Friday, March 16, 2012
Rage in the ATM line...
Even if I lived in Africa for 5 years, I don’t think that I will ever get used to the incompetence I see at the ATM. First of all, my villa recently removed my banks ATM, which means that there is only 1 usable ATM in the entire town. Fabulous. This means ONE ATM for probably around 10,000 people (honestly not sure, just a guestimate). And all these people get paid around the same time every month, myself included. Imagine arriving at the ATM with about 10 people in front of you. In Africa this would mean about 2 hours of waiting. They are big believers in “hold my spot” so that even if there are 10 people in front of you, there could be 10 more technically in front of you, only at the moment they are sitting in the shade or running to the bakery. Ugh. Then people that don’t want to wait give their cards and PINs to other people in front of you. So each of the 20 people in front of you in line are using 2-3 cards each. It’s a nightmare. Plus, they’re not as advanced in technology as the U.S. which means, at times, massive confusion. I have experienced around 3 or 4 times where everyone is just standing in line waiting for the machine to be loaded with more money. Turns out the machine isn’t out of money, the person who said that actually had no money in their account so they think that the machine is out when really they are the ones out of luck. Ugh. This is not an ideal situation, especially right before the weekend and you want to have a birthday party. Just had to get it out there.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
New School Year
The new school year is now in full swing. Classes started January 17th, and I started teaching February 2nd. Normally it takes about a week for word to get out to all the students that classes have started seriously, so the first week is a wash. Then I had my mid-service conference in Maputo the 2nd week of classes. Then the (officially) 3rd week of classes, after I returned, the room wasn’t ready yet so I had to organize it for a few days before beginning teaching.
I guess I should mention that this year my only subject that I am teaching is TICs (Technologias de Informação e Comunicação) a.k.a. Computers for super beginners. I am actually really excited to just focus on one subject. Also, since we need computers to have class, the students come to me and I stay in one room instead of moving around like all the other subjects that just require a chalkboard. AND I got to make my own schedule, so I have year of 3 day weekends ahead of me which is convenient for my travel desires. TICs meets once a week for 2 hours for each class, meaning that I only have to develop 1 lesson plan each week and just teach it 10 to 20 times. Some may hate the thought of repeating so often, but I really love that I have to put minimal planning into each week. I have the entire 12th and 10th grades to teach this year, for a grand total of 10 classes of students (each with about 60 students therefore, a grand total of ~600 students).
I have written a previous entry last year about teaching computers to complete beginners, but I think that this year things will be much better. Last year I was unprepared for the difficulty in explaining how to move a mouse or click on an icon, much less in a second language. This year I have a co-teacher that is teaching all the 11th grade classes and he knows how to format the computers so now they all look the same and have the same programs. Also this year my language is at a higher level so it is much easier to run a class in Portuguese, plus way easier to discipline the classroom and keep everyone on track. It seems that the teaching part this year should fly by.
I guess I should mention that this year my only subject that I am teaching is TICs (Technologias de Informação e Comunicação) a.k.a. Computers for super beginners. I am actually really excited to just focus on one subject. Also, since we need computers to have class, the students come to me and I stay in one room instead of moving around like all the other subjects that just require a chalkboard. AND I got to make my own schedule, so I have year of 3 day weekends ahead of me which is convenient for my travel desires. TICs meets once a week for 2 hours for each class, meaning that I only have to develop 1 lesson plan each week and just teach it 10 to 20 times. Some may hate the thought of repeating so often, but I really love that I have to put minimal planning into each week. I have the entire 12th and 10th grades to teach this year, for a grand total of 10 classes of students (each with about 60 students therefore, a grand total of ~600 students).
I have written a previous entry last year about teaching computers to complete beginners, but I think that this year things will be much better. Last year I was unprepared for the difficulty in explaining how to move a mouse or click on an icon, much less in a second language. This year I have a co-teacher that is teaching all the 11th grade classes and he knows how to format the computers so now they all look the same and have the same programs. Also this year my language is at a higher level so it is much easier to run a class in Portuguese, plus way easier to discipline the classroom and keep everyone on track. It seems that the teaching part this year should fly by.
