home sweet home

Written, February 23, 2013

Finally home in beautiful Quissico! My little house is always so welcoming, and it’s a great feeling returning home to something that you know is yours, and that you are comfortable with. I love traveling, and seeing other PCV’s, but I really and truly love my site and home.

The seminar in Manjacaze wrapped up nicely, we all received seeds clippings of some of the plants we learned about, to plant in our houses and share with our communities. I caught a boleia (free ride) to Xai Xai with Geraldo, Evan’s supervisor who was heading to South Africa. I was thinking that it would be easier to catch another boleia from the big town than just standing on the side of the EN1 at the intersection to Manjacaze.

Turns out I was right! Not only did I manage to get a comfortable boleia with air conditioning, it was with three wonderful older men. They were around my father’s age, were highly educated, have traveled the world and were heading right to Quissico. It was meant to be. Apparently they were all originally from Quissico, and now live and work in Maputo. It was an afternoon travel spent with great conversation, free coca-cola and cashews, and new friends/connections made within my community. The one man, Thomas, is building a dream house (I say this even by western standards) a bit outside of town, overlooking the lagoon – no jokes this house is bigger than my parents home in the states, has an incredible view of the lagoon, and is close enough to my house that we are within walking distance. Hopefully this project, having gone on 5 years now, will be completed in the next year or so. It is a truly beautiful place.

That’s the thing I love about Mozambique, you never know where the day will take you, or whom you will meet.

So last evening was just a relaxing one around the house, I unpacked, talked with my neighbors, and just curled up in bed (at long last, a bed!!) with a movie and some crystal light. Life was pretty good.

This morning I did some major house/yard work. I planted 3 new Chaya plants (will explain about chaya in a bit) trimmed my Moringa plants so they grow more branches, planted two Katuk plants, cleaned my house, built a new shelf in my shower area, and did a general clean of my casa de banho. Having trimmed my Moringa plants, I have also started to dry the leaves, if you remember once the leaves are dry, one can grind them down into a powder to put on top of food, adding a great amount of nutrients to your food. Busy busy!

Ok, so its time for our “palestra” (information session) – Chaya.

            Native to Central America, Chaya has a huge potential to add nutrients to the average Mozambiqe diet. It is a large shrub that produces insane quantities of very nutrient dense, and tasty green leaves. It thrives in seasons of drought – it is in the same family as Mandioca (Cassava), however Chaya produces more leaves, and withstands seasons of drought much better. To plant Chaya, you take a clipping, and put it in a hole “3 buttons” deep, with some fertilizer, and let it be. Watering occasionally if you can. But it is the type of plant that doesn’t need any sort of care.

Last night when I got home from my travels, I distributed some chaya clippings to my landlord, and some neighbors, giving a mini palestra in my front yard. Hopefully the plants will flourish here, and we can distribute it around our local neighborhood here, and have it and the information about it, spread around Quissico.

The counterparts I took to the seminar also received clippings of plants, so between the three of us, our neighbors, and our connections through the community, soon everyone should be eating Chaya! Woo!

So I had a great night of sleep in my own bed, did house and yard work this morning, am currently sipping on some real coffee from my coffee press. I have plans to workout in a bit, having just started the “Insanity” workouts, give myself a pedicure and manicure, than wander around town a bit. It’s a Saturday, so I plan to take it easy today.

Xo

t