Hi everyone!
I made it to mozambique, after my two days of flying and lots of sleeping we all arrived into Maputo in the afternoon on Monday. After having a customs official try to confiscate some presents (he didn't succeed) I hopped in the mission van (the humanitarian missionaries came to pick us up) and went to our apartment.
The girls apartment is nice. We have hot water, a nice kitchen, living room, dining room, and a varanda to wash and hang our clothes to dry. Everything is good except for the roaches in the kitchen and the fact that we lost our water today...hopefully it won't be off too long!
Jardim, the area where we are living is really different than Machava, where we lived last year. There is a market close by, where we go to buy fruits and veggies, a little mercantile store (complete with the tall shelves, ladders, and store clerks that get everything for you. Very old fashioned!), and a few other stores on the main road. I like where we are living, it is the perfect place to catch a ride into town or out to the NGO we are working for.
Speaking of ADPP we went back yesterday and it was fun to see my students, my friends I made last year, and see the campus again. I will be teaching at a different school with Kailey this time, it is the Polytechnic School, so I don't know what they will have me teaching, but I would love to do anything really!
Tomorrow is a national holiday, so we will probably go as a group somewhere fun. It is weird being here and having to make decisions and whatnot....that sooo was not my role in the group last year, but I'm glad that my job let me come back and I am looking forward to the next two months here. No pictures yet, I don't want to be too shutter happy...maybe tomorrow we will do something picture-worthy. I hope everything is going well for those in the US. Don't forget to leave a comment and say hi, I'd love to hear from you!
p.s. sorry if there are spelling mistakes, the spellcheck isn't working and I don't have time to proofread!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
So Soon (12 Days)
This year has been one difficulty after another with getting the program to Mozambique.
First we have no housing.
Then we find a house and a tent for us to use for two months.
Then we have no letter of invitation (read:no entry into Mozambique)
Then we get a letter of invitation and subsequently our passports back.
Then one of the visas is wrong, so we send it back to be fixed.
Now we are waiting for that passport, and we need to find lodging for five more people while they are in Maputo.
But there have been fun things too:
I will get to see my friends and students when I get back to Maputo.
I will go on Safari again and see beautiful animals in South Africa.
I will visit Inhaca Island for the first time. (It looks like Bora Bora)
I get to stop in London for 3 days on the way back.
I get to see Wicked in London's West end.
There are most certainly highs and low's with the trip this year. We leave in 12 days and I feel like I still have a lot to do. Travelers insurance, tuition payments, finish buying things, and so forth. I feel a bit overwhelmed with everything that I need to do, but I know I will finish it all! Overall we are an excited group and I feel good about everyone that is going. Maybe if I have time later I can blog a bit about some more of this stuff in detail.
First we have no housing.
Then we find a house and a tent for us to use for two months.
Then we have no letter of invitation (read:no entry into Mozambique)
Then we get a letter of invitation and subsequently our passports back.
Then one of the visas is wrong, so we send it back to be fixed.
Now we are waiting for that passport, and we need to find lodging for five more people while they are in Maputo.
But there have been fun things too:
I will get to see my friends and students when I get back to Maputo.
I will go on Safari again and see beautiful animals in South Africa.
I will visit Inhaca Island for the first time. (It looks like Bora Bora)
I get to stop in London for 3 days on the way back.
I get to see Wicked in London's West end.
There are most certainly highs and low's with the trip this year. We leave in 12 days and I feel like I still have a lot to do. Travelers insurance, tuition payments, finish buying things, and so forth. I feel a bit overwhelmed with everything that I need to do, but I know I will finish it all! Overall we are an excited group and I feel good about everyone that is going. Maybe if I have time later I can blog a bit about some more of this stuff in detail.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Love these videos!
I stumbled across these videos that were filmed in 2006 about Mozambique, she is specifically in Maputo and the outer regions of the capital as well. They are really interesting and very true to reality. She didn't just find the poor areas, almost all areas of Maputo look like what is going on in the videos. But, I love the kindness, fun, politeness, and positive outlook that comes across from both the Mozambicans and Regina Case. This is the place I came to know and love last year. Enjoy!