For Mom :)
I was on vacation a few months ago, staying with a friend in her beachside apartment (she´s also a volunteer, not all sites are made equal ). I mentioned to my mom in a skype call that I was staying in a super nice beach apartment and she jokingly said “Does it have a flushing toilet!?”( I´ve been here long enough that she know what a luxury flushing toilets here are. ) I then proceeded to explain to her all the different levels of toilets here in Moz, and she thought it was hysterical, so I am going to explain it to you all now—
The worst is just grass matting up and you pee right on the ground. You have a little privacy, but depending on the strength of your pee you can end up splashing yourself if you’re not careful.
Another step up would be a latrine with a dug out hole. You still squat over the ground, but there is a hole that you’re aiming for (like a long drop toilet while camping). Most likely there is no cover, leaving an inviting place for all sorts of creepy crawly bugs and creatures. NOT fun to do at night, especially with a cockroach phobia.
The next would be still an outdoor latrine style, but there is a toilet built over the hole instead of just the open hole. Although most of the time the toilet is too gross to sit on, it seems cleaner than the open hole style latrine. Downside is squatting over the toilet bowl is way more taxing to the muscles than squatting over a hole flush with the ground (It is best to squat over the ground or sit on a seat. That conclusion is undebatable). Plus you have to pour water in to flush it. It takes a special talent to get all the contents down with the least amount of water used.
Yet another step up is the same idea except it’s inside the house. A pour down toilet that doesn’t have a tank on top, or the tank is not functional. Some may argue that this is a step down because it tends to smell a bit, so maybe it’s on the same level as the previous outdoor pour down toilet. Either way, it’s debatable. (This just so happens to be the situation that the beach view apartment I was staying in had. So not horrible, but still not the premium level).
The second best situation is what I have in my house. A toilet with a functioning tank on top where you can pour in water (because there’s no water running to it) and still get the flushing action of the toilet.
Finally, the best of the best is a toilet with a tank on top connected to running water that automatically fills so you can flush it whenever you want. Which is what 98% of Americans are used to (I just made up that statistic, please don’t take it too seriously).
PS—Soon after making up this list I experienced another kind of toilet in Tanzania, which is a porcelain flushing floor toilet, common in the Arabic world is my guess. I have no idea where to fit that into the list. Maybe right after the outdoor toilet covered latrine.
The worst is just grass matting up and you pee right on the ground. You have a little privacy, but depending on the strength of your pee you can end up splashing yourself if you’re not careful.
Another step up would be a latrine with a dug out hole. You still squat over the ground, but there is a hole that you’re aiming for (like a long drop toilet while camping). Most likely there is no cover, leaving an inviting place for all sorts of creepy crawly bugs and creatures. NOT fun to do at night, especially with a cockroach phobia.
The next would be still an outdoor latrine style, but there is a toilet built over the hole instead of just the open hole. Although most of the time the toilet is too gross to sit on, it seems cleaner than the open hole style latrine. Downside is squatting over the toilet bowl is way more taxing to the muscles than squatting over a hole flush with the ground (It is best to squat over the ground or sit on a seat. That conclusion is undebatable). Plus you have to pour water in to flush it. It takes a special talent to get all the contents down with the least amount of water used.
Yet another step up is the same idea except it’s inside the house. A pour down toilet that doesn’t have a tank on top, or the tank is not functional. Some may argue that this is a step down because it tends to smell a bit, so maybe it’s on the same level as the previous outdoor pour down toilet. Either way, it’s debatable. (This just so happens to be the situation that the beach view apartment I was staying in had. So not horrible, but still not the premium level).
The second best situation is what I have in my house. A toilet with a functioning tank on top where you can pour in water (because there’s no water running to it) and still get the flushing action of the toilet.
Finally, the best of the best is a toilet with a tank on top connected to running water that automatically fills so you can flush it whenever you want. Which is what 98% of Americans are used to (I just made up that statistic, please don’t take it too seriously).
