Im trying to travel up north. Just finished up a conference yesterday it was very brutal. I had a lot of work before finishing up our term before i left Mabalane so i didn't get much sleep before leaving than i had a long travel day. Followed by poor sleep in my hotel room because the bar and drunks across the street from our room were so load. Then on top of that i could see the beach, blue sky, and beautiful days outside while i was stuck in a conference.
Now a mini adventure starts, and about five minutes after getting on and paying for this bus we are broke down on the side of the road. Maybe i should try to get my money back. Ok ill return to this post later.
Im still on the same bus. I'm just reading and trying to sleep. I ran and did squats this morning and now im really not enjoying being crammed into a bus for ten hours. But i seen the sun rise running on the beach the last 3 mornings it is a great way to start a day.
Friday i had an interesting interaction with some French people. They are working about an hour away from Chokwe, maybe three hours from Mabalane. Well, Valorie and i went to go talk to this group of white people with backpacks and no car. And we had a conversation with French people in Portuguese in Mozambique. Kind of random.
There are so many cool types of trees in Mozambique. I just noticed there are trees that have a ridiculously large trunk, then the upper part or branches are normal tree size. I'll put a pic on facebook.
Friday and Saturday night we crashed weddings. The first night a group of the girls said they were invited to and going to dance at this reception across from the hotel. So Drew and i went to go hang out. And we walk in to find no American girls. But of course the two white guys are now the center of attention. We get pulled and pushed out onto the center of the dance floor. Everyone was quite drunk and this one lady especially, we called her the bulldoser. She was getting it on the floor, but she was constantly losing her balance and slamming into people. So we had to keep an eye on her. Then it was difficult to sneak out. The next night the girls actually went. It was more fun and we stayed until the music stopped. There were these cute little girls dancing, like six years old. When they left their mom told them to say good bye to the foreigners. It was really funny they gave us hugs and kisses on the check. Imagine if your'e at a wedding, a group of unknown foreigners show up and then before you go home you make your children hug and kiss them goodbye, haha. Thanks how nice the people here are. Eventually the only people there were us and a group of Mozambicans. Then i found out that they didn't belong there also and that they snuck in with us. We atleast asked permission, they probably didn't.
I'm traveling the next two weeks i'll try to keep updated on any exciting events. Peace and love Jimmy
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Boring conversation anyways
It is Tuesday morning, i wrote most of this yesterday as i was hitch hiking and riding chapas home.
Im traveling back to Mabalane. I have had a nice weekend down in the Maputo providence. I met my friend Kaitlin in Maputo Saturday and we stayed at her site in Moamba. She has a very nice home by Mozambique standards. Its a big house, hard work floor, high ceilings, running water, energy, toilet/bathroom inside, and it is bug and rodent free. She lives on the campus of a Catholic school, with priests, brothers, nuns, and all the students. Her community is very nice. And she is only an hour from Maputo.
Then Sunday night i stayed with friends at this teacher trainer institue near Manhiça. They also have an awesome site and home. Their school is very nice and the compound looks like an older military base. There apartment style house is nice by any standard. They have cable TV (CNN, ESPN, ect), an oven, and nice furniture. I had pizza and brownies waiting for me when i arrived. The school has a music department so i got to jam with another guitar player and pianist, Anne one of the volunteers. It was really fun, although i didnt get any videos. Next time! Then thier students cooked us dinner. Their students are awesome and were a blast to hang out with. In my group of volunteers there are many cool, smart, talented, and interesting people. Barbara is one of the most awesome people. She is near seventy years old. She grew up in the Bronx, is a 13th generation descendant of 2 passengers who came over on the Mayflower, she was a model, she has a PHD, is a retired teacher, a mother, a widow, and now a Peace Corps volunteer. So needless to say she is a great person to be around. She is full of wisdom and is always hounding me about why im not dating any of these nice young ladies out here with us. Her and Anne were great hosts. I was well fed and slept like a rock. It was like being with family. Actually it is a lot like being with family whenever i stay with the other volunteers.
I have been thinking that i have it so great out in Mabalane. This weekend i realized i actually have it pretty rough, living conditions and work. I still love my site and students and would not trade for any of these other sites. Mabalane is perfect for me, if anything i would want less luxuries. But these other sites are something else. Barbara and Anne are really living the dream. Im just living my dream.
I have been thinking about how i have always wanted and tried the harder challenges in my life. And there is something appealing to me about living without power, having struggles with water, and all the little challenges that come with life in Mabalane. Im not sure why i like to struggle or suffer but that is why i joined the Marines and probably why i enjoy running and hiking so much. Plus doing something harder is more rewarding, at least for me.
Saturday i had the luckyiest series of chapas (buses). I went from one bus to another all the way to the Peace Corps office. I was chillin in the PC office seven hours after leaving my house. Ill be lucky to get home in ten to twelve hours.
Im in the process of an interesting chapa ride home. Everyone is speaking the native language and i keep hearing the word for white person, haha i feel like Ace Ventura. This chapa has some much weight on it. Not only packed with people but stuff under all the seats and strapped on the roof. Ill be lucky to get home before my class starts. I hope nothing else crazy happens but in case it does im waiting to send this.
Ok last update. There was a very unsanitary diaper change on the chapa, im glad i was not sitting next to that lady. Got home at six pm, about twelve hours not too bad.
Peace, love, and do good things.
