MozamWeek

Yesterday we passed a guy selling pineapples... the kind from Zambezia, not from Manica. I know because I have lived here a long time. I have weekly reminders of the accumulation of years of knowledge of this place. It kind of feels good to recognize how much I've grown even if the areas of growth are somewhat trivial... at least, on the surface! January marks the abundance of mangoes... greens abound, but lettuce is too wet and so are tomatoes (seems to be many with black spots right now.) Last week I bought avocados that seemed pretty local (bigger, kind of beat up and flavorful, instead of perfect and shiny and tasteless!) Avocados are usually most available in February. We just finished the November/December glut of lichies, small plums and peaches from orchards in the north of the province were also easy to find... if you know where to look for them! I do... I've been here since before the dawn of the supermarket chains. The local stuff is generally better and cheape...

While we often complain about how things don't work in Africa or how long it takes to do some things here, I must admit, it isn't everything that is harder to take care of around here. I can get shoes fixed on the sidewalk near the supermarket. Another guy does watches on the same street. Here are a few things I've done in the past week that were easier in Tete than home in USA or Sweden: Getting copies of old newspapers Yesterday's news is always new! I waited until afternoon to get this paper on the day it came out. Unfortunately, it was only available after 2pm. Next day I picked it up for the usual cost of 15 mt. I could have gotten a copy of ANY of the papers from the previous week for the same price. Since they never sell out, you can always find old newspapers... but they don't give them away or discount them if they are old. Dress-makers and tailors are always nearby Second hand markets and local tailor shops are easy. Katie and I went ...

We just spent 4 wonderful days with Mikael's parents and younger sister. It is such a blessing to have family around! In our little community here, filled with students from 15 different countries, there aren't many grandparents hanging around. We live with an intense connection to people we only see every few years. It is a strange life, but I think we get to appreciate each other all the more for it. It helps that I have some pretty awesome in-laws! They arrived on Wednesday in time to pick up Jakob from school on his 11th birthday! He was very excited and felt a little like he was the sole reason for their visit. They came to celebrate him, but also because Irene is turning 70 this month! We had a special dinner and cake and presents from Sweden. It was nice. Since Mikael and I are both taking classes this month, Katie got to entertain them in the mornings. On Thursday we headed to Oxford. We got lost because I wanted to show them the beauty of Oxfordshire... but also be...

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...