We be paintin' up in here!!!

My roommate Erin and I recently joined our JUNTOS groups to paint a mural on the children's library in town (with the help of our lovely site mate Melanie). The library was started by my former roommate Theresa last year. Every Saturday morning some of our trainees do literacy activities and read alouds with the local children. The library was white and very bland and the sign was on the back where no one driving on the main road could see it. We decided that to get more children involved we needed to animate the building. We had a one day painting extravaganza! Erin's group lead a successful activity about HIV/AIDS prevention with over 150 children (we were not expecting that many by any means!!) as my group started painting. Here are some pictures of the day. I never imagined it could be so fun!

There was an event the same day that brought 

we used hands to make flowers

Read Alouds

Activities

Final product just as the sun sets! SUCCESS!!!

Mocambique HOYE!!!

Ceremonies in Mozambique are always the same. Holidays are celebrated by going to the plaza and singing songs while leaving flowers for the fallen president of independence. These are usually followed by cultural presentations and a speech by the mayor. I went to every ceremony the first year and sat through the many dances and speeches. Nowadays, I find myself less motivated to go because the monotony of the ceremonies. Mozambique is not a fan of change and they really love to celebrate their past by doing the same thing. I, of all people think that tradition is important, but sometimes here it is taxing. Also, these dances and presentations are on a stage in front of a line of important people- ‘the chefes.’ The presentations are faced towards them and not the crowd. They face the wrong direction. I don’t like that they celebrate by dancing for the important people and leave out the whole rest of the community.

Holidays are a bit different than other celebrations. For example we went to a graduation that looked  more like a wedding. The guests sang as the graduate drove through the village honking and making a scene. 

Then they sang as she entered the reception (and I mean they SING- this is like a 2 hour ordeal). 

Then they sang as she entered the
 dining area and took her place. 

Then when the guests were all seated we waited 2 more hours for more singing and speeches. Then we finally got to eat, but this also has a certain order.

First, you can have some snacks, then you head to the buffet line and load up. Next you can finally quench your thirst with a soda. Then when everyone is finished there is a cake cutting ceremony with more singing and then they finally serve the alcohol and the cake.  By this time everyone can finally relax and the ‘party’ can start. 

We chatted and danced a little and then more singing commenced as people began to present her with presents. A party that was supposed to start at 2pm (actually started at 4pm) and lasted until 10pm. The guests mostly seem to wait around and get hungrier and hungrier. 

The wedding, baptism, and various birthdays were all celebrated in the same exact way, but with different levels of classiness depending on money available. Some had huge wedding style cakes while others had homemade banana bread. I have enjoyed being part of these parties and experiences. However, I will be glad to head back to America and encounter some diversity like karaoke, pinatas and pizza!!!

We have tried to introduce some of our traditions within our community. Every birthday we celebrate by having only cakes and sodas (we don’t have dinner!! Such a surprise!). We play musical chairs, pin the tail on the donkey, and limbo. Last time all of the women came over and taught us a Mozambican card game. This was an awesome cultural exchange and a good way to bond with the wives of our colleagues.  

Success?

Peace Corps asked me to write a success story so here it is:

Integration. This word means so much in Peace Corps life. Without it very little can be accomplished in terms of personal growth or success at site. Integration is the key to forming relationships and making differences. My first year I struggled so much with language that my integration at site was minimal. I was afraid to speak Portuguese because I always made so many mistakes. I let my roommate talk for me and help me do everything. I went where she went and I did what she did. It wasn't until this year that I started to feel comfortable in my own Portuguese shoes. I got a new roommate that needed my help. I started speaking Portuguese because I had to. There was no one to do it for me. If I didn't speak then nothing would get done. I started spitting Portuguese like it was my first language! All of a sudden I could communicate and relate to everyone!! I was making changes at my site and in my life. People were visiting more often and relationships were forming. I found that I could communicate anything I wanted whether or not I was speaking Portuguese correctly. I stopped worrying about all the mistakes I was making and started speaking to everyone.
             As my confidence grew with language and with Mozambicans, my success also grew. Since I was finally comfortable speaking in front of people, my counterpart and I successfully trained 20 volunteers to work with students who could not read from thelocal primary school. We coordinated tutoring programs 4 times a week. The volunteers were making huge changes in how they taught the students and the students were actually enjoying the extra classes. One student in particular in fifth grade came every week and participated in every lesson whether or not the material was too easy. He could already read and write well, but he enjoyed the classes so much that he kept coming. It was wonderful to see students so motivated to learn. It was also wonderful to watch the volunteers learn and grow as teachers, using books and didactic material like never before. One volunteer had his students so enthralled by a read-aloud that no one noticed when I walked in. This is a huge deal because normally as soon as the "mulungu" shows up everyone loses concentration and just stares at me. Another volunteer had students acting out a story because they couldn't read it and everyone felt involved and able. A young girl who normally does not participate wanted to be the main character. I have seen some very inspiring things over the past year that would not have been possible if I had hid behind my inability to speak Portuguese well.

