Suddenly, I am a tall woman

Mozambicans tend to be on the short side and slender. I'm 5'6" and I feel like a tree stump sometimes in the U.S. but here, I am the height of an average man, or a little bit taller. t's like when I was in Thailand where everyone was for the most part tiny tiny tiny. I get so claustrophobic in my bathroom shower hut because the thatched roof is only three inches from the top of my head and it's teeming with giant spiders and roaches. Way too close for comfort.

Observations on a Tuesday

There are days when I feel like I am making great progress, when I feel I understand Portuguese. Then there are days when it seems I am taking two giant leaps backwards and I can't understand anything. Language is so frustrating. Today, I actually understood what Clara my native Spanish speaker, Portuguese as a second language assistant project leader said. I will consider that progress. Things are going well. I have a teaching assignment. I'm scheduled to teach a level two (intermediate) English class twice a week. I am slated to teach on Thursday mornings and Monday evenings. I've been planning my courses all morning. It's nice to be working towards something productive.

Speaking of productive, we were up at 5:15 this morning because we are helping out with an agricultural project. We were out in the fields digging 40cm x40cm trenches and weeding. It wasn't bad because it's really pleasant in the mornings temperature-wise. Waking up early is not a problem because the sun rises here at around 4:45am and my room faces the rising sun so when the sun makes and appearance, so do I.

I had papaya and plain yogurt for breakfast. It's my new favorite breakfast combination. I love the fruit here it's so much better than the fruit in the United States, and I'm not just talking about standard pesticide enriched grocery store produce, it's so much better than the "organic farm fresh" fruit in the United States. Eating fruit is like using your taste buds for the first time. So so so good!

Yesterday we went to Maxixe. (We, meaning Tracy and myself). Maxixe is a town on the mainland that has cheap goods because it is not nearly as touristy as Inhambane. To get to Maxixe we had to take a 30 minute ferry. Our ferry literally looked and felt ( I imagine) like a refugee boat of the sort that wash up on the coast of Florida. I've never seen so many people crammed into a tiny wobbly boat. The ride though, was beautiful. Maxixe is very Mediterranean in it's aesthetics. There were very few tourists here and the central market was crazy. There were so many twists and turns and items to choose from. Someone stole my sunglasses, but they were only a dollar so I'm over it. I purchased two capolana's (large pieces of colorful printed fabric). I'm going to have one turned into a bag so I don't have to carry my backpack and get robbed.

We spent the entire day exploring Maxixe. I was happy to bop back across the Indian Ocean to my beautiful Inhambane though. Inhambane is much more beautiful than Maxixe and it's definitely beginning to feel like home sweet home.

The night sky here is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I can literally see the milky way and constellations, so many stars that go on forever. There are no tall buildings to block the landscape, everything is open. One of my favorite modes of transportation is in the back of a truck at night, cruising the open road, staring into the sky.

Someone asked me via email about the people in Mozambique. Mozambique is an absolutely huge country, so I can only speak to what I know of the rural people in Inhambane province. And please take this for what it is, my opinion and my opinion only, which is not the same as truth.

The people here are interesting. Upon first meeting, you think wow, Mozambicans are the friendliest people ever and they are friendly. There are some characteristics though that can get to be annoying. There is no personal space here. Some people (not all) will literally talk to you one inch from your face and as a Westerner, I find it so off-putting. It is perfectly acceptable to publicly pick your nose. And I don't mean pick, I mean dig. Some men feel as though they can flirt openly with Western women and have no problem grabbing your hand or touching you. I can't even count how many sweaty hands i've wriggled my hand out of and how many men i've almost kneed in the you know what for touching me. It is however, not everyone. The men from the city have this train of thought more commonly than the villagers. Mozambicans who live in touristy areas, don't seem to have this trait at all.

