Hey Everyone~
Just wanted to wish everyone a very merry christmas and Happy new year!! For those of you that still want to get together, just let me know when. I only have about two weeks left so time is running out.
Michelle

Hey everyone
Most of you know this but for those that don't, I am home. I got in yesterday and I will be here till the 4th of January. If anyone is interested in getting together let me know because my datebook is filling up rather fast. At least the next two weeks are a bit tight. But let me know and we'll see.Raj if you get this while in India, get me a really cool shirt, I'll pay you for it when you get home. PLEASEOk, thats all for now
Love and hope to see you all,Michelle

I just wanted to say hi. I will be coming home and I am soooo excited. I am counting the days. So I will see you all soon.Love and miss you,Shells

Hey everyone
Well I am in Maputo, the big city to help out with training of the new volunteers. I am currently at the Peace Corps office because I went to the dentist to have a tooth filed because it got chipped. And we are trying to arrange my trip to South Africa for my stomach. Besides that everything is good. I go back to my site on Saturday and the next time I will be in touch with anyone will be December 3rd when my plane touches down in Chicago. About a month more and I will be home. So I am counting down the days. When I get to site I have a week of doing nothing, but I might help out in the bush. After that I will be helping at school for two weeks and then I only have one more week till I leave. So its really not that much more time. Well then I will be talking to everyone soon. Farhana and Sarah, haven't heard from you guys in awhile. Hope you guys will be around when I get home. Raj don't forget to put me on your busy schedule after December 10th and Cor let me know when your leaving. I will be going to visit Jeannette and the kids around December 7th, 15th and for Christmas. So scheduling will be tight.Ok love and miss you guysShellsHi mom it was great talking to you!!!

Hey everyone
Sorry I know its been awhile since I’ve really written an email. Life has been hectic here to say the least and I haven’t had my laptop. I have been lending it to one of my good friends that works for an NGO here. This last time he had it he went and got my printer fixed because it wasn’t working, he had a program installed to write music since my program wasn’t working and he got my mouse fixed since it had broke. Which was awesome of him since I was planning on just getting it fixed when I got back to the states or just leaving it how it was. But it was probably to his advantage since he uses my laptop a lot. I get scared leaving it in my house since its not the most secure. Anyway I have it for now and I am currently using my printer to print my final exams for my classes. I dislike writing my tests on the board to have the students copy because they cheat when the test is the same. This way I have made three different versions and it will be a little harder for the students to cheat. I will see how it works. If it goes well, next year I will print all my tests. Its just a lot of ink and time.Otherwise everything has been going good here. I have been going to the beach a lot since we are in the summer months and it is hot. For those of you that tried calling me last weekend, I apologize. My friend was playing with my cell phone and he did something that made the phone ask for a certain code that I didn’t have with me. So the other day he took my phone to get fixed I gave him the wrong code so they changed my phone number. He is taking it to get fixed one more time with the right code so that I will have the same number and my credits, since right before he messed it up I put a bunch of credit on it so that I could call a few people to let them know I was in phone range. Anyway I was upset to say the least because it was my birthday weekend and I really wanted to talk to people. I called my mom to give her another cell phone number and it just happened that that cell phone wasn’t receiving calls because the card that was in it was bad. So to say the least I wasn’t having cell phone luck. But otherwise everything that weekend was good. I ate a lot of seafood and just lounged on the beach the rest of the time. I really couldn’t have asked for more, beside having my family and friends around me, but hey only about 6 weeks to go for that. So I know a few people are wondering what to get me for Christmas so I thought I would send this out in my mass email. Please, everything with gift receipts!2 plastic or vinyl tablecloths*1 small backpack-for hiking/camping1 large backpack-for hiking/camping1 Speedo bathing suit 1pc sz36/38*3 sets of small white gold earrings-nothing expensive*Timex wristband-something that won’t get smelly*Beach tent-2-4 people *Regular 35mm camera w/zoom and filmGameboy Games*GRE bookMargarita mix w/tequilaGum-good for teeth type*Pie pan 8-9 inchCraisins2005 calendarEverything needed to make rice crispies treat.Good batteries for digital cameraChocolateSchick silk effects razor refills*Self inking rubber stamp for homework-smiley faces, stars, etc.Head and Shoulders Refresh shampoo*These are the things that I really really need or wantAnything second hand is just as awesome and a lot cheaperWell thats all for now. I hope everyone is doing well. Peggy whats with the neck surgery?
Love and miss you all, Michelle

Hey
I got a lot of emails from people wanting my phone number so I thought I would send it to everyone. I am at the beach and will be leaving Monday or Tuesday, or something like that. I will be home in the states from December 3rd until I think January 3rd or 4th.See you all soon,
Michelle

