Thanksgiving in Mozambique

I have enough Christmas socks to last me the month of December. And I love sending out snail mail valentines to my friends across the country. And who doesn’t love mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole and pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving? When I was little, I always used to ask for a holiday sweater. Not just a holiday sweater for Christmas, but I wanted one that had all the holidays—Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Fourth of July-- on it so I could just wear that sweater for every holiday. Yeah, I was THAT cool. Well, I never got the sweater. I don’t know if something like that even exists, but last Christmas my mom did give me a set of pins. Each one decorated for each holiday: a heart for Valentine’s Day, a turkey for Thanksgiving, Frankenstein for Halloween, a snowman for Christmas, etc. And, yes, they made it to Mozambique.

Yesterday, I proudly wore my turkey pin as I introduced the criancas at CACHES about Thanksgiving, Dia de Acao de Gracas. I did a brief lesson on Thanksgiving explaining how it was the first meal between the pilgrims (peregrinos) and Native Americans dating back to Plymouth 1621. I then explained how it is now celebrated the fourth Thursday of November by eating a large meal with family and friends. I translated some of the foods into English including turkey, potatoes, corn and stuffing. We then made turkey hats.

After, I explained to the kids how this day is an opportunity to take a step back and be thankful for all the things in our lives. We then, wrote out something we wanted to say “thank you” or “kanimambo” for. The kids generated a list including: life, family, friends, CACHES, health, security, religion, avocados and food. They each wrote out one thing they were thankful for and then painted a turkey. We used finger-paints I received in a care package. They loved it! A special thank you goes out to Donna for supplying the paints! Some of the kids hung up their pictures in the art gallery that already exists on walls of CACHES. And everyone continued to wear their turkey hats the rest of the night.

 

As for my turkey hat, I will wear it today when I go to my friends Mike and Marisa’s house to have our own Thanksgiving celebration. There are about 10 PCVs who will get together today to do some cooking and then we will travel to Guija tomorrow to celebrate with some more PCVs. Just like Thanksgiving in the states, there will be cooking, eating, drinking and lots of fun amongst our new PCV family abroad.

I want to take a moment, in thanksgiving, to say “thank you” or “kanimambo” for all of the blessings in my life. I am reminded of how fortunate I am to have the education and upbringing I had. Without this education, I wouldn’t be able to dedicate these two years of my life to the work I am doing. Thank you also to my new PCV family here in Mozambique. We may have become family by default, but over the next two years our bonds will continue to grow as we lean on each other. Thank you to Peace Corps for giving me the opportunity to embark on this adventure. And Kanimambo to CACHES, the Rural Hospital of Chicumbane and the community here in Bairro 1 of Chicumbane. Thank you for being patient, understanding and so warm throughout my first few months here. I am so excited about working and living alongside all of you for the next two years.

And while I may be thousands of miles away from my family and friends, to you, I want to say “KANIMAMBO!”  I am constantly reminded of how much you have shaped and continue to be a part of my life. While we may not be able to be together today or for the foreseeable future, I have all your emails, care packages, and messages to keep me going. Keep ‘em coming! Thank you for your endless love and support. I know I wouldn’t be here without it.

So wherever you are this Thanksgiving, take a moment to say, “Kanimambo.” And eat an extra helping of pumpkin pie for me!  J

Terra de Boa Gente

First three months at site. Check. The end of the first three months also marks the end of our travel restriction. For the first three months, we are not allowed to leave our province. So for me, I couldn't travel outside of Gaza. So to mark the end of this restriction, my friend Alden, a fellow Gazan, and I took a trip to Inhambane, "Terra de Boa Gente" (Land of Good People), the province north of Gaza.  First, we visited Adela in Inhambane City and then the three of us went to visit our friend Lisa in Vilankulos. It was absolutely beautiful. But, you don't need me to tell you that, check out the pictures below.

The view from the pier at Inhambane City looking at Maxixe.

Sunrise at Vilankulos

Sunrise

Sunrise on the beach in front of Lisa's house in Vil. We made friends with some of the local dogs who were up early as well. 

Our view from lunch at in Vilankulos

Adela, Alden and me in Vil!

Lisa, Adela and me in Vil!

Vilankulos

The Catch of the Day down on the beach in Vilankulos.

The view of the islands off the coast of Vilankulos. You can take a boat to visit them and then spend the day out there, but unfortunately this wasn't in our budget as Peace Corps Volunteers.

Tofo, Inhambane 

Tofinho, Inhambane

Sunset over the bay in Inhambane City.

Better yet, come see for yourself! Before I left the United States, I know a lot of you said you were interested in taking a trip to the 'bique. Well, consider yourself invited. Now accepting reservations from now until August 2014. Just send me an email with potential dates and we will work out the details from there.

Dia das Bruxas

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays in the United States. Candy. Costumes. What's not to like? I decided to introduce the criancas in Chicumbane to a little Halloween fun. When I mentioned what I wanted to do for the holiday to the joven activistas at CACHES, they all called it Dia das Bruxas, Day of the Witches. It is not celebrated in Mozambique, but they seemed to be a little familiar with the holiday. I took this opportunity to introduce them to some Halloween traditions and history.  

I started celebrating Halloween with the Saturday crew of kids who come to color at my house. We colored jack-o-lanterns together. And then on Halloween, I organized a few activities to do with the criancas at CACHES. My friend Queshia, who lives just 10 minutes away in Xai-Xai, came to Chicumbane to help out as well. She, too, is a HUGE fan of Halloween. We had everyone make masks, learn some Halloween vocabulary in English and Portuguese, sing "Five Little Pumpkins" in English, guess the number of candies in a jar and bob for apples (after, I realized that may not have been the most sanitary activity for a HEALTH volunteer to do...oops) . As they left to go home that night, I stood at the door with some candy and had each one say "trick-or-treat", followed by a "Kanimambo" ("Thank you" in Changana, the local language).

The next day, when Calvino walked me home, I saw something on my veranda. Not knowing what it was, I asked Calvino to walk up to my house with me. When we got there, we realized it was a JACK-O-LANTERN. Nelio, my neighbor and activista, had taken a papaya and carved it out and placed a candle inside. I couldn't have been more surprised! Halloween Success. I know I am a few days late in getting this out there, but Happy Halloween. 

The Saturday morning coloring crew after they drew jack-o-lanterns.

Group shot of everyone after they made their masks.

Junior singing "Five Little Pumpkins" for everyone in English. 

Yolanda and Maik after they won the candy estimation contest. 

Bobbing for apples outside CACHES.

Queshia and I with our list of Halloween vocabulary words in English and Portuguese.

Nelio and I with his work-of-art!