Everyone talks about everyone, people know who I am and where I'm from and what my name is and I've never even been introduced to them or seen them before. It was nice at first but it gets annoying because I'm trying to get from point a to point b (such a horrible Western mentality, I know, but I am after all a New Yorker!) and people will want to talk and I don't know them and then there's a group and I just need to continue on my way and I can't even have a real conversation because I don't speak Portuguese well and they don't speak English and inevitably they ask for money which I'm not dolling out so it gets weird. Also, the teachers at ADPP aren't very friendly, especially the women. We smile and greet everyone and they just look at us, it's very awkward at times.

One of the project leaders who is from Columbia (an outsider her self) said that it could be a result of the Civil War. During the war, people between 20-50 were targeted and killed, that left the very young and the very old to fend for themselves. This being said, there was not a lot of time for conversation and pleasantries, so the people who are now 20-30, were children then and they are not particularly friendly. I don't know if this truly is the case, but it's a good consideration. Many of the teachers are also very intimidated by us. We try to make suggestions and we are laughed at or ignored. It's frustrating, but they don't want to change from what they know (I mean who does). The professors here basically have only had a seventh grade education, have completed the teacher training college for two and a half years and then have taught for a year and now they teach other teachers to teach. That of course would never fly in the West and it's off-putting for them I'm sure to have these people come over who have taught for several years, who have master's degrees, who tell them how to change what they've been taught to do. Teachers will literally get upset if a student asks a question that they don't know the answer to because it makes them look bad, but the problem with that is you're limiting the curiosity of the students. Students are being conditioned not to ask questions and there are so many things that the teachers actually don't know because they are basically asking their students to memorize things that they themselves had been trained to memorize but could never explain. I'm sure we seem like a bunch of progressive freaks when we suggest group work or having students sit in circles or in clusters. So bottom line, there is a culture clash and it's difficult to penetrate especially when the language skills are not there. But I will do what I can to demonstrate and serve as an example. It's like pulling teeth sometimes to get the students to admit that they don't know something. Unlike their Mozambican teachers, I'm always asking them if they have any questions, if I can give another example, and if I can demonstrate something differently. So hopefully they will learn to do the same with their young pupils. Though I'm sure it will take more than six months of my efforts to put that change into motion.

The male teachers talk down to us which drives me crazy because I can't take any of them seriously as teachers because they don't do anything so I'm sure they think I have an attitude problem because they are not at all used to assertive women and I have no problem letting them know that I do not agree with them. So the crazy dance goes...

People here are very trusting which is refreshing. The village people are extremely sweet and always return greetings. People from the city are different, which is the case all over the world it seems.

Mozambique is very diverse. There are many Indians (brought in to work the railroads), Chinese (brought in to work the railroads), Portuguese (old colonial families)and South Africans- Afrikaans (white business owners/beach front property owners). It's interesting. Many Mozambicans are still being taken advantage of in their country which I guess I already knew because if they weren't I wouldn't need to be here. It's one thing to know, but it's another thing entirely to experience. The white South Africans for the most part are so disrespectful towards the native Mozambicans. They will set up businesses in their country, buy property in their country and will refuse to do business with the locals and will do everything in their power to price out the locals (which isn't difficult), the white South African mentality is in my opinion absolutely disgusting. I'm waiting to encounter one who will change my opinion. It hasn't happened yet but I'm open.

The Chinese keep to themselves as they do in many other countries and seem to work in construction.

Indian families also keep to themselves and like in most other countries, they own most of the shops and businesses and here they tend to be pretty well off.

The old colonial Portuguese families are very proud of being Mozambican and will say, I am Mozambican, my family has been here for seven generations. They seem to be the wealthiest and they are mostly in the large cities. They own businesses, and basically seem to run things still, even though "technically" the power has been handed over to the hands of the Mozambican people. I said Mozambique was diverse, I didn't say it was integrated. This is one of the most segregated places I've seen. It's very similar to South Africa in that way. In fact, many South Africans will make comments to the extent of "Wow, Mozambique is amazing, it's like how South Africa used to be!"- Meaning, pre-apartheid. Gotta love em!