              Another thing that this new confidence in language helped was my experience with Mozambicans. I have made many friends and colleagues that I will truly miss. One person in particular that I can't stand the idea of leaving is my 15 year old neighbor. As the two years have gone by, he has been a solid presence in my life. He visits me almost every day and we have a mutually rewarding relationship. When he calls me Tia Cheyanne, I really feel like his aunt! When he turned 15 he asked me to be the madrinha at is birthday party. What an honor and once in a lifetime experience in Mozambique! I was up there spouting how wonderful he was and cutting the cake with him. The party included Mozambican food and songs, but also pizza and American traditions. This was definitely a highlight in my Peace Corps experience that will change me forever.

This is my biggest success because without language, no other success is possible. Getting past this obstacle made everything else fall into place. By feeling comfortable speaking the language I was finally able to integrate and spend hours talking to my neighbors and friends in the village. I made irreplaceable relationships with some of my students, colleagues, and community members. Now I sit and drink tea with my friends while gossiping about whatever comes to mind, a truly Mozambican tradition. They take care of me and I take care of them. Leaving will be one of the hardest things I will have to do, even harder than it was to come. Thank you Mozambique for showing me that my extroverted personality could shine through a different language and culture.

Lunch with a crazy woman-

So after a 9 or so hour journey from Maputo back to site we stop in Maxixe to meet a friend and grab lunch. After we eat, we are sitting around commemorating and chatting, I see a woman sitting on the sidewalk nearby. I can tell from her behavior that she is not exactly ok in the head. She is carrying around a raw chicken and pulling it into pieces. At one point she gets up and runs after some dogs to throw the meat at them. Obviously the woman is thoughtful, if not scary. Eventually she walks into the area where we are enjoying the afternoon breeze. She walks right over to our table, which is normal because our bleach white skin seems to attract everyone from respectable businessmen to crazy women. She slams a raw chicken leg onto the table along with 3 coins. Then she picks up my phone and refuses to give it back as she hands it to my friend across the table. She then places the coins in a square shape using a bottle cap as the 4^th corner. She starts questioning us intensly in citswa-the local language. Then she notices my friend’s almost finished beer. She grabs it shaking her head madly, empties it out and then throws the bottle. At this point we are all a little enthralled and terrified. We know there are witch doctors around and some crazy belief systems in place here and we are not sure if we are in the process of getting cursed or blessed or just badgered. A man from another table comes over and tells us in Portuguese not to worry because the woman is not right in the head. Obviously! He then tells her in citwsa to leave us alone and she walks away carrying her coins and her raw chicken leg. Wow another normal day in Mozambique.

When it comes to thoughtfulness in this country I have seen the entire spectrum. I have seen people tripping over people to get out of a bus because no one would move.  I have seen a bus in such a hurry to make money that it drove away while an old woman was trying to get inside making her fall violently to the ground. However, I have also seen amazing things. For example one time a bus missed a stop where a man with no legs was supposed to get out. It was night time and they wanted to drop him a km or so from his stop. 2-3 women on the bus refused to let him be treated that way. They forced the bus to turn around and drop him off close to his house. This made the whole bus even more late, but it was amazing behavior to see from Mozambicans who normally ignore or belittle the disabled.  Another time I was on a bus with my friend Teagan who was visiting from America. A drunk man tried to talk to us very rudely and we ignored him so he started talking to the whole bus in citswa and calling us mulungus (foreigners- this can be said in a good or bad way.) All I had to say in Portuguese was “I have a name and it is not mulungu” and the whole bus was on our side. They started telling the guy off and apologizing. At first when they thought we didn’t understand, they let him do his thing and once they knew we understood him, they automatically wanted to stick up for us. On the same bus five minutes later, the bus driver proposed to me. Epah!!!

