Laura's Thoughts

Bryan and I thought it would be fun if I wrote on his blog what my thoughts and impressions have been thus far in the trip. Excuse me for any poor grammar or ramblings, I just woke up from a nap.

The Blantyre Airport in Malawi is AWESOME! This was the first time I had a window seat and as we are beginning to descend I could not see a runway, it's definitely unlike any other airport. According to the guy next to me who was a South African living in Malawi for 20 years, the airport was built by the British and is the oldest in Malawi. I have not fact-checked him because he said it with enough confidence for me to believe him. The best part was when we landed everyone coming to greet us off the airplane were on the second story open air part of the building waving hello. It was like in a movie when a ship leaves port and everyone waves goodbye but so much better because we were all coming.

Our transportation so far has been pretty good. We've been lucky to have window seats or be in the front on chapas. My first full day hear we were in the front of a big semi that had an open back for 8 hours. We were the first people picked up so we were really fortunate as it was so hot that day. There was a family picked up later in the day and I was shocked at how little babies don't die in the back like that with just the sun beating down on them. Cars have the right of way and when you're not in a city the people on the side of the road will disappear into the crops and tall grass on the side to let you pass. Mind you most don't have shoes on and they also go to the bathroom there.

If you are ever travelling abroad and it is up to Bryan to teach you how to be socially appropriate, seek alternate guidance. What were the two things Bryan told me about Mozambicans; 1 - men hold hands in public but they are not gay, 2 - people pick their nose in public. So it's my first night in Mozambique and we are staying with another PCV, Charlotte who was very nice and welcoming. She is introducing me to the family who owns her house and the first person I meet is a girl about 14 and I stick my hand out and say "To do bom" (part of my ever-expanding portuguese). Bryan then immediately injects, "Uh, kiss her on both cheeks. Don't be rude!" I do as he says right away and after a few more introductions we talk about this lack of prepardness and his argument was that I studied in France. So now I'm under the impression that what happens in France should be applied to all of Portugal's former colonies.

Okay now onto Bryan's village, Mugulama. I am very impressed with his knowledge of the place and how to get around and his language skills. I actually like his site best, probably because we've spent the most time there, but it is nice. You shower outside and look at a mountain. I've had my best 4 showers in my life in Mugulama. Actually based on the 3 indoor showers I've seen at other PCVs houses, outdoor ones are far superior. They are cleaner and smell better because they're not in the same place as the toilet. The water heats up because the sun beats down on it and you might have an amazing view like Bryan.
We met a chefe, un-elected mayor of the city, on one of the days there and Bryan introduced me as his esposa, easier than fiancee. I said my few Lomwe words and then the two talked in Portuguese. The chefe is new and may not really understand Bryan's job, this is my attempt to make undeserved excuses for him. Apparantly he said to Bryan with me right there, "So this is your wife and you married her there (the US) and then you came here and now she's visiting and then she'll leave and you'll marry here." You could see how offended Bryan was, didn't even need to speak Portuguese, the chefe tried to change the subject but the situation was wierd and a great example of everything Bryan's been talking about.
Bryan's neighbor, the poeple who own the house, think they are on spring break. Every night they have reggae music playing loud so we can hear it crystal clear inside Bryan's house. They bought a solar energy panel that they place on top of their mud hut and it is wired to car batteries that provides the energy to play their cassette tape. Wow genius you might say. This is also the family who doesn't send their kids to school and who's wife came to the house one day when I was there asking for 100 mets to go to Nampula's hospital because she's too sick be treated in Mugulama. But don't worry about the family because the men are on Spring Break every night. Can you sense the sarcasm?
Bryan and I took a HIV test on Wednesday because it's the big market day so there's also alot of people at the hospital and we wented to be good examples. It's funny, because there is no reason why I would have it, but you're still nervous those few minutes waiting for the results. Both negative.
Bryan's maid is nice and her son Rosario is very cute and about the same size as my neice Claire who is 6 months younger. But she is stronger than I will ever be. We went with her one day to do laundry and she's carrying the big bucket on her head with our wet clothes and her baby on her back for a 20 minute walk in the heat and in barefeet. Yeah, I was winded with no child on my back, nothing on my head.
Bryan made me kill a chicken, I don't want to talk about it.

We went to Ilha de Mocambique, this island of the coast and it was nice. In the guide book it was described as part ghost town, but really the whole nation is. More so in heavily populated areas, but you'll be driving down the road and there will be shells of former portuguese building with no roof and vegetation inside again. Bryan says some of these are just now giant toilets.

We then spent 3 gorgoeus days and nights on the coast of the Indian Ocean. On our second day there we helped pull in fish from the ocean for like 45 minutes. We saw many different types of fish but only could name the blowfish because it was pretty obvious. The last night there two other PCVs, Jamie and Nea came and stayed with us and I won 2 games of Settlers, Bryan hates when I win. There was two dogs there, one that belonged to the Mozambican family, Rambo and then another stray who was trying to knock up Rambo. Even the female dogs don't get a choice who to sleep with. But Bryan did not like the other dog, it growled at me when I was trying to get back inside from going to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Bryan said the dog was in the attack position and didn't want to leave the room so he told me to go to the house and wake the woman and her kids and just say, "Licenca" (excuse-me) until she woke-up and say "cao" (dog) over and over so she would understand. I said "Licenca" until she came to the door and than "Cao, grrrr, door, cao" she sent her sons and they scared it away. But the whole next day when ever they saw the dog the would attack it, I felt so bad for it.

Okay we are in Nampula now and are staying in a nice hotel tonight with real showers and toilets and cnn. Tomorrow we are headed back to site for a few more days and then on to Victoria Falls. I'll share pictures when I'm home. I hope everyone is doing well and taking care, love you guys and see everyone soon!