Despite all of the problems, I believe progress is being made. Slowly, progress is being made. There are a handful of wealthy native Mozambicans who are doing well. I think tourism is going to pick up in the next few years and the economy should boom as a result. I just hope the people, the indigenous Mozambicans, get to reap the benefits of their land and resources. Time will only tell...

The Bugs Are Everywhere!

RED ALERT:It's gigantic hairy spider season! Really!!

They congregate in our outdoor bathroom hut. Everytime I have to go to the bathroom (usually at night) I see them. Tarantulas, and giant stick-like spiders. It's horrifying. I just don't know what to say. I seriously have bathroom-a-phobia. I'm probably going to get a bladder infection because now, I won't even go to the bathroom after dark. My only saving grace is if I am in town or at the beach and I can use one of the nice bathrooms at a restaurant. Not only are there spiders but there are enormous flying cockroaches/waterbugs whatever you want to call them, they are there and they fly at you.

To further complicate matters, I have a huge hornets nest outside of my window and everyday there are hornets in my room. Only my room. I hate it. I absolutely abhor this situation. I loathe...with a capitol L! I can't get a moments peace from the bugs. I keep coaxing my poor teenage neighbor Bellview to kill my hornets with a broom. I do this in exchange for 30 minute English lessons. Yes, my desperation has gotten to this point, I am bartering English for extermination services.

Today, we had an assembly as we do every Friday morning. It was horrible. The assembly is in a large hut and hornets were flying in through the open windows. There were like ten hornets dancing in front of my face. It took every inch of restraint in my body not to scream or twitch. I did twitch though. The students were singing the Mozambican national anthem (which is the longest anthem, I am convinced in the world) and I was twitching and batting away bees.

I just don't know...

Anyhow, I am almost finished with my first full week at work. Our week-day is Monday through Saturday. Things have gotten better. I substitute taught for one of the teachers yesterday. I taught an English class where we learned about domestic vs. wild animals. I taught the students "Old MacDonald Had A Farm" and they really got into it and I encouraged them to use the same song with their young students that they will be teaching as a way to introduce domestic farm animals. It looks like I may, if I'm lucky get my own English class next week.

I have a presentation to give about myself tonight in Portuguese. I'm so nervous to speak in Portuguese about myself for 30 minutes. I keep confusing my verb tenses and my conjugation is skewed. I've got the basic vocabulary but everything else is tragic.

Well I've got to go, it's lunch time. Fish heads and rice today.

Portuguese, nao problema!

My presentation this evening was a smashing success (my opinion)! Really, it wasn't bad. I think I've got the hang of this Portuguese language thing- as long as I have a paper in front of me to read the pre-planned words off of that is. I'm actually surprisingly good at writing in Portuguese, it's the act of speaking and understanding that stumps me.

The students laughed at my jokes and I was able to put my goofy personality on display. At the end there was a question and answer segment and of course all they asked was how old I was and if I was single. It was funny. I was surprised though because two students did come up to me afterwards to see if they could read some of my writing; too bad I left the book I published at home along with my article and all of the drafts of my fiction pieces. So I guess I'll have to write some new things.

Also, as a result of my presentation, my project leader asked if I would be interested in forming a drama/theatare group. OF COURSE!!!!!! That's exactly what I wanted to do in the first place. I just wish my Portuguese were oh let's say 100 times better so that I could be more effective. I could get by at first I suppose by writing my lessons and reading them and getting the students who speak English well to help me translate the other student's questions.

I'm so excited. It looks like there will be lights, cameras and social-action in Mozambique after all!

Day Number One on the Job

It is so hot in the teacher's office where I am resigned to spend my entire day. I spent my morning preparing a 30 minute presentation about myself and my educational background that I am to present to the staff and other teachers on Friday evening.

I am somewhat disappointed. They really don't have anything for me to do here right now. I'm just at a desk studying my Portuguese/English dictionary and flash cards. The school runs very well and all of the students are in class with their teachers. Tracy and I have absolutely nothing to do and we're not allowed to go anywhere. I was supposed to have a meeting a few hours ago, but the person never appeared, or maybe according to Mozambican time, just hasn't shown up yet.

