Ehale

We don't know how to act around other Americans anymore =/

Taught the kids all about slang using Mo' Money, Mo' Problems. Turned into a full on dance party.

Going out in Chimoio, almost felt like home.

I feel like I start every blog apologizing for how much time has passed since the last blog, so why change now? I’m sorry it has been so long since the last blog. I am now in my second trimester at school and time has been flying faster than before.
Between the first and second trimesters we had a nice little break from school. Esther and I took this opportunity to travel a bit around Mozambique. After all this travelling, my conclusion is this: There isn’t anything that Mozambique doesn’t have to offer. Mountains, beaches, friendly people, rivers, waterfalls, check, check, check, check, and check. Here are some of the highlights in no specific order:
1. Hike in Gorongosa. Gorongosa is in Central Mozambique and is mountainous, green, and absolutely beautiful. We hiked along a river with the hopes of ended up at a waterfall. It had been raining for a couple of days so the water in the river was really high. By hiking, I mean we waded along the river. Most parts were tame, but there were a couple of areas that were tricky to cross. We ended up at the waterfall, but because the water was so high, it wasn’t as defined as it normally is. Either way, between the perfect weather, gorgeous scenery, and great company, it was a day that won’t be forgotten.
2.Beach Olympics. Some brilliant person had the idea of getting a bunch of recent college graduates together for a day full of drinking games. The setting: Vilanculos, a beach city in Southern Mozambique. The ocean is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. The slope of the beach is so gradual you can walk about a minute out into the water and be only waist deep. Anyways, the day started with opening ceremonies, was followed by a shotgun race, flip cup, sloshball, dizzy bat, beer pong, and then ended with the closing ceremonies. There are two parts of the day that stick out in my mind. During the opening ceremonies, we all lined up and sang the National Anthem. This doesn’t sound like anything spectacular, but I can honestly say I have ever been so proud to be an American. As a teacher, I hear and participate in singing the Mozambican National Anthem two times each weekday. Since the song is about 5 minutes long, that means 10 minutes of each day spent hearing/singing the Patria Amada. That’s 50 minutes each week, 200 minutes a month, and 2400 minutes a year. Ridiculous. So, I guess my point is that after all the time spent singing about Mozambique, it was a great change in pace to get back to America. The second part of the day that sticks out in my mind is dizzy bat. This event includes chugging a beer, spinning around a bat 10 times, and then having to hit a ball. My epic performance during this event (along with Brian’s) put our team back in the competition. The north/central team eventually won the title.
3. The TCO bus. I’m pretty sure it stands for ‘The Classy Option.’ Travelling in Moz is a bit unpredictable. You can take chapas, buses, or hitchhike. All of these options can range from great to a really poor experience. Esther and I hitchhiked the majority of the time and had some sensational rides. But, one of our first rides of the trip, the Grupo Mecula bus, was so traumatizing we decided to splurge on our way home. We spent about 2 times the price of the awful bus to get home on the TCO. It was like a little bit of America here in Mozambique. The bus had a toilet, air conditioning, tvs, and served a meal!!! I did learn one lesson the hard way on the TCO: Even though there is a toilet, it does not mean you can go #2. The bus ride was 17 hours long, so I think the rule is ludicrous. Needless to say, I went on the bus. After I returned to my seat, the stewardess approached me and gave me an earful. After asking her what I could do about it at that point, she rolled her eyes, and walked away. Other than that, it was a lovely ride.
Getting back home meant returning to work. It was a new trimester and I was ready to get back. I decided to do one thing differently in my English class. Every Friday Esther and I choose a song to teach our classes. From the song, we teach vocabulary and a grammar point. It instantly became a hit. My kids have really opened up and we even had a dance party this last Friday. In the three weeks that we have been doing this I can already see my relationship with my students developing.
One last noteworthy thing happened recently, our house is officially rat free!!! My mom sent some of those sticky pads in her last package, and we caught Peter Pettigrew on night #1!!! Sweet success. Thanks mom.
Miss you all tons!!
<3 Von