Wednesday, September 2, 2009

July 12, 2009

(a selection from my personal journal - my final day in Africa)

Here we are 1 year later. It's take off day. My hours remaining in Africa are numbered. I'm going home. Yet surprisingly enough, I'm rather ambivalent towards it all. It's as if I'm just spending the day shopping for socks. I don't know if my emotions are such because I find it all so natural or surreal. I think on my final flight home - the Chicago to Cincinnati stretch - I'll be peering out the window my thoughts calm enough, yet trying to capture the essence, the grandness, the something... in touching down on Ohio ground a year gone by. A year that has transformed me in ways that I have yet to discover. The journey is far from over.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

back in the m.stein

So here we are... Stateside. And here I've been since July 13th so I'm just a wee bit behind schedule with this post. I think jet lag and "just life" take the blame. I've read more than enough plotless yet utterly satisfying romance novels, caught up on all the High School Musical movies, acknowledged most family members and not enough friends, and have even managed to dislocate my knee cap over the weekend whilst dancing... (my doctors have requested footage of my "break" dancing). So I guess regardless of my location, life is never dull. Someday. 

What's next you wonder? My African friends claim that I am an African in an American body... but much to their disappointment, my intention is stay Stateside for quite some time longer. It is good to be home. Good to be surrounded by such an amazing support network.  Good to smell the sweet alfalfa scent in summertime... listen to country music... drive on the RIGHT side of the road... marvel at the Midwestern accent... sure I will miss Africa. I already do but Mama Africa is just going to have to take the back-burner for a little while longer. I will be back - but not today or tomorrow.

Today's game plan - solve the mystery of the TV...  I can't seem to figure out how to switch it from DVD to TV mode... digital... analog... 20 remote controls... When did TV viewing get to be so complicated?

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

the Dark continent

Ah... you know there are times in life where you just have to sit back and smile at it all. And have a good hearty laugh. A few months back during the monsoon season, I was caught in the pouring down rain, my windshield wipers had ceased to function (my car's engine was next), I was lost (as usual) and wound up seeking refuge (and geographical guidance) at the reception desk of what must be one of Africa's finest hotels. The Cardoso Hotel. Even has its own namesake street. They didn't provide the best directions (or I didn't follow them too well - plausible)... but I wound up back here again tonight. Just wanting a cup of hot chocolate. And a lovely view of the sun drifting down from the Maputo skyline into the Indian Ocean. No disappointment this time. Even a fleet of bats are out tonight. I didn't even know Maputo had bats... 

I have been here 9 months. 9 months! Tonight I had to send an email out to the parents whose children I see weekly, giving them a kind heads up that in 6 weeks time I would be moving on. I recall over a year ago when I signed on to this crazy, wild African stint thinking then that when I returned from India (from my friend's wedding), I would be on the final leg of my African journey. And here it is. I don't think I'll be the hare or the turtle in this last leg. I think I'll keep moving forward like any other day just stopping more frequently to let my senses soak it in... hear the rush of the chapas go by, the swish-swish of the omnipresent broom-sweeping... see the geckos creeping up and down the tree, the kitchen wall, the back tire... smell the rubbish cluttering the streets... feel the warm sun of daytime, the crisp wind of night... taste the salty breeze... and hopefully capture and keep lasting memories of the many idiosyncrasies that make Africa the inviting but dark continent it is.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Beautiful, vibrant India.

Ah, life.  No complaints from my end. Well, except I just burnt squash for the second time this week. Carcinogens, yum. I was attempting to embrace the present season here - autumn. "Autumn" as in temperatures have dropped from the 90s to the 70s and sometimes at night I actually consider donning a jacket. I don't expect to see the leaves changing shades or falling anytime soon, though... a palm tree with no palm fronds... that would be a stranger site to behold than me willingly watching sports on T.V.

I recently returned from a trip to India - a fabulous journey but one with no fewer airport incidents than the last one. First upon attempting to check-in, I learned that my ticket had been canceled. Ever spent 2 days traveling to an airport only to find out that the ticket that you thought you had, you really didn't...? It all worked out in the end - a few extra dollars spent and an unexpected quantity of quality time braved in Mumbai (fun, crazy city with crazy people who enjoy traversing 5 lanes of traffic only to ask, well, demand that you join their Bollywood cast...). The only other airport incident occurred in the aforementioned crazy city... I wound up at the wrong airport. In my defense, I thought one would go to the domestic airport if they were flying domestically... but alas, my common sense doesn't quite jive with that of Indians apparently.

