even have a lot of similar traits as my dad (at least I like to think I do), but I don’t have his skin. As my grandma in Namaacha said, I turn into a tomato when I’m in the sun. Not this time! This time I got tan! I haven’t seen my dad’s tan in a long time, but looking at the contrast on my own skin, I’m amazed! J I’m not going to give away my whole secret, but it has something to do with sunscreen and not tanning oil, and the African sun. Just sayin’…

I do find myself reminiscing about my father (as one would) and I don’t mean to compare my life to his because they are definitely different, but at the same time, similar. For instance, my dad was not much of a traveler and I, obviously, am. But at the same time, my dad had a mind of his own and spoke it and did pretty much anything he set his mind to. And in that, I’m trying to follow his footsteps. I would like to say that I am at least a little like that…Okay, this got a bit deep for a blog, let me get back on the right track I was meaning to go….

Life in the bush in Africa I find can be very similar to life on a farm in the US in the 50s/60s. Granted I did not grow up on a farm in the 50s/60s, but I’ve heard some stories here and there. J

USA: Outside latrine for bathroom

Africa: Outside latrine for bathroom (my house is exception to the norm…I just have to fetch the water myself to flush it)

USA: kill chickens yourself for the meal

Africa: kill chickens yourself for the meal

USA: Prepare every meal from scratch (for the most part)

Africa: Prepare every meal from scratch (for the most part)

USA: Wash clothes by hand

Africa: Wash clothes by hand

USA: No running water – pump it or manually get somehow

Africa: No running water – pump it or manually get somehow (may even be a mile away, and may be a well where you lower a bucket down to get the water)

There’s probably more, but that’s what I got right now. And definitely correct me if I’m wrong. I’m not going to lie, all my life I kind of wanted to experience that lifestyle…one that my dad grew up in. America’s become such a fast-paced society, we kind of forget some of the simple things in life and kind of lose that appreciation.

I was actually ready to dig a hole to make my “fridge” and use a charcoal stove to cook on. Go figure I’m a volunteer who was provided a fridge and gas stove… And, yeah, I know, in a year (more or less) I’m going to appreciate the gas stove and fridge…J And technically I could “ignore” that I have them… but… I’m not right now…

So, in essence, what I was getting to with this blog is: I look like my dad even more now because I have a good tan. That’s it. J

10.Jan.2011

Do They Know It’s Christmas?

I’ve had that Christmas song since I went to New Zealand the first time… The Christmas song Do they know it’s Christmas time at all? And it was always one of my top since I heard it, but I never knew or listened close enough that it says Africa and that’s what it is actually talking about. Somebody pointed it out to me this past Christmas.... while here in AFRICA! And yes, they do know it’s Christmas. Okay, enough with the irrelevant story; I’ll now talk about my Christmas time on the Indian Ocean…for the second time. J

Being on a beach for Christmas definitely has it’s pluses. Of course, there is no snow to go sledding on or make snowmen or snow angels, but sand angels work, too. J Vilanculos, a beach city here, is very pretty. Also very touristy, so I really didn’t have to use my Portuguese much… My friend who is placed in Vilanculos for her Peace Corps time, lives right on the beach. I could literally throw a stone into the water from where her front yard is. And here’s a plus for me, too, Vilanculos is the closest place for me to go to a bank and get a better variety of vegetables and fruits…guess I do have to come here more often. SCORE!

Christmas was an amazing time with a really good group of people. It was 6 of us Moz15ers plus 2 Moz14ers. We relaxed on the beach, walked on the sand bar that goes out really far when the tide is down, we made cookies for Santa, and watched A Christmas Story (first time I actually saw it all the way through surprisingly enough). On Christmas morning we woke up at 4:30 to watch the sun rise over the ocean.