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
It might tell you that your computer doesn't support the file but just click "continue mesmo assim" or something like that and it should work. It works for sure in Explorer :)
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
It might tell you that your computer doesn't support the file but just click "continue mesmo assim" or something like that and it should work. It works for sure in Explorer :)
Friday, January 30, 2009
Travel Itenerary
Let me tell you a few things about buying a plane ticket to Africa.
First, they are expensive. We're taking $900 in taxes alone expensive.
Second, it helps if you are going over to do humanitarian aid, like me. Then the people at British Airways say, "hey, thanks for being all giving and such" and give you a big discount on your ticket. And make it possible to stay over in London for no extra charge for 3 days on the way back to the states. Then the people from South African Air also say, "yeah, thanks for helping out, we'll book you some $70 tickets to Mozambique that usually cost $300." It's nice to get a little help on the ticket situation, but even if I didn't get the discount, I'd still be going anyway.
So it's official. I will be in the air starting at 1:40 pm on the 25th of April, and won't touch down in balmy humid Mozambique until 3pm on the 27th of April. Yes, that is two days of straight up airplane food, in-flight movies, layovers, weird neck pillows filled with goodness knows what, covering your ears after you flush the vacuum-powered toilet (yes, I cover my ears okay. It's loud, and scary.) swollen feet, and gross alligator skin from the dry plane cabin.
And you know what? I love every minute of it. I love traveling, getting to a new place and stopping along the way. I also love Africa, Mozambique, and the Indian Ocean, and if it takes over 25,000 miles, 60 hours of flying, 8 separate flights, and 4 days round trip I'll be the first in line to get there. Why? Because I miss my friends there, I miss my little 5th graders, I miss my primary kids, and I miss the sunsets of Mozambique.
April 25th won't be here soon enough.
First, they are expensive. We're taking $900 in taxes alone expensive.
Second, it helps if you are going over to do humanitarian aid, like me. Then the people at British Airways say, "hey, thanks for being all giving and such" and give you a big discount on your ticket. And make it possible to stay over in London for no extra charge for 3 days on the way back to the states. Then the people from South African Air also say, "yeah, thanks for helping out, we'll book you some $70 tickets to Mozambique that usually cost $300." It's nice to get a little help on the ticket situation, but even if I didn't get the discount, I'd still be going anyway.
So it's official. I will be in the air starting at 1:40 pm on the 25th of April, and won't touch down in balmy humid Mozambique until 3pm on the 27th of April. Yes, that is two days of straight up airplane food, in-flight movies, layovers, weird neck pillows filled with goodness knows what, covering your ears after you flush the vacuum-powered toilet (yes, I cover my ears okay. It's loud, and scary.) swollen feet, and gross alligator skin from the dry plane cabin.
And you know what? I love every minute of it. I love traveling, getting to a new place and stopping along the way. I also love Africa, Mozambique, and the Indian Ocean, and if it takes over 25,000 miles, 60 hours of flying, 8 separate flights, and 4 days round trip I'll be the first in line to get there. Why? Because I miss my friends there, I miss my little 5th graders, I miss my primary kids, and I miss the sunsets of Mozambique.
April 25th won't be here soon enough.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Honestly
I never thought I would post on this blog ever again. Not because I hate this blog, or because I hate Africa, or Rain, or the Rains down in Africa. I love all three of those things actually. I didn't think I would be clicking away at a new post at this site...
Because I never thought I would be back in Africa, hence no reason to blog on here. Well, I have been thinking about Mozambique and the time I spent there for months on and off, and came to the decision over break that I needed to go back. The hard part was I had no way or getting there. My scholarship for school only covers my main semesters, and I already took the classes that are offered in Mozambique. It didn't make sense to go back.