The trip was considerably less eventful after that. Saw lots of monkeys, a couple of elephants, no tigers, sampled sun-dried coconut gifted by a little village boy, consumed enough spicy food to keep my taste buds burning for weeks to come, attended a Hindu marriage ceremony (aptly described by someone as "My Big Fat Indian Wedding"), drank an exorbitant amount of chai... and yeah, just really enjoyed India, round 2.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Friday the 13th

So 2 disturbing things have been brought to my attention today... 1) It is Friday the 13th - last night was a full moon, and 2) tomorrow is Valentine's Day (more aptly known as "Single Awareness" Day).  Well, it just so happens that last weekend during my monthly trek to South Africa, I purchased a dress for my friend's upcoming wedding in India.  A pink dress. Matching pink earrings. (Ran out of money before I could complete the ensemble with pink shoes.)  I already have the restaurant picked out where I want to treat myself... a place with candlelit ambiance.  I think I am rather looking forward to this Hallmark holiday.

Continuing with the pink theme... so for Christmas I requested a passport cover to protect my precious book from the daily wear and tear.  Mom sent Dad on the mission to get me THE passport cover.  Apparently at his place of purchase, he had 2 choices - blue or pink.  I should probably mention that I really am not much of a pink person.  The only request I had for my mother back in college when she was repainting my room was "whatever you do, no pink."  I now have a "rose" bedspread... Anyway Dad's thought process was "Hmm, Maria = girl. Girl = pink."  He got the pink, which isn't just any 'ol pink, it's in-your-face hot pink.  

Like many fathers around Christmas, it wasn't before long that he got the you-messed-up speech and was about to brace the pre-Christmas chaos to make the exchange for a more suiting color cover, when he got a call from me.  He confessed his error, I said no worries, I would just laugh now whenever I saw the pink eyesore in my bag.  Well... last weekend in crossing the Moz/South Africa border, the pink passport earned me the name Pink Panther. The Mozambicans on my bus had quite the laugh from it... every border stop... "hey, 'Pink Panther' we need your pink identity..."  One border patrol agent mistaking my pink passport for a fellow male passenger's commented "huh, so you like pink, eh?" The wrongly accused male responded, "No, not mine.... it's pink panther's" (and gestured towards me in the back seat).

And now I have a pink dress to match it.  I think I'm turning a new leaf, embracing a section of the color wheel formerly overlooked....

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Obama Inauguration...

I receive a monthly email from the Mozambican Investor updating me on what's going on in and around Mozambique. Under their Over the Border section, they highlight international happenings. I thought you might enjoy what Africans took away from Obama's inauguration.... (and yes, there was a good contingent of Africans tuning in for the event - it made the front page news 2 days straight).

After Historic Inauguration - Obama Begins Remaking America
Barack Obama, Tuesday, January 20 made history by becoming the first black President of the United States of America. In front of historic numbers, over two million people who braved frigid temperatures to witness the official inauguration at the National Mall in Washington DC, President Obama called for a new era of responsibility in the US. Obama also used the occasion to call on a new order in relations between nations, especially relations with the Muslim world. "To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect." With those words, Obama signaled a fundamental departure from the policies of his predecessor, George Bush. In direct reference to poor nations, Obama said: "To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds." (allafrica)

Thursday, January 29, 2009

the Update

So I've been trying to post for a month now, but well, the site has not been working in my favor.  I realize it's probably more me than the site but anyway... (how can I teach a Mozambican how to copy DVDs on a computer but can't figure out how to use my own...?)

Some thoughts from the month...  
(I'll begin posting backwards now, or is it forward...?)

January 27, 2009

My dear friend (my "old shoes") who days ago peaced out of town recently sent me a text message willing me to "enjoy all the little things..."

My response...

I'm really enjoying all the little skeeter bites on my legs.  I think I could connect the dots with them.  Saturday night I went to the bar at the train station with my new flatmates, wore a skirt, and woke the next morning with pink polka-dotted legs.  Hot, I know.  I'm beginning to think that even the male mosquito population finds me attractive.