Jimmy
Im traveling back to Mabalane. I have had a nice weekend down in the Maputo providence. I met my friend Kaitlin in Maputo Saturday and we stayed at her site in Moamba. She has a very nice home by Mozambique standards. Its a big house, hard work floor, high ceilings, running water, energy, toilet/bathroom inside, and it is bug and rodent free. She lives on the campus of a Catholic school, with priests, brothers, nuns, and all the students. Her community is very nice. And she is only an hour from Maputo.
Then Sunday night i stayed with friends at this teacher trainer institue near Manhiça. They also have an awesome site and home. Their school is very nice and the compound looks like an older military base. There apartment style house is nice by any standard. They have cable TV (CNN, ESPN, ect), an oven, and nice furniture. I had pizza and brownies waiting for me when i arrived. The school has a music department so i got to jam with another guitar player and pianist, Anne one of the volunteers. It was really fun, although i didnt get any videos. Next time! Then thier students cooked us dinner. Their students are awesome and were a blast to hang out with. In my group of volunteers there are many cool, smart, talented, and interesting people. Barbara is one of the most awesome people. She is near seventy years old. She grew up in the Bronx, is a 13th generation descendant of 2 passengers who came over on the Mayflower, she was a model, she has a PHD, is a retired teacher, a mother, a widow, and now a Peace Corps volunteer. So needless to say she is a great person to be around. She is full of wisdom and is always hounding me about why im not dating any of these nice young ladies out here with us. Her and Anne were great hosts. I was well fed and slept like a rock. It was like being with family. Actually it is a lot like being with family whenever i stay with the other volunteers.
I have been thinking that i have it so great out in Mabalane. This weekend i realized i actually have it pretty rough, living conditions and work. I still love my site and students and would not trade for any of these other sites. Mabalane is perfect for me, if anything i would want less luxuries. But these other sites are something else. Barbara and Anne are really living the dream. Im just living my dream.
I have been thinking about how i have always wanted and tried the harder challenges in my life. And there is something appealing to me about living without power, having struggles with water, and all the little challenges that come with life in Mabalane. Im not sure why i like to struggle or suffer but that is why i joined the Marines and probably why i enjoy running and hiking so much. Plus doing something harder is more rewarding, at least for me.
Saturday i had the luckyiest series of chapas (buses). I went from one bus to another all the way to the Peace Corps office. I was chillin in the PC office seven hours after leaving my house. Ill be lucky to get home in ten to twelve hours.
Im in the process of an interesting chapa ride home. Everyone is speaking the native language and i keep hearing the word for white person, haha i feel like Ace Ventura. This chapa has some much weight on it. Not only packed with people but stuff under all the seats and strapped on the roof. Ill be lucky to get home before my class starts. I hope nothing else crazy happens but in case it does im waiting to send this.
Ok last update. There was a very unsanitary diaper change on the chapa, im glad i was not sitting next to that lady. Got home at six pm, about twelve hours not too bad.
Peace, love, and do good things.
Jimmy
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Good, I hate long waits
This is from Thursday. One of my students is here learning to use my computer. He is one of the students who wanted an American girlfriend, so Ashley agreed to be his pen pal. I told him to practice by typing her a letter. So after about fifteen minutes i go check on him. He has not ever finished his first sentence. I had to step outside to laugh, he knows English pretty well but has never used a computer before. Ashley you got a letter coming soon. Im going to send it from my email.
Most of the rest was earlier this morning, Saturday. And i stole most of it from an email i sent to Jodi.
Im sitting on the side of the road waiting for a ride. A few cars and trucks drove by but all have been full so far. Hopefully one will pick me up sooner than later. Not much new here. I read Life of Pi. It was a really enjoyable read and had a crazy ending. School is getting better and better. I have been lifting and running the last couple weeks pretty consistant. Im going to run the second half of a marathon with a friend. Ok here comes and truck hopefully it picks me up...
What do they say? Hope in one hand and poop in the other, and see what one fills up first. Or something like that. Well im going to keep hoping. I didnt get picked up by the way.
Well after two hours and no rides. I find myself on a train. This actually works out much better. It is a cargo train and only takes two hours. So should be four hours from the time i left my house. Im standing up in the cockpit with four other people hitchin and one of them is another teacher at my school. Well i hope this dude's odometer is broken or we speed up soon because we are not on pace for two hours. We just almost took out a cow crossing the tracks. It was a little scary watching and feeling the train rock over the tracks from here. Ok i think that is about it for now. Maybe ill have something exciting after this weekend. Peace love and do good things
Jimmy
Most of the rest was earlier this morning, Saturday. And i stole most of it from an email i sent to Jodi.
Im sitting on the side of the road waiting for a ride. A few cars and trucks drove by but all have been full so far. Hopefully one will pick me up sooner than later. Not much new here. I read Life of Pi. It was a really enjoyable read and had a crazy ending. School is getting better and better. I have been lifting and running the last couple weeks pretty consistant. Im going to run the second half of a marathon with a friend. Ok here comes and truck hopefully it picks me up...
What do they say? Hope in one hand and poop in the other, and see what one fills up first. Or something like that. Well im going to keep hoping. I didnt get picked up by the way.
Well after two hours and no rides. I find myself on a train. This actually works out much better. It is a cargo train and only takes two hours. So should be four hours from the time i left my house. Im standing up in the cockpit with four other people hitchin and one of them is another teacher at my school. Well i hope this dude's odometer is broken or we speed up soon because we are not on pace for two hours. We just almost took out a cow crossing the tracks. It was a little scary watching and feeling the train rock over the tracks from here. Ok i think that is about it for now. Maybe ill have something exciting after this weekend. Peace love and do good things
Jimmy
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