Two more hours and my shift is up. Hopefully tomorrow will be (I'd say more productive, but let's just call it what it is) productive.

I heart Inhambane

I arrived in Inhambane on Thursday and it is one of the most beautiful places I've ever encountered. I've been fortunate to have seen a lot of beautiful places in this world, and I know this is completely subjective, but Inhambane is truly very magical. I'm right on the Indian Ocean. The weather is obviously warm but not humid (which I am grateful for - let's keep that ocean breeze a commin'). The malaria risk is very low. The landscape is breathtaking. There are so many intriguing plants which are the most astonishing vivid colors. So many glorious shades of green. I'll see pine trees, next to flowering cactus plants, next to exotic waxy leafy plants, it seems so random.

We are surrounded by water. The bay of Inhambane meets us in the town square and then about 30 minutes out of town is the beach. I'm talking resort style, secluded, fluffy pure sand, and warm, clear, gentle water. Everything is so clean and nice. There are tourists on the beach strip but it's not overdone, the natural beauty is completely preserved. Most of the tourists come from South Africa.

In Inhambane, we have access to excellent night life and wonderful restaurants as a result of the tourism. Today, we went to the beach and I had lemon sugar crepes for breakfast with guava juice and for lunch, curried sweet potato and shrimp in a coconut sauce. So cheap and so fresh. And to think I was preparing to eat rice and beans everyday for every meal. I truly can't believe my luck.

I haven't started working yet because I arrived on a Friday night. I begin tomorrow, so up until now, this has been a vacation and I've soaked in every second.

I went to ADPP (the school where I will be working) on Saturday to tour the facility and meet the staff. Everyone seems nice. The teacher training college is beautiful. The facility is brand new having only been built in 2006. The student's dorm rooms are immaculate and the bathrooms pristine. Much better conditions than I had on the Mountain in Massachusetts.

One of the students even took me on a tour of Inhambane City, which is small and charming. He was very patient with my Portuguese, I hope all the students are this patient. Many of the people here actually speak English to my disappointment because they want to practice and once they hear my accent they try to speak to me in English. And it is great practice for them, but I need to practice my Portuguese so they are speaking to me in broken English and I'm speaking to them in broken Portuguese and somehow we communicate.

Let's see, my living conditions. I live in a four bedroom house with one other Development Instructor, my lovely friend Tracy. I'm so glad we were placed together because we both trained on the mountain in Massachusetts, we get along really well and have a lot in common, such as spontaneously breaking out into songs from Broadway musicals and a love for literature and writing.

Our house is simple but nice. I have my own room with a bed, dresser and desk. We have a kitchen and a living room and a porch with chairs. We've got a crazy cat named freaky who is the loudest cat I've ever heard. She screams all day long, but she's cute so she is accommodated. The only drawback, no running water and bathrooms outside.

I've already seen my first tarantula in our outhouse. We have a hole in the ground with two posts for the feet and you just stand there and let it rip!

We have another hut that is our shower hut. You have to retrieve water from the well, pour it into the bucket and ladle yourself clean. It's not bad actually and it's easy. I shower about three times a day (it's so hot) and I've already gotten used to it. The best is showering outside late at night. There is nothing like the sky over Inhambane. There are so many stars here on a moon free night.

We have a really sweet cleaning lady and cook named Jaqueline who does our laundry everyday, keeps us with a steady supply of pure water, cooks our dinners and cleans our house. It was weird at first to have someone clean and do things for me, but she's very insistent and Tracy and I have no clue how to prepare food here or how to effectively hand wash our clothes (I take care of the small things like bras and underwear) so it really is all for the best and she gets paid really well.

Speaking of preparing food. I went to the market to buy Mangos yesterday and it took me almost thirty minutes to cut into my mango. I was cutting and slicing. In the end it looked like a drunken tic tack toe board. I started prying the pieces apart with my pocket knife. I'm surprised I didn't lose a finger.

The fruit here is sooooooooooooooo good. We have papaya and mango and guava and bananas and much more as well as vegetables of all kinds. The land is very fertile. Then there are the gifts from the sea.

