I´ve been living in Namaacha for a little over 7 weeks now. The daily life has become fairly routine. I can´t thank my host family enough for this fact. They do so much for me every day. It´s easy to forget to be grateful with how busy life can be during training, but I try to remember as often as I can.
My room is separated from the main household. It´s a concrete block building with a tin roof. In the afternoon, my room turns into an oven. This helps, as it forces me not to shut myself in; it´s difficult to watch a movie with sweat in your eyes. At nights, when the rain comes in, the sound can be deafening. It starts with a few quiet beats, then the taps become a little more frequent and louder, then you can´t hear single drops any more, and when your sitting there thinking the noise is going to drive you crazy, it turns into a roar that forces you into submission. As you give in and start to fall asleep in the caccoon of white noise, it stops, and the silence is comforting.
Also, in my first week of training, there was a cat fight on my roof. I don´t know if you´ve ever seen a cat fight, but I guarantee you it´s not as terrifying as hearing one above your head, the noises being echoed by your tin roof and concrete walls.
The Moz 19 crew is awesome. It´s crazy to think we´ll be separating in 2 weeks. We´ll still all be in Moz, but it´s a big country and it won´t be the same. I´ll be a a days travel from most people, and 5 days travel from some people.
I´ve been placed in Mabalane, Gaza province. It´s a town of 3-5000 people on the railroad between Xai-Xai and Zimbabwe. Mabalane is accessible via a 3 hour dirt road trip. It has a prison, which was established during the civil war, but there is virtually no crime in town. From what I understand, life is peaceful and the people are friendly. I can´t wait to get there.
Tenha um bom dia,
dylan
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Um mes logo (One month later)
This month has been crazy. I did not expect the level of difficulty one encounters when they can´t speak the local language. I´ve had many encounters where I just smile, nod my head, and digo como when I can´t understand the question they ask. The first couple of nights with the host family were painful, and I was ashamed at my inability to communicate with them. I stayed up one night and wrote them a letter explaining that I was sorry and that I would practice much to become better. I feel I´ve learned much since.
The people of Namaacha are pretty cool and are always helpful. When comparing this place to home, I would say that the people are the same, but the culture is different. The countryside is nothing like what I´ve seen in the States, and Maputo is a completely different world in itself. The traffic along with all of the pedestrians was overwhelming when I first got into Maputo. I go on site visit next week, which means I will live with a working volunteer somewhere in Moz, and I´m excited to see another part of the country.
That´s all for now.
Tem um bom dia,
dylan
The people of Namaacha are pretty cool and are always helpful. When comparing this place to home, I would say that the people are the same, but the culture is different. The countryside is nothing like what I´ve seen in the States, and Maputo is a completely different world in itself. The traffic along with all of the pedestrians was overwhelming when I first got into Maputo. I go on site visit next week, which means I will live with a working volunteer somewhere in Moz, and I´m excited to see another part of the country.
That´s all for now.
Tem um bom dia,
dylan
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Upon My Departure
What I'll be Doing
For the next few days, I'll be jetting around the country before departing for Mozambique, Africa. The Staging Event, in Philidelphia, is where we (myself and around 60 other volunteers) will have a short introduction into what we can expect over the next few days, what's expected of us, and asked what we're thinking. I've elected to get into Philly a day early to avoid extra stress of travel and try to get around and see the city, as I've never been. I'm going to run up the steps in front of the Museum of Art, that's not negotiable. Following the staging event, we fly to New York, then to Africa.
Upon arrival in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, we'll be put up in a hotel for a couple of days for a short introductory program. Then, we'll travel a short distance outside Maputo to a village for Pre-Service Training. PST is a 10 week program in which we'll receive language, technical, and cultural training 6 days a week. I'm relying on this time to build an effective understanding of Portuguese, and learn the what and what not to do during my service. Following PST, we are sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteers and are assigned to location in Mozambique where we will reside and work for 2 years.
What I'm Thinking
What the hell am I doing?! Just kidding. I'm finally starting to get really excited. In 3 days, I'm going to be in Africa. 3 days. I've heard that Mozambique is beautiful, as are the people. I can't wait to see and meet all of them. I also can't wait to meet the other volunteers I'm going to be spending the next 27 months of my life with. Ahhhhh!! This is crazy!
A part of me is terrified of the new environment I'm putting myself into. What if I'm not what they hope for? What if I can't learn Portuguese well enough? How am I going to adapt to this situation? But I'm committed. All in. I know that PC is going to give me all the tools I need to succeed and I have the intelligence and ability to wield those tools. This is gonna be so awesome.
Getting Ahold of Me
A few of you have asked for an address to send letters and care packages to. This is the main PC office in Maputo, and they'll make sure I get whatever you send. It should take 2-4 weeks to get to me.
For the next few days, I'll be jetting around the country before departing for Mozambique, Africa. The Staging Event, in Philidelphia, is where we (myself and around 60 other volunteers) will have a short introduction into what we can expect over the next few days, what's expected of us, and asked what we're thinking. I've elected to get into Philly a day early to avoid extra stress of travel and try to get around and see the city, as I've never been. I'm going to run up the steps in front of the Museum of Art, that's not negotiable. Following the staging event, we fly to New York, then to Africa.
