Simple Things

I've learned two new CRUCIAL life skills in the past two weeks.  First, I learned how to take the train from my town to the Big City.  Then I learned how to get water from a tap right outside my school.

Neither of these things are very difficult and you wouldn't expect that simple everyday, routine tasks would take a normal person 9 months to learn.  (I'm the normal person in that sentence, which is an absolute lie, I'm an American living in Mozambique, there's nothing normal about me here).

Part A:  How I learned to ride the train.

I was going to the Big City to meet Amy for the day.  I wanted to catch the first chapa at 5 so I set my alarm for 4:25.  My plan was to roll out of bed shove my feet into my sandals and be out the door by 4:30.  About 4:10 I woke up to my Mozamroomate splashing around in the bathroom and clearing his throat loudly.  I got up a few minutes later...

"Are you going to the city?"  --mozamroomie
"yes"
"With the train?"
"no"
"Wait for me and we'll leave together"  --mozamroomie


So around 4:30 we left together and practically RAN down the main road.  I learned that the chapas don't leave until 6am and that the train would arrive in the City at 6:30 so I jogged after Mozamroomie to the train station.  I've never seen a Mozambican move so quickly.

The train we took was the "new" train.  It's about 2 years old but already looks pretty scraggly.  Some of the seats are missing completely and the windows are so dirty that the world outside looks like it's in black and white.  I found a seat next to a window and intertwined my knees with Mozamroomie.  It was 4:50.  By 5:05 when the train left there were no seats left.  We stopped many times on the way to the city.  I watched the sun rise through the filth on the windows as people packed the isles.  By the time we made it to the city at 6:45 I'd say the train was packed to 300% its normal capacity.

Going home on the train was a bit more uncomfortable.  The train starts out packed to the gills, it's been sitting in the sun all day and everyone has 3 bacias and a baby with them.  Luckily livestock isn't allowed on the train.  Kim and I took the train home together and arrived 45 minutes early to get a seat.  Then we sweated for 3 hours on the way home.

I still haven't decided if the train or the chapa is better.

Pro: train is 10 mts.
Con:  train takes longer.
Pro: If you get a seat on the train, by the window, you PROBABLY won't have someone's shoulder in your throat or have to put your knees in someone's crotch/armpit/belly.
Con: train is Hot Hot Hot on the way home

I guess the answer is: travelling sucks her no matter what the vehicle is.  Maybe I should get a donkey cart.  Fresh air...no need to cram myself into a space 40% smaller than my actual body.

Imagine 800 people, 400 chapas and maybe a few chickens and you have a accurate picture of what the station looks like.

I have no idea when this picture was taken but it still looks the same.

Part B:  How I learned to get fresh water

Our salt-water tank at school hadn't been filled for weeks.  It was nearly empty.  Someone had tied a jug to a rope and we'd been using that to haul water from the bottom of the tank.

On Wednesday afternoon I was standing by the tank watching the 11th grade boys clean out the last of the water and the debris in the tank--half of them were inside the tank in their underwear throwing the garbage that had accumulated (mostly hoses and soda bottles) out through the top hole, which was making the going difficult and dangerous for the other half who were trying to pass the rest of the water out of the tank with buckets.

A group of my students surrounded me asking for water.

"I don't have any water"

"Stooorrrrrryy, don't do that"

"What?  I'm in the same boat as you guys--this is where I get my water too."

"You can get water at the tap here!"

"What tap?"

And so I learned that RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY SCHOOL, THIS WHOLE TIME, is a water-tap that runs from 7am-9am and from 4pm-6pm every day.  

All I have to do to get water is go to town, buy water tickets (2mts each) and then head to the spigot at the correct time and trade a ticket for a jug of water (20L).  

I'm really not sure why it took me so long to figure this out.  I guess I figured all my neighbors got their water from the village too.  Anyway, it's greatly improved my quality of life.  I will always have enough water to cook actual food now!  To celebrate I made a pot of chicken and dumplings which my neighbors thought was hilarious (You're putting DOUGH into the SOUP??? whhaaaaaat?)

In other news:  My town friends have a BABY GAZELLE as a pet.  It's name is Lady Gaga (I had NOTHING to do with that, I swear.  This is why we're friends though, because if I had a baby gazelle I totally would have named it Lady Gaga too).  I'm going to try to get a picture of it this week.  Stay tuned.