825232821

I’ve been toying with the thought of writing a book about my time in Africa.  My experiences today have a lot to do with the title and with my desire to write about Africa.  It has felt VERY good to start up this blog again.  I feel like it is a place where I can put my experiences down on ‘paper’ to process them more and also feel like I’m talking to people back home.

The title of this blog is my phone number from Peace Corps Mozambique.  It was my connection to the outside world and my lifeline for making things work at site.  To me, over the corse of the 3 years I spent there, I felt like it was a barometer of my time in Moz.  I started out at 8 (out of 10) because I was nervous about what was ahead of me.  I then went to a 2 when I was dropped off at site and given the keys to my house.  I was in the middle of nowhere!  Or at least so I thought.  I then slowly made my way up to a 5 when things normalized for me.  After my first project spectacularly failed, I was down back to 2.  Got used to the failures, and I moved up to 3.  After I really started getting used to Mozambique, made friends and made it feel like home.  But it still wasn’t really ‘home’ (where was that?)  So I got back to an 8.  Then I was leaving and sad.  I got pushed down to a 2.  Yet Africa was under my skin and I went back home one.

I’ve felt all those changes today.  THis morning was wonderful with the National Botanical Gardens and a trip to the farmer’s market.  Then I went out to another cafe to try out the wireless internet.  It didn’t exist.  I went across the compound to the wireless internet I could find and I put myself there for a couple of hours.  When I got home, I tried to get some of my checklist done.  But the house was too quiet and I couldn’t get motivated.  But, after some more food, I was able to get motivated and I found out all the movies that my friend gave me play on the television in my living room through a USB connection on the DVD player.  I’m definitely living a very 1st world existence here in the Namib Desert.

It’s the little things right?

Topics of office convos

Life around the world is suprisingly similar to life back in the States. I'm putting two conversations up on this blog just in case the writers of either the American or UK versions of the office are bored and looking for topics.

D or d

In Mozambique, I'm know as doctor Ian or Marcus. It doesn't matter that I've only been to undergrad. They still want to acknowledge the fact that I have studied past twelfth grade. After you do a Master's degree, you get a big D Doctor title. I appreciate the sentiment, but it makes for some interesting conversations - like what follows. One of our youth activists has recently been hired full time as the receptionist. She heard some one call me doctor Ian and started talking about how she wants that title too. She's currently doing 8th grade night school so therefore can't have the title. I was busy filing some work I did this morning and was hearing all this going on. The person who shares my office with me was talking about how a doctora has to present herself well to the world. This girl looks a hell of a lot better than I do in sneakers and a 3 day old beard. I said that and we moved on to the next topic.
My facial hair. Everyone! Absolutely EVERYONE had an opinion on what I should do with my beard. It's kind of funny. :) Even the 15 year old. So, they decided I should basically do a Puerto Rican jaw line thingy. No such luck, but I can take a hint. Now I'm off to shave.

:O)