But in way of appreciating Mozambique for its little things... Last night (Sunday) wound up being a random but an oh-so-good random night.  I went for a run and returned sweaty, many shades of pink, and in need of a couple of showers... and sure enough we had a visitor at the place, a new acquaintance, for whom my disheveled look would forever be my lasting impression.  Good thing he had an alcoholic beverage in hand (beer goggles, they do serve a purpose).  By the night's end, we were hanging out at the neighbors - true Mozambicans... Drinking the local brew (some sort of marula moonshine), girls downing shots of whiskey, guys doing the same with 'firewater' (apparently this is typical, some sort of 'cultural' thing)... all of us just sitting in a big circle listening to African blues, jams, vibes... eating, drinking, dancing, and truly getting merrier by the minute.  It truly was just a fun, fun night.  One of those, I can't believe I'm here, a part of this... Surrounded by people (and a language) I barely knew when the night began, a night that began with our visitor hearing the merriment from our 3rd floor flat, shouting down asking if we could join, and hours later leaving with an invitation to return for their next party - February 28th (a monthly festivity, apparently).  So I'm appreciating Mozambicans for always keeping in mind the importance and know-how of having a good time. They may be considered lazy but not when it comes to partying.  :)

Other little Moz-isms... Was eating at a relatively nice eatery this evening with my colleagues when the place went black.... moments later when electricity had returned, ABBA could be heard playing, followed by a Mariah Carey Christmas tune... 

January 24, 2009

Presently sitting at a Portuguese-style restaurant overlooking the Indian Ocean.  A lovely view really.  Mozambicans playing soccer on a sandbar, others selling their crafts, a fellow begging me to allow him to wash my car for 10 meticais (50 cents), and hopefully soon a plate of crepes smothered in ice cream before me.  I just left the home of my best friend here.  She just left on a plane bound for home.  So obviously I have been in better spirits - hence the need for crepes and ice cream!

Every so often you're reminded of just how timing is everything - and that that time is precious. Just wishing that the reminder came a bit less frequently these days.

January 18, 2009

Well back in Maputo, Mozambique, been back about a week.  Initially, I had that high that everyone seems to have when spring finally rolls around after a long dreary winter.  Too many farewells of late... saying goodbye to family & friends back home, saying goodbye to my best friend here in Moz, and hours ago said goodbye to the place I called home since my arrival in Moz.

I think I need to go for a run.

January 11, 2009

as composed by a hyper-caffeinated drunk... spell-checked the next day.  clarity admittedly questionable...  

Not sure quite how the evening unfolded.  It began innocently enough, sitting at an Irish pub drinking coffee (perhaps it was of the Irish variety...), perusing an Indian travel book and ending with a circumnavigation of the pub (no Tibetan prayer beads in hand) and somehow winding up in my present room... 3:42am.  Caught between the soporific qualities of alcohol and a java-induced high.  I do not welcome tomorrow.

Rewind... hours ago... 8pm-esque.  Reading India travel book, a 2-week destination for a friend's wedding in March.  Quite thrilled by this upcoming venture.  Consuming the rare cup of joe (jet lag...).  South African couple across the way taking an ever-growing interest in me, apparently confusing my India travel book for the Bible.  Given the setting, the book's prodigious size and relatively fine print, the somber look upon my face - their curiosity understandable.  A bible-toting gal at a bar isn't an everyday experience, I don't think.  Granted INDIA capped, vibrantly-colored ubiquitously graced the cover of the book... but they'd already been well-acquainted with Jack Daniels long before I entered their line of vision.  Blah, blah, blah... in short time, numbers exchanged, names written phonetically on hopefully an irrelevant ticket stub (accents really trip a person up)... one more shot of whiskey and we would've had the final chapter of my memoir composed.  But alas final call came and went; the 'tap ran dry,' and the wife's languid tongue was beyond my scope of practice (the hubbie requested that I intervene with my esteemed clinical skills.  A futile attempt, indeed, but an attempt made on the behalf of my profession, nonetheless.  I refrained from John Hancock-ing my credentials when closing the tab.)

Twiddle-dee, twiddle-dum, I don't care for anymore rum...

(insert disclaimer here.)


January 9, 2009

Couple days later... Hostel near Johannesburg, South Africa airport... flew in 12 hours ago

It is now 4am... I hear crickets.  My laptop charger and its adapter are being propped up with the support of a wastebasket into the room's lone outlet.  Listening to O.A.R.'s "Shattered."  I hadn't heard the band on the radio for ages... and then a friend informed me it'd been playing since this summer.  Oh... Presently trying to glean some wireless from the nearby airport.  Having sporadic luck.

It's 9pm back in the States so instead of becoming more alert, I should be dozing off.  However, I have this gnawing hunger ache that's keeping me up.  Plus, I was so excited for fresh air that I forgot that in opening up the windows I was inviting the mosquitoes in for a feast.  And the hostel doesn't serve breakfast until 7am.  So my mind keeps drifting back to my favorite hole-in-the-wall Indian restaurant in Maputo.  Despite its derelict appearance, it has the best chai tasted outside of India.  The walls are bare save for a curious Arabic wall hanging.  Tables and chairs are placed haphazardly about the room.  A tiny Bollywood-tuned-in T.V. sits on the corner counter.  The mostly male clientele lounge around as if everyday is Sunday.  I like this place and what I wouldn't give for a cup of its chai right now.  Warm, sweet, aromatic goodness.