We did a White Elephant (or Yankee Christmas as some call it) where we did 2 rounds of it. Lucky me, I got a bungee cord! And a wooden alligator key chain. I actually have used that one bungee cord a couple times now. J And if you look at my Christmas pictures, it’s true, I did wear my Santa hat ALL day! J

Because New Year’s kind of goes with Christmas, I’ll mention it here, too. It’s hard to believe 2010 is over. It seems like yesterday I was getting ready to go work in Montana. So many good memories of 2010… I would list them out, but I think you can just go back and read my whole blog again if you want to bore yourself with all the stories. J

How did we say goodbye to the old year? We made a kickass breakfast to start with. French toast and yogurt with fruit and muesli. MMMM. Than Alice and I made a couple of hula hoops, with the intention of her teaching me some tricks and then playing Hula Hoop wars that night… but I think in order to play Hula Hoop Wars you have to actually be able to keep the hula hoop going for longer than 20 or 30 seconds… and that’s where I failed! Hula hoop is a good workout and I think with time and practice, I could maybe get it down. J

We went to a backpackers place to get on the dance floor and that’s where I was the rest of 2010. That’s definitely the best way to end one year and start another! After the ball dropped in Mozambique (okay, it was a pretend ‘ball’, next year I’ll drop a real one for New Year’s), we ended up going down to the beach for some time, of course after we had them play Toto Africa. I started chatting with these teenage girls. It’s always good to try to work on my Portuguese. . . and learn some dancing at the same time. I showed them the 2 Mozambican dances I have learned already, and I was trying to get them to teach me more. We never got around to that. Instead, I taught them a butchered up line dance. You know, it’s real hard to give commands to a dance while trying to remember the whole dance…and then to be doing it in Portuguese!

And that, my friends, was my celebration of the holidays. Nothing too big, but fun none-the-less!

12.Jan.2011

The Gazelle’s

So, Gazelles. Apparently on the road from EN 1 to Mabote, EN 212 or 222 (the locals call it 212, the sign says 222, so I don’t know what it really is…), there are a lot of gazelles somewhere between. Gazelle’s are like tiny deer. Well, on my way back to Mabote from Vilanculos, I saw what people were talking about… and no, they weren’t in flocks, or groups, or whatever you would call that. No, the gazelles I saw were dead.

First, the chapa (bus/taxi/truck) stopped, and people came up to the back selling cooked meat on a stick. It wasn’t chicken. I was thinking, “That I believe is gazelle meat.” Next time I’ll have to buy some to try it, but my money was buried somewhere deep in my bags.

My belief was confirmed at another time we stopped with more meat on a stick being sold. Not just one, but two, possibly 3, people walked around our truck just holding a dead gazelle by the neck. One plus one equals two, right? In essence, though, what other kind of meat would it have been? It didn’t look like cow, pig, or chicken. The only other animal I know of around us is gazelle’s… besides for birds…and dogs of course.

14.Jan.2011

“What ARE you doing HERE?”

One can only laugh at this statement. Let me tell you the story:

I was “passear”ing just the other day (there is no direct translation for passear. It’s basically leaving your house for no purpose, just to go out and walk or do whatever.) So, I was out passearing in my small community of Makwakwa. I was finally getting some kind of responses from the community. They would smile and be surprised when I would say good afternoon in Shitzwa (nshakanee). Of course, I’m sure my pronunciation is not so good…but that’s why I think they like it also. I mean, this strange white girl is trying to speak their language. Here’s what I know so far:

Gicheelee = good morning

Nshakanee = good afternoon

Gipileilee = good night

Kanimambu = thank you

Oovikeilee = How are you?

Zivookilei quats = I’m good/fine.

(The language is actually not written anywhere, so this is my way of spelling it)

So when they respond with more words after I say nshakanee or gicheelee….I look at them with a blank face. I mean, how can I tell them I don’t know any more when they don’t know Portuguese either?? J

Wow, I totally got sidetracked from the basis of this blog! Anyways, I was out passearing in my small community of Makwakwa and this guy on a motorcycle stops and asks me, in English and very matter-of-factly, “What ARE you doing HERE?” What can you really do but laugh at that? What is a white person doing in a place like Makwakwa? It’s not like any tourists would really take their time to come out to the bush like this. There really isn’t anything to do besides for everyday living things. And on that note, that’s exactly why I am here. I get to see inside of Africa. Believe it or not, this was my thought of a true Peace Corps experience for me. Everybody has their thoughts on it, and this is mine. Except for the house. I like my house; I had just originally thought of one made of kinisu (bamboo) with an outside latrine. No big deal. I get less spiders (and snakes) this way!

