Finally, the jet lag has subsided and I’m feeling like a
normally functioning Wino. Because of
that normalcy, I’ve been out and about to explore my small area of safety all
on my own. Other than almost being hit
by cars twice due to not being used to looking the opposite direction, things
have been pretty interesting and uneventful.
I’ll either quickly learn to adjust to the change in which side of the
street people drive, or I will most likely learn the hard way which is the less
preferred method.
Other than sleeping for a copious amount of time this
weekend, some frustrating Skype connection issues with my other half and the
fact that it gets dark here at 5:30, things have been pretty normal and very
similar to home. There are some great
outdoor cafes and restaurants, live music – including some of the best street
musicians I have experienced in some time – and nice pricing here. It’s much cheaper here than at home thanks to
favorable exchange rates. I have been
making sure to enjoy this time, little stress and comforts of home because it
appears that all of this may abruptly change once I step my little piggies into
Mozambique. Which, by all accounts, is
much more chaotic and challenging than here.
I’ll keep you posted on that one. For sure the hotel where I’m booked
there had some less than favorable reviews – the kind that make you dread your
pending stay. I hope to find an
apartment as soon as possible!
So my hotel room faces the main street, which has resulted
in some interesting nights. No matter
where you are, there will be drunks screaming and laughing at all hours of the
night and for some reason, abrupt sing-alongs that break out at odd times. I can’t say that I mind it because it’s new,
but I could see how it would wear out its welcome if you were here for a much
longer time. The street people and
beggars haven’t been an issue either because I don’t speak the language so I’m
oddly spared the explanation of the need for my change – but they do call you
“Mommi” here all the time – Ms. Scowby will have to fill me in on the meaning
of that one. To my knowledge, I haven’t
birthed no babies, but I doubt seriously that’s what it means J Probably something
more like %!#@& you
white bitch. Ignorance is bliss!
Today I went to the African outdoor market. More really gifted musicians, but not too
interesting of items except for the Batik cloth, but I decided to wait to
purchase any of that. Not much haggling
either and anyone who knows the Hillbilly knows that I just love the art of
crafting “the deal” but there wasn’t much budging so it wasn’t much fun. Did acquire a shirt and skirt, but can’t say
I was blowin’ em over with any huge savings – thankfully they were pretty
affordable from the start. Much of my
wardrobe has been purchased on the street in other countries, so I plan on
continuing that trend. I will really be
screwed if and when I ever obtain a normal office job as very little of it
would fly in that environment. I’ll make
sure to be concerned about that later, but until then, I will continue to exist
as the wild-mid-life-child that I am. Oh
yea, the good kind of wild J
 |
| Musicians rocking their marimbas |
I will close with a few observations – the continuous horn
honking and whistling has at moments almost made me homicidal. This is due to the mini buses that drive
along honking while hoping to attract passengers by letting EVERYONE know they
are coming. The whistling is the result
of informal parking attendants who stand in the street and guide people into
empty spaces in hope of some spare change. In general the people here are “big” – in all
senses of the word – girth, height, big behinds – not necessarily fat, just
big. A co-worker told me that to be thin
or too thin is not a sign of success and also makes people wonder what is wrong
with you due to the AIDs epidemic. That
would not be a current concern with my appearance thanks to having sold all of
my kitchen appliances five weeks before I left and having to eat out. Trust me, the Wino has been eating lots of
salads and healthy alternatives to recover from that dangerous moment in
history! Especially salads as I’m not
sure how often I will be able to enjoy them while in Mozambique where I was
cautioned against eating anything I couldn’t clean myself or that didn’t exist
behind the safety of a peel. Being that
I will most likely be walking a mile or so each way to work, I would prefer to
avoid any emergency gastro-intestinal issues during my stroll to and from. So, I’ll heed those warnings.
I hope everyone had an enjoyable 4th – I heard it
was a rainy one back at home. I’m off to
accomplish a bit of work at the local café.
So until next time!
Drink of the
afternoon – a sassy, chilled chardonnay
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