In closing, from an O.A.R. song not played on FM wavelengths...

"Many days from now I'm sure
I'll be back among your faces
And with you I won't pretend
No, not at all..."

January 7, 2009

In two short days, I'll be crossing the Atlantic ocean.  As I consider packing right up there with domestic chores... procrastination inevitable... this post could be a doozy...

My high school social studies teacher found out I was home for the holidays (a true gem, he is) and before long I was spending a day at my alma mater speaking with freshmen and sophomores about my travels, the life experiences of a vagabond 25-year-old.  And giving geography lessons - one of the first questions posed to me was... "What state is Mozambique in?"  Luckily, social study teachers are well-endowed in the map department.

Some frequently asked questions, FAQs, if you will... (from a very "squirrely" population)

What is the weirdest thing you have ever eaten?  Monkey apples - to my knowledge.  The name sounds weird; the fruit looks weird and tastes a bit weird.  They're like coconuts in that you have to crack them open in order to get to the good stuff under the shell.  And of course, there have been a number of times I have consumed substances I had no clue what they were.  Calamari and octopus in Moz are pretty tasty albeit chewy.  Oxtail, common in Swaziland, sounds odd but is very good.  Just ask our dog, he loves loves loves the leftover bones.

What languages can you speak?  Fluently... only "American" English, been picking up key South African and British English phases, basic conversation in Portuguese, Spanish, and German.  Handful of phrases in Tibetan, Hindi, Thai, Danish, Italian, French, and Afrikaans.  Does American Sign Language count?  And yes, I get them mixed up all the time!  The better I become at speaking Portuguese, the worse my English becomes (particularly prepositions).  In recent weeks, I have been blaming it on jet lag (like the other day when I told someone I could eat calamari but not squid... jet lag).

What do they speak in Africa?  Depends where you are... in South Africa - Afrikaans and English.  In Mozambique - Portuguese mostly, some Swahili in the north, Shangaan in the south.  Malawi is French, Zimbabwe is English, Angola - Portuguese, Tanzania - Swahili, Arabic in northern countries, etc., etc.

What animals do you see?  (in Africa) Lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, warthogs, crocodiles, hippos, rhinos, a python (I screamed appropriately like a girl), wildebeest, nyalas, impalas, whales, clams, loads of seafood, lots of birds... my favorite animal to see is probably the giraffe.  They're so awkward yet graceful when they run.  Someday I hope to see a cheetah - that would top my list in a heartbeat (been mildly obsessed with the fast cat since grade school).

What's your favorite place?  (I hate this question.  Please never ask it.)  Cape Town, South Africa is my favorite city.  It's got ocean meeting mountains - awesome hiking and vistas, and vineyards comparable to Napa Valley just down the road.  Very San Francisco/Austin-esque... even has its own version of Alcatraz... Robbin Island where Mandela spent his 27-year internment.  Swaziland is my favorite country to unwind in AND to get Christmas gifts.  Though Germany does have its Christmas markets and gluwein (warm wine, it's delightful).

What do you live in? A typical house.  Just has more electrical, plumbing problems and geckos than the average American home.  Live with a British nurse and her two children.  Normal kids.  Sometimes I wake up in the morning to the sound of Jade, the 7-year-old, singing along to the French songs on her I-pod shuffle.  Other times she delights us with ABBA and high school musical selections, usually around the hour of oh, 5am.  Her brother Tanguy has a penchant for pets.  We still have the pig.  The fish accidently perished when they were under my care.  Oops.

How do you get around? In town, I have the "office" car.  Between towns, I take buses.  Taxis when need be.

What do you miss most?  Decent-tasting milk.  (Family & friends are assumed.)  It comes in bulk, in boxes.  Ugh.  Try as I might, I cannot trick my tastebuds into tolerating it.  I picked up calcium tablets while home.  I get pretty excited about milkshakes these days.  Oh, and chocolate FROSTYS!!!

What do you plan to do when this (African stint) is all said and done?   My contract ends May 23rd.  My brother is coming to visit so that takes me to about July.  I have flirted with the idea of an overland Cape to Cairo trip (Cape Town, South Africa to Cairo, Egypt) but the global economic crisis has me seriously thinking otherwise. Presently thinking when I return to the States, it'll be to work in a hospital in the Midwest.  I have never been much of a city person, yet I always wind up gravitating towards them.  Must be some cranial wiring problem...