Traveling through hyperspace aint like dusting crops boy

Just finished my first real week of school lats night, it was cool. Still need to find the best pace and level for the students. But Fridays classes were a lot of fun. I worked in I Can See Clearly Now into the lesson. So at the end of each class we sang and I played the ukulele. The students really enjoyed and so did I. I think Fridays will be song days. Because students not coming to Friday classes is very normal here. I can tell some of the students that know English better get very bored but they are still practicing speaking and reading. I think I can teach at a higher level and not lose most of the class. I just need to figure it out more. I tried to ask he students what they wanted to learn or study but they did not understand so they did not tell me anything.

Now that school is starting I am not reading and thinking as much. I'm not really sure what to write. I reread Tuesday with Morrie and that is an awesome read. I like Morrie's character and how he thinks and acts. He has compassion and love for all and does not follow the social norms. If you have not read it, I recommend it. There are many great quotes and perspectives on life. I read Into Thin Air, that was a very exciting read, might be climbing the Big E someday. I feel like maybe I already wrote this.

Ok, I met some guys that worked at the prison on my way to Chokwe. They seemed like fun people they were singing and joking the whole ride. One of them spoke English well and we talked about Mozambique. He told me how there are not many good jobs and it is very hard to find a job. They are working for the government at a prison and have not been paid in several months. One of my friends coworkers have not been paid in months also. That is pretty crazy, people working without being paid. Life is much harder here. It is crazy to think of poverty in the US and poverty here. The unemployment rate is 70-80% and a majority of the people live off of less that a dollar a day. Houses with tin roofs are nice. Most people do not have cars. Many kids are running around in the same ripped up clothes everyday. And then there is a big problem with AIDS and HIV, I don't not see this as a teacher but it exist. In my province it is 20-30% of people have HIV/AIDS. I stopped by my friends health clinic the other day and it was packed more that 50 people waiting outside, hiding from the rain, and then she told me it was a little slow that day.

Compared to the US were poor people still have cars and money. Only a few homeless people probably live without any money at all. People here think that every American is rich. And probably because most that can come to visit are more well off. Have money to volunteer and travel. But also because even the really poor people have a lot of money and stuff compared to Mozambicans.

I wanted to add more about the people and not just a list of things I have been doing. But I went to the beach again last weekend and played volleyball. It reminded me of being home last summer. I missed chilling, playing music, BBQ, and playing sports with everyone. So there are over 20 female volunteers in my province and only 3 guys. And last weekend there was a big party for 3 of the girls birthdays. I was one of 2 guys with about 20 girls. I was a little scared but it was fun. The girls are all really cool. Now most of my close friends here are female. Which before all my close friends that are girls are my family and friends wife. I don't really know why that is. Ok any question I can try to answer in future blogs???? Also there is another post before this one from yesterday.

Peace, love, and do good things

Jimmy

She's fast enough for you old man. What's the cargo?

So there is a lot to say over the last month. I have been reading a lot and enjoying that for the most part. There is a lot of time to myself to think and reflect. The down side is it can get a little boring at times. But I have been doing well keeping myself busy. I play on my cell phone and go online when bored. But have to limit myself or I use all my battery up and cant recharge it that easy.

For the Xmas weekend all of us from Gaza province met up in Xai Xai at the beach. It was a great way to spend the holiday. It is summer time so just wore my board shorts all weekend. I'm all tan right now, in December and January. Then swam, ate fresh fruit, and chilled all weekend on the beach. I did a hike up to the ridge line overlooking the ocean and it was awesome. I took some water and my journal sat under a bush in some limited shade and wrote while enjoying an awesome view. The the stars at night were so cool too. We did a night swim and I was just floating on my back enjoying the stars it was not how I would have been expecting my Mozambique holidays to be. But I will take it. The beach where we stayed is this tourist spot, full of South Africans, and is about 6 miles from the city. So we had to hitch a ride into town or to the beach. A friend and I went to get money on one of the days and go to the store. On our way back we got a ride from this guy in a Hummer 3. It was an American car with the steering wheel on the left side, they drive on the opposite side on the car and road here. So that was interesting cruising in a H3 on Xmas eve in Mozambique. Also met some Swaziland volunteers and partied with them. They had a guitar and I got to jam for a while. Forrest and I have a dirty rap song we like to play, haha, so we thought Xmas eve no better time to bust it out! Forrest rapped and I played guitar a couple of the girls knew the words too. It is a famous Afroman song, haha.

I have been studying with my Director, like the principle of my school, the last week and a half. We do an hour of Portuguese for me and then an hour of English for him. He is a really nice man and I like him a lot. He always checks on us and is taking good care of us out here in Mabalane. He feeds me often and told me I am family. So I am feeling really good about all that. He knows English very well just has problems pronouncing. Unlike me I have problems reading, writing, speaking, and understanding. But it has been really helpful working with him. Just takes a lot of practice and continuing to review things over and over. but little by little it is all coming a round.

Ok this is going to be a very long post. Played basketball last week with some of my future students. That was fun. The hoop is very ghetto. Not a real rim, plus crooked, or backboard but it was still really fun. Then these kids were all hanging out around our house the other day so we let them play with the basketball and I was playing my drum. They keep coming and watching so I let them play. These two kids were really good, they play at the elementary school all the time they told me. So I went and got my ukulele and jammed out with them, it was so cool. I never expected these little kids to play the drum.

I cant remember what all I have said about the country or people but the people have been really nice. They are interested in us Americans, like to practice talking English, and are friendly. People are much more friendly here than back home. People greet each other and help each other out. If you do not have food people will give you food, I guess Americans do to, but more people here are without money and food. People will stop by to ask for food or water and it is no big deal. Also neighbors and family share tools and household items that every American house has. I like that. Why does everyone need a wheelbarrow? Something you usually do not use. Most people to not have real jobs so they work in the field or doing random jobs to get by. People do more work around the house and cooking takes more time. You don't realize how nice a oven and stove are. It take us an hour to cook rice and 5 hours to cook beans. So cooking is an all day thing if you have a lot of people to fed.

I realized how comfortable we live in the US. I am probably a little rougher than the average American and I am a big sissy compared to the Mozambicans. They can sleep in back of trucks on bricks and crammed in buses or vans. While I can barely take it. Actually Forrest and I will not ride in the vans because they pack them so tight and it is too uncomfortable for us. So this led me to think how we live. We are always comfortable. We wear comfortable clothing and shoes, sit on comfortable couches and chairs, ride in comfortable cars, sleep on comfortable beds. (I'm having some problems sleeping on my bed, these mattresses are horrible compared to back home. It is getting better though) But the Mozambicans are used to these conditions and it is no big deal, they are probably comfortable with it because they are use to these harder conditions.

Friends and family, enjoy and appreciate your comfortable surfaces and convenient conditions. You should be happy to have these things. One of the things many of us have said is that people have so much less here but are not less happy. In fact, I believe and many other volunteers would agree that the people here are happier than Americans. Why is that? I could guess a couple things but I don't really know. I know personally over the last few years I have become more content and happy with my way I live by living simple and having less luxuries. But I am a weirdo!

Peace, love, and do good things!

Jimmy

ps this was written about 1-2 weeks ago hope to add more soon. my computer is very hard to use with my cell phone modem