I'm finally writing!!

Hello All! Can you believe I'm finally writing on this site? I am 6 weeks into my pre-service training and having a great time! So much different here...lots to get used to, but woke up the other day and it seemed normal. Go figure. The people here are what makes: waking up at 4am by the mosque & the roosters (who crow at all times of day), sitting through long 9 hr days, sleeping with the cockroaches, feeling dirty 24/7 even after taking 3 baths a day...... it all worth it. I actually have a yoga patner, Steph. We do yoga at least 3 days a week at 5am in the field near our houses. It's quite beautiful watching the sunrise. I am so used to waking up that early..in the beginning it was crazy! I love the culture here. I love living in a place where everyone greets eachother and smiles constantly. I love having the children call my name. I love waking up to techno, african or hip hop music every day. Music and dancing here is VERY IMPORTANT. Everyone does it constantly; it's like breathing.

The people here definitely make this training possible. It's stressful. We started our teaching this last week, called micro-school. We each taught 1 or 2 ,20 min. lesson plans. I only had 1. I taught colors. We are teaching 8th, 9th, 10th graders from the community in Boane. They volunteer to come to our "practice sessions" EVERYONE wants to learn English here. My host brother and his friends are constantly showing off their english skills. So anyways, the kids come to our sessions because they want to. I went first on Tues. which was difficult. We are supposed to have 30-40 students but only 3 showed up at the beginning of my lesson. And then...more started trickling in. The Mozambican sense of time is definitely different than Americas. You have to be really strict here right away so they respect you. Next week we start our "model school" I am teaching 4 times. We are broken up into groups of 5-7 trainees. Each group evaluates eachother, constructively of course. Then at the end of the week we have to give the students a comprehensive test of all the material covered during the week. Review, test, grade. AHHHH! I am a nervous wreck. I hope I don't break down crying! All the current volunteers say this is when the shit hits the fan.

Las t week we went on our site visits. I went to Inhambane City...absolutely gorgeous and CLEAN unlike Maputo or Boane. It's very lush and green, approximately 8 hr bus ride on the oldest piece of crap bus I have ever seen. But, worth it! I stayed in a 5 bedroom house with running water, kitchen, INSIDE bathroom, painted murals....etc. etc. Definitely not the typical Peace Corps housing, but oh so fun! We went to the beach..Tofu Beach..for 3 days with other trainees and volunteers. Tofu Beach is beautiful! I definitely was on vacation. Pizza, tropical drinks, crepes...Tough to come back to the dustpit of Boane. AND I've heard that Boane is lush compared to other sites. All I can do is cross my fingers.

I hope you all are doing well. If anyone wants to write or send me a package (PLEASE! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW EXCITING IT IS TO GET!) here is the address:

Malia Wetcher, PCT

Peace Corps

C.P. 4398

Maputo, Mozambique

Make sure to number the letters and write "Airmail" and "Par Avion". Also, wrap all stuff in plastic so thieves (ninjas!) don't steal. And write HIV/AIDS SUPPLIES or BIBLE SUPPLIES , PRAISE THE LORD! so the packages is unappealing.

I miss you all!

Love Malia