Wednesday, December 31, 2008
End of 2008
Tonight I get to finally experience a German tradition of Television. New Year's Rockin' Eve German. Dinner for One Have a Look.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
The End of an Era
Well, this is it. The last post from Africa. I'm sitting at OR Tambo International Airport in Joburg and bought 30 Rand worth of wireless so I could use my laptop. I'm slowly coming back into civilization. Jess left yesterday, and I played massive amounts of Pass the Pigs and Apples to Apples with the PCVs who were still at the backpackers. I've not really started processing my thoughts and emotions yet. It really has not hit me.
My last day in Africa was spent in bed until 9 AM!!!! What a luxury! Also, Pretoria was 25 degrees celcius today so rather cold for a summers day. I went and bought some extra socks though for when I land in Europe and I purchased a compelation CD called the GREAT SOUTH AFRICAN TRIP that I'm going to listen to in the plane and I know I'm going to ball my eyes out to the beautiful music. Africa will never be forgotten by me. I love her and hate her with equal passion and all I have to say is
KANIMAMBO KWATSI MAMAE AFRIKA!
PS. Should we have a vote on whether or not I continue this blog? Thank you all for reading over the years and I hope I can continue to entertain.
My last day in Africa was spent in bed until 9 AM!!!! What a luxury! Also, Pretoria was 25 degrees celcius today so rather cold for a summers day. I went and bought some extra socks though for when I land in Europe and I purchased a compelation CD called the GREAT SOUTH AFRICAN TRIP that I'm going to listen to in the plane and I know I'm going to ball my eyes out to the beautiful music. Africa will never be forgotten by me. I love her and hate her with equal passion and all I have to say is
KANIMAMBO KWATSI MAMAE AFRIKA!
PS. Should we have a vote on whether or not I continue this blog? Thank you all for reading over the years and I hope I can continue to entertain.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
#1
Hallo van Suid Afrika
Sorry I've been missing in action but it's been an action filled 48 hours. The trip to South Africa was pretty uneventful. I just struggled to stay awake because I didn't want to miss any of the last 120 kilometers left in Mozambique. Got to the border and the sun was beating down. Of course the line was huge at the border. I felt like a refugee, but the funny thing was as I got closer to the building (deciding the future of my life) a guy took me by the arm and brought me to the front of the line. I thought maybe he "recognized" me from my Brazilian Soap Opera days, but he just wanted a fanta. He cut about 30 minutes off of my wait time, so I gave him 30 mets for his troubles. Yes, I guess I did bribe a border guard, but does it count as a bribe when he's just offering me some services! Naturally, my cell phone stopped working as I got over the border. This is such a ghetto fabulous cell phone that I'm surprised it lasted this long but thankfully I was able to bribe the other volunteer I was traveling with with dinner and some beers and now I have his cell phone. Like it would have worked in the States anyway. :) Oh PC, what you have taught me!
Got to Jozi and got scared, but during the day in a car, it doesn't look that scary. It kind of looks like a Framingham MA stuck in the 1980's. Had a couple hours before I left to the airport to pick up Jess. Andrew (the other PCV) and I went to the closest restaurant (We are in Joburg after all!!) which turned out to be a Portuguese Restaurant with Mozambican staff. The food was cheaper here than in Moz. GO FIGURE! Then off to the airport to pick up Jess who true to form showed up an hour late. I felt bad because the driver had to wait for me. But when he came to pick us up after Jess finally cleared customs, he had his pita in the car. (mistress) Epa Afrika! We got home at midnight and promptly fell asleep, thank GOD! Jess didn't sleep very well on the plane so was tired.