Hey everyone
I just wanted to let you know that I will be in phone range from Friday to Monday. I will be at the beach a lot so if you canºt get through thatºs why. But just keep trying and I promise I will answer. So school is almost over and everything here is going great. Less than two months and I will be back in the states. I am soooo excited. Ok, I have to go but I promise to try and keep everyone up to date.Love and Miss you all,Shells

Hey everyone~
Well I am in Nampula City on an unexpected trip, I came in for nothing more than more stomach issues. I went to a local health clinic to have a test done. We´ll see. I met someone from the states, her and her husband are with a missionary and they offered me a place to sleep. So I spent the night in a real house, I felt like I was home again. She reminds me of mom, in being she has a lot of "stuff", for those of you who know what I mean. But it was nice being in a familiar atmosphere. Today I am going to the mission to meet everyoen and get to know a few more Americans, than I know, which here is none. So I will keep you all updated. I hope I wonºt be back in the city for a month or so, but who knows. My towm might be getting a cell phone tower, I am totally excited. Slowly but surely it will happen. So talk to you all soon and see you in three months.
Love and miss you all,
Shells

Hey everyone~
I just wanted to say hi one last time, probably for the next month or two. I think I am leaving tomorrow but I don't know if I have a plane ticket yet. Today I spent walking around Maputo getting things that I needed and what not. Sarah I mailed out your letter today, so we will see how long it takes to get to you. Oh someone tried to call me last night, I saw it on my phone this morning. Try calling me tonight I promise I will wake up. I will put the phone next to my ear or under my pillow or something. Peggy you will be glad to know that I have been getting good use out of the shirts you sent me. Karen As soon as it gets hot again I will be using the fan that you sent to me. And the food that came in the boxes is great, I love having options at mealtimes. Or just lots of snacks. Anyway I will have my phone on me like I said and I hope to hear from whoever. Ok, I have to go, Love and miss you all,Michelle

Hey everyone~
Ok, so I was supposed to be sending out pics but it doesn't seem to be working. Oh well, I will try again monday. I should start off with saying that i am currently in Maputo-relaxing. I came to get away and I am having some medical things checked out while I am here. Just some stomach issues probably related to worms or something. We'll find out soon. Anyway life has been pretty good. We've had a few problems in our house, but what is to be expected when you put two american women under the same roof. We deal with our differences and that seems to be that. What's new: I built a chicken coop for two chickens that I bought. I bought them to eat and then decided to keep them. I built the coop and they sleep there at night and in the morning they go pecking around for food. I give them rice when I remember but there is plenty garbage for the to eat. I am not sure if we are waiting for eggs to eat or for babies. I guess when we get eggs we will decide. So one night I decided that since the cat is always chasing the chickens out of our yard I would put the cat in the coop. Well that wasn't a good idea. The chicken came out first and the cat next. I wasn't sure who was more terrified. Then Pooh -the cat decided to chase the chicken out of the yard. Needless to say he didn't come back that night. But the following night they were both sleeping together again and I was happy to know that my chickens came back. So school is going along. I do like teaching though I will not do that when I get back to the states....I think I will take the GRE maybe look into getting a job with an NGO and who knows. I am still very confused. I can't say I have done much thinking but then I have. My spare time is filled by sleep and Gameboy. Anyhow I will write more Monday. I have my cell phone on until Tuesday. So feel free to call me.Lots of love, Michelle

Hey everyone-
Well I am currently able to use my cell phone for about the next week or maybe longer because I am going to ask to go to Maputo for medical stuff. I have had a bad stomache for awhile and its not getting any better. So I have a story to tell about getting to where I currently am. I am in Chimoio which is about a 3 hour ride from Beira which is like the second biggest city in Mozambique. Well we had our usual 2 hour chapa ride from Nametil to Nampula city so that we could catch a plane. Well me, Ed and Helana were walking from the store where we dropped off our gas tank to be refilled (Ed would be taking it back to Nametil for us) and we were walking up a hill to our bank. Well we saw a lot of people running and looking up at the sky and needless to say what do we see a few birds flying and a plane spiralling down towards the earth about a hundred feet in front of us, exactly where we just were. Well the plane hit, no explosion and masses of people started to run towards the plane. WE just kind of stood there in shear amazement, did that really just happen? Yes it did. At that point I decided I did not want to get on a plane but I did anyway about 2 hours later. I had a beer hoping to numb what happened and it did until the plane. I was fine until we started to land and I just got really nervous. So then after that we had a three hour chapa ride to Chimoio from Beira and there we saw a nice huge overturned semi laying in the middle of the rode and a truck that had crashed into it. A guy was smoking a cigarette by the leaking gas which I thought was very daring or just plain stupid. So it was definitely an eventful day and I am not looking forward to getting back on a chapa or a plane for that matter. The good part of the journey was at the end of it, being able to see some of the other volunteers. We had a very nice long dinner and caught up on stories, then Cheryl called which I thought was an awesome surprise. Its so great to hear voices that you havenºt heard in such a long time. So Hana and Sarah thanks for visiting mom, I am sure she really enjoyed it. Sorry John you are on my emailing list, now. Ok tata for now and I will talk to most of you soon. ~Love and miss you all, Shells

