Self-Doubt

Leftover frosting + camera = 

The Warrior Women

Introducing you to my soccer players:

Sirolli's Solution: Shut Up

Why did my school’s journalism group produce two school newspapers and then crash and burn? Because it wasn’t what the students wanted. 

Day 1 of The Daily Macarena

Day 85 of The Daily Macarena

Why did my soccer team practice for two years, and scrimmage even when I wasn’t in town? Because it was what the girls wanted.

After hearing so many criticisms of foreign aid, and wondering for two years what right I have to think I can actually improve this community assigned to me, Ernesto Sirolli’s talk spoke to why aid so often doesn’t work, including Peace Corps work, and what can be done differently.

Looking back with Sirolli's ideas in mind, it makes more sense to me as to why the journalism project – an idea one of the teachers had and told kids to do – ultimately fizzled out, while the soccer team – which the girls came to me themselves and asked for – stayed strong.

What does Sirolli say to do?

He says, SHUT UP.

Too often, Sirolli says, we (as Peace Corps Volunteers, aid workers, NGOs) we enter a community and tell them what to do. It’s no wonder so many projects fail, don’t have the intended consequences, or end up hurting more than they are helping. Those projects don't address the interests and passions of the people we're actually working for.

You can hear his talk here:

What we really should be doing is closing our flapping lips and opening our ears.

Life Post Peace Corps

Let’s be honest. I will always love fresh pão (bread) and peanut butter, even when I’m on American soil…rather, American asphalt and hardwood floors. Dana, MFer, and Bevil encouraged me to keep up the blog, and hey – “the daily bucket bath” is still relevant to my life, except for the word “bucket”…and “bath”…and “daily”…just kidding. So I thought to myself, well, if no one ends up reading the blog, what the hell is wrong with you? I mean, I thought to myself, what the hell, I like writing and didn’t even realize that people were reading it when I was in Mozambique, but still dedicated most of my precious 150 minutes a week of internet to blogging. So I might as well keep on going.

Since my last post, I left Mozambique and went right to France (through Ethiopia) to visit Jorge with a total of two French words in my head. Unfortunately, he had classes during most of my visit, so I visited museums by myself, ate crepes by myself, journaled in hot chocolate shops by myself, sampled honey by myself, bought an awesome cow hat by myself, and went salsa dancing…with Jorge. Tricked ya.

"Ant Jazz" in the Miniature Museum...by myself

Then I took the train to Switzerland to catch a plane to England to visit Bradley, who is ever as gentlemanly as the last time I saw him, puh-haps even more so.

Then I met my family and their 15 bags of luggage in Italy. An incredible and hilarious journey of fresh and not-so-fresh pão ensued. It merits no words, only the video below.

Video produced by Val while Steph looked on and made useless suggestions like “let’s invert the colors, speed it up 54x, and then zoom in on the butt. That would be funny.” 

O Amigo é o Outro Eu

"O segredo da vida é amizade. O amigo é o outro 'eu'."

This person...

...drives me crazy.

...saves me from going crazy.

...is my culture-question go-to person

...makes me crack up.

...is my motivation for going to work every Tuesday and Thursday.

...is the toughest, most bad-ass
Mozambican woman I know.

...can snap me out of a bad mood.

...inspires me to be more creative and philosophical.

No words necessary.

"The secret to life is friendship. The friend is the other 'I'."

When you are feeling small...

...just keep reaching, and eventually your feet will reach the pedals.

What can I Say?

"what can I say"

It's been crazy.

Benefits of Nosy Neighbors #2

I found myself in the bathroom yet again (seems to be a recurring theme, doesn’t it?), this time to take a bucket bath (something that should be recurring). The front door of my house was wide open, as it always is. In this community, it would be unfathomably rude to close the door while I was in the house, unless it’s bedtime.

Anyway, I had already sudsed up when I perceived – I wasn’t sure if I had actually seen it – a dark form move past a gaping hole in the door. My heart jumped. Do I calmly finish my bath, or put my towel on and investigate – and risk confronting a burglar in just my towel? Captain Underpants would have known what to do, but crime scenes in Mozambique are not his priority.

Snippets of my neighbors’ conversation floated into my bucketbathroom.

“murmur murmur went into the house!”

“mumble murmur tee hee”

“she’s taking a bath murmur”

“WHAT?” I yelled from my non-vantage point.

“A chicken just walked into your house!”

I saw a colorful form briefly flash through all the holes in my door, not just the ones low to the ground like the first shadow. I heard a small scuffle and then a loud, protesting squawking. The colors went by my door again, in the other direction, and the squawking diminished in volume.

I rinsed off my suds layer in peace.

Benefits of Nosy Neighbors #1

One day I went into the bathroom just like any other day. When I tried to leave again, I saw that something was wrong. The door latch, which is on the outside of the door for some reason (so you can play a prank on someone in the bathroom??), had slid over the hook when I closed the door. The door had locked itself, and the lock and I were on opposite sides of the door.

“SISINIA!” I bellowed through the crack in the door. Our houses sit facing each other, our porches separated by just ten feet of clay-dirt yard.

“WHAT IS IT?” Luckily Sisinia was standing outside her house.

“Come here! No, here! Inside the house! I’m here! Walk this way! Come to the bathroom door!” When I could see her through the cracks in the wood, I jiggled the door to show her my predicament.

She, like any good friend, burst out laughing.

“I am not going to let you out!”

Epilogue: She let me out. I was, after all, her sole provider of hot chocolate and tampons.

Frequently Asked Questions

Oh my gosh. Was it just amazing?

No. One volunteer described Peace Corps as “learning to manage a series of disappointments.” This is quite accurate.

So, how was it then?

How were the past two years of your life?

Well, what was it like?

Let’s sit down for a two-hour coffee, and I’ll tell you about the first day.

What are your plans for after?

Eat a toasted everything bagel with cream cheese.

Are you taking a COS (Close-of-Service) trip?

Yes! Since I just happen to be flying halfway across the world anyway, I’m going to stop in France to relearn Spanish with this awesome dude: 

then I’ll hop over to England to relearn English with this awesome dude:

 then I’ll be learning Italian with these awesome dudes: