Settling in to the PreService Training routine

All is well here in Namaacha. The rainy season has really begun, it rains all day and every day. This is a problem because the English teacher trainees live in a place called Bairro 25, which is on the side of a mountain, and all the paths are dirt, which in the rain of course become huge muddy tracts. Super fun to walk to and from class on. So far I have not fallen down, but its coming and I know it.

Most of our time is spent doing language training. I think I mentioned I wasnt really enjoying my language group, and I spoke to our training manager about it and she switched me into a more advanced group with a teacher who I really like. Now I actually have to like, think. Ugh. I am enjoying it a lot though. My portuguese is improving exponentially, and all of us are starting to experience those moments when we can think of the word in portuguese but not in english. Example: Today someone said "OK guys we dont have the projector yet so our session is going to demorar a bit." Demorar means to delay.

On a slightly less positive note, we had a somewhat unsuccessful practical language training activity when we were supposed to be learning to use the public transportation here, called chapas. This is not like public transportation in the states, of course. Intercity chapas are like big minivans that people crowd into and ride, but local chapas are sketchy pickup trucks that you pay 5 mets to use and just kind of climb into the back and hold on for dear life. Anyway, we each got a post it note with a destination and we were supposed to go there and come back. I ended up at the endstation, which is where I was supposed to be, but I couldnt figure out which chapa to use to get back. So instead I pedired a boleia (asked for a ride) along with some other trainees, but they got out at a different stop and I didnt want to be by myself on an illegitimate chapa, so I got off and just kind of walked back to my group. I trudged humbly back to meet them, having utterly failed the exercise. Please note: I was at no time in any appreciable danger and I am 100 percent fine. (Mom.)

We have a field trip to Maputo tomorrow which we are all looking forward to. Rumor has it there are places in maputo that make things like pizza and sell cheese.WHAT IS THIS WITCHCRAFT!?

Before I sign off, I would like to state that I did try to upload photos, but unfortunately the USB drive on this computer does not work and so unless I magically find a floppy disk and drive to use, pictures are going to have to wait a considerable amount of time. But for now, youre really not missing much because its cloudy and muddy and COLD, and not exactly what most people think of when they think of Africa. I wish I had more scarves.

Until next time.