Killing chickens, taking bucket baths, using a latrine, and learning to speak Portuguese!

(written on Monday June 11, 2012) Posted- whenever I finally get the internet to work.

Welcome to my first few weeks in Moz! It has been a whirlwind adventure of trying to catch on to the language, figuring out the currency, figuring out the time (they use military time here) – again, thanks mom for having a work schedule that taught me at a young age what it is-  all while learning to cook on a carvao (a charcoal “fire” for cooking), trying to talk to my family in caveman Portuguese, and having my time totally eaten up by classes and information sessions.

Internet is totally hit or miss in Namaacha, so I am sorry about my lack of communication. I posted my phone number on my facebook wall, if you buy an international calling card and shoot me a “hello” that would be wonderful.

I had a really nice convo with Sara yesterday (thanks love, it was nice to hear your voice) and a quick one with Poppa Bear. Gosh it was amazing to hear your voice Dad. I miss you.

OK- so the nitty gritty. I am living in Naamacha Mozambique, which is right on the border of Swaziland and South Africa. It is a beautiful little village set in the mountains, so it is a bit cold here (should have packed more pants and jackets) ohh well. My very first day, I met my host mother (a minha mae, in Portuguese) named Lina. She is a tiny woman who runs the show. Her profession, aside from running the house, is an activist for HIV/AIDS. She (from what I have gathered) gives food and medicine to those who are HIV positive. She is an incredible woman who doesn’t take any crap, helps we with my language, and is teaching me how to cook.

I also live with about 9 or so other people at one time. During weekends (fins-de-semanas) the number varies, as there are others who reside here. Honestly I am still trying to figure out the entire family dynamic, but on an average day, its me, mom and dad (who is crippled, and I don’t really know why yet) my older sister, who acts like a suto-mom, my two other sisters 20 & 16, and two adorable little babies who are about 2 or so.

I have a fairly routine schedule, school from 7am until 3/4pm. Depending if I have tutoring afterwards. That leaves about a half hour to do some stuff with friends like yoga in the HUB (the local place where we go for training days) go for a walk, or come home to “tomar banho” – take my bath, in a bucket of course, to be explained later, the help with dinner do my homework (TPC) and then basically go to sleep. It’s a fairly rigid schedule, so the other trainees and I try to get together after classes to just decompress from hours upon hours of Portuguese being bored into our heads.

Ok, sooooo bucket baths. Let’s have a quick chat about these babies; possibly the most liberating thing I have done thus far in my experience as a trainee. Because my language skills are those of a caveman, and I am unaccustomed to the cooking methods here in Moz (hell, I’m unaccustomed to cooking in the states) I basically have the status of a 3year old. So the act of being alone with my basia (bucket/basin) of warm water, my bar of soap, and face wash in our outside “casa de banho” is a lovely time for self reflection, and silence. I have a large basin that I first fill part way with cold water, add in some boiling water from the carvao, and you are good to go. I have a small plastic measuring cup, for lack of better words, that I use to pour water where I please. Then I suds it up with my lovely bar of antibacterial soap, and rinse in the same method used originally. It can get rather chilly, and somewhat creepy when I’m “tomar-ing my banho” at night, which happens more often than not because the sun sets at 5:30pm our time. So I take my “lanterna” or flashlight as us GI’s like to call it, and make the best of a somewhat strange bathing situation.

The toilet (or pit latrine) is located on the opposite wall. I am lucky enough to have a western toilet placed over the pit, so I have somewhere semi-decent to rest my laurels during those lovely private moments. But as there are many children running around my casa, there is sometimes an interruption, cutting “me” time short. Its all in good heart though.

My family here is very welcoming. Mae was in Maputo last night for her cousin’s wedding, and she still called before bed to make sure I had eaten supper, and of course, taken my bath. Being clean here is super important. I cant stress that enough. My mae was in a slight tizzy when I first explained to her that one bath a day would suffice, she was insistent that I take two a day, if not more. But I politely told her that it was just too cold in the morning to take a bath, and that if I took it before dinner/bed I really wasn’t getting dirty. She finally came around, and I am down to one bath a day, but part of me still feels she disapproves. Oh well, can’t win ‘em all.

So I’ve explained bath time, I’ve briefly explained school and classes – language classes are held in the various homes of volunteers. We have been broken up into smaller groups depending on skill and aptitude (I think I am in the slow-learner group) and we rotate between the houses in said groups depending on the weeks and size of homes. All other technical training happens in the Hub, and our mae’s bring us lunches.

Oh- that’s the other thing. The amount of food here- holllyyy sheesh. Whoever grew up hearing the phrase “finish your dinner, there are starving children in Africa” has clearly never been to Naamacha. In my backyard alone, we have two avacado trees, a grove of bananna trees, a lemon tree, and mango trees. Meals usually consist of some sort of carboydrate (rice, pasta or xima – grits for lack of better words) some sort of protein (fish, goat or chicken) and some vegetable. Tonight, we had xima and something called Couve, sort of a mushy version of collard greens. But its made with coconut milk so it is super savory and delish. No complaints here on the food. And as of yet, no serious indigestion problems (fingers crossed). I’m attempting to build up a bit of an immune system to the water and food here, by slowly incorporating it into my meals and daily habits. Ie- brushing my teeth with just boiled water, eating fruits like apples etc. In order to drink the water here, it must first be boiled and then filtered. Or one could filter the water and then add a few drops of bleach. Personally the idea of ingesting bleach is not appealing, so I stick with the boil-filter method. It just takes a bit longer because you must wait until the water is cool to filter it, or else the rubber washers melt and problems arise.

There have been so many more goings-on here, including killing a chicken (yep, I did it) and daily peaks and pits. There is not enough time in the world for me to describe every single bit of the lifestyle here, and although it is different, and I have had my moments of “holy shit what am I doing here” this is beyond what I had anticipated and or expected. Which is good. The surprise and welcome challenge is incredible. And its only week two of training.

I cant imagine what is to come in these next few weeks- well that’s a lie, I have a detailed itinerary (mom, you would love it haha). But in respect to personal gain/growth and experiences, the future is unknown.

This Friday, we have interviews for site-placements. These are going to be ongoing throughout training, to really get a handle on us as individuals, and where we would be best suited for the 24 month duration of service. What do I want/where do I want to go? – not a darn clue. In week 6 of training we go on “site visits” so that will hopefully help me get some idea of the possibilities. 

Welp- that’s all for now folks.

I hope everyone is safe and sound, enjoying the summer livin of good ‘ol US of A. I miss it for sure. . . just not enough to come home lol ;-)

Until later.

Your (somewhat) dutiful pen-pal in Naamacha, Mozambique.

td