MozamWeek

When I haven't blogged for so long, I feel guilty for not catching up. Merry Christmas and happy New Year are far behind us. February is around the corner! We had a great LONG vacation to South Africa where we met friends and enjoyed long evenings in Cape Town area. There is a reason the Cape Town is a top tourist destination. There is something for everyone, world class entertainment, and a very laid-back feeling that fits summer vacation perfectly. If you don't think I should be talking about summer vacation in December, you don't understand the up-side of being on the down-side of the globe! Midsummer is in December complete with early mornings and late sunsets... we were on Table Mountain at 9pm and the sun was going down! Hanging out at the beach in the evening isn't strange and it isn't dark, but it IS windy - very windy, all the time! Our balls rolled wrong at the mini-golf because of the strong wind, I'm not exaggerating! The absolute highlight of o...

Where old school desks go to die...  Even simple, sturdy materials don't last forever. What happens when desks break? Who's responsible for fixing them? Apparently there just isn't extra money to buy the planks needed to fix the desks. They apply for money from the state and don't get it. So, the pile grows. This classroom block was built in 1957!  A renovation was done in 2007. How often are they allowed to repaint? There is no schedule. There is no money. So, years of passing students leave their mark. Cleaning is done by people who sometimes can't physically handle the heavy job. People recovered from TB, for example, just can't stand to be around dust!   Maps, protractors, visual aids... In the teacher's room, the walls are hung with materials that are used in the classrooms. I asked if there was enough to go around and they said it is adequate. With 10 usable classrooms, I guess you don't need many posters anyway. The well... ...

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...

Look! We are in the paper! I was asked by a local resident to write something about our activities as a humanitarian organization here in Tete. Tash Morgan is a contributor to the Zambezi Traveler , a regional tourism and business newspaper available in countries bordering the Zambezi River. If you click the link, hop on over to pages 33-36 for info on our neck of the woods -- I guess I mean "our bend in the river"! Tash and I co-wrote the bit on pg. 34. As you can see, there is a lot going on in Tete these days! One interesting thing to note is that this is an English language newspaper generally directed to the foreign community. It is available in hotels and business offices. It is free due to all the advertising. So, I guess I can add one publication to my list of things available to read in Tete. Unfortunately, there isn't a local Portuguese language paper being printed or distributed. I've been asked to write another article on the importance of literature ...