15.Jan.2011

A League of Our Own

Remember the song the ladies sing in A League of Their Own: “Batter up, here that call! The time has come for one and all, to play ball…. W are the members of the All American team, we come from cities near and far. We’ve got Canadians, Irishmen and Swedes. We’re all for one, we’re one for all, we’re all-Americans!” Now that I have the tune in your head, sing it with these words:

Liriam. Take your meds.

Mosquito nets on all our beds.

Dreaming heads…..

We are the members of the southern part of Moz

Inhambane cities near and la

We’ve got Vilanculos, Homoine and Mabote

We’re all for one, we’re one for all

We’re all-Americans!

No mato, or on the beach we lie

The motto “Do or Die”

It’s hard not to be jealous but give it a try.

Our feet get full of mareekenyas

They’re not too tough

Sometimes we will call them meticai

We’ve got a beautiful province to call our home

We’re all for one, we’re one for all

We’re all-Americans!

APPENDIX/GLOSSARY/ANSWER TO YOUR CONFUSION OF THINGS:

Liriam – our malaria medicine that can have side effects of very vivid dreams; has also been known to make some people emotional (to cry randomly)

La – general farness away from anything

No mato – direct translation: In the bush

Mareekenyas – a footworm that lays eggs in your foot; usually get from walking barefoot in the sand; locals know exactly how to pop the egg sac right out

Meticais – the local currency in Mozambique

18.Jan.2011

You Know You Live in the Bush when…

*You use anthills as landmarks

> I know when I am getting close to my school when I see a familiar anthill.

Yes, you who live in the city, etc. will use buildings, people’s houses, parks, bridges, you name it. But I don’t think you use anthills much.

*All your roads (like only 2, really just 1 in Makwakwa) are all sand…and they are the main road

*All you see are bushes

*You get a little overly excited for fruits and vegetables

*People ask you questions like “What ARE you doing HERE?”

*It’s difficult to communicate with the members of the community because you don’t know the local language

*Your exciting pare of the day is to passear

*You see more bicycles than cars on your one road

*You go to town, you have to buy enough food…for an unknown period of time

*A puddle in the road is the local swimming pool

*You have one tree you can stand under in the exact right spot in order to have cell phone signal

*The community members all know if you go on your morning run or not…

*Somebody slaughters an animal, everybody goes to buy a slab…

*To buy bread is your purpose to go to the vila/village

*Your life is like the Discovery Channel, and you name a spider Toby and watch it grow (that what my site mate has done) or you save huge snail poop to show your friends

*You see other people, you realize you have really lost your social skills (as some people I met in MCC said, you wave with your WHOLE body…it just starts with the arm, but you get so excited to see PEOPLE that your whole body gets into the wave)

21.Jan.2011

Gym Junkie…/Marathon Goal

I look back at my life and think of all the things that have changed or are so different now, when it changed, why, etc. I’m not just talking about the obvious from childhood to adolescent to young adult to adult, etc. changes. . . I mean, the lifestyle changes, what I do on a regular basis, etc. etc.

What I’m trying to say is I look back at my time at Purdue and see how much of a gym junkie I was. I was lucky to have that gym at Purdue. And in the early mornings when the Greek party wasn’t there to check themselves out in the mirror…J And in New Zealand how I still always made it a point to have a regular schedule at the gym I had a membership to, even with my ankle cast on. And I know if I still the opportunity to have a gym membership, I would take it and fall back into it. I would like to actually…but I don’t think Makwakwa has a gym… So, instead of being a gym junkie, I’m a…a…use-what-you-got junkie? I don’t know what to call it. I still hate push-ups, though. I don’t know how to make myself actually like them…

One of the reasons I’m writing about this (besides for the fact that it is also a form of entertainment out here in the bush) is because I want to have it written. By writing it here, in my head, I’m being held more accountable to accomplish my use-what-you-got junkie goals… J

GOAL 1: In August, in my province of Inhambane, some other volunteers have put together a marathon race down the EN 1 (The Estrada Nacional that runs through all of Mozambique). I want to complete the Inhambane Marathon in August.