PS—Soon after making up this list I experienced another kind of toilet in Tanzania, which is a porcelain flushing floor toilet, common in the Arabic world is my guess. I have no idea where to fit that into the list. Maybe right after the outdoor toilet covered latrine.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Holiday Travels
So, this year for Christmas vacation, instead of traveling back home to visit friends and family I decided to take the opportunity to travel around Africa some more and see things that I have never seen. My trip started out on November 17th. I traveled across Malawi to get to Lichinga in northern Mozambique for a Thanksgiving celebration, then took a train to get out to the coast and enjoy some shrimp and beach time. Then it was off to Tanzania where I went on a 5 day safari and logged some hours on the beaches of Zanzibar. Then another cut back down to Malawi to get back to my house here in Mozambique. That’s the short version of things, and if you want the full details, continue below….
Zanzibar
Amazing beaches, amazing food and no giant buses, oh my!
Zanzibar was a paradise---literally and mentally. After our bus accident, we still had to take 2 10-hour bus rides to and from our safari starting point. It was such a relief to finally be beyond our buses, and onto a ferry ride. We stayed at a lodge on the eastern side of the island which felt like our own island paradise far away from the tourists. We spent 1 day on the beach, did the Jozani Forest tour to see the only-on-Zanzibar Red Colubus monkeys, and then did a spice tour combined with a tour of Stonetown. We got some amazing seafood with some very westernized cooking styles that were delicious, and really cheap when compared to being a tourist in Mozambique. In the forest we got to see the monkeys up close and personal. They literally hit us jumping from branch to branch. Then we saw a red mahogany forest as well as a mangrove forest. Also we visited some sea turtles! Stonetown is the old part of Zanzibar from back in the sultan days and all the buildings are made out of limestone. We watched the sunset at the big central park and ate seafood fresh off the grill that they had hauled in that day. A great and relaxing end to a somewhat stressful trip.
Zanzibar was a paradise---literally and mentally. After our bus accident, we still had to take 2 10-hour bus rides to and from our safari starting point. It was such a relief to finally be beyond our buses, and onto a ferry ride. We stayed at a lodge on the eastern side of the island which felt like our own island paradise far away from the tourists. We spent 1 day on the beach, did the Jozani Forest tour to see the only-on-Zanzibar Red Colubus monkeys, and then did a spice tour combined with a tour of Stonetown. We got some amazing seafood with some very westernized cooking styles that were delicious, and really cheap when compared to being a tourist in Mozambique. In the forest we got to see the monkeys up close and personal. They literally hit us jumping from branch to branch. Then we saw a red mahogany forest as well as a mangrove forest. Also we visited some sea turtles! Stonetown is the old part of Zanzibar from back in the sultan days and all the buildings are made out of limestone. We watched the sunset at the big central park and ate seafood fresh off the grill that they had hauled in that day. A great and relaxing end to a somewhat stressful trip.
SAFARI!!
What time spent in Africa could be complete without a safari?! I, along with 2 fellow volunteers, booked a 4 night/5 day camping safari and it was fabulous. We spent 1 day in Tarangire National Park, 2 days in the Serengeti and 1 day in Ngorongoro Crater national park. In the Serengeti and the crater we actually camped in the park. There was giant elephant poo outside our campsite in the Serengeti and you couldn’t leave your tent at night because there were hyenas. That I did not expect. It was great fun. The safari vehicle has a pop top so you can stand up and see the animals really well from the vehicle, but still close it in case it rains (which it did a little). They also took care of all our meals for us, and we had our own personal driver and cook for the week. Highlights were: A giant family of elephants crossing the road 10 feet away from us in Tarangire and just sitting there watching them for 45 minutes; having to be careful to not hit the giraffes that run across the road between parks; A lion popping her head up just as I took a picture so that she didn’t just look like a rock; talking our driver into being the first people to arrive at the crater and feeling like we had it to ourselves for an hour; a momma cheetah sunning herself on a rock while her 4 cubs played in the grass around her; being in the middle of the great migration and having wildebeest, gazelles and zebras as far as the eye can see. I am so glad that I am here and had the opportunity to experience the Africa that everyone envisions.
Pole Sana
The first language of Tanzania is Swahili. Pole Sana is Swahili for So Sorry. Unfortunately this was the first phrase we learned in this new language. Continue reading….
