A Mozamblog

Sunday, April 6, 2014

The (almost) Daily Bucket Bath

First, this post is dedicated to Fred and Elena Kyle in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They both enthusiastically responded to my recent surge in posting and in the case of Fred, implied doubt that this trend would continue. Grandma and Grandpa, this one's for you.

Oh, and I should also probably dedicate this post to those who originally taught me how to take a bath. Mom and Dad, this one is also for you.

Really, learning to bathe oneself in an entirely new way at any age after 15 is quite an accomplishment. And now, a year and a few months into practicing the new art of initially changing my bathing technique at age 22, I am ready to report.

Step 1: Heat up water (if it’s cold outside). If you are already dripping in sweat, skip this step. You may also skip this step if you are one of the people who subscribe to the “banho frio faz bem” theory.

Step 2: Carefully mix hot water (if applicable) and cold water in the big plastic bucket to make the perfect body washing temperature. This “perfect temperature” is completely subjective and what is your perfect body washing temperature is not necessarily someone else’s. Be careful not to spill the boiling water on you before mixing. This is said from personal experience.

Step 3: Place the plastic bucket in the designated “shower area.” Follow said bucket so you are also standing in the designated area.

Step 4: Take a smaller container (Plastic butter containers, for example) and start scooping water from the bigger bucket and pouring it on yourself.

*This is where it gets very personal and individual. Although a few of the host families in the very beginning tried to bathe the volunteer, I have decided that because I am writing this guide for those who have already mastered one bathing technique, I will leave the rest up to the reader. I will say: although soap is used in Mozambique if the family has it (most of the time), I highly recommend that you have soap on hand.

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Photo Update!

These are the kids who welcome me home from every trip (whether its to the big city, the small city, work, the market) They are all dressed for a birthday party, and came to my house to tell me I needed to take a bath and come to the party too.

Neighbor with the birthday boy

The first cohort of Livro Aberto/Peace Corps/USAID library volunteers!

Mandioca/Cassava and Dino!

Mozambican party food (chicken was also present)

My favorite map at my favorite pizza restaurant in the provincial capital.

For Christmas, I found the beach.

They were demonstrating how they know how to carry things on their heads.

Mozambique Talks

What does Mozambique tell Hannah?

Your breath smells bad if you eat hot food.

Michael Jackson is alive.

Michael Jackson is probably living in Brazil.

Michael Jackson is Mexican.

Dust ruins everything.

I will marry you.

You will marry me.

You need to marry in Mozambique. I will find you a man.

You left your husband and child(ren) at home?

You are Italian, yes?

You are Spanish, yes?

You are Portuguese, yes?

You are Brazilian, yes?

You are from Maputo?

Take me back to wherever you are from.

I’m not sure Osama Bin Laden is dead.

Something really bad will happen if you don’t take a bath before dinner.

I am planning to have 2 or 3 wives. This is a good number.

Do you have onions and oil? I want to make an onion salad.

There’s a potion you can put around your house that makes would-be thieves freeze like Medusa’s victims for you to find them and exact punishment later.

The United States has at least one person in every country to control what happens in that country.

If you’re pregnant, you can’t eat eggs.

North America is cold.

Spanish is badly spoken Portuguese.

Sitting provokes thoughts.

Quiet people are troublemakers.

You should move nationality – Mozambique would let you be Mozambican, yes?

You need to learn to like Mozambican music.

White women with cars steal children to sell their organs in Malawi.

Happy (Almost) April!

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Theee Yankees Win!

This project came about because I was seeing many yankees outfits around the mountains, and I thought that in addition to documenting this stellar Mozambican baseball preference, I should share it with the yankees I know stateside. Unfortunately, my camera was only with me on these 5 occasions, but I have also come across 3 yankees shirts, 1 yankees jersey, 7 other yankees baseball hats (1 neon yellow), 5 yankees winter hats, and 1 yankees jacket.

Viva os yankees!

*Also trying to explain to everyone why I wanted these pictures was, actually, a profound intercultural experience.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Hannah, 14(ish) Months In


Our frog friend on our door grates. He/she had really cool red legs.

This Hannah often eats rocks, mixed in with the beans or rice or bread. (or sand or dirt or ants)

This Hannah often thinks she’s tan, but it’s really just the dust that comes from living far away from any cement infrastructure.

This Hannah often trips over rocks embedded in the dirt road. Or falls in the holes in the really old “sidewalk” in the nearest city. And subsequently…

This Hannah often gets laughed at by large groups of people.

This Hannah often does laundry, sometimes just to get the very stubborn dirt/dust combo out from under her nails.

This Hannah often needs new clothes because Africa is where clothes come to die. When buying these new clothes…

This Hannah often thinks that over $4 for any item of clothing is expensive and rethinks the purchase.

This Hannah often deludes herself into thinking that a hot bucket bath is as good as a hot shower.

So. These are some things that the Mozambican version of myself does. Only time (and a triumphant return to the homeland) will tell if I will continue to eat rocks, be tan, and trip (okay I will definitely keep tripping over things).