29 Things I Learned in My First Week in Mozambique

"Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire."

It’s been more or less a week since I arrived in Mozambique to kick off three months of training in Namaacha before heading to my 2 year site here. So many things have happened and I am learning so much every day that it’s been especially difficult to find time and space to write. Our days are packed and when I’m not participating in training, I’m spending time with my host family which consists of my mae, pai, 4 year old brother, and 11 year old sister. So far everything has been wonderful and I am feeling more and more that this is where I need to be.


Until I have time to write more, I thought I would give you a snapshot of some things I’ve learned in this last week or so. Enjoy!






1. The Rabies vaccine HURTS.


2. Soccer is a huge deal here.


3. Mozambicans take a lot of pride in how they present themselves. From the way they dress to their hygiene, Mozambicans make a lot of effort to be “chique.”


4. Portuguese here sounds completely different than the Brazilian Portuguese they teach you on Duolingo.


5. Having a language barrier goes beyond understanding what people are saying—it turns even the simplest interactions into a constant game of “Did I get that right? Did I offend someone?


6. Contrary to popular belief, the entire continent of Africa is not covered by either desert or jungle and it actually gets quite cold here in Namaacha, especially at night!


7. The juicy fruit from the Lion King that Rafiki puts on Simba’s head is a real fruit that exists here! It’s sweet and sort of tastes like a citrus-y banana.


8. Having clean drinking water is something I’ve taken for granted my entire life.


9. Bucket baths are surprisingly refreshing, even while standing in a cement, roofless, doorless area that leaves me completely exposed to the elements, wandering chickens, and my four year old host brother.


10. Mozambican women, while warm and kind, are hardworking, fierce, and always know best.


11. Education is highly valued and coveted by many here.


12. Students tend to write with perfect cursive and value their penmanship.


13. Gender inequality in Mozambique means that (among other things) “men’s day” is every Friday and “women’s day” only comes once a year.


14. My eleven year old host sister knows more about how to take care of herself than I do.


15. “Couve” (translated to “kale”) is a delicious dish made of peanuts, coconut milk, and kale. It is pretty labor intensive and takes all morning to prepare.


16. When it comes to “peixe” (fish), it usually comes to me from my host mom in full fish form, eyeballs and all—something I’m learning how to eat without choking on fish bones.


17. After a full day of being around my host family and fellow volunteers, I NEED my alone time. I have caught myself several times daydreaming about being alone in my room, reading a book or writing in my journal.


18. Mozambique is a geographically diverse country that has a little bit of everything: beautiful beaches, lush mountains, and many different kinds of landscape in between.


19. When greeting friend and family, Mozambicans give two cheek kisses or an intricate handshake.


20. When shaking hands, it is customary to give a little tickle to the other person’s hand to show that you are “interested” in that person.


21. All at the same time, Mozambique reminds me of many places I’ve been while also being completely new and different.


22. Nothing brightens my day more than seeing a group of smiling kiddos while I’m walking down the street.


23. Learning a new language is exhausting, frustrating, and a recipe for awkward interactions.


24. If said incorrectly, the word for bread can sound like another word often used to describe something VERY different than bread (if you know what I mean).


25. Capulana (beautiful locally made fabric) is used for EVERYTHING—skirts, shawls, head wraps, ties, shirts, dresses, purses, you name it, they can make it out of capulana.


26. Nothing puts you in your place more than a 4 year old correcting your Portuguese.


27. Mozambique has a beautiful national anthem that repeats its chorus 6 TIMES.


28. Nobody understands your Peace Corps experience more than the people next to you—your fellow volunteers.


29. I wasn’t so sure before, but I feel more ready than ever to spend two years here in this beautiful country and I can’t wait to add a million new things to my growing list of lessons learned.






Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more updates!










With love,








Emily

My views and opinions are my own and do not reflect those of the United States government or Peace Corps organization.