What Happens When You Get Exactly What You Want

So you are probably wondering “what does happen when you get exactly what you want?” Well, I now have the highest authority to answer this pressing question for you . . . you get mugged. Yes, that’s right, you get mugged. Before I indulge you with the dirty details of this incident, let me back up three weeks. Like I said before, on November 22, a beautiful baby girl was named after me. Crazy right? I am so lucky. Then on our pseudo-Thanksgiving on Wednesday November 26 (weird right? Why couldn’t we have it on Thursday?), I found out I get to live in paradise (not even my own word for it) for the next two years. Again, I am super lucky. So, as you can probably tell, training had been going really well for me so far. Then, on the night of our huge homestay party, it happened. It was a dark and rainy moonless night and one of my friends and I were walking back home around 8 p.m. I was using my cell phone as a flashlight because we couldn’t see anything and our walk home is down a rocky dirt path. When I say we couldn’t see anything, I totally mean it. All of the billions of light bulbs and streetlights in the States have ruined my night vision. To top it all off, I was wearing my Rainbows (leather flip flops) which are the most useless shoes when it rains even on paved roads. So we were about ten minutes away from my house when a guy wearing a jacket with the hood pulled up (typical right?) walked past us going up the hill. I glanced over my shoulder and watched the guy turn around. As this point, I pretty much knew what was coming. All of a sudden, he grabs me and I, like any other sister who use to wrestle constantly with my brother, tucked my cell phone under the crook of my arm and rolled to the ground. We struggled for about a minute before I had the rational idea to just let go because he obviously wasn’t going to and my cell phone was really crappy and not worth all of the trouble. Probably the funniest thing about the situation was that I was screaming my favorite choice words to this guy in English (really helpful, I know) and my friend was slapping him across the back and yelling “deixa, deixa” or “leave it, leave it” at the top of her lungs. Afterwards, she looked really freaked out and I stood up, wiped the mud off the left side of my body, and was suddenly pissed off because instead of hand washing my clothes the next day, I had to go to Maputo and buy a new cell phone. Really rational thinking, I know.

Since then, I have moved into my very African-looking large canhiso hut, equipped with electricity and running water (including a shower with good water pressure) and celebrated Christmas on the beach with some of my new friends. It was a very merry Christmas, although it did not really feel like Christmas.

Although it may not seem like it, I am trying really hard to post pictures, but I emailed my parents two pictures and it took 40 minutes. Needless to say, internet is expensive and I am not exactly high-rollin’ right now, but I am hoping to upload some pictures at my office within the next few weeks.

Hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

My new address for the next two years:
Sarah Hedges
Corpo da Paz
Vilankulo
Mozambique

Dar A Luz - to give to the light (a beautiful name for such an intense experience)

On November 22 in Namaacha Mozambique, a beautiful baby girl with the longest curly hair I have ever seen on a newborn was born with the fabulous (albeit slightly overused) name Sarah. She weighs just under 4 kilos, which I am told is really good, and has big beautiful brown eyes. It is such an incredible honor that my family named their newest bundle of joy after me even though it has only been a little over two months since they have known me. It's amazing that it only takes two months and a lot of laughing through awkward miscommunications to really feel like part of a family. It is also really funny to think that I am an "aunt" and that my 21 year old brother was the one who made me one!! Obviously, this is not Jeff, my 21 year old brother in the States, but Chris, my brother here. And no, in case you were wondering, my biological clock is not ticking any faster. I am content with playing the "hold her when she is happy and give her back to mommy when she a. cries or b. fazer xixi (makes pee)." So needless to say, my homestay family experience has been extremely successful and I don't think I could have ever been placed with a more loving or generous family.


P.S. I have a new address coming in the next week or two that will be my permanent address for the next two years! My future site/home is in Vilankulos in the Inhambane Province. I will be working for CARE (yay!!) and my backyard is the beach!!! I swear-in as a real PCV(olunteer) on Wednesday and move into my new home with my new roommate, Courtney, next Monday!