Wednesday, December 03, 2008

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

Inhambane Bay

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

Maputo (crazy mix of Latina and African Cultures)

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

Tofo Beach

Inhambane City

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!

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