PST Week 2

1/5 way done with training! This week felt long again and I'm starting to feel overwhelmed and stressed (mostly because of language) 

Highlights/things I've learned this week:

-My headlamp is probably the best thing I packed so far. There was a lot of black out this past week plus there's not enough lighting in my room. I spent most of my night in bed studying with my headlamp now.

-I wish I brought more warm clothes with me! It's winter here and it gets reallyyy cold at night in Namaacha. Im using 2 blankets now and I practically live in my one sweater and sweatpants haha 

-Portuguese lessons are going well.. I love my language professor, but I'm still having problems with pronunication and grammar so I'm definitely feeling stressed out. We have a written test this coming Monday and then our mid LPI language oral test in 3 weeks. For only 2 weeks so far, I think I'm doing pretty well at this rate but it doesn't feel like it since I'm still having a really hard time trying to talk to my host family. My mãe laughed at my portuguese this week when I was trying to explain to her that I cant come home for lunch and need to bring lunch to training with me :( hahah training is also getting tougher with more work to do.

-I did yoga for the first time this week! One of the volunteer is a yoga instructor so she's doing classes for us on MWF. It was very relaxing and definitely a good exercise and something to do aside from all these technical and language training we're having. 

-Rode on a chapa (the local transportation here.. usually a pick up truck or a mini van) to the market for the first time this week as part of our language application. We had trouble identifying and finding a chapa on the way back from the market so we ended up walking halfway before getting onto one. We waved to a pick up truck that wasn't a chapa so they were probably laughing at us foreigners haha 

-A girl working at the gas station complimented my hair and then asked if she could cut it and have it.. haha

-I had my 1st site placement interview this week. It was an informal one just so they can get to know me more and see what my interests are. It was the first time since I've been here that I got asked "why did you joined the peace corps".. which made me realized how cool it is being around other trainees that have the same aspiration (to help) even if our reasons for joining the peace corps is different.

-I discovered a beautiful landscape just right down the road from my house! Across on the other side is Swaziland! (Namaacha is really close to the border)

-We met leaders of organizations that we will be working with for our practicum. If they don't switch our language groups, then I will be working with a faith-based organization called Irmãs Francsicanas. They work with 70ish orphans ages 6-18.

-We visited the hospital nearby and got a tour of it. It's really similiar to the hospital I volunteered at in Tanzania so I was not surprised with the sanitization, lack of equipments, etc. I learned that the average age for pregnancy in Mozambique is 13.. So young!!

-We had our first Ngoma time this week. Ngoma time is when we exchange cultures so our language professors sang the Mozambique national anthem and us trainees sang the US national anthem. We also had a dance group that came to sing songs about HIV/AIDS and proverty in Africa and an art exhibition. 

-I am soo slow at cutting onions, carrots and tomatoes. I'm starting to get used to the knife but it's still hard not to be paranoid. So the knife they use here is really dull because they practically use their hand as a cutting board but I'm still not used to cutting things toward me and in my hand :( I've been helping around the house with house chores more (washing dishes, sweeping, mopping, and cooking.. It's hard work!)

-I watched movies on my laptop with my irmã and try to explain to her what's happening in Portuguese since i dont have subtitle for her and it's a good practice for me

-We took the chapa to Maputo (about 1.5hr away) to do our errands. I was able to buy more phone credits, lotion, conditioner, and chocolates!! Saving the chocolate for days when I'm really craving home haha 

-I taught my irmão and sobrinha how to play fruit ninja!! And some other games.

-Had a work out session today (Sunday). One of the volunteer is a personal trainer so he made a work out session for us. It was short but very tiring! Definitely needed it since I've been eating a lotttt of carbs.