Wild Child: Good-bye, Africa

It's almost over. I can hardly believe it's just a few more days and then it's farewell to Africa. It has been an amazing ride, and one I won't soon forget. We've actually already said good-bye to Dondo and all our friends there because we decided to make our way slowly to Johannesburg, South Africa where our flight leaves. Right now, we're at another Iris base in Zimpeto, a suburb of Maputo, the capitol. Saying good-bye is so bittersweet. I will miss Africa and the people in it horribly. I'll miss the culture. I'll miss the churches. I'll miss the yummy food you can buy on the street for just pennies. I'll miss watching the village people as they go about their daily activities. I'll miss shopping in the market and bartering with the shop owners in my broken Portuguese. I'll definitely miss the soda. (Oh, my goodness, the soda. Did you know that for every soda you can buy in a normal store in America, you could find at least two weird ones in Africa you've never even heard of? AND they're all sweetened with real sugar! It's amazing!) I'll also miss the readily available and cheap fruit, a lot of which is unknown in America. But one of he things I will miss most about Mozambique is the hilarity that results when cultures collide. The western world has wormed it's way into bits of the culture here, while some parts remain mostly unchanged. It opens wide the door for for hilarious juxtapositions. The village people of Dondo just crack me up sometimes. They might not speak a word of English, they might live in stick and mud huts, but by golly, they all have cell phones with Justin Bieber music (which they blare through broken speakers at ALL hours of the day and night). That is one thing I will NOT miss! I distinctly remember this one time I was walking though the village, I rounded a corner and saw a group of 10 or so kids playing in the dirt. They all fell silent when they saw me and then, as if on cue, they all simultaneously broke forth into the beginning strains of "Baby baby". Some of those kids probably didn't even speak Portuguese, never mind English, knowing only the local tribal language of their parents. Clothes can also produce odd culture mixes. A lot of clothes get donated from the states through thrift stores and clothing companies that make misprints. I've seen little old grannies in the traditional African 'capulana' skirt with Spider Man or The Incredible Hulk t-shirts. I've seen people in church wearing snowflake pajama pants. I've seen little girls wearing t-shirts with American wrestling champions on them... the list goes on, but it's not just clothes. Once I met a guy who couldn't speak a word of English that had somehow procured an issue of the O magazine (in English, of course). He reverently flipped through the glossy pages, looking carefully at every makeup and perfume ad. It was all I could do to not burst out laughing, so I just smiled widely and asked via sign language if I could take his picture, which I did. (I would post it here, but unfortunately, I was unable to find it. If it hasn't gotten permanently deleted, I will post it eventually.)

So, I'm leaving all that funny craziness behind. *sniff sniff*. All of that said, I am so glad to be going home! I've missed my incredible family a TON. I've missed mom's amazing cooking. I've missed all my friends. I've missed all my instruments and impromptu music sessions at home. I've missed being in a country where I speak the language. I've missed my books. I've missed our woods and fields. Like I said; very bittersweet. I'm incredibly thankful for the opportunity I've had to come to Mozambique, and I'm very grateful to all the people that helped get me here; Africa has changed my life. How exactly, I can't rightly say yet, but I'm sure it'll become apparent.

I meant to post pictures of my trip here, but in general I've left the photographing to Janie who is much better at it than me. However, I did take some early on in the trip, so here are some of my favorites of those: