MozamWeek

I put my oven thermometer in the car window to see if I can bake a cake. I guess not. At least I don't have a recipe for a cake you bake at 200F/95C. Pretty impressive temperature though. Maybe if the windows weren't tinted? Anyway, I'm glad I don't have to sit on the dash to drive! Have a happy day wherever you are.

About a year ago I posted a list of rising prices for Tete. Sine then, the dollar has risen and fallen and so have prices. We have more shops carrying more items than ever before. We have more cars driving on the same streets and parking is a problem for everyone. Here is the most recent estimate of what's available and how much we pay. I've changed my favorite shop... my new go-to guy is in an unnamed shop on the top street. The cash register print-out says, "Hassan" but we all call this "the blue-eyed man's shop." Everyone knows what we mean - there aren't many blue eyes in Tete! I must give credit to VIP Supermarket for changing the way we do business. Though the prices are higher on many items and parking is usually difficult, some things you can only count on buying at VIP. What we DO like about VIP is that it stays open over lunch and has beef that doesn't taste like blood! Variety is amazing. You can pay with a bank card. You walk the is...

After my past few months of activity, I'm finally getting back into the real work of linguistics and literacy in Tete! In July I headed off to Botswana for a conference where I presented a little paper. Once back, it was regroup time and then off to Nampula for our conference. Back from a month away, September was school for the kids and painting projects to finalize our renovation that dragged on for a year! Last week I had another little trip for another meeting, and came home to kids on "spring break" this week! So, as I'm finishing the clean-up from that painting job and swapping everyone's rooms, I've dug into old photos and stacks of papers awaiting attention. They'd been moved to the living room during the paint job and I refused to bring them back into the bedroom without sorting and filing. I'm getting to the end of that process and I can now see the floor in the living room! Today is the day for data entry. I got Katie to help sort all th...

There was a surprise rain shower here last night. It is a surprise because it is the beginning of October. For the past 12 years we get rain at the end of the month. Last year was different... and this your is different... so maybe the other 10 years were just phase and this is what weather is supposed to be like! John and Jakob asked to play in the rain. They have happy memories of running around and splashing in puddles (and possibly rolling in the mud, which I frown upon). Since I know they don't place much importance on staying clean, I took precautions: wear the least clothes possible, put a rag on the floor by the kitchen door, and make sure they know that they have to clean up any mess they make. They decided to be bad and play in the dirt. I didn't notice since I was hiding in my room enjoying a peaceful day of "ferriado" (public holiday) in Mozambique. No maids. No school runs. No people knocking on the gate. Lovely. I finished reading David Ker's me...