Seattle to Mozambique

I have realized that part of why I haven’t updated my blog in so long is that, given I have been here almost a year, things don’t seem new or odd anymore. And really, who wants to hear about someone’s normal day or normal weekend. But upon reflection I do have interesting things to say. Like about animal parts. It’s funny here how you have to order specific animal parts from people who are going to specific locations. For example, I love beef liver. I really really do. But you just can’t get beef liver at your local market. Here is how you get beef liver in Beira, Moz. You ask around and find out who is going to the riverside town of Buzi where they have lots of cows. Then you talk to a bunch of other people and figure out what parts of the cow they want. When you have organized just about a whole cow than you give that list to the person going to Buzi and wait for your part when they get back. Your part is often under the head with its tongue rolling around. And, though I do like beef tongue, I have not yet brought myself to order it because it comes with the whole head and I really have no clue as to what to do with the other head parts and they certainly won’t fit in my freezer until I figure it out.

I’ve noticed too how city houses are always made out of concrete bricks and rural houses are always made out of mud. You can begin to tell when you are arriving in a town when you begin to see brick houses dotting the landscape between mud ones. I was trying to think about what a parallel in the states would be. It seems that rural and urban houses are made just about the same. Then I thought about condos. I think condos and apartment complexes are our cement brick houses. Once they begin you know you are getting close to a supermarket.

We just passed over the river Pungue and passed all of the straw houses that line its banks. The houses are straw because it is not worth making ones out of mud in the floodzone of the river. They are quick and easy to build and rebuild and allow people to live close to the river to catch and sell fish. In fact the bridge over the river Pungue is lined with mostly kids who brave death and hold out wriggling fish and gigantic fresh water shrimp to the passing cars/trucks and bycicles. I haven’t yet stopped to get any gigantic shrimp but I think it is just about time for me to try and cook some…head and all unlike the aforementioned cow.

It was my birthday the other day. I tried desperately not to work but it seemed like the harder I tried to escape the more urgent phone calls I received, then the next day I tried to escape again…no luck. Finally the next day after that I had to travel to Chimoio in the afternoon. Fine, I thought, I will sleep in and lazily make my way to the office to leave for Chimoio. Unfortunately the sleeping in part lasted only ½ hour because at 7:30 in the morning Antonio, my Chimoio bound driver, woke me up and expected me to get in the car. Given that I was half naked and had no clothes packed I respectfully declined his offer. Ahhh. I had to run around and pack my bag, run into work and finish some urgent business and then 4 hours in the car and then more work when I hit the Chimoio office. All in all my attempts to have a relaxing birthday completely failed me but I still think 32 will be a really good year!!!

I’ve realized something about this blog. I only want to write in it when I’m happy. It is completely opposite of my sad attempts to write a diary. I keep trying but really only write in it when I’m horribly upset or depressed and who wants to keep a record of that. But thinking about it now, I’ve been more prolific with this blog than I ever was with a diary. I guess that means that I’m mostly happy. What a lovely revelation. I think I’ll put that in my diary “I’m mostly happy” and leave it at that. It won’t be much of a interesting read for my kids or someone who stumbles upon it but it will be accurate.

I have internet in my house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want to shout it out. Yipee yahoo. It has been 10 months since I got off the plane and brought my wireless router. Now it is being used. That means I can skype and chat and email and download and surf all from the snuggly comfort of my cute little home tucked above the video store and down the street from a smelly bakery. Home home, there is nothing like it. Even with the rats and the cockroaches and neighbors who steal my water.

I love bats. I finally found out what type of tree the bats here love. It is very cool. You stand under or beside the tree and can feel the whoosh of bats around you. They never touch you…cuz they’ve got bat sense! There is only one problem…big gigantic scary looking spiders live in these trees too. I’m clueless as to why the bats haven’t eaten them all up but I’m almost entirely certain that they will touch me given the chance and then I would have to run and scream and be all girly…I hate that.