Mavudzi: The First Days

Well, it's Day 3 here in Tete and SO much has happened! Since I last posted, I've been getting lots of things done off of my Peace Corps Successful Integration Checklist.

Yesterday, my director stopped by my house at 7:30 a.m. and was flabberghasted that I hadn't showered and eaten yet. 7:30 is practically afternoon by Mozambican standards. After getting ready, I went with him to the school and met a bunch of teachers -- they all seem like they are going to be really fun to work with. The plan was going to be for me just to meet people, but since Redi (the other English teacher) was called away for a family emergency, I was asked to help grade English exams. Kind of daunting when your first act as a teacher at school is to decide who passes 10th grade English and who doesn't! But they taught me the grading scale and it was pretty straightforward so I think I did O.K. Meet teachers: Check.

Amusingly enough, I managed to lock myself out of my house, and the only other person that has a key to our house is Redi, who was, of course, out of town. I had my key with me but it wouldn't unlock the door for some reason. I told the neighborhood crianças that I'd have a prize for whoever managed to figure out how to open the door -- and spent the next hour watching amusedly as about a dozen children tried their luck (to no avail). It was like the Sword in the Stone, except no one succeeded. Interact with crianças: Check. Eventually, though, I got tired of sitting on my front porch and I went to my director for help -- and he took me to go see the carpenter! Meet carpenter: Check. Next step: Commission him to make me a bookshelf.


While waiting for the carpenter to get dressed and get his tools together, my director treated me to my favorite brand of Mozambican beer (Manica) at the only place to get refreshments in town and we had a nice conversation. He is really friendly and open-minded. He was quite fond of the volunteer I am replacing but I think we are going to get along well. In the time that we conversed, the carpenter managed to break into my house and all was well again.

Today, Szasha and I decided to go into the city as we were both sorely lacking in essential supplies (like buckets and food). I really like Tete City -- it's a good size, pretty clean and there isn't trash all over the place like some other cities (cough cough CHIMOIO!). We had a really productive morning in which we explored Tete and found:
- A supermarket with everything we will ever need, including chocolate.
- A really nice vendedora (market vendor) named Cristina in the local mercado. She was the only one not to inflate the prices on us ridiculously just because we're "muzungus" (whites). We had a nice conversation with her about who we are and what we are doing here and she was so pleased to meet us that she gave us an extra tomato and two onions. Score!
- An airconditioned coffeeshop and bakery where we can buy hamburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, and milkshakes. That seals the deal: I like Tete. The café is owned by a nice Lebanese man who provided us with many useful directions.
-The bank and the cell phone store, where we ran into a British ex-pat named Tim who is here with a construction/engineering company. We forgot to get his phone number so it is our mission at some point next time in Tete to find Tim again. The Search for Tim commences. He was very nice, we could use some new friends in the city, and it doesn't hurt that he mentioned that his apartment has air conditioning...

The only thing I didn't manage to find is a good xixi bucket. What is a xixi bucket, you ask? 'Tis a bucket for those times in the middle of the night when nature calls and you don't want to make the trek to the latrine. A good xixi bucket will fit nicely in a corner, not be super unsightly, and have a lid to contain odor. You keep it in your bedroom, fill it with a little water and a little bleach, and walla! Aiming is more easier for men, I think. I actually dont mind walking to the latrine, but mine seems to grow a cockroach infestation as soon as the sun goes down, so a good xixi bucket is definitely on my Lookout List. Right now, I'm using a "Xixi Emtpy-Margarine-Plastic-Container" which is... somewhat problematic, shall we say?

After our day out in Tete, Szasha and I were totally wiped out. So much excitement! So we made our way home, and a Very Amusing Event occurred on the chapa ride home! As we were waiting for the chapa to fill up, some kid stole this guy's plastic bag with sodas that he had just bought. He was really mad about it, but no one could find the kid and so the man had no choice but to let it go. But lo and behold! Just as we pulled out of the chapa stop, one of the other passengers shouted "There he is! That's the kid! Look, the one who took your plastic bag!" so our cobrador stopped the chapa and he and the passenger ran after the kid. They ripped the doughballs that the kid was selling from his hands and said "You give back that man's sodas or we are taking these doughballs as payment." The kid was really stubborn and didn't want to return the sodas, but everyone else in the chapa (about 18 people) started shouting "GIVE THAT MAN HIS STUFF BACK!" So eventually the kid ran and got the plastic bag with sodas and returned it. The guy whose sodas they were gave the kid a disciplinary slap upside the head and returned all but one of the kids bags of doughballs. He kept one bag and  said, "I'm taking these as payment for your misbehavior. Next time, don't steal." And he gave the doughballs away to other passengers in the chapa. The kid was super pissed, but everyone in the chapa (Szasha and I included) thought it was hilarious and some of them shouted "Thanks for the snack!" out the window as we pulled away. Justice served!

It was a thoroughly exhausting day, but also immensely enjoyable.

That's about all I have as far as updates are concerned, but before I finish I wanted to show off the best thing so far about Mavudzi!

This is Poppy. I inherited her from the volunteer before me.

Everyone in town loves Poppy. She follows me everywhere, she chases chickens and goats and ducks out of my house when they wander in (so they don't poop all over the floor), and she growls when strangers walk too close to the front door at night. Multipurpose AND super cute. What a combo! The only problem? She is a super picky eater. She won't eat dog food, and she'll only eat certain types of people food. Today, she stared me down until I gave her some of my spicy feijão, but then when she took one lick she decided she didn't like it and left the rest sitting there. My delicious spicy beans! The nerve! She makes up for it by following me all around town, though. I'm already known as "the muzungu with the dog." I'm OK with that. It's a start. Hopefully  once the school year starts, they'll know me as Professora Helena instead. Hopefully.