Home Away From Home

So I just have not been sleeping well. Between mosquitoes, nightmares, a cold that is stubborn in staying and lack of water in the morning, there seems to be a conspiracy to make my head a mess when I go to work. To the point that I don’t feel like going and it takes me at least an hour to get in the rhythm of the thing. And it is not that it is that fast paced… Oh well. Yesterday, me and Bernardo decided to stay home and enjoy the rest of the Crab Curry (peanut, not coconut) that Marisa prepared for us and realized it was probably even better than the day before. As I struggled to go through my to do list I realized (one more time) I did not know when to start and decided my work day was stopping at dinner time. At least it gave me a deadline and a higher willingness to get things done. But it did not help me that much. If you wonder how much can you have to do in so little time… well, pictures to send to the tv program we are participating on and for a sort of fundraising event next ...

I tend to be quick to post an update from the weekend, especially when I visit one of the missions, but this week started sort of bumpy. I go through pictures, movies, files, lists, emails and projects and try to make sure I forget nothing of what my head likes to think when I do not have a notepad handy. But mostly I am still in the process of absorbing the weekend. For two reasons: one because I was curious to know what Bernardo thought of all this, two because the weekend was indeed tough. On one, I guess I can now breathe deeply because I know now that he understands. He always helped me out with the NGO, but he helped because it was me. Now, he has seen it, he has lived it, he helps me because he wants to, not necessarily cause I am on it. Which is a good thing, which is the great benefit of people coming to visit. You realize that little things do make a difference and you can’t help but trying, even if you think it is a long shot. He know sponsors Paulo and got a friend to spons...

A weird feeling invades me as I get Bernardo back after two months that seemed to have no end. But he is here now and it seems just as surreal as him being away from me. But just immensely better! Things started smoothly with me skipping work for the afternoon. I greeted him with a semi fresh crab in Sagres and a first taste of the quality of the service in Mozambique. To make up for it, we had dinner in Taverna with Tricia and Claire and the waiter was more helpful than I had ever seen in Maputo. Maybe he figured it was Tricia’s last dinner. Or else, he just wanted a good tip, which he got, clearly! It is sad for Tricia to leave as it makes me start to feel away already, it makes me feel like my time is coming soon as well. I read Rosa and João’s blog about how people come and they go and I can’t help sharing the feeling that I have been living for 4 years. Meet new people, make new friends, know a new city, have a new house and then pack your bags, have a farewell dinner, send ...

It is D-Day today :-) I took out the braids, and the clock is ticking. Bernardo will be in Maputo in two hours. We have plans for the weekend and so much to catch up on. I doubt I will be blogging soon, hehe

So I finally got outside and I could not believe my eyes. The children are singing in changana (the local dialect), asking for “Mana Sara” until I show up. And then they sing “Here she is, now we are happy!”. Suddenly I realized the children in front of me were not from the Escolinha but from the Orphanage. They did the trip just to celebrate my birthday. But the children of the Escolinha were there too, some 100, many had not seen me in a couple of years given I often come during their holiday period. Grown up, little men and women came to greet me happy to see that this volunteer came back and kept her promise. They sang and danced for me for more than an hour, songs of love, of joy, of happy wishes and most of all, songs of gratitude. I can not help but feel unworthy of all they sing for me but in that special moment they are really happy that I chose to spend my birthday with them. And I felt sad of all I wished I was home the day before. They invited me to dance with them, lift m...

It is 10:15 am and the children started arriving a while ago. I can see a lot of movement outside but I am not allowed to be there. And I also can’t talk to anyone because everyone is busy running around. This morning, the sister asked my car to go and buy wood. Clearly, she went to buy the Cokes and Fantas for the kids that I said I wanted to buy… I just found the boxes being unloaded from my car by mistake! Not only am I not allowed to walk around freely but also everyone shuts up wherever I arrive. I gave up now and sat in a room by the laptop, trying to write a business plan while someone braids my hair. It took an hour and a half until they would let me out and still I had to run away. I could hear the children singing and calling for me… and finally the time came!

This year, I am having a different birthday. I keep on telling myself not to be sad from being away from my friends and family. The truth is… I am. I wish I had the usual family problems of lunch and dinner with who to manage, the stress of booking a dinner for 20 people, the novelty of spending a first birthday with Bernardo. But then again, I am not sad to be here, I am just sad not to be in two places. I just had dinner with 7 friends and even had a candle at midnight. Tomorrow, I have a chocolate cake in the office, I am driving up to Xai-Xai and on Saturday I have a big birthday party with the children. And I am sure once I am there (if not before) they will remind me of the important things in life. Truth is, I may never spend another birthday here so I decided to cherish this one as much as possible. As part of my “mission” here, I also took a decision for my birthday. This year, I am asking my friends for a little gesture , rather than a birthday present. In fact, it w...