The Harrowing Trek from Maputo to Inhambane

After two days in Maputo, filling out paperwork and acclimating ourselves, it was time for us all to disperse to our various placement sites. Tamika and I would be parting here, her site was Maputo. I would be heading North about four or five hours to Inhambane. Sergio, another Development Instructor and I, were told to be ready for a cab to pick us up at the gates of the ADPP office at 430 am. We didn't get any sleep the night before because there was no point. We got ready, and were on the porch by 4:15am waiting. Somehow we managed to lock ourselves out of the house but we figured it didn't matter because we'd be catching a taxi soon. So we waited and waited. Mosquitos were eating us alive, bats swirling overhead, frogs singing in the tall grass. We see the sun rise and we see people emerge from their respective homes. The stupid taxi didn't arrive until 7am. We were so mad. Sergio missed his time frame to catch his bus to Namantanda and couldn't go so I had to go with the taxi driver alone because I still had time to catch mine.

Mind you I don't speak Portuguese well and the driver didn't speak English well either. I told him to take me to the bus station, but he took me to the chapa station. I of course didn't know this at the time. If you remember, chapa's are the cargo vans converted into sardine cans full of people and are in terrible working condition. So we get out of the taxi in the busy chapa station and right away two men come up to the driver who was carrying my huge 90 plus pound suitcase and began to pull it away from him. I join my driver and grab on and we're all pulling and tugging. I couldn't believe they were trying to rob me. I was so angry. I started screaming at them in English which caused more chaos. I'm not sure what happened next but the two men who where trying to steal my bag started fighting with each other. My driver began to run with my bag on his head and I followed. He passed my bag to another man who carried it on his head and loaded it somehow into a crowded chapa. I thanked my driver and got on the chapa. It was full. There were like eleven people plus bags and livestock and crates. I had to sit in the seat on the hump of the wheel so my knees were to my chin. I had to balance my 30 plus pounds of carry on luggage in my lap. Behind me was a crate of fish that smelled rancid. I was so upset, I was ready to kill someone. We would drive and stop and let more people on. I could't believe it. People were on top of each other. Some were standing and crouching with their butts in peoples faces. It was horrible. Everytime we stopped, children and women selling things would come to the windows, open them from the outside and cram goods in my face while sweaty arms reached over me to pay. It was hellish.

I didn't go to the bathroom, eat or drink all day. Remember, I'd been sitting locked outside since 4:15 am that morning.

All I could do was sleep and stare out of the window.

Eventually though, as we got farther away from the city, my view became more and more beautiful. By the time I was in Inhambane, ten hours later, I was calm and excited. I was also extremely hungry and thirsty and tired and in need of a shower and in need of a bed. But what doesn't kill you will make you stronger.

I am in Mozambique!

We arrived yesterday morning after a long, long, long journey.

My travels began on Sunday, Feb 17th at 6:30 am, when I left my friend Krista´s Manhattan apartment dragging almost 90 pounds of luggage onto the subway. That in and of itself was an adventure. I somehow managed to twist my ankle going out in the East Village to celebrate my last night a few hours prior. I only had flip flops to wear and I was pulling my overstuffed pink suitcase on ice.

I met Makiko at JFK airport, where we waited for our slightly delayed flight and flew to Washington, DC. In Washington D.C., after a six hour layover, we met Tamika and flew 16 hours to Johannesburg. The flight was sooooooooo long and I was already tired and exhausted. My irresponsibly sprained foot, souvenir of my last night in New York began to swell and throb. I'm still walking with a limp.

Makiko, Tamika and I were all seated apart from each other in different sections of the plane. I spent 16 hous squashed against a window, next to a large ex-marine who karate chopped me while he was asleep. I did however, get to watch two movies that I had missed while living on the mountain, ATTONEMENT and DARJEELING UNLIMITED, both very entertaining.