Well, today is my third day back at school. I went to my first class this morning which is taught by the professor that runs the program. He and I stepped outside a few minutes before the bell and he proceeded to tell me that he had been speaking to my boss at the Kennedy Center, you know my Italy and Mozambique boss, and they both decided that they wanted me on the trip this spring to Mozambique. So much in fact that they agreed to rustle up some funds for me to go for free. Tuition is paid, food, lodging in mozambique, safari, hotel while traveling, everything. I just have to buy the plane ticket. And I'll still be getting paid while I'm there.
How can you say no to two months in Africa, giving service alongside amazing people?
You can't, and I didn't.
So long story short, I already have classes taken care of that will prep me for my Brazil experience coming this July and count towards my graduation, and I will be flying off to Africa once more just four months from now. I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to go once again, and even more so to have it financially taken care of. I guess my the little voice whispering consistently these past few months was indeed right, I need to go back. Why? I don't have that answer, but that's okay. We seldom get all the pieces to the puzzle at once. So if you notice my other blog is looking abandoned, unloved, forgotten, or any other tragic adjetive you can think of at the end of April come look for me here!
Because I never thought I would be back in Africa, hence no reason to blog on here. Well, I have been thinking about Mozambique and the time I spent there for months on and off, and came to the decision over break that I needed to go back. The hard part was I had no way or getting there. My scholarship for school only covers my main semesters, and I already took the classes that are offered in Mozambique. It didn't make sense to go back.
Well, today is my third day back at school. I went to my first class this morning which is taught by the professor that runs the program. He and I stepped outside a few minutes before the bell and he proceeded to tell me that he had been speaking to my boss at the Kennedy Center, you know my Italy and Mozambique boss, and they both decided that they wanted me on the trip this spring to Mozambique. So much in fact that they agreed to rustle up some funds for me to go for free. Tuition is paid, food, lodging in mozambique, safari, hotel while traveling, everything. I just have to buy the plane ticket. And I'll still be getting paid while I'm there.
How can you say no to two months in Africa, giving service alongside amazing people?
You can't, and I didn't.
So long story short, I already have classes taken care of that will prep me for my Brazil experience coming this July and count towards my graduation, and I will be flying off to Africa once more just four months from now. I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to go once again, and even more so to have it financially taken care of. I guess my the little voice whispering consistently these past few months was indeed right, I need to go back. Why? I don't have that answer, but that's okay. We seldom get all the pieces to the puzzle at once. So if you notice my other blog is looking abandoned, unloved, forgotten, or any other tragic adjetive you can think of at the end of April come look for me here!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Last week Here...
This is my last week, well really it's less than that, because I leave here on Thursday to go back to the US. The internet has been down at the place that we live so here is a recap of last week's activities sans fotos, sorry folks!
Last monday-We left EARLY to get on our greyhound bus going to Johannesburg, South Africa. I once again was saved during the trip by my wonderous iPod. We got through Mozambican customs okay and also through South African customs just fine. On the South African side there were lots of Mozambican refugees who were trying to flee South Africa. For those who dont know, the people of South Africa (not all, but some groups) have been killing, beating up, raping, and robbing immigrants in South Africa trying to get them to leave. So we saw VW vans full of beds, clothes, food, matresses, dressers etc. and the people trying to get back into Mozambique. It was so sad to see, and it made me so sad for the mozambicans who are just trying to find a better life in SA.
Well, that same day we stopped in Neslpruit, SA and got two rental vans, also known as the "space ships" due to their sweet aerodynamics. Then we drove to Swaziland, which is a kingdom still and their king gets a new wife every year he is on the throne, he has six so far. We got to our hotel and it was amazing! It was so nice to have a hot shower after 2 months of cold ones, ahh...
Tuesday- We checked out of that hotel, went to an old cultural vilage where we got a tour, tasted traditional food, watched traditional dances, and then hiked to a beautiful waterfall and lagoon where we all jumped in. It was freezing!!!! Really, it was, it took my breath away! Then we got out and went back to the cars, changed, and went to a candle factory called Swazi Candles, they made some sweet stuff there, I just had to buy some :) Then it was off to a 1/4 mile of artesan crafts, and I bought some souveneirs for people and for me, and then we checked into our second hotel in Swaziland and ate a big dinner. It was a good day.
