This Christmas was very different…not just because I was away
from family, friends and snow but I spent it on the beach and it truly felt just
like any other day. I was able to go to mass on Christmas morning so that was
nice (I didn’t understand a majority of it since it was in the local language) and
they sang the “Gloria” song from back home at the end of mass. I missed the
Christmas season back home—seeing the Bell ringers outside Hy-Vee, making hot
cider and watching the Grinch, making those peanut butter cookies with Hershey
kisses on top and mostly being with family. It was really nice to be reunited
with all the Moz 19ers in Nampula and get to catch up and hear about everyone’s
sites though.
We did celebrate with very good food though (chicken,
coleslaw, mashed potatoes, French toast, banana pancakes with mango syrup,
cookies, garlic bread and shrimp pasta—which I actually liked, shocking that I
would say that about seafood I know!) and listened to Christmas carols and watched
Home Alone! I even learned how to bake in a makeshift Dutch oven using pots and
sand. Today I tested out my skills and made a coffee cake—it turned out great! I
was so proud of myself for making a Dutch oven and baking for the first time by
myself in Africa J
Traveling to Angoche for Christmas was interesting…I left my
site and caught a semi chapa to take me to Nampula city. In the city I met
another Moz 19 PCV at a coffee shop (I honestly would still be wandering around
the streets of Nampula if not for a VERY nice mother and daughter who showed me
exactly how to get to the café—thank goodness for nice people!). We then tried
to catch a chapa to Angoche but the only thing leaving was an open back truck
full of cargo and they weren’t planning on leaving for another few hours. So of
course we decide to just walk along the highway (I know, smart right?) and hope
to catch a boleia. Only a few cars passed us by but no one was going that way.
Then out of nowhere a car speeds past us and we didn’t even have time to flag
them down. The car turned around and started driving back towards us—it ended
up being 2 nice South Africans traveling in an air conditioned car. They even
had a cooler in the car and offered us cookies, pop, ham & cheese
sandwiches, hot dogs and chocolate. They were so nice they even drove us right
to our stop in Angoche and let us take some food with us! It definitely made up
for the semi and craziness of Nampula.
When we were trying to leave Angoche we had better luck
catching a chapa to Nampula at 4am. However, I did get my first marriage
proposal on that chapa. I had no idea what to say to that so I just kept
telling him no…then of course he had to ask why I didn’t want to be with him,
etc. It was all I could do to keep a straight face and not laugh. I mean
seriously—he didn’t even know me, he just met me on this truck and asked to be
my husband. It was an interesting day to say the least! I was able to shop for
food in Nampula and get syrup, veggies and other tasty things I can’t get at site.
While I was in Nampula city I saw someone wearing an Omaha/Council Bluffs YMCA
shirt! I literally stopped in my tracks because I couldn’t believe what I was
seeing. I knew he probably didn’t know where Omaha was but the fact that I got
a reminder of home made my day! And on the chapa back to Nacuxa I saw a man
wearing a Whistler, Canada sweatshirt and it reminded me of when I went there
with my family! Overall, even though traveling back to site was very stressful
it made me smile when I had these little reminders of home and fun times with
my family J
Ringing in the New Year in Africa will definitely be a bit
different as well. I’ll still make my list of resolutions but I won’t be
watching the ball drop on TV. I’m going to Nacala (the closest big city about
30 minutes away) with my roommate to stay on the beach and watch some
fireworks!
Finishing my laundry has never made me feel so accomplished.
I can’t believe how easy it is in the States to just put your clothes in a
machine and add soap then go watch tv or do something else while your laundry
is being cleaned. Here that is not the case…It entails a little bit more labor
than that but once you have it all done you feel like you’ve really
accomplished something J
School will be starting soon and I’ll be busy teaching
English and computers—I’m excited and anxious to teach at the secondary school.
It will definitely be different than the 3rd graders I’m used to but
it will be a great learning experience. I’m still not quite sure when school
starts. I’ve asked a few times and each time I get a different answer. It’s
either starting Jan 7th, the middle of January or early February.
Hopefully, I’ll be finding out soon so I can be prepared! For now I’m cleaning
the house, making curtains and catching up on my reading—I’ll be glad to have
lessons to write and tests to grade to keep me busy soon!
Happy New Year!! Thanks to one of my college professors I
have a quote to start the New Year with that I hope is as inspiring to you as
it has been to me…
“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where
there is no path and leave a trail.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
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