Just Another Mos in MOZ: abril 2013

Work and Play

We’ve only had about two months of school at the IFP. I’ve kicked out 4students, one of whom twice, for not following the rules and expectations (more specifically, for using the internet and playing computer games in the TIC’s class). I’ve used papel gigante and podcasts and dictation and songs and games and different colored chalk and more papel gigante and etc., etc. I’ve lectured on the costs of their education, and on how they can repeat the school year next year if they don’t do the work this year, and etc., etc. The honeymoon stage with students has come and gone. Work has, once again, overtaken life. And not just teaching work, but other types of labor in a Peace Corps Volunteer life: labor like sweeping and mopping the floor, walking or biking to town 6 kilometers away to buy groceries, handwashing clothes and thick blankets (which, when soaked, fyi, baloon into watery masses weighing about 60 lbs). At the IFP, water and electricity are supposedly basic amenities we can expect and not have to worry about. And recently we’ve had very few power outages. About a month ago, however, we had what students were calling a “water crisis.” The pump for our water supply, apparently, was broken. We didn’t have water for over 60 hours. Friday, 22 March, my housemate Rich and I carted water from the well at a Nursing school about a kilometer away. The buckets were so heavy and the day so hot that we would have to stop every few feet to rest under a shade. This whole water carting ordeal took over 3 hours. It was hard, hard labor.

So Saturday, 23 March, I got up early in the morning to be sure to get in line when the school opened the water tank, the water source that’s only two blocks away in the school compound, unlike the Nursing school one that is about 12 blocks away. The students were nice enough to offer to help carry my bucket, like the day before, but as always I refused. They had their own water-carting to do; I had mine. I won’t abuse my privilege. I did, however, enjoy the privilege of getting in front of the line, or rather the semi-circle horseshoe that formed around the water pipe. I filled up bucket after bucket, taking three trips, which only took about 15 minutes! I still got sore fingers and arms, but it was nothing like the torture the day before. And I remembered those times when Mozambicans would cut in front of the line at the ATM or at the loja (store) or wherever else. During those times, and during the torment of the previous day, I couldn’t help but think: Cuamba sucks. It sucks ass bad. But days like that Saturday when Mozambicans are friendly and helpful make me think it’s not that bad.

The key then is to have more of those good days. In Mozambican communities that are still unfamiliar with foreigners, in a culture that’s very closed and reserved like here in Cuamba, those days seem very few and far between. It helps to hang with fellow foreigners and other PCVs. Thankfully, we’ve got a few of them here. We’ve met American missionaries, a married couple, Kenny and Carla, with their lively and beautiful children. The dinners we’ve had with them at their handsome home bring us back to the states and remind us that our experiences in and perspectives of Mozambique are not abnormal.

We´ve spent a good amount of time in play and travel. In the last two months, I visited the city of Mecanhelas for PCV Vicente’s birthday. We went to the city of Mandimba, where I heard a huge crocodile was found. We were there for a JUNTOS meeting, and, (un)fortunately missed the crocodile. I’ve been back to Nampula City for IST (In-Service Training)/Re-connect Conference. We’ve travelled to the old cities of Angoche and Ilha de Moçambique. Unfortunately, my camera, or maybe just the memory card, seems to be deteriorating on me, so I don’t have pictures to show for my travels. I do have some pics to show from our Gurue trip, however. And no, this was not the St. Patrick’s Day Gurue Weekend. The following pictures were taken March 9^th and March 10^th, on a waterfalls hike in gorgeous Gurué in Zambezia.