GOAL 2: Improve my muscle to fat ratio… and lose weight (I don’t have a triceps caliper, and I don’t approve of the BMI index, and I don’t have a way to really do the water submersion test…so I added lose weight…which in the end doesn’t make all that much sense due to the fact that muscle weighs more than fat. I would say if my pants start falling off me, but because our dryer is the sun, and because of the heat, they stretch, so that would be called cheating…cause they are already fitting pretty loosely…)

GOAL 3: GET READY FOR MOUNT KILIMANJARO!!!!!!!!!!! That is definitely on my bucket list!

I guess you can look at these as my physical fitness/health New Year’s Resolutions. Yes, I know, I am in essence, still a gym junkie…

24.Jan.2011

So, there is this song called I’m on a Boat with T-Pain. Look it up on youtube for the video and the beat. Yes, it’s another song redo. My site mate and I are going to do it for a talent show. I’ll get a video and maybe one day you can see the performance. Oh, and we want to make an actual music video around Mabote/Makwakwa doing this…Not sure exactly how the locals would take it….:) Here’s the lyrics we made:

Aww, shit, get your mosquito nets ready. It’s about to go down.

Everybody in the place hit the fucking sand!

But stay on your motherfucker toes.

We running this, let’s go!

I’m in Mabote (In Mabote). I’m in Mabote (In Mabote)

Everybody look at me cause I’m living in Mabote (No, you don’t [facial expression])

I live in Mabote (No, you don’t) I live in Mabote (No, you don’t)

Take a good hard look at the mulungus in Mabote (‘bote, yeah)

I’m in Mabote, motherfucker, take a look at me.

Swattin’ flies in Mabote under a shady tree.

Bustin’ open cashews, chasing my goat.

You can’t stop me, motherfucker, cause I’m in Mabote.

Take a picture, trick. I’m in Mabote, bitch.

We watchin’ orange sunsets, champ, cause they so crisp.

I got my water and my flippie floppies.

We flippin’ gazelles, you at the office straight flippin’ copies.

I’m riding in a chapa, hitting bumps and shit

Watchin’ the night sky with all the stars that keep it lit

But this ain’t no Imax, this is as real as it gets.

I’m in Mabote, motherfucker, don’t you ever forget.

I’m in Mabote, aaannnd, it has one road aaanndd

We’ve got onions and tomatoes and bread and saaannd

I watch out for landmines in Mabote like Alfredo

If your drinkin’ milk, then you sure ain’t me, oh!

Get the fuck up, Mabote is real!

Fuck water, I’m in Mabote, motherfucker.

Fuck mountains, I climb towers, motherfucker.

I’m mato with spiders that charge, motherfucker.

Mabote has anthills that are laarrgge, motherfucker.

Hey, ma, if you could see me now.

Portuguese words when they speak Shitzwa

Wanna help Mabote and learn from somehow.

It’s like the Discovery Channel Mabote, Makwakwa

Yeah, never thought I’d be in Mabote.

It’s a big, long, brown, sandy road.

Scoooorrrrppppiiioooonnnssss.

What about us, PCMO?

Never thought I’d be called Chinese

And actually have these allergies.

Believe me, we will not freeze

I sure do miss cheese!

I’m in Mabote (In Mabote) I’m in Mabote (In Mabote)

Everybody look at me cause I’m living in Mabote (No, you don’t)

I live in Mabote (No, you don’t) I live in Mabote (No, you don’t)

Take a good hard look at the mulungus in Mabote (Ma, ma mato, mato yeeeiah)

APPENDIX

Facial expression – one of complete doubt like “Why would you be in Mabote?”