South Africa was fantastic once we finally landed. Okay, so the airport in South Africa was fantastic, that is. We had a 10 hour wait before our bus ride to Maputo (are you keeping track of the time? It was the longest trip ever). We met up with Rodrigo and Sergio in the airport food court and took shifts watching each others bags so that we could explore the airport and its periphery in groups. IICD instilled the fear of God in us when talking about Johannesburg. All we heard on the mountain was "Now be careful, it's the most dangerous city in the world!", " Development Instructors have been robbed of all of their possessions in Johannesburg, be careful and don't leave the airport".

After sitting on a plane for hours and hours and waiting for hours, I wasn't about to do it again in a stuffy airport, so Tamika and I left and everything was fine.  It was in the middle of the afternoon. We ventured outside for a walk and then we went further and further. The city was very familiar, very western. We experienced our first bursts of warm air here. There were times I forgot I was in South Africa until I'd look out the taxi window and see a palm tree or a baobab dotting the median in the highway. We did almost get run down in the middle of the street, because they drive on the left side of the street, very confusing to curious Americans. Anyhow, after exploring and eating, we were off.

We took a bus from Johannesburg to Maputo. This was truly the worst ride of my life. The moment we entered the double-decked bus, the humidity weighed down upon us. We were the last people to enter the bus (late due to our exploring) and we couldn´t sit together. I was stuck sitting next to a European backpacker who smelled like he hadn´t showered in months. This guy had the longest legs ever and took up 3/4´s of the seat. It was agony. The ride began at 10pm, so it was dark and I was straining to make out the shadows of mountains and rivers but I couldn't see anything concrete. The bus also didn't stop. Not once! We did stop around 5am at the Mozambican border only to learn that it was closed until 6am. So we sat and we simmered and we festered and this was how I caught my first Mozambican sunrise. It was beautiful . An hour later at six we were herded off the bus in the most disorganized fashion possible. So much for lines, and order? We were pushed through customs in a stream of people, paid our visa taxes and before we could get back on the bus had to wait for an hour outside in the blazing heat as the customs people went through our bags one by one. Once this was over, we were back on the bus for two more hours. When we reached Maputo, we jumped off, grabbed a pick-up truck cab, rode in the back hatch with our luggage and saw the city for the first time.

Maputo is the capital of Mozambique and it´s enormous. There are areas that are extremely wealthy and beautiful and there are areas of extreme poverty. We had a thirty minute ride. Nobody fell out of the truck and we arrived at ADPP Mozambique unharmed.

The Official Assignment

I've finally received my exact placement. I'm off to Inhambane, Mozambique.I'm excited. It's the area in Mozambique I wanted to go to. I'll be right on the beach, the South Eastern coast overlooking the Indian Ocean.  I'll be able to work on theatre projects with the kiddies. Yay!

Tonight is our going away party. Tamika and I are also leaving the mountain tonight afterward. I can't believe this chapter is closing. Our training is over and we will soon be leaving. It's been a long seven months of training, studying, meeting new friends, fund-raising, and walking Berkshire hiking trails with black bears.

Wrapping Up

We had a big meeting today. Sunday will be the August Teams last day on the mountain. We leave for Mozambique on the 17th of February.We're flying South African airlines with a layover in Senegal and then onto our destination in Johannesburg.From Johannesburg, South Africa we'll take a bus to Maputo, Mozambique (12 hours- the scenic route).

We're literally wrapping up by finishing courses and having lots and lots of meetings. On Thursday, I have a Portuguese language test that I must pass in order to go. MERDE!!!!!! (At least I know all of the curse words!) Saturday night we have our going away party! Then, ate logo mountain! ciao, ciao, ciao...

Getting Ready

I've been in the library studying Portuguese for the past two hours, and I just can't shake the image of tarantulas feasting on my sleeping body.I will explain. Last night, after watching Hostel (which is another story altogether), a group of us (girls only) headed up to the lodge for a candid discussion of what it would be like to be a female in Angola or Mozambique. Three volunteers just returned from their posts in Mozambique and we sat around the fireplace snacking and listening to their cautionary tales. I have made a list of things to watch out for in Mozambique.

