Monday, February 09, 2004

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