Well Hey EveryoneI just wanted to drop you a link to some pics that one of our volunteers took. I have pics but the computer keeps freezing when I try to attach them. I might write some more in a little bit, I need to go and find out where my cell is so I have it for the weekend. So here is the address http://homepage.mac.com/marromeuman/PhotoAlbum1.htmland these are pics from training. I have some really cute pics if this machine would cooperate with me on attaching them. Well all is good here, I am not sick anymore. I think I am going to the beach tomorrow, next weekend and then probably the week after. It is almost holiday time for us, thank god. Well I will try to write more in a bit. ~Love and Miss you all, Shells

Hey guysWell this has to be quick. I have 7 minutes left of an hour after reading all of your emails. I am alive. I have been really sick the last week with I think Malaria. It has finally passed but nothing like a week in bed with fevers and chills and bodyaches. I didnºt get tested cause I am really scared of the hospitals here. Anyway I got another new number 258-82-626-761, the next time I will be on my phone will probably be the end of April or sometime this month when I go to the beach. There are so many things I want to say to so many people, I got a lot of touching emails and it kills me not being able to repsond to everyone individually. Mom, Karen, Jeannette, Cor; Sarah and everyone else that I missed. Thank you so much for just keeping me informed with life at home and your words of encouragement...I really do appreciate it. Ok, well I am still teaching lol, though they keep on changing our schedule. We are almost done with the first trimester and they still change it....I just donºt understand. Oh I got a kitten. Its name is POOH for nothing other than Winnie the Pooh. LOng story I will tell you about it next time. Ok got to go~I miss you and love you all, ShellsJeannette give teh kids hugs and kisses for me~Mom miss you bunches

Hey everyone~
Well I am back in Maputo for the time being. I got here on Sunday evening, they flew me north to another city and then south to Maputo, I don't ask but we had two layovers before we ever got to Maputo. To say the least it was a very long flight. But I am here and as soon as I get a ride back to the hotel to leave Helanas package I will be off to buy a cell phone. . Scott you can call Jeannette, she will have it also. I tried buying a cell phone yesterday but in this country everything is closed on Sundays. I am leaving tomorrow, I think, I am on a waiting list and should find out later. If not I will leave on Wednesday. I am not sure of the next time that I will have access to a network for the phone. I mean I go to the city every weekend but with the time difference I am usually home before you guys wake up. Unless I spend the night there, its hopeless. I know that i will have cell access in April. So I guess for those two months it will be up to the internet to do the talking for me.
A few quick things, mom I didn't receive anything. Maybe next time. I am receiving my mail that is being sent to me at the school. Remember letters to the school and packages to Maputo. Oh Chris tell your parents I got their X-mas card and tell them thanks and it was really nice of them to send one to me.
As for school, my house, my life- it is all good. Our freezer is treating us good, though it has started with little electrical shocks, but we think we know what we have to do. Our house hasn't been falling apart lately, though I think the ants are eating through our mud walls. Actually I think they are eating through our concrete in the bathroom-I didn't know they could do that so I am not sure if it is really concrete or what. As for the ants I had one in my pants the other day when I went to school. I was in class teaching when something was biting the heck out of my leg. I was scratching and all and the students were like go to the bathroom so it will leave. I was like no I have to teach, well when I got home I had at least a dozen welts on my leg. I think the ant crawled up my leg when I was going to the bathroom-since there are a ton in our bathroom and proceeded to hang out and bite the hell out of me. Anyway it was a fun experience.
As far as other things our boy that we had helping us didn't work, we fired him and just hired a new one on Sunday when I left. Teaching is fun, exhausting and hot. I have seven classes and four are 8th graders. Which I have a lot of translating in those classes. They keep changing our schedule and on wednesday I start at 7 and don't finish till 10:15 pm. My classes are spread out but it is still exhausting because then I have a class the next morning at 7 and at night when I am finished I like to plan my lessons. But I think they are changing it because I told them I can't do it. I don't mind teaching at night but I can't teach that late.
It has started to cool down here, I mean I don't sleep with my fan at night. Sometimes I am actually cold. At times when we take walks at night I actually put on a long sleeve shirt. Who thought that 60-70 was cold. I never thought I would use that word here. But I guess when your body gets adjusted to the temperature, thats what happens.
None of these pics are really recent they are from December. The next batch will be of my town and house and what have you. I just haven't had the time to take pics or the occassion and when I did my batteries weren't charged and the batteries at the market are not strong enough for my camera. So next time, I will have everything set.
Otherwise I sleep well, besides the sag in my bed, I eat pretty well and the most important is that I am still enjoying myself. Oh and my health is good.
Well I am going to close with that,
I hope everyone is doing well and take care
Miss you and love you ,
shells