Upon arrival in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, we'll be put up in a hotel for a couple of days for a short introductory program. Then, we'll travel a short distance outside Maputo to a village for Pre-Service Training. PST is a 10 week program in which we'll receive language, technical, and cultural training 6 days a week. I'm relying on this time to build an effective understanding of Portuguese, and learn the what and what not to do during my service. Following PST, we are sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteers and are assigned to location in Mozambique where we will reside and work for 2 years.
What I'm Thinking
What the hell am I doing?! Just kidding. I'm finally starting to get really excited. In 3 days, I'm going to be in Africa. 3 days. I've heard that Mozambique is beautiful, as are the people. I can't wait to see and meet all of them. I also can't wait to meet the other volunteers I'm going to be spending the next 27 months of my life with. Ahhhhh!! This is crazy!
A part of me is terrified of the new environment I'm putting myself into. What if I'm not what they hope for? What if I can't learn Portuguese well enough? How am I going to adapt to this situation? But I'm committed. All in. I know that PC is going to give me all the tools I need to succeed and I have the intelligence and ability to wield those tools. This is gonna be so awesome.
Getting Ahold of Me
A few of you have asked for an address to send letters and care packages to. This is the main PC office in Maputo, and they'll make sure I get whatever you send. It should take 2-4 weeks to get to me.
Dylan Shoemaker, PCV
Corpo da Paz/U. S. Peace Corps
C.P. 4398
Maputo, MOZAMBIQUE
If you want to regularly write letters, just mention it in the first one and I'll describe some procedures for making the process more effective.
If you want to see me, I have a Skype account: d.shoemaker34. Just let me know when you want to talk. I found out Moz has widespread internet.
Adios Iowa, and Tenha Um Bom Dia Todos,
Dylan
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Why I'm Serving
Many people have asked why I've chosen to join Peace Corps. They have good reason to question. I'll be away from my home, friends and family for 27 months (my longest period of time outside Iowa thus far was a 7 week stint in Wyoming during the summer of 2010). I'll likely be serving in a location without the advantages I have had nearly every day of my life. For the first time, I'll be put into a situation where a large group of people count on me. However, I know that serving in Peace Corps will make me a better person and I'm going to explain how.
I believe human beings, and all living things, are connected through eons of evolutionary struggle on Earth. We all come from the same source. Through this belief of connection, I've come to develop a deep love for Earth, living things, and humanity. This love is part of the fuel behind the firelight which has led me to teaching and PC. I feel through this program I will be given the opportunity to help people make their lives better. I feel love is giving a part of yourself to someone, and PC is giving me an opportunity to give a part of myself to a group of people who may need it the most (I'd recommend giving a listen to True Love by SOJA). I look forward to meeting new people and developing relationships with them. I don't doubt that I'll get homesick. In fact, one of my hopes is that through this experience I can gain a deeper appreciation for what my family and close friends mean to me. However, I plan to build a surrogate family with the people closest to me on my adventure.
I say adventure very intently. I am looking on this entire experience as an adventure in which I will be challenged, but have the best time of my life. During my interview, I was asked, "What would you think if you were assigned to a location where you were a 4 or 5 hour bus ride from any of the basic utilities you have here?"
I replied, "Sounds like fun."
I genuinely look forward to the mental, emotional and physical challenges I will face during my service. I believe my experience in such a different culture, as well as the relationships I build in this unique setting, will instill a personal growth in me unlike anything I have previously experienced.
Here a few quotes that have helped construct my desire to join Peace Corps:
"Nothin’ ever came from a life that was a simple one." ~Flogging Molly: Devil's Dance Floor
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." ~Henry David Thoreau, 1854
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
~Mark Twain
Tenha um bom dia,
Dylan
I believe human beings, and all living things, are connected through eons of evolutionary struggle on Earth. We all come from the same source. Through this belief of connection, I've come to develop a deep love for Earth, living things, and humanity. This love is part of the fuel behind the firelight which has led me to teaching and PC. I feel through this program I will be given the opportunity to help people make their lives better. I feel love is giving a part of yourself to someone, and PC is giving me an opportunity to give a part of myself to a group of people who may need it the most (I'd recommend giving a listen to True Love by SOJA). I look forward to meeting new people and developing relationships with them. I don't doubt that I'll get homesick. In fact, one of my hopes is that through this experience I can gain a deeper appreciation for what my family and close friends mean to me. However, I plan to build a surrogate family with the people closest to me on my adventure.
I say adventure very intently. I am looking on this entire experience as an adventure in which I will be challenged, but have the best time of my life. During my interview, I was asked, "What would you think if you were assigned to a location where you were a 4 or 5 hour bus ride from any of the basic utilities you have here?"
I replied, "Sounds like fun."
I genuinely look forward to the mental, emotional and physical challenges I will face during my service. I believe my experience in such a different culture, as well as the relationships I build in this unique setting, will instill a personal growth in me unlike anything I have previously experienced.
Here a few quotes that have helped construct my desire to join Peace Corps:
"Nothin’ ever came from a life that was a simple one." ~Flogging Molly: Devil's Dance Floor
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." ~Henry David Thoreau, 1854
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
~Mark Twain
Tenha um bom dia,
Dylan
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