Family Q & A

Hello friends and family! In an effort to vary our "posting" styles I decided an interview with the kids would be fun and informative. The notion was seconded by a friend who asked for a "kids eye view" of what we're seeing and learning. So I went with the idea and in the process the kid interview became a whole family interview. Hopefully I was sucessful in gleaning some new information for all you inquisitive supporters! Thank you for being interested in what's happening in our lives. I'm optimistic (maybe overly) that the following will provide some new insights from our lives here as well as a few laughs! Please note that all answers are entered EXACTLY as they were given. No motherly editing allowed.

1. What is your favorite part of living in Mozambique?
Lucy: The animals and the pretty trees on our gate.
Kaleb: Um, everything.
Mia: Um, loving Tommy in Mozambique and Brody.
Steve: Probably getting to know locals. Learning about the city, the culture, the country.
Sarah: Family time. Beauty of the people both physical and internal.

2. What is your favorite food in Mozambique?
L: Apples.
K: Macaroni and bacon at school; chamoosas from Piri Piri chicken (a local rest.).
M: Pancakes. Peanuts and cashews.
St: Chamoosas with piri piri. (curry, meat and ONION! appetizers with REALLY hot sauce)
Sa: Curried chicken and rice.

3. What is one new thing you've tried here that you've never done before?
L: Kindergarten.
K: Climbing poles; track and field; teaching people how to play baseball that don't speak english.
M: Living in Mozambique.
St: I had cow stomach - tripe! It tasted like meat, kind of, but it was chewy. Not a favorite, won't have it again.
Sa: Portuguese. Driving on the left side of the road and right side of the car.

4. What do you like most about school (or work or life here)?
L: Music.
K: My favorite thing about school is friends!
M: Um, loving Mimi and Papa in Mozambique.
St: I like starting from zero. Starting from the ground and seeing possibilities. It excites me to see the potential that exists.
Sa: The laid back tempo of life here. No rushing around to get places.

5. What do you like least about school (or work or life here)?
L: Getting in trouble.
K: That it's not a Christian school.
M: Um, I don't know.
St: The work part! The need for meetings and non-field related work.
Sa: The laid back tempo of life!

6. What do you miss most about Minnesota?
L: My friends.
K: My friends and family.
M: Tommy and Mimi.
St: Our friends. The regularity and consistency of life there.
Sa: Our loved ones! Diet Coke, my independence, ease of life.

7. If you could have one thing from Minnesota what would it be?
L: My home, with all it's baby dolls.
K: My friends and family.
M: Tommy and Brody and Mimi and Papa.
St: Poker night with my friends!
Sa: Other than the people a BIG, FRESH GREEN SALAD!

8. What is one thing you've learned here that you didn't know before?
L: Portuguese.
K: Portuguese.
M: Um, I like piggy backs. Like sitting on Kaleb's back.
St: How much I eat out. There is no opportunity to do that here. Everything has to be prepared (by my beautiful, amazing wife!)
Sa: SO many things! I didn't really understand how BIG the world is. Did you know it takes 11 hours to fly from one side of Russia to the other? It takes 6 hours to fly across the US!

9. If you could tell your friends about anything in Mozambique, what would you say?
L: If you want to visit my school anytime you can.
K: All the amazing animals that live here.
M: I want to swim with them maybe.
St: How surprised I constantly am by the people I meet. The sterotypes of Africans are so not correct.
Sa: I have gained an incredible open mindedness and realization that what you see is often not what you get. Everyone has a story. I am very fortunate to have been born as an American woman!

10. What's the best part about living in Mozambique?
L: Seeing other places in Africa, meeting new friends and seeing the animals.
K: Meeting all kinds of people who don't speak our language.
M: I DON'T KNOW!
St: Time we get to spend just as a family. And Orange Fanta.
Sa: Family time for sure! Second would be all the interesting people we've met (are meeting) who have had amazing adventures and done incredible things with their lives as well as the peole who have been brave enough to survive the lives they've been born into.

11. How would you describe our house?
L: Me and Mia have bunkbeds and a pink lamp from our dad. In the back yard we have a swing and a clothesline for climbing. We have a guard.
K: Kinda small with not very big rooms. When you walk in the door you will see our dining room table. It's pretty nice and yeah that's it.
M: All the people's in here? Sitting in Mozambique. We have a garden with a turtle.
St: Our house is a traditional row house. Very little privacy. Small yard like the city. Four bedroom, two bath, seperate guest house, hardwood floors, off street parking, very little character and no updates in a relatively unsafe neighborhood. Near junky schools, BUT five minutes to the Indian Ocean. Electric and running water most of the time. All of this, plus security bars on EVERY window and door.
Sa: Simple. More than adequate. Comfortable. Home.

12. What's Maputo like?
L: Alot of peple carry babies on their back. It's hot. Our family likes it here.
K: Opposite from MN - there's garbage everywhere.
M: I don't know.
St: Very dirty. Very run down. Very congested. Terrible driving conditions. No public infastructure. BUT five minutes from the Indian Ocean which is full of litter and raw sewage.
Sa: It's a city full of contradiciton: beautiful yet ugly; intimidating yet welcoming; big and yet small; loud, yet so silent at times; poor yet very rich in resources and people. It's also dirty, busy, full of amazing people, unrestricted by rules and therefore completely chaotic. It's a different place than anything I've ever known. I think the lack of order and rules is really the best way to sum it up. People are allowed to do ANYTHING in this city, drive like maniacs, pee on the sidewalk, sell fruit and other wares on the sidewalk, drink and drive, make their own rules and enforce them however they like. Yet there are so many "cultural" understandings of how to act, always respect and revire the elderly, cherish the children, women work, men work less, you must always kiss when greeting and use formal greetings (Senhor and senhora) when addressing someone you don't know EVEN if they are obviously from a "lower class". It's really interesting how this society functions!

13. What's the most interesting thing you've seen here?
L: Animals, insects, snails on the jetty (thousands) and crabs in the sand (millions).
K: Lions killing a giraffe
M: The market. I like the guards too. They're very nice.
St: Men peeing on the street in full view.
Sa: Monkeys with Kool-Ade blue bottoms!

So these are a few of our opinions about life in Mozambique. We are enjoying our time here. Each day gets a little easier and makes this side of the world feel a little more like home. Stay tuned for our next post full of facts about Africa, specifically our country of choice, Mozambique!

Sarah