Wednesday- We left Swaziland early in the morning, went back through customs out of swazi and back into South Africa so we could go to Kruger National Park in SA. We got there around noon, had lunch and then drove through the gates into the park. That was amazing, it is your car, and the animals, no cages nothing. We saw crocodiles, a giraffe crossed the road right in front of our car, we had to wait for a family of baboons to cross the road, it was so amazing. It took two hours to get to our camp, which is located in the middle of the park and surrounded by electric fences to keep you safe. They close the gates at 5:30 pm sharp and if your not in the camp area, you have to sleep out side the gates in your car. We made it in seriously at 5:25....cutting it close huh?!
Thursday- 4 am, get up put on like 3 layers of clothes, hop in a huge safari truck and go! That was my morning. It was cold, soooo cold, but sooo worth it. We had two lions literally like 10 feet away from us, it was amazing. And soon after I spotted a leopard in the bushes, it was so close to us too. These animals are so amazing when you see them in the wild, it was an experince of a lifetime! We also saw hippos, giraffes, monkies, and LOTS of birds. I loved it. Then we went out on safari again in the evening and saw a family of elephants eating. The mom didn't like us being there too much so she started to charge the safari truck where I was sitting. I freaked and the only thing that came out of my mouth was "vixe maria" haha...we drove off before she really did anything. Then we got home and went to dinner at an old train station and I had some Ostrich meat, and some of a native dish that has a name that is like 20 letters long and way beyond my ability to pronounce. Then we walked back to the tents we were camping in (tents with cement floors, fans, real beds, and a refrigerator....not really a tent in my opinion) and found a hyena behind ours. The only thing that separated us from him was the fence, not soon after the guys came to tell us there were also elephants near by too. It was so cool, I found it interesting that the roles were switched here, we were the ones fenced in, and they were the ones on the outside. Crazy huh!
Friday-We ate breakfast and then headed out of the park, once again we saw lots of animals, Antelope, Waterbucks, Vultures, Zeebras, Impalas, Hippos, etc. We drove back to the bus staion hopped on our bus, and then drove back to Mozambique. Customs was not a problem and I felt happy to be home again in Maputo, funny how I can call it home....it feels like it now even though it hasn't been a long time for me. We were all dead tired, but glad to have had the oppertunitity to see these other countries and see all those amazing animals and get out in nature for a bit!
Saturday- That was SO much fun. We held a district activity for the young adults here in Maputo. Lana, Paul, Brandon, and I sang "come thou fount" in a quartet, it was so nice to sing for them, they really liked it. Then we each read our favorite mozambican poem, and two of us spoke on setting goals. After that I taught line dancing to everyone, it was about 100 people, and they loved it! Then they taught us a traditional dance the "marbenta" which is a dance to atract your lover....hahahaha, great dance to be teaching at a church activity, right? It wasn't too bad and it was fun! Then we went to the mall down town to have dinner at a resurant there to end our program. It was a long day with a lot of yelling instrucitons and eight-counts, but it was so nice to get out there and serve the church members.
Sunday-I went with Jessica and Sam to T3, where I've been helping suzie, one of my friends from here who is the primary president, teach. Last week I taught Lehi's dream to the 8-10 year olds and "nephi's courage" the primary song, it was so fun. This one girl in particular latched onto me, her name is Isaura. She is 10, and she and her brother are orphans who live with relatives nearby. She is really poor and quiet, and Suize told me that she started coming one day a few years back and has come every week since then. The people she lives with are muslim or something similiar, and so she isn't allowed to go to church, but she tells them she is out walking around or playing and then walks with her little brother Jose to church. She can't read so I help her with the hymns and scriptures during class, and every week she takes my hand and sits with me at church the whole time. This was my last week and she asked me to take her home with me, she said she wanted to come live with me in the US at my house. It almost broke my heart, she said "please, just take me with you, take care of me there in the US". I had to say no, but I am so worried about the future that awaits her and her little brother.
