Yes you read that right…this was the week where I “killed” a chicken. I don’t think I can say I did it 100% though…and here’s why. On Tuesday during language class we got together with all of our “maes” (host moms) to learn how to cook Mozambican food and teach them some American food. We decided to make pasta and garlic bread (which was really good) and our host moms made couve, coconut chicken, rice and xima. We had a LOT for lunch that day
Cooking chicken for dinner is nothing like how you would cook it in the states. Back home I would go to the grocery store and buy a package of already cut chicken (and be grossed out when I had to touch it to put it on the grill). Here you go and buy a live chicken from the market, bring it home, kill it, take all of it’s feathers off, wash it and cut it up into smaller pieces to cook/eat (that includes the chicken feet and head…). No one else in my group really wanted to kill the chicken so I volunteered. Cutting off the chicken’s head is a little harder than you would think-well or it could have been that I had a very dull knife, which made it harder. I don’t want to gross anyone out too much but you have to step on the chicken’s feet and wings and hold it’s head all while you’re trying to cut it off. I couldn’t do this by myself because I got too grossed out when the head kept moving so I had to have my host mom hold the head for me. Let’s just say after halfway doing the job my “mae” took over and finished for me. It was not a pretty sight. And it actually is really hard to eat the chicken a few hours later knowing you killed it. But of course I still did and it tasted pretty good. However, if that is the only way to make chicken while I’m here I definitely will not be eating much of it. I don’t think I could kill it and pluck it’s feathers every time I wanted to have some chicken. I’ll settle for a peanut butter sandwich.
Okay now for less gross information. This week during our HUB day (where all the volunteers are together for our medical sessions, teaching info, etc) we had “Ngoma” time which means drum time. It’s an hour where we get to share cultural experiences from America as well as see some from Mozambique. Our language teachers performed a song/dance, we had cultural dancers, and some volunteers performed funny skits in Portuguese. It was a really fun way to get to know some of the cultural dances and songs as well as for us to share some fun talents we might have.
This week I actually got up early and ran with two other volunteers and it was beautiful! We ran on the main road and the view was foggy but of beautiful mountains. I promise to take pictures and get them up here soon. I actually don’t even need to set an alarm anymore because the roosters get me up at 3am and since I go to bed so early my body automatically wakes me up at 5am. It is nice thought because not many people are out so only a few people stare at you for running (which is a weird American workout/habit that no one over here does).
One of the current volunteers who visited this week showed us the German bakery they have here in Namaacha that sells cake and cinnamon rolls! Last week one of our icebreaker activities was a “cinnamon roll” hug and every since that I have been thinking about Summer Kitchen’s/Farmhouse’s cinnamon rolls! YUM. We tried to go on Thursday but it was closed—I’m going to try and go again and hopefully they will have cinnamon rolls still there.
We had a whole day off on Saturday (Which was so nice!). I was able to get my laundry done, chores and go to Shoprite (a bigger market) with some friends. It was a really good day! I even splurged and bought cookies and a chocolate bar at the gas station…it was so good! I feel bad admitting this but I actually paid 5 meticais today to use the bathroom at the gas station…here’s why. I went out to use the latrine today after lunch and a swarm of flies came out of it so I stood with the curtain open and tried to shoo them out. After I thought all of them were out I tried to go to the restroom just to have another swarm come up while I was going to the bathroom. I looked like a crazy person trying to hold the curtain open and shoo them out. Finally I had enough and decided I would just pay to use the bathroom at the gas station. It was heavenly (no flies, a flushing toilet and running water with SOAP!)
We also went to a birthday party on Sunday for 5 kids (it was more like a whole day event!). It looked like a wedding reception when I first got there. People were dressed in their nicest outfits, there was a TON of food and 5 cakes and at least 100-200 people. It was crazy but really fun because there were some other volunteers there with their families too. My host sister, Deolinda, and I bonded on the way home screaming and running from all the bugs and frogs while eating some bolaches (cookies) from the market. Then she helped me pour ashes and bug spray down the latrine hoping to get rid of all the flies. Thank goodness for her or else I’d be lost! Enjoying the end of the weekend eating some Cadbury chocolate and watching an episode of Modern Family (thanks to my brother and sister-in-law for putting all these shows on my hard drive)! It’s a great day! :)
Updates:
-I’m pretty sure mice are living in my room because every night when I turn the lights off I hear squeaking.
-If any more flies come up out of my pit latrine I’m going to go crazy! (It freaks me out and I look like a fool holding the curtain open and trying to shoo them out of the latrine)
-Found my first cockroach in my room this weekend…thankfully it had somehow gotten on it’s back so it wasn’t moving and was easy to kill.
-In our PC cookbook I just found recipes for monkey bread, french toast, peanut butter cookies and apple cider! I REALLY want to make them but don’t know how to try and ask my host family that in Portuguese.
-I’m getting a little better at Portuguese and can finally get my point across (about certain things) like not taking a bath when it’s cold and dark outside
-This week there were 3 days where I only had to take ONE bath the whole day! Okay I know this might sound odd to you but when it’s dark/rainy and cold at night it’s not all that fun taking a bath so when I told my host family I didn’t want to they laughed at me (probably because I said I didn’t want to take a bath because it was dark) haha but they didn’t make me so it was worth it J
-It’s almost Halloween! The volunteers are all having a party and it’s the same day as my sister’s birthday party so next Saturday is going to be a crazy day!
-In 2 weeks we get to go on site visits and then the week after that we should get our own site placements!
-Made cookies with my host family (which were more like little pieces of fried bread—but they were good). Unfortunately since I said I like the cookies and the cake from last week they have been giving that to me for breakfast and snack everyday. Don’t get me wrong it’s good but not too healthy, haha but I add a little peanut butter to it so I’m getting my protein in :)
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