Day #2 started with us hitting the ground running. Jozi is the biggest city in Southern Africa and chocka history from all over the sub-continent. Me being the history nerd, I had to take advantage of where I was. We started this tour with a guy Moses and his ADORABLE son Siyande. We spent the next 12 hours with him but went to SOWETO, and the Apartheid museums. It was a little awkward for me in Soweto because it looks like how I lived in Moz, but since Jess can't get to Moz with me on this trip, I figured why the hell not. The Apartheid museum is what got me. I started crying. When you buy a ticket, you are issued with your racial classification on the ticket. I joked with Jess that she was most definitely going to get "blankie" and I would get "nie-blankie." White and non-white. Well, I was right and I just couldn't stop laughing! Even though we are siblings and obviously both white, Apartheid thought otherwise. Just got me thinking how stupid racism and that whole system was/is. Jess and I also started realizing that it still exists in America, we just never had some term to call it by name. You don't identify something, then it doesn't exist now, does it?
Later last night, we went to a Johnny Clegg concert. WOW! This man is amazing. I want all of you to investigate him and see how wonderful the music of this continent is. We were five rows back (almost in spitting distance) for R205. So cheap. The dancing was beautiful, the voices were amazing and one of the back up singers had one of the biggest bundas/bums I've ever seen in my life and man could she shake it! I'm still on a high from the sheer joy of life that I experienced last night. There were some afrikaaners in the crowd who were the first one's up dancing and seeing that even further concretes my belief that all this fighting, fear and hatred is completely pointless cause in the end, we all want to have a good time, love and be loved. I challenge someone to prove me wrong. :)
Today was a day of rest. Slept in til 9 AM! Had some leisurely breakfast and tea then went on a 12 k walk through the city. To the mall and back so we could get some beer so don't get too hasty about thinking that I've become some sort of health nut! Listening to the CD I bought last night of the concert, we caught up on the past year. Suprises on both sides, but what's life without a little bit of surprise right... one word, boring! We came back, cooked some dinner, played some pigs (thank you Pamela Shelly and Anne Blumenauer) and are now getting ready to go to bed because we are catching the bus to Namibia tomorrow.
So, we'll be back in South Africa on the 25th so for any christmas calls, you can reach us at +27 760 666 034. I'll update what our Namibian number is.
Tchau for now
Ian and Jess
Sorry I've been missing in action but it's been an action filled 48 hours. The trip to South Africa was pretty uneventful. I just struggled to stay awake because I didn't want to miss any of the last 120 kilometers left in Mozambique. Got to the border and the sun was beating down. Of course the line was huge at the border. I felt like a refugee, but the funny thing was as I got closer to the building (deciding the future of my life) a guy took me by the arm and brought me to the front of the line. I thought maybe he "recognized" me from my Brazilian Soap Opera days, but he just wanted a fanta. He cut about 30 minutes off of my wait time, so I gave him 30 mets for his troubles. Yes, I guess I did bribe a border guard, but does it count as a bribe when he's just offering me some services! Naturally, my cell phone stopped working as I got over the border. This is such a ghetto fabulous cell phone that I'm surprised it lasted this long but thankfully I was able to bribe the other volunteer I was traveling with with dinner and some beers and now I have his cell phone. Like it would have worked in the States anyway. :) Oh PC, what you have taught me!
Got to Jozi and got scared, but during the day in a car, it doesn't look that scary. It kind of looks like a Framingham MA stuck in the 1980's. Had a couple hours before I left to the airport to pick up Jess. Andrew (the other PCV) and I went to the closest restaurant (We are in Joburg after all!!) which turned out to be a Portuguese Restaurant with Mozambican staff. The food was cheaper here than in Moz. GO FIGURE! Then off to the airport to pick up Jess who true to form showed up an hour late. I felt bad because the driver had to wait for me. But when he came to pick us up after Jess finally cleared customs, he had his pita in the car. (mistress) Epa Afrika! We got home at midnight and promptly fell asleep, thank GOD! Jess didn't sleep very well on the plane so was tired.