Mulungus – Shitzwa word for white person; said around here quite often

Chapa – truck/van taxi that you stuff FULL with people

Alfredo – our safety and security guy with PC

Mato – bush

PCMO – our medical team

Chinese – Julie was actually asked if she was Chinese …her ancestry is German…

Allergies – Before here, I have had no known allergies whatsoever. Same goes for Julie. But for some reason, both of us suffer from allergies…They aren’t as bad as my face being blown up like before when I first got it, but I tend to always have itchy spots on my wrists…

SIDE NOTE: Now I have 3 reasons this song means so much to me (so, this is also a shout out to all those who were in Montana with me. If you are one of those people, you know!)

27.Jan.2011

I’m really in a boat?!?

Aww, shit, get your towels ready. It’s about to go down!

Everybody in the place hit the fucking deck!

But stay on your motherfucker toes

We running this, let’s go!

I’m on a boat (I’m on a boat) I’m on a boat (I’m on a boat)

Everybody look at me cause I’m sailing on a boat (On a boat)

I’m on a boat (I’m on a boat) I’m on a boat (I’m on a boat)

Take a good hard look at the motherfucker boat (boat, yeah)

I’m on a boat, motherfucker, take a look at me.

Straight sinking my boat, how could this be?

Returning home, perhaps my house can float?

You can’t stop me, motherfucker, cause I’m on a boat?

Okay, I think you get the idea with the few words I changed this time. I left for one night to spend time in the vila, in Mabote city with a couple of friends. I came back Saturday afternoon to my house filled with water. The one night I leave, something goes wrong, making me need a big boat to enter my house!

So there is this dream I had when I was real young that I have remembered all my life. And I wasn’t on Liriam at that time! I had wanted some orange juice, which was already strange because I didn’t really like orange juice at the time. But I asked my dad to pour some orange juice, so he did, but he spilled some. That little bit that he spilled flooded our ENTIRE house and we had to swim out of the house and we went over to my Aunt Carol and Uncle David’s place cause it was right next door. But I still had not had my glass of orange juice, so we did it again. And guess what? It spilled and flooded the whole house! If you could tell me what all that means, I would love to hear your theory! Oh, and I think Brooke was just a baby and she was in both houses when this happened and I think my dad had to swim in and save her…

No, my house here was not flooded quite that bad. But I did see where the water flowed and in what way my floor is slanted. Maybe I should do my permagarden in my house… I got lucky nothing got ruined! The lowest place is in my room, under the bed. It was up to my ankle in the back of my room. And how did I get it all cleaned up? Luckily Julie was with me and we soaked it up with towels and then squeezed it out in buckets… It gave us something to do!

Aww, shit, get your towels ready. It’s about to go down!

31.Jan.2011

The arms… awoku…

Another cultural difference I’m falling in love with… (BTW, awoku is arm in Shitzwa)

I guess I’ll start this off with a question to you… Am I naturally funny? Do you usually laugh with me or at me? Either way, really, I just hope you are at least laughing cause smiles and laughs are great and contagious. A smile or a laugh will spread faster than fire….

With that being said, I don’t want to sound arrogant because I don’t think it is just me. I think people here genuinely smile and laugh easier and I love it. It makes my job so much easier! But something I’ve noticed when they laugh at something I say or do (because, if it wasn’t already obvious, I do joke a lot and put myself in that position when trying new things), they swing their arm toward you and you are suppose to be ready to receive a low high five hand grab, but just a quick one. Sometimes you hold on for longer… The first time I really noticed it, I thought it was just that person. Nope, it seems like everybody does it…and it starts at a young age cause the criencas (kids) I play with in my community do it, too. I’m getting use to having my hand ready to receive the laughs…. J

I think a lot of the laughs come from me being a mulungu (white person) trying to learn Shitzwa for one (a mulungu speaking Shitzwa, I get amazed faces every time I say even just one word), and from me being a mulungu trying to balance things on my head, and from me being a mulungu…yep, just being a mulungu (cause everything I do is different…and if it was the same, that’s amazing!) I mean, how many mulungus do you see in Makwakwa? And then they put someone like me here. I laugh because they are probably basing a normal mulungu with me… and I’m the person who like the many compliments I get of being crazy…