Again, this blog is going back a week:
Week 9 -
Marsol, one of the children at work, had been ill on Friday and by Monday, she had gotten much worse! She was really dehydrated from vomiting and her eyes were sunken and she was lifeless. She is normally so energetic and never stops laughing and smiling so it’s horrible to see. When the children are very ill they send them to the hospital but they often come back sicker and they have to visit everyday as the care is terrible, so it’s often more trouble than it’s worth.
Tues and Thursday were both really good days at work. I now have 4/5 core students and they love learning English, especially when it’s something not commonly used in Mozambique, as they say that ‘most people’ won’t be able to understand them when they use it, which makes them happy! Even when I think it’s not going that well, they always tell me it was the best lesson yet. I love getting them to come up with their own examples of the grammar we have been using, they are always hilariously random. When I told them it was my birthday next Thursday they all cheered and said we will have a festa with bejias, and samosas and refrescos and a cake!
On Tuesday, Nasti and I had the best lunch in Maputo, at Cafe Continental. The cheese toasty had real cheese, the drinks were bought before the food, the food came in under 10 minutes, the waiters were friendly, there was real ketchup and the loos are the best I’ve seen! We are so easily pleased!
By Wednesday, the tailor in Matola had made my capulana shorts. They looked great but they needed adjusting. He promised me they would be ready in time for Bilene on Friday! He’s also in the process of making me a capulana dress and altering two dresses which I bought last week.
I hadn’t been to dance class for a few weeks but I went yesterday and it was good to see everyone and it was good fun, although still, such hard work! Silje helps me a lot though; she’s a dance teacher in Norway and is on a dance exchange programme so she’s a pro. We are going to showcase our moves at Macaneta (club) next Friday.
I got some new music from Tibério, at ACOORD. I now have music from Brazil, Cape Verde, Portugal, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Guinea Bissau, Sao Tome and Angola, (I will post links to some of my favourites) so I now have a highly multicultural iPod. He also had lots of English/American music...all named wrongly. I have James Blant, Tracy Champion, Marron 5 and my favourite, by Michael Jackson, Billy Jeans.
On Thursday, I finally swept all the dead cockroaches out of my room. I’m not sure what’s killing them! I need to buy some bug spray, as I can hear them scuttling around at night, but the bug spray they use here could kill a horse and as my room is rather small, I’m a little worried about ‘fogging’ myself in the process.
When I went to work on Friday, before I left for Bilene, Marsol was, thankfully, a little better.
The tailor, Domingo, is my new best friend. By Friday lunchtime, after my 3rd visit to remind him that I needed my shorts by 1pm, he had finished 2 out of the 3 pairs, made my capulana dress and altered the other two. (Pictures to follow) I love them! He’s also going to make me a satchel out of the remaining dress material and next week he will make Ele’s trousers and possibly another dress for me.
Friday was actually a good day all round, as one of my parcels arrived too! Nasti and I spent Sunday afternoon reading Heat and Closer and eating Chocolate Buttons! Now I’m just waiting for the grammar books to arrive!
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