Monday-I left with the other BYU kids early today to come out to One World University again, we are staying the night here and we taught english all day. The people here are motivated and want to learn it is so nice! I also had an AWESOME discussion with the director of the univeristy on the ride out here about the church and gave him a book of mormon. He had good insights, questions, and at the end of it he promised he would read it. He is a good man and I had talked to him previously about church, the bible, etc. and I know he would make a wonderful member of the church. I was so glad to have an hour and a half ride to talk to him about our beliefs, and to have been given such a wonderful missionary oppertunity. Tonight we are doing a fireside here and I will be teaching line dancing again and singing in the quartet...fun fun!
Tomorrow we teach again here at the university and then go back to Maputo, to take finals. Wednesday we are tying up loose ends in the city and buying last minute things, and then thursday Afternoon I start my long trip back to Provo. 4 pm I leave maputo, then I go to Johannesburg, SA then London, then Dallas/Ft. Worth then SLC finally.... phew, this is long. If you made it through congrats, I'll bake you a cookie when I get home :)
Last monday-We left EARLY to get on our greyhound bus going to Johannesburg, South Africa. I once again was saved during the trip by my wonderous iPod. We got through Mozambican customs okay and also through South African customs just fine. On the South African side there were lots of Mozambican refugees who were trying to flee South Africa. For those who dont know, the people of South Africa (not all, but some groups) have been killing, beating up, raping, and robbing immigrants in South Africa trying to get them to leave. So we saw VW vans full of beds, clothes, food, matresses, dressers etc. and the people trying to get back into Mozambique. It was so sad to see, and it made me so sad for the mozambicans who are just trying to find a better life in SA.
Well, that same day we stopped in Neslpruit, SA and got two rental vans, also known as the "space ships" due to their sweet aerodynamics. Then we drove to Swaziland, which is a kingdom still and their king gets a new wife every year he is on the throne, he has six so far. We got to our hotel and it was amazing! It was so nice to have a hot shower after 2 months of cold ones, ahh...
Tuesday- We checked out of that hotel, went to an old cultural vilage where we got a tour, tasted traditional food, watched traditional dances, and then hiked to a beautiful waterfall and lagoon where we all jumped in. It was freezing!!!! Really, it was, it took my breath away! Then we got out and went back to the cars, changed, and went to a candle factory called Swazi Candles, they made some sweet stuff there, I just had to buy some :) Then it was off to a 1/4 mile of artesan crafts, and I bought some souveneirs for people and for me, and then we checked into our second hotel in Swaziland and ate a big dinner. It was a good day.
Wednesday- We left Swaziland early in the morning, went back through customs out of swazi and back into South Africa so we could go to Kruger National Park in SA. We got there around noon, had lunch and then drove through the gates into the park. That was amazing, it is your car, and the animals, no cages nothing. We saw crocodiles, a giraffe crossed the road right in front of our car, we had to wait for a family of baboons to cross the road, it was so amazing. It took two hours to get to our camp, which is located in the middle of the park and surrounded by electric fences to keep you safe. They close the gates at 5:30 pm sharp and if your not in the camp area, you have to sleep out side the gates in your car. We made it in seriously at 5:25....cutting it close huh?!
Thursday- 4 am, get up put on like 3 layers of clothes, hop in a huge safari truck and go! That was my morning. It was cold, soooo cold, but sooo worth it. We had two lions literally like 10 feet away from us, it was amazing. And soon after I spotted a leopard in the bushes, it was so close to us too. These animals are so amazing when you see them in the wild, it was an experince of a lifetime! We also saw hippos, giraffes, monkies, and LOTS of birds. I loved it. Then we went out on safari again in the evening and saw a family of elephants eating. The mom didn't like us being there too much so she started to charge the safari truck where I was sitting. I freaked and the only thing that came out of my mouth was "vixe maria" haha...we drove off before she really did anything. Then we got home and went to dinner at an old train station and I had some Ostrich meat, and some of a native dish that has a name that is like 20 letters long and way beyond my ability to pronounce. Then we walked back to the tents we were camping in (tents with cement floors, fans, real beds, and a refrigerator....not really a tent in my opinion) and found a hyena behind ours. The only thing that separated us from him was the fence, not soon after the guys came to tell us there were also elephants near by too. It was so cool, I found it interesting that the roles were switched here, we were the ones fenced in, and they were the ones on the outside. Crazy huh!