The sense of community is so different here. If I need a babysitter, I automatically have 5. If I need rice, I can look any direction. If I want to chat, any stoop is open. One time I borrowed two eggs from my neighbor and like a good American, I replaced them a few days later. My neighbor looked aghast. “What are you doing?!” she said. “I am returning your eggs," I said with a surprised and naive face. “Hahaha! Cheyanne, do not give me those, you silly girl! In Moz if I loan you something, I don’t want it back because I know if I ever need anything you will be there to help.” I love this philosophy, when it is not abused (which it often is with foreigners as they get asked for things a lot- mostly because they have a lot more things).  Of course not all neighbors are as wonderful. We have a devil child next door that opens our water valve to destroy our electronics, opens the window to let the cat escape, feeds the other children nail polish remover and turns on the stove when no one is home. Now don’t you dare think “oh Cheyanne she is just a child!” She knows exactly what she is doing!!!! She has no discipline and makes me crazy! Anyway…

I am constantly surprised by the behavior of Mozambicans. Lately there have been more good than bad surprises, but they all add to the character of the country and the people.

I leave this wonderful country the first week of December and although I need to go home and I am looking forward to many wonderful things in america like my cuddly cat, my mom, and chipotle. I am not ready to leave here. It feels great and horrible to be split in two wonderful ways at the same time.

The hardships of having a pet in Moz.

I decided when I got to Moz that I wanted to get a cat. I love the company. I love having something to come home to. I love sharing my home and my bed with a little fluffy cuddling kitten. My roommate when I first got to Moz was allergic and so I suffered through a whole year in a cat-less house. Last December I received a new roommate who wanted to get a cat as well! Yay! We chose an adorable white and orange male cat (we don’t want no kittens!!). 

From the beginning he was sweet, but very loud! I have never had such an obnoxiously loud cat! He slept with me every night. And I don’t mean cuddled by my feet or on the blanket. I mean he slept on my face. Like really, right there on top. Sometimes I felt like I was wearing a kitten scarf! He loved to be as close as physically possible. Well a few weeks ago (when he was barely 6-7 months old) he started to get sick. He had diarrhea multiple times every day and couldn’t control it. Then he kept getting sicker and stopped eating. He wouldn’t even eat his favorite food- chicken!! After a week of trying everything we could think of we took him to the local ‘veterinarian.’ The guy injected the cat with some medicine that we later learned is made for cows and goats. That day the cat got sicker and sicker until he couldn’t even move. He died that night. Now, I don’t know how well you people reading this know me, but this was an overly traumatic experience for me. I tend to care more about animals than people! I was more attached to this cat than anyone in Mozambique. Plus watching the cat die in front of me brought up a lot of crap from watching my father do the exact same thing. Anyway, this whole experience made me feel so helpless. Here in Mozambique animals are only around to make life easier. For example- dogs protect houses, cats eat rats, and chickens, ducks, goats, and cows are food for us. They don’t have pets. They thought that the “americanas” were crazy for the way we treated our cat. “What you sleep with your cat!” The idea is too crazy for them to believe. Because of this it is almost impossible to help a sick animal. However this logic makes perfect sense. Mozambique needs to work on caring for its people before worrying about its animals. Even knowing this it was miserable to watch the cat suffer and not be able to do anything!!! And the so-called veterinarian ended up killing the cat and not healing it! (Granted it may have died anyway and the medicine just speeded up the process.)

Here is an excerpt from that day:

Last night my cat died. My baby little precious cute annoying cuddly gatinho. I was sooooo attached to this cat. He slept on my face (like really!!!) every night and I had finally adapted to my allergy of him. He cuddled like no cat I have ever had. He was my baby. His name was tmanga (peanut in the local language) and he was orange and white with green eyes.

He was adorable. He followed me around and he was scared of everything. He would jump from the toilet to my shoulders to get attention in the morning. He would meow outside my door if I locked him out. He would catch lizards and play with them. He only ate sardines and was soooo spoiled. He was the first thing I looked for when I came home and the last thing I said goodbye to when I left. Sometimes I would go into his room just to kiss him on the top of his head while he was sleeping. He loved it. He was so sweet. Don’t get me wrong people I love Zadie all there is but I had a special alone in Africa bond with tanga. Also all you people out there saying, “damn cat woman!” you can shut your judgmental mouths. I happen to love animals more than people. Like I would grab my cat out of a burning building first! 

