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!
