My first real Chapa experience

All of the public transportation is by Chapa. A chapa generally is a 15 passenger van that they stuff an average of 20 peole in (4 per 3 person seat at least). This past Saturday I went to Matola to Shoprite (the Moz Wal-Mart) and to get home we found that there is no direct chapa all the way back to Namaacha where we live, so I experienced a chapa bus to Boane. It was the most unbelievable thing I have experienced and I´m glad some of my fellow PCTs were there to witness it. This is a smaller bus with 2 seats then an isle then 1 seat. We were all shoved into the aisle. Of the people we could see we counted at least 45 on a bus made for maybe 35. I couldn´t move. They always say to never have anything in your pockets, and I´m glad I didn´t because even if someone had reached in mine I couldn´t have moved to stop them. It was unbeleivable. I was pressed full frontal on this stranger (luckily my bag was between us) and sticking my butt in this old lady´s face. At one point I was on tip-toe because someone shoved their feet under mine. And they just kept pushing more people on. Then the couple next to me were drinking beers and threw them out the window when they were done. Just another one of those moments that make you realize "I`m living in Mozambique".

Oct 15 2010

Internet is not as easy access as I thought. Internet cafés are not exactly on every corner here like in Costa Rica. Then the town internet access was down and no one really knows how to fix it…but it’s back up now (or at least when I post this it will be J ). Just going with the flow. I actually enjoy being a little removed from everything. I have no idea what is going on in reality tv or with Hollywood and still feel completely normal. And I watch the news every night so I see all the important stuff (like the Chilean mine worker rescue).

            Just want everyone out there to know that I think I have the best host mom anyone could ask for. She is willing to sit with me and explain things slowly, makes me talk at home by telling her what I did all day and correcting me, and is hell-bent on teaching me all things Mozambican and getting me as independent as possible as soon as possible. She always says “do you know how to do this?” and my typical response is “In the U.S. yes but in Africa probably not.” She knows how to do everything and if you don’t do it like her you’re not doing it right. She even pointed out a better way that I should paint my toenails. Seriously, she knows everything. I’ve been painting my toes for probably 15 years and never once thought that it made more sense to do it another way. Unbelievable J.

            I get a lot of questions about what I eat everyday so here’s an average: Breakfast is usually bread with cheese or peanut butter or jam and tea. Then I have to bring a snack to class with me usually of a juice box and bread with peanut butter or cookies. Lunch usually has a salad and rice with beans or some sort of meat to go with. Then I come home after classes at 6 p.m. and have some tea and bread or cookies. Then dinner is usually at 8 p.m. with pasta or a rice dish with salad and more bread and papaya for dessert. For those of you thinking I’m going to come back skinny, so far no good. Many times I don’t want to eat at all, but my Portuguese is not quite up to the level that I can explain that to her without her thinking that I don’t like what she cooked. One of my favorite moments: she caught me blowing on my soup (it was hot and I didn’t want to burn my mouth) and says “Minha filha!! (My daughter!!) Why didn’t you tell me you don’t like food really hot?? All you have to do is say, I don’t like food really hot and I won’t heat it up as much” and then I got room temperature food for about a week until I explained to her that it’s not that I don’t like hot, I just don’t like to burn my mouth. Now I’m very careful to not blow on things or only blow when she’s not looking.

Just know that internet here isn’t the most reliable and many of you that send emails or facebook posts know that I can usually read them but by the time I go to respond the internet is down again but I do see them. Keep me updated--Love and miss you all!!

Finally...an Update. Written Oct 5, 2010

Where to even begin?? I’ve only been gone for 2 weeks and officially in training for one yet I feel like so much time has passed. I got to Namaacha which is where we are located with host families to learn the language and learn how to teach. My first day I went to a birthday party with my host mom and was break dancing to really bad early 90s music (which is all over here) with the best break dancer I’ve ever met who happens to be about 8 years old and named Bruno. I couldn’t help but stop and look around thinking I’m going to love it here. I don’t even know where I’ll be for the next few years until Thanksgiving (I think) but it’s going to be great. I felt right at home right away.

 Training is very intense. I go to classes every day M-F from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm plus Saturday mornings. Right now it is very language intensive and we’re learning a lot about medical. I’m in a language class with 4 other people so it’s very one-on-one which is good.

My host family is amazing. The house is HUGE which I was not expecting. Better yet we have running water and an indoor bathroom with a FLUSHING TOILET!! No squatty potty for me, obrigada a deus! The language is coming along well. It’s basically Spanish with a lot of shhhs and nasal sounds and no la’s. Which if you speak Spanish should make sense J. I’m buying a cell phone tomorrow in Maputo and I’ll get people the number if they want it (if you don’t get it just FB message me and I’ll send it to you).

My favorite thing that has started happening the last few days is the giant herd of kids that follow me and my neighbor Emily home from lunch every day. Just whatever random kids that see us on the street will start walking with us and next thing you know it’s a parade of 12 lead by the mulungos (local word for white person). Some of them even remember our name so there will be random kids yelling out “Amanda!”. It’s pretty darn cute. Até logo!!

Mozambique Hotels are nice...

Hello friends and fam--

I have arrived in Mozambique after one of the longest plane rides in my life (15 hours). We get quarnatined at the hotel in the capital of Maputo right away, so I have yet to see any of the country. Tomorrow morning I head out to Namaancha to our host families. I've been trying to cram in the Portuguese and getting to know everyone. I won't have regular internet access from now on so I'll update when I can. I'll also be getting my cell phone next saturday so I'll get my # out as soon as possible. My computer is almost out of batteries, so Ate logo!!