Update from Xai-Xai in Gaza

So I am in the land of Gaza right now but it is a little bigger than a strip. I'm visiting my friends Mike and Justin from training. They are here in the provincial capital at a teacher's training college. Before I go into how things are here let me give you all my new address. Interestingly enough I am now Reverand Ian Hefele as far as the Mozambican postal service is concerned. Apparently, things get through a hell of a lot easier and quicker when they are addressed to the church folk. If you send me anything bigger than an envelope write some of the following phrases on it and it will get here very quickly.
CHRIST IS KING
LONG LIVE GOD
JESUS SAVES
GOD IS MY SAVIOUR......... you get the idea.

Here is the address
Rev. Ian Hefele, PCV
C.P. 31
Maxixe, Mozambique

So, where do I begin. I've been beach hopping down the coast for the past 10 days because there is really nothing else to be done - the country is on one major holiday. But I'm enjoying it immensely and when I finally get my act together, I'll post some pictures. :O) When I left Tofo beach to come down for christmas, I knew it was going to be an interesting ride. I love it because buses work here on a whole different level of absurdity than anywhere I've ever been. First of all, they are called matchibombos - which suggests the English word rambling. Boy do they ever do that. Xai Xai is about 250 kilometres from my home and that took me 5 hours. Which really isn't bad on Mozambican time!!!! We went down to the beach here, where my cousin has actually been. (That a strange concept, knowing family members have been to comepletely random spots in the world where you are now standing)

Now, I've got to love you all and leave you. Justin is waiting for his turn on the internet. For lunch today we are going to gorge ourselves on steak and Xima (mozambican mealie meal) for the grand total of 40,000 meticais...or $1.75!

Ianito

Oh yeah I went swimming on Christmas day too!

Feliz Natal

I just wanted to write all of you very quickly and wish you a merry christmas and happy new year. I've found REALLY fast internet at the italian mission in Maxixe. I'm down here today to open a Post Office box get some things for my house and just chill by the water. I've got some PCVs from Namibia coming tomorrow. The three of them are doing a Cape Town to Cairo trek by land and I agreed to put them up for a couple of days. I got a call from them from Maputo (god that place seems like miles away) and they are excited to see the beach! So am I! But, I plan on going to Xai-Xai to visit my friends Justin and Mike for Natal. (Xmas) We are proabbly going to surprise, surprise go to the beach. The Bob Dylan song was not lying! :O)

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!

Love ya

IAn

PS. Gaterade in powder and any sort of spices are wonderful stocking stuffers for xmas in July!

Moving day

So the day after tomorrow I move. I pack everything up and head Northward about 6 hours to move into the Terra da boa Gente or Land of Good People. We had our swearing in last night. Very good time and a very good party. Now I'm headed back to Boane to spend some time thinking and packing and saying goodbye to some people. But on Tuesday, your's truly will be living in Homoine, Inhambane Provine.

Wish me luck

Ian

Ndzi voluntari xa corpo da paz!

Gi Xile!
Ndzi Ian, ndzi voluntari xo corpo da paz. Ndza tira xicolweni 25 de Setembro xa Homione, Inhambane. Ndzi mugondzise xa xiguisa!

G'day everbody! Howzit? That is a little taste of the local dialect I have started learning. It is called Xitswa. The x is pronounce "sh" like in Xela, Guatemala, Julie's place. Anyway, drumroll please..... I am going to the beach in Inhambane Province about 6-7 hours away from Maputo the capital. I amm really excited because
1. I'm living alone.
2. I'm going to the TERRA DA BOA GENTE!
3. Here comes fluent portuguese and Chitswa
4. I'm going to get to mess with all the tourists who come to the beach, especially the afrikaners!

It was a little shock to the system that I would be living alone first, but honestly I think that is what I wanted. I was talking yesterday to a really good friend here, Justin, and what he said made me realise that YES it was what I wanted and YES I am going to rock up there! Besides, my closest neighbour is only a 20 minute chapa ride away and the first person I met in the group is only 40 minutes away in Maxixe. And she has a hot shower!!!!!!! :O) Its a nice little perk occaisionally but I'm diggin the bucket showers. I'm in the middle of a field of coconut trees. I will be learning to climb those trees and get the cocos. I've cell phone coverage, electricity and a pump really close to my house. I'm teaching in a reed hut, which the entire school is made out of and unless more funding comes through, will probably NOT have any desks for the first year though. Once I get there Ill be setting up a post office box, but until then keep the packages coming to the Peace Corps office here in Maputo!

Back to the whole language thing. I'm very excited to be able to have the opportunity to use 3 languages every single day and to be able to add a 4th language to that when I go the beach (Afrikaans.) I can just see the white tourists faces when I'm speaking dialect to some Mozambicans and then turn around and speak to them in there language....OOOOO thats gonna be FUN.

So, here is the low down. I had to get my toenail removed again. Its a regular occurance throughout PCVs here in Mozambique. Make a long story short, they lanced it, stitched it up and now I have to walk around in sandals for the rest of the time INCLUDING SWEARING IN CEREMONY! But I think the Ambassdor will understand. Speaking of her, we had a Thanksgiving dinner that she came to at school. She stayed for 2 and a half hours! She is one of the nicest diplomats I've ever met, she even danced with us! But now, things are winding down in training. We have a big party with our host families next week. That's tuesday. Then we go and meet our school directors, they are coming to Maputo. Apparently, according to the PCV I am replacing he is known as macaco velho or OLD MONKEY. Ill fill you in on that! :O) Next Friday is our swearing in ceremony and we spend that night at this beach resort on Costa do Sol! Saturday is our recoverday and Sunday or Monday I move to the land of good people - as Inhambane province is known!

com respeito e amor

Ianito