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...
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