Day #2 started with us hitting the ground running. Jozi is the biggest city in Southern Africa and chocka history from all over the sub-continent. Me being the history nerd, I had to take advantage of where I was. We started this tour with a guy Moses and his ADORABLE son Siyande. We spent the next 12 hours with him but went to SOWETO, and the Apartheid museums. It was a little awkward for me in Soweto because it looks like how I lived in Moz, but since Jess can't get to Moz with me on this trip, I figured why the hell not. The Apartheid museum is what got me. I started crying. When you buy a ticket, you are issued with your racial classification on the ticket. I joked with Jess that she was most definitely going to get "blankie" and I would get "nie-blankie." White and non-white. Well, I was right and I just couldn't stop laughing! Even though we are siblings and obviously both white, Apartheid thought otherwise. Just got me thinking how stupid racism and that whole system was/is. Jess and I also started realizing that it still exists in America, we just never had some term to call it by name. You don't identify something, then it doesn't exist now, does it?
Later last night, we went to a Johnny Clegg concert. WOW! This man is amazing. I want all of you to investigate him and see how wonderful the music of this continent is. We were five rows back (almost in spitting distance) for R205. So cheap. The dancing was beautiful, the voices were amazing and one of the back up singers had one of the biggest bundas/bums I've ever seen in my life and man could she shake it! I'm still on a high from the sheer joy of life that I experienced last night. There were some afrikaaners in the crowd who were the first one's up dancing and seeing that even further concretes my belief that all this fighting, fear and hatred is completely pointless cause in the end, we all want to have a good time, love and be loved. I challenge someone to prove me wrong. :)
Today was a day of rest. Slept in til 9 AM! Had some leisurely breakfast and tea then went on a 12 k walk through the city. To the mall and back so we could get some beer so don't get too hasty about thinking that I've become some sort of health nut! Listening to the CD I bought last night of the concert, we caught up on the past year. Suprises on both sides, but what's life without a little bit of surprise right... one word, boring! We came back, cooked some dinner, played some pigs (thank you Pamela Shelly and Anne Blumenauer) and are now getting ready to go to bed because we are catching the bus to Namibia tomorrow.
So, we'll be back in South Africa on the 25th so for any christmas calls, you can reach us at +27 760 666 034. I'll update what our Namibian number is.
Tchau for now
Ian and Jess
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Addendum
Just wanted to add a few more things to my lists of misses and not misses. Many people, mainly Virginia and Noel have been telling me things I will be missing.
SO:
Misses
Manica (I think their stock will take a hit when I leave)
Fresh Coconuts anytime
"Mandaring" children to go buy you things when it's too hot
tipo tinto (my biggest vice)
capulana clothing
Won't miss
lack of queues
5 people doing the job that one person does at home
SO:
Misses
Manica (I think their stock will take a hit when I leave)
Fresh Coconuts anytime
"Mandaring" children to go buy you things when it's too hot
tipo tinto (my biggest vice)
capulana clothing
Won't miss
lack of queues
5 people doing the job that one person does at home
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Hal is alive
Facebook
Is it a book of faces that come back haunting you from your past? Yes I believe so. I've had weird Facebook experiences before, but yesterday takes the cake. You all know the people you may know aspect of Facebook, well, my host family from the first half year of Germany was all on there. How did Facebook know? There was no 6 degrees of separation connection. It just was freaky, because all 6 of them were on there. I decided, what they hell, and friended the oldest 3 who I was closer with anyone before ww3 broke out. To my big surprise, they all responded!
Guess people do grow up with age...
Is it a book of faces that come back haunting you from your past? Yes I believe so. I've had weird Facebook experiences before, but yesterday takes the cake. You all know the people you may know aspect of Facebook, well, my host family from the first half year of Germany was all on there. How did Facebook know? There was no 6 degrees of separation connection. It just was freaky, because all 6 of them were on there. I decided, what they hell, and friended the oldest 3 who I was closer with anyone before ww3 broke out. To my big surprise, they all responded!
Guess people do grow up with age...
The America List
What I’m excited for in America
CHEESE!!!!
NPR
Being exotic
Appliances that work
Public transport that works on a schedule
Speaking American English Again
Getting things all in one place (I think Wal Mart would kill me right now)
CHEESE!!!