Friday-We ate breakfast and then headed out of the park, once again we saw lots of animals, Antelope, Waterbucks, Vultures, Zeebras, Impalas, Hippos, etc. We drove back to the bus staion hopped on our bus, and then drove back to Mozambique. Customs was not a problem and I felt happy to be home again in Maputo, funny how I can call it home....it feels like it now even though it hasn't been a long time for me. We were all dead tired, but glad to have had the oppertunitity to see these other countries and see all those amazing animals and get out in nature for a bit!
Saturday- That was SO much fun. We held a district activity for the young adults here in Maputo. Lana, Paul, Brandon, and I sang "come thou fount" in a quartet, it was so nice to sing for them, they really liked it. Then we each read our favorite mozambican poem, and two of us spoke on setting goals. After that I taught line dancing to everyone, it was about 100 people, and they loved it! Then they taught us a traditional dance the "marbenta" which is a dance to atract your lover....hahahaha, great dance to be teaching at a church activity, right? It wasn't too bad and it was fun! Then we went to the mall down town to have dinner at a resurant there to end our program. It was a long day with a lot of yelling instrucitons and eight-counts, but it was so nice to get out there and serve the church members.
Sunday-I went with Jessica and Sam to T3, where I've been helping suzie, one of my friends from here who is the primary president, teach. Last week I taught Lehi's dream to the 8-10 year olds and "nephi's courage" the primary song, it was so fun. This one girl in particular latched onto me, her name is Isaura. She is 10, and she and her brother are orphans who live with relatives nearby. She is really poor and quiet, and Suize told me that she started coming one day a few years back and has come every week since then. The people she lives with are muslim or something similiar, and so she isn't allowed to go to church, but she tells them she is out walking around or playing and then walks with her little brother Jose to church. She can't read so I help her with the hymns and scriptures during class, and every week she takes my hand and sits with me at church the whole time. This was my last week and she asked me to take her home with me, she said she wanted to come live with me in the US at my house. It almost broke my heart, she said "please, just take me with you, take care of me there in the US". I had to say no, but I am so worried about the future that awaits her and her little brother.
Monday-I left with the other BYU kids early today to come out to One World University again, we are staying the night here and we taught english all day. The people here are motivated and want to learn it is so nice! I also had an AWESOME discussion with the director of the univeristy on the ride out here about the church and gave him a book of mormon. He had good insights, questions, and at the end of it he promised he would read it. He is a good man and I had talked to him previously about church, the bible, etc. and I know he would make a wonderful member of the church. I was so glad to have an hour and a half ride to talk to him about our beliefs, and to have been given such a wonderful missionary oppertunity. Tonight we are doing a fireside here and I will be teaching line dancing again and singing in the quartet...fun fun!
Tomorrow we teach again here at the university and then go back to Maputo, to take finals. Wednesday we are tying up loose ends in the city and buying last minute things, and then thursday Afternoon I start my long trip back to Provo. 4 pm I leave maputo, then I go to Johannesburg, SA then London, then Dallas/Ft. Worth then SLC finally.... phew, this is long. If you made it through congrats, I'll bake you a cookie when I get home :)
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Some more pics!
The good looking "Team America" as we Like to call ourselves, standing in the hut where Eduardo Mondlane, the founder of the political party that brought Mozambican independence was born. It was a humbling experince to be there.
Me and my "new best friend" as she called me last week at the orphanage. She was amazingly cute, and she lives with family members now because her parents passed away from AIDS, which is a common story here, sad but true.
The girls we teach from the 5th grade class each Friday, They are soo adorable!
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