SOJOURNER'S FEAR LIST: 1) Poisonous snakes (referred to in Portuguese as cobras- not helpful) 2) Tarantulas (yes- Mozambique is literally home to giant hairy tarantulas that enter our huts through the cracks between the mud walls and the thatched roof). 3) Poisonous spiders (Not only do I apparently have to fear tarantulas, there are a host of poisonous and deadly spiders just waiting to feast on my sleeping body). 4) Scorpions (If a scorpion bites you, you've got a few hours to get to the hospital or else...) 5) Centipedes (Apparently centipedes like to hide out in peoples socks) 6) Flying cockroaches (Not only do they fly, but they are enormous, the size of birds) 7) Getting into a chappa accident (Chappas are large vans aka. public buses, that are overcrowded and in terrible condition. Chappa accidents are very common as the drivers apparently soar at astronomical speeds. A few Development Instructors have been injured. We just got news this morning that one of the Project Leaders in Angola was killed when she flew through the windshield of one of these lovely vehicles.)

That is my fear list. Those of you that know me, know how crazy I get when I see a regular sized roach/spider/centipede. For the next six months, I will be facing my fears head on, literally. eeeeehhhhhhhhhh...

Almost Finished

I just held my first morning course and it went very well. ;0)

I talked about pedagogy and learning styles and how to effectively teach teachers to be better educators. I was able to draw directly from my teaching experience in New York and of course good ole' grad school notes.

Yesterday I went to the Salvation Army and held an art workshop with troubled youth. My specialization tasks are flying by (In order to go to our placement we have a series of 37 assignments to complete).

I am so ready to go...go....go......to (and i'm still adjusting to this notion) Mozambique!

Malawi or Mozambique?

Oi!I'm back on the mountain after my fifth fundraising trip. AND WE'RE FINISHED! NO MORE FUNDRAISING!!!!!!

Thanks so much to my good friend Liza who held a benefit concert in Rochester on behalf of the August Team.

As excited as I am to be finished with my fundraising, I'm having a series of small heart attacks. I will not be able to go to Benguela. No Angola for me! We are having too many worries when it comes to our VISA situation. Now I must chose between Malawi and Mozambique. I know nothing about the placements in these countries yet I've got to make a decision by tomorrow. Aaaaaggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

Becoming IICD Development Instructors

It's still warm and pleasant outside. The snow has almost completely melted. Let's hear it for global warming!We got our vaccinations today. I actually was already up to date on all of my shots thanks to Ghana so I got my malaria pills and dysentary pills from the Travel Clinic and laughed at my teammates who had sore arms. Tonight we will sign our contracts with Humana People to People and it will be official. We will be Development Instructors. We have survived the training! (almost...)

Decisions

The weather is warm!It's finally warm, really warm (60 degrees more or less). Very odd considering it is January, but I'll take it. The sun is out, the snow is melting, we're about to re-apply for our VISA's to Angola. Hopefully everything will work out. I've decided to give myself until March. If I don't have my VISA by March I will opt to go to Mozambique. I have also decided to do my camp future (follow-up period) in New Delhi India as opposed to my original idea of Brazil and then my secondary idea of South Africa. Things are slowly coming together. I will go to Maryland next week to finish my fundraising. I've got about $700.00 dollars left to fundraise and it's completely possible.We've all been told to divide and scatter and do what we must to make goal. I'm going to go home to my mother and grandfather in Maryland where I can fund-raise in front of a few local Safeway grocery stores and return to DC.

Back on the Mountain

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Tamika and I arrived back on the mountain last night and it's COLD! We're having the coldest day of the year today (- something or other).

Late last night when I was about to go to bed I discovered a present. Mouse droppings! Lots and lots of mouse droppings all over my bed! Yes, not only was our room freezing to the extent that I could see my breath, but a mouse, or mice or rats or who knows decided to use my duvet as a latrine.

So I spent the night curled in a ball wearing layers and layers of clothes with no sheets or comforter.

At least I can say things are pretty much getting back to normal. Oh, it was nice to be home for two weeks.