Written – June 14, 2012, posted – your guess is as good as mine.

Good evening all!

Well, its evening here, about 8:20ish to be somewhat precise. I had a lovely day today, and even managed to snag some internet for a bit to answer emails, post the previous blogs, and get a brief taste about what’s going on in good old America. Miss you all! Just not enough to come home haha.

So this morning started out with language, its coming along I suppose you could say. Our professors never speak to us in English, which can be sometimes confusing, while other times very beneficial because it is total and complete immersion. The only time we speak English is around one another, and during some programs on HUB days. We learn this language even if we don’t want to haha. Which I don’t know why someone wouldn’t, its kinda pivotal to any form of success in the upcoming years. Communication is a huge part of cultural immersion and integration- two things that will be very helpful and necessary.

So after language, we went up to the HUB where we had a visiting (currently serving) volunteer who told us a bit about his experience, the work he is doing at site, what his site is like, how he copes with things etc. . all very enlightening and a very positive message! Every time we meet and talk with current volunteers, it makes us all the more anxious to get to site and actually get going with work. But these baby steps are necessary. If I’m going to get anything accomplished here, I need to learn to talk to my Moz counterparts!

The next segment of our day was a brief interview into community development, what it means to us here in Moz, some things that we want to accomplish, the break down of budgets and funding, possible programs etc. Finally! Some info that isn’t about safety and security! These were the words that many of us were really looking forward to because it means that this is the real deal! The stuff we are here to do, and hopefully accomplish. 

“Sustainable, community based change through participatory, self-help initiatives leading to improved quality of life for poor individuals and families. – The beneficiaries are subjects, not objects in the development process.”

Then we broke for lunch, we went to our respective casas, I had xima (prounced shee-ma) which is basically grits, and some wonderful green leafy veggie thing called couve. Followed by a very tasty orange. Aside from the massive carbo-overload, everything here is pretty tasty. Most meats or fish are either put in a stew like thing, or are fried in some oil. Ive decided that ovens are kinda rare around here, as I haven’t seen many in my fellow trainee’s houses.

Then back to language (bored with my schedule yet?). Its not super thrilling to be sure, and it is always structured. Sundays are our free days, as we do have classes and technical training on Saturday’s. Last Sunday some fellow trainees and I hiked to the waterfalls here in Namaacha. What a glorious site! I have a great photo of 4 of us ladies in different yoga poses on the rocks of the waterfalls. I had an excellent morning of physical exercise, a bit of stretching, and then some great meditation time. It was finally a chance to soak in this incredible opportunity, realize whats going on, and kinda disengage for a moment or two. That’s the big thing here, just taking a moment to realize things, ponder, think, wonder etc. Growth of the mind.

After language, I went to scam some internet from a local hot spot – bingo! I was able to send off a few e-mails and update the blog, which was nice. Im really sorry for being so out of touch, and bad with updates, but the walk is about 15/20min from my house, and its unlikely that the internet will even work. I think about everyone often, and want to share my experiences here with you all, its just a bit difficult to put everything down on paper, and then get it online. I hope you understand. In addition, there really isn’t too much to report here, as this is still training and my days are pretty structured with language and skills training. Not exactly the thrilling things you all want to hear haha!

As I sit this evening, soaking my very dusty and dirty feet (I have no idea how anyone would expect to have clean feet here – I have yet to wear socks haha) I want to share a quote from earlier today that I found to be interesting:

“I am done with great things and big things, great institutions and big success, and I am for those tiny, invisible molecular moral forces that work from individual to individual, creeping through the crannies of the world like so many rootlets, or like the capillary oozing of water, yet which If you give them time, will rend the hardest monuments of man’s pride.”

With that, my warm (and now clean toes) bid you a very pleasant night.

Boa noite!

Your barefoot friend in Moz-

td