Out of Practice - or am I?

You have to have a certain type of chutzpah to make it in Africa.  There is just a constant bombardment of the senses that if you are not 'always on,' you might just get ripped off.  I think it's similar to the feeling you can get on stage when you are required to be completely on for the the course of the show.

My Peace Corps Country director said to me once in a dive bar near the border of Zimbabwe, "Volunteers have a 24/7 job.  The minute you wake up to the minute you go to sleep, you are working, representing America and that might be the toughest job you ever have."  I think people may also be curious on how we sleep!  But, I digress.

I was walking to downtown Windhoek today after work and passed by a section where the majority of registered hawkers set up shop to sell you all sorts of Africana.  Alot of it is the same that you'll see in Namibia, South africa, Swaziland or Mozambique, but I stopped by a stall because I saw something that comes from Mozambique.  I know it as 'pastas de palha' or palm wallets and like using them for the abundance of coin I get when traveling in southern Africa.  It's also very nice because it stops the coin from jingling in your pocket.  I asked the person at the stall how much and she said N$180! (20 USD). This is for something I would buy for 5-10 Meticais in Mozambique (20-40 cents)  I laughed at her out loud and said I felt insulted she thought I would be so stupid to pay that amount.  She immediately dropped her price to N$120 - which is still too high.

A man came over to me and asked how much I was willing to pay, I said N$4 because that is equal to MTn10.  He laughed at me.  Taking some words of advice from a friend in Vermont who had been to this part of the world since the recession of 2008, I asked if I paid N$100 (which he wanted), what would he give me?  He pointed to some small tschaky and I picked out what I actually wanted.  So, long story short.  I walked away from the market with a bag full of curios as presents for people for N$150.  All were happy and I don't think I'm as out of practice as I previously though.

Now, why would I say I am out of practice?  I lived in the Mozambican bush for 3 years after all.  But, the thing is, I've lived a cushy existence in America since then.  I felt particularly out of practice when my friend Lauren came to visit from South Africa.  She's lived in SA and Moz for the past 5 years save for a 6 month break back in PA.  We had gone out to a bierhaus on her last night in Windhoek and took a taxi home.  Naturally, most taxi drivers think that everyone coming out of this bierhaus is a tourist.  We asked for a taxi and were told it would be N$50 dollars for a 2 kilometer ride.  That ride is normally N$9 a person.

We eventually found a normal taxi and gave them a N$20 for us to get home.  But, on the ride home I thought things were bad.  I couldn't understand the driver and thought he was slurring his words.  I later realized he only spoke nominal English.  I admired my friend because she was just a chatty Cathy with the drivers and had them laughing with her or at her.  I felt that night I couldn't do things like that anymore and would rather stay home than have to deal with it.

Needless to say, we got home safely and after the experience in the curio market today, I might not be in such bad shape after all!

More soon,
Ian

So long, Farewell, Auf wiedersehen, goodbye

It's hot and sticky, people are asking me to basically sell them the shirt off my back and I'm ready to go. Mozambique, you've been good to me but I'm ready to continue on, by way of South Africa, Namibia, Germany and The United Kingdom. I'm going to be seeing wonderful friends and my sister along the way. Most of which I haven't seen in varying year degrees of time. Hopefully they are as excited to see me as I am them. I hope I can remember how to communicate with people in the first world though.

As I said what was probably the hardest see you soon, (for right now anyway) I realized that I have to keep PCVs in my life, or people with a good sense of British-esque humor, otherwise I'm going to have no friends! But, I've been in a funk most of the day because I'm leaving. I've got to say goodbye to people who have been wonderful to me, not knowing when I'll be back around this part of the world. Mozambique is not exactly on the "well-traveled" route. However, I also realized this past weekend that I've made some friends for life. I love when you run into those people. I tend to find 2 or 3 of them in every place I live. I just hope I continue having people in my life who inspire me like all those crazy people who came to my going away party.

I just never thought I would be THIS sad to say goodbye to Mozambique. I've had fun, hard times, and normal times. I guess I've gotten so used to being the American Abroad that now, being faced with my first real long stint of living in America I'm scared, nervous, excited, you name it. Any suggestions how to get out of this funk and realize I have an excellent trip in front of me, will be seeing great people and going to the land of Obama?