Choice
Obama
Clinton
Flush toilets
clean bathrooms
high speed
being able to have an egg and cheese sandwich without confusing people
having enough change
things will just work... i think
not being stared at
Passing through the border and feel proud to put down my passport
seeing my family
seeing my friends
going to theater
going to movies
dating
living life in the land of obama
seeing Mag
seeing friends
seeing family
Living in Philly
plotting my next escape
looking for a job
HIGH SPEED INTERNET
What will scare me
People that voted for Bush
That fact Bush and I are in the same country
the possibility that Palin may run in 2012
The cold
the size
the language
the accent
the cold
the snow
the amount of white people
the racism I will only really notice now
flush toilets
clean bathrooms
choice
supersize
mcdonalds (it's been nice not seeing a mcdonalds in YEARS!)
any other thoughts?
Last day of Work
Since it’s my last day of work in Africa (for some time at least) I thought I’d come up with a list of what I’m looking forward to in America, what I’m not, what I’ll miss in Mozambique and what I’m not going to miss. I hope my profuse sweating doesn’t short out the entire computer keyboard. It’s kinda gross how much I’m sweating at 8:30 in the morning! Here we go……..
What I’ll miss in Moz
Friendly people
Talking about absolutely nothing for hours
DOING absolutely nothing for hours
The slow pace of life
Being a celebrity
Calling my own hours at work
A (ok) beach 15 minutes from my house
Forests of coconut trees
Beers for $1
One syllable responses
Gorgeous people
Wonderful smiles
My housekeeper and here endless cheerfulness even though she lives in a grass hut
My dogs
My next door neighbor Vaz
Being Tio to at least 50 kids
Sylvia’s restaurant
Sylvia’s chicken
Sylvia’s hugs
SYLVIA
My little Maxixe crew (who’ve all gone and abandoned me!)
The tree bar with a 360 degree people watching perch
Being able to act crazy and no one really care because I’m white
Letting my dog chase children knowing that she’ll never catch them (I mean people her tail is wagging!)
Rain on a tin roof as long as it doesn’t come inside
The tropical downpours
The heat
The fact that “cold” for me over the past 3 years has been 60 degrees.
Beautiful Sunsets
Beautiful Sunrises
Beautiful Beaches
My friends
Peace Corps Crew
Big Mama at the Market
Speaking multiple languages a day
Laughing over the smallest things
My lizard pest control system
Walking around and knowing EVERYONE
Speaking comfortably in English while no one else understands
EWWWWWEEEEE, Epa!, aaahhheehhh and the myriad of other grunting noises that just conveys so much meaning
What I won’t miss
The heat (brain frying comes to mind)
The staring- I’m really NOT that special
Everyone thinking I’m made of money when they make more money than me
CHAPAS!!!! Clown Car public transport
The staring
Chapas
Never knowing how long traveling could take.
People thinking I don’t speak Portuguese
People who pretend like they’re listening to me and aren’t really
The heat
The mosquitoes (3 years on lariam is ENOUGH!)
Not knowing if you can get what you want when you want it. The west is spoiled!
The staring
Mulungo status
The heat
Stupid conductors on buses that think you would still take this form of public transport if you had a choice!
The fact that a distance of 20 k could take 30 minutes or 3 hours
The little rubbing together of the fingers to signify money
Dancing about the subject instead of heading straight for it
Stupid small talk
Yeah, my miss list is smaller than my won't miss list!
Monday, December 01, 2008
I'm so dizzy
My head is spinning. I've got 2 days left at work, 5 days left in my town where I've spent the past 3 years of my life. I've got 10 days left in a country that has taught me so much more than I could have imagined when I signed to dotted line all those years ago. I've got 27 days left on a continent I don't know how I'll get back to and as the saying goes "never leaves you." I thought when I left for Germany in 1999, I'd find myself, I thought when I left Friend's World I'd find myself, I thought signing up for Peace Corps, I'd find myself (that worked a little better as many of you know!) and now as I'm leaving I wonder if I'll find myself. But as one of my dear friends said here, one thing ends another thing begins... at least I'll never be boring at dinner parties. :)
P.S. I'm so thankful for all my friends of the years who have kept in contact with me and hopefully will for many years to come.
P.S. I'm so thankful for all my friends of the years who have kept in contact with me and hopefully will for many years to come.
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