Hey everyone~
Well school started about 2 weeks ago. Right before that we moved into our house. Its great as it falls apart with us. The cement in our latrine has decided to cave in, which they have finally fixed, our door broke which we got fixed, we bought a freezer that has electrocuted the hell out of everyone in the house except for me. But we just had our faulty electricity redone yesterday so everything is good. Our brand new roof was leaking, but I think they fixed that. They put up a fence without a door, Iºm not quite sure why. And we have a well hole in our back yard that is big enough for one of us to fall down. They were supposed to top it off but they havenºt. Otherwise the house is great. We have ants that bite you and inject stuff into you and it hurts like hell. Toads seem to love our house. I dislike going to bed and having dirt on my bed so I hung capullanas on my walls to at least minimize the amount of dirt that falls. I bought a fan to use for those hot nights. Which it has actually been pretty cool lately. We have a cat almost. She is still nursing but we will bring her home soon. My roomy has deemed me the PCP Peace Corps Princess. Which I think everyone will find hilarious.
Otherwise school is great. I love teaching. I have 7 classes 3 times a week. I have a night class that is so full of energy. You can only make english so fun. The school schedule is messy. We have been teaching for 2 weeks and there are still professors who have not showed up for classes, they keep changing the schedule and now on monday we are getting 11 new professors. I am not sure why they donºt do all this before school starts, all I can say is it is Mozambique.
We have a boy Kino that lives with us. Actually he lives in teh kitchen. It is a house separate tahn ours and it has 2 rooms and today will have electricity. He is a good kid. He cooks and cleans for us strange americans. He starts night school on Monday, which we are helping him with. He just kind of fell into us. He was told to help us out and then he´s like I want to live here and moved into our kitchen. He was really shy at first but we said if he didnºt start coming out of his shell then we would need someone new. So heºs not slacking anymore.
Oh before i forget I lost my cell. Actually it was stolen today. It was my fault for not keeping a better eye on it but oh well. I got inot nampula and just wanted to get everything done to get out of here, go home and rest so taht I can go out tonight to where else but the discoteca. Our friends that go to school in Nampula come home on the weekends so its our time with them. Anyway when i get a new phone I will send out an email. I will still be in Maputo on the 8th so expect an email probably on the 9th with a number.
Ok, I should go time is running out.
I miss you all and hope everyone is in good health
Love ya guys
Shells xoxoxoxoxox
Oh if you sent things to that school address it is cool. Scott I got your letters. Mom, Cor and Scott I sent letters off to you guys today.
And yes I am still in Mozambique and loving it!!!!!

Hey everyone^
Well it is Wednesday and school starts either next monday or tuesday. I am not sure which day and I donºt even know if the school knows. We are supposed to have our house on Thursday. We told them last week to give us a house, any house. Just so we didnºt have to deal with other visitors coming in and out of the house all the time. Its just an aggervating situation all over. Well last week after I returned from Maputo I came down with a really bad flu. The minister of health was trying to convince me it was Malaria and I just kept telling him no. He wanted to do a test and I was like your not sticking me with any needles. I just had a high fever for a couple days and I have been left with a nasty cough. It sounds like bronchitis but who knows. I figure it will pass as did the fever in time. So lately I have been doing a lot of nothing. A lot of resting and more resting. Today is really the first day I have done something productive. I am also waiting on our school to tell me what grades I am teaching. Which they are supposed to have meetings the week before school starts but thats this week and we have no such meetings. On sunday was Helenas birthday and she had a party at our favorite barraca. She bought a ton of food and the owners cooked it for her. It was really nice, it would have been a lot nicer if I felt a whole lot better . Oh well, only so much I can do.
Today when we were coming to the city we were in a chapa in the front seat minus the windshield. Talk about having dirt all over your face. It was kind of like driving a motorcycle with a really nice breeze. But it sucked when other drivers went past us and we had their dirt iin our faces. Well that is all I really have for now. Not much has been going on, I am sure the next time I write I will have a ton to say. So I hope everyone is doing well and that everyone is having a good new year.
Until Next time,
Michelle
Oh, keep sending things to my Maputo address

Michelle Kramer, PCV
Peace Corps
C.P. 4398
Maputo, Mozambique

The PC sends things to me once a month in my newsletter so just send my letters there and then they will reach me. I figure its safer than sending it to the school, I promise this will be the last time i CHANge my mind. And the next time I will have my phone on will be Feb.8th when I fly to Maputo.
Love and MIss you all