Tanzania is an entirely different world. It’s really remarkable that just a few days travel away is a giant city (Dar Es Salaam) filled with tons of people and modern development. However, to get to this developed city, you must cross the undeveloped part of northern Mozambique and southern Tanzania. My trip started out with a 3 am open back chapa ride to the border. This road was very undeveloped and bumpy, and I was sitting on some sort of spare car part. Needless to say the next day my butt and back were pretty sore. The border is the Rovuma river which is an important landmark in Moz. When talking about the country of Mozambique, the saying is “from Rovuma to Maputo”; it’s even part of the national anthem. (Rovuma River is the northern border and Maputo province is in the southern border). We arrived in Mtwara, which is the first big town in Tanzania after the border. We stayed there for the night, and bought some bus tickets to head out in the morning. The main form of transport, we discovered, are giant greyhound-esque buses. However, they are generally painted crazy colors and have a personalized horn. What we didn’t realize is how dangerous some of these companies could be.
Our bus was scheduled to leave at 6 a.m., and we almost missed it. For some reason, Tanzania and Mozambique have 1 hour of time difference (who’d a thunk since they lie north and south of each other). But we were still in Africa so of course they didn’t leave on time and we made it. Little did we know that it was not our lucky day to catch it. The roads in southern Tanzania are still being paved so it was all pretty much one giant construction zone, with you driving on a dirt road running parallel to the in-progress paved road. These buses travel pretty fast, and sure enough, on one of the dirt turns our bus lost control and we shot out into the countryside, bumping along all the way. We were in the second to last row and got bounced around pretty good. Luckily the bus didn’t tip over, and there were only slight injuries, the worst being my friend cutting his forehead and needing stitches. We got to the hospital surprisingly fast for Africa standards. We also got in contact with Peace Corps Tanzania and their medical officer drove down to meet us and check us out personally that night. We got a nice ride into the capital (we only made it about half way when the bus crashed) and were set up to stay with an American family living in Dar Es Salaam while doing D.C.-mandated tests at the hospital there. I repeat, everything turned out fine. I just have an ugly black eye in all my vacation photos to help me remember. Like I could forget…
Tanzania is an entirely different world. It’s really remarkable that just a few days travel away is a giant city (Dar Es Salaam) filled with tons of people and modern development. However, to get to this developed city, you must cross the undeveloped part of northern Mozambique and southern Tanzania. My trip started out with a 3 am open back chapa ride to the border. This road was very undeveloped and bumpy, and I was sitting on some sort of spare car part. Needless to say the next day my butt and back were pretty sore. The border is the Rovuma river which is an important landmark in Moz. When talking about the country of Mozambique, the saying is “from Rovuma to Maputo”; it’s even part of the national anthem. (Rovuma River is the northern border and Maputo province is in the southern border). We arrived in Mtwara, which is the first big town in Tanzania after the border. We stayed there for the night, and bought some bus tickets to head out in the morning. The main form of transport, we discovered, are giant greyhound-esque buses. However, they are generally painted crazy colors and have a personalized horn. What we didn’t realize is how dangerous some of these companies could be.
Our bus was scheduled to leave at 6 a.m., and we almost missed it. For some reason, Tanzania and Mozambique have 1 hour of time difference (who’d a thunk since they lie north and south of each other). But we were still in Africa so of course they didn’t leave on time and we made it. Little did we know that it was not our lucky day to catch it. The roads in southern Tanzania are still being paved so it was all pretty much one giant construction zone, with you driving on a dirt road running parallel to the in-progress paved road. These buses travel pretty fast, and sure enough, on one of the dirt turns our bus lost control and we shot out into the countryside, bumping along all the way. We were in the second to last row and got bounced around pretty good. Luckily the bus didn’t tip over, and there were only slight injuries, the worst being my friend cutting his forehead and needing stitches. We got to the hospital surprisingly fast for Africa standards. We also got in contact with Peace Corps Tanzania and their medical officer drove down to meet us and check us out personally that night. We got a nice ride into the capital (we only made it about half way when the bus crashed) and were set up to stay with an American family living in Dar Es Salaam while doing D.C.-mandated tests at the hospital there. I repeat, everything turned out fine. I just have an ugly black eye in all my vacation photos to help me remember. Like I could forget…
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