I've found lately that I can get myself around this town very easily, through the winding paths and endless turns. Of course, it took two months to get to this point, which makes me wonder how long it will take to get used to the paths in C---. From what I remember, it's easier there, but it'll still take at least a few weeks.
The main problem here in B--- is that roads aren't marked and don't necessarily follow a straight line at any point. Not that I expected any paths to have street signs, but it's even more confusing than an urban college campus. Many of us have found that when we find a landmark for a turn, that landmark disappears the next day. Small snack stands turn over or disintegrate; garbage that was in the middle of the road gets burned or disposed of; people change the layout or fencing of their yards, and then the rain comes and creates enormous mud puddles that prohibit passage on the paths you just memorized. All the paths are dirt, with a speck of grass every kilometer or so, surrounded on the sides by fences made of reed or a type of pricker bush. Sometimes, houses will have concrete walls surrounding the compound, with sheet metal gates. These are usually the richer families.
So the paths look quite homogeneous until you have grown accustomed to them, which as I said, can take a while.
And at night, it can be downright treacherous. Once you determine which way to go and which is the best shortcut, night destroys everything. Suddenly, you can't see the dips and bumps in the road, which are numerous, and passersby are quiet and slow.
Essentially, it always feels like you're drunk when you're walking around at night, stumbling every so often on terrain you can't see. I often carry a flashlight around, but that inhibits social behavior and further enhances the divide between the Americans and the Mozambicans. Plus, the more you walk at night, the better you get at picking up on certain visual clues, such as where the road ends on either side and what objects are in the middle of the road.
But like everything else, we adjust.
I went to the market, got my cummerbund and bought a capulana (essentially, a large piece of fabric that can be worn as a long shirt) to be made into a shirt. It has the pattern of a traditional Zulu icon, and in nice bright blue and red.
The "cummerbund" is essentially an unfastened sash, and only cost 10 Met to tailor (approx. 40 cents). The capulano cost 50 Met ($2.00) and the tailoring 45 Met. And I didn't get a great deal, either.
Stamps for the US cost 33 Met (about $1.35) for 20 grams or less.
I just heard this very urgent pitter-patter of footsteps that sounded like a small child. In fact, it was a rooster running up beside my house, coming to a stop and crowing very importantly for no particular reason.
On the way home, Sawyer and I passed a family that has baby goats. They were chomping on the "fence", so we bent down to pet them, but they ran away.
As we continued, a bunch of bulls were being walked by a local man. They made way for us.
I remember in the States what a big deal it was to go to a petting zoo, see all the cute animals in fences and cages, then go back home. It's still neat to see them, but it's strange to everyone that we find them cute.
Last night at Jen's house, a bunch of us were fawning over two very young kittens. We got very strange looks from the family.
Honestly, there's no respect for animals here beyond what they can do for the people. It is consistent, though, and not based on whether the animal is cute or provides companionship. I think this last point is most important, because Mozambicans are always surrounded by children, friends, family, children of the friend's family, etc., and the companionship of animals isn't necessary.
By the same token, animals bred for meat aren't treated any differently than dogs and cats. Chickens, ducks and cows get to live fairly free lives, and seem to be content with their unknown fate.
Granted, I'm only seeing the un-automated farming - I have eggs every day, which are obviously not obtained by some guy with gloves following around a hen all day, waiting for the right moment. No, I'm sure there are egg farms that look quite similar to those in the States. But the rural farming I see day in and day out is peaceful and opportunistic, however inefficient compared with developed countries.
But what does the "1st world" gain by having easier, bigger resources? We have created a whole host of unsolved problems, broadly termed pollution. Light, air, water and ground pollution are all major problems that may limit the lifespan of Earth severely. The changes are easy to see, from the difference in migratory patterns of birds confused by city lights, to new islands being created from undecomposed trash.
Because Moz has very little of its own resources, much is imported from South Africa (RSA). The RSA considers itself a 1st-world country, and as such, packages all of its exports in colorful plastic, tin and cardboard containers. The only method of garbage disposal available in many places here is burning, so all that wonderful packaging ends up as toxic chemicals being released into the atmosphere, and even before that, being breathed in by all the children and adults in the area.
For a month, I've been trying to minimize... (NEXT PAGES NOT RECEIVED. I WILL CONTINUE WITH DECEMBER 30TH...)
(REC'D THE NEXT PAGE 3/1/03!)...my trash. I've kept an old Pringles can and have managed to stuff any garbage I've had in that - without emptying it. Of course, I'm not cooking or using any food products that come in plastic packages, but it's nonetheless a good exercise in curbing waster. I wonder if I could even think about doing the same in the States.
Peace
John