“Sometimes you are just tired of fish”- Men in Moz

I constantly get asked if I am going to marry a Mozambican and stay here in Mozambique for the rest of my life. People act surprised when I say that I do not want to get married until I meet the right guy. They say “you don’t like black men?” as if I have offended them by saying I want love in my marriage. You see here in Mozambique women get married and start having babies as soon as they can. It is normal and part of the culture. If a woman is 25 and has no man and no children, everyone assumes there is something wrong with her. I go around trying to fend off people who want to marry me or find someone for me to marry. Honestly, I would have no problem whatsoever marrying a Mozambican. However, that will NEVER happen!!!

Once you live here for a while, you start to understand the culture, well enough to want to avoid it. Now be careful, I am not at all saying the culture here is wrong, opposite in fact. It is very right, but it is right for Mozambique right now. It might change and it might not. In Mozambique, as well as many other African countries, it is normal for a man to have a few women or a few wives ( I think the King of Swaziland has something like 30 wives!). Anyway in the past men openly had many wives and provided and supported them. Nowadays it is not as common, but still happens. What is more common these days is for men to have two women or wives, without them knowing about each other. One of my Mozambican girl friends told me that if your man isn’t with you, then you need to assume that he is with someone else. Women generally accept this. They are not ok with it, but they accept it. They accept it because they have no choice. Divorce is unheard of here. It is possible, but a divorced woman is shunned. She is no longer worth anything and will most likely never find another man. Women would rather save their reputation and stay with a cheating husband than deal with the repercussions of leaving him. Trust is only as deep as knowing the truth of the culture. Now since I know this, I also know I can never trust a Mozambican man. I come from a culture where monogamy is key and trust is a must. I hate jealousy and I would hate to be constantly wondering where my man is! Now don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of men who don’t do this, but I am not willing to find out who.

I was having a conversation with my colleagues last night about just this thing. Now these two men are happily married with children. They are good men. But that doesn’t mean anything here. They said, “Cheyanne, sometimes you just get tired of fish and you want some chicken.” I am assuming you get the analogy there. They admit plainly to me that they are sometimes unfaithful and they try to tell me that it helps their relationship with their wife- keeps them interested. Now who am I to say what is wrong or right? I just know that this is not right for me. I, of course, countered their argument with the fact that we too get tired of fish. So if they can go get some chicken, why can’t we? They were appalled by this idea. hahaha. Such a double standard!!!! We are definitely not allowed to do that or they will leave us at the drop of a hat. Hahaha. I said fuck that, I can do anything you can do better!! And this demonstrates one of my daily cultural exchanges  here in Moz! Always surprising them with my frankness!

A rainy beach adventure-

So last month we decided to celebrate the engagement of some fellow PCVs at a beach in the province of Gaza in a town called Xai-Xai (conveniently pronounced like my nickname- shy-shy and it has the only KFC around). We showed up on Friday at the resort thing and got the news that there would also be a wedding taking place at the same time. We needed to fit all of us into one two bedroom house. This wasn’t a huge problem because PCVs are usually equipped with tents and camping gear. The first night there were only 9 of us. We shared the beds and the floor and one person camped outside on the deck. Now to set the scene- we traveled over five hours to get to this beach and when we arrived it was gloomy and windy. The ocean was too dangerous to swim in and there was no sun anywhere to tan our white asses so we ended up inside hiding from the hair-wrecking gusts of wind. We chatted and played some games. We went to bed with what sounded like a hurricane right outside. The tents were useless and everyone ended up sleeping in a puddle on the floor. The leaks all over the house made it seem as if we were actually outside in the storm. The next day we powered through the ominous clouds and shitty weather and decided to stay. As the other PCVs arrived so did the wedding party. They tried to set up the speakers directly under our house (which was on stilts by the way) and they struggled for hours with the giant tent as the wind was making it almost impossible to do anything. This gave us plenty of entertainment. That afternoon the water in the whole place stopped working. So now we had 20 volunteers in a small to bedroom house with no water. This means no showers, no flushing, and no cleaning. Just imagine that for a second!!! We didn’t seem to mind because we were all practicing for Beer Olympics by playing a variety of games. After hours of good, not so clean fun everyone got dressed up and crashed the wedding! We set up all the tents inside so we were protected from the wind and the leaks! It was pretty hilarious to see 4-5 tents set up inside of the house! Needless to say I was pretty happy to leave the next day so I could eat, get clean, and sleep in a dry bed! Next time I am going to check the weather and the lodging before headin’ to the beach!

Team Hannah- Go girls!

Thats right cheetos in Moz!! Kinda

Karina and I

A good ole game of biscuit whistle (try to whistle after eating crackers)

Flip cup championship!