Having been so discouraged this morning, I knew that I
needed to shaped up, and do it quickly.
Lucky for me, I knew what I had to do.
Over the course of the last few weeks, I’ve discovered a practical and
fun way to get some extra practice with my Portuguese: I shoot-the-shit with my
host-brother. Honestly, it’s actually
been pretty helpful, and always seems to provide a huge boost in confidence
when I need it. We joke around, eat
mangos, and talk about whatever there is to talk about. I ask him questions about himself, the machamba,
what kids in Mozambique are like, etc.
He’s a nice guy, as friendly as they come, and always seems happy to let
me bug him for a while. Not only do I
get the opportunity to get to know him better, but I get some much-needed
practice too!
Aside from putting him on display in a picture a few weeks
ago (he was sporting my Banana Suit), I don’t think that I’ve given the
internet an adequate introduction to him yet. His name is Gerson Armando
Sidonio, but the family calls him Mandinho for short. The nickname means Armando Junior (he’s named
after my host-father, who is his grandfather), and this kid is bright. When I say bright, I mean it by American
standards. If compared side-by-side,
he’d blow the typical American 18 year-old out of the water. It’s almost embarrassing to admit that when I
was 18, I wasn’t half the man he is today.
Almost ten years later, I still might not be. He pretty much runs the house when my
host-parents aren’t around (which is a lot), working on the farm, selling the
produce, maintaining the house, cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, and studying
when he has some free time. He just
recently passed his 12th grade final exams, which means he’s now
eligible to register for College. Next
year, he’ll begin studying Electrical Engineering in Maputo, and everyone
really couldn’t be prouder of him. It’s
strange, but I’ve learned more from this eighteen year-old kid in ten weeks
than from spending sixteen weeks with some college professors. Needless to say, I owe him a huge thanks for
all the help he’s provided me; in preparing for today, in practicing all week,
and for spending two months teaching me how to survive in Mozambique. I only hope that one day I’ll be as eloquent
as I’d like to be so I can tell him personally how grateful I am.
Now, with this test behind me, I’m feeling pretty good. Peace Corps came by today and picked up the
first round of luggage in preparation for our big move out of Namaacha. I can’t
even begin to describe how excited I am about this (mostly because I’m feeling
hangry – hungry and angry – and lazy and don’t want to type any more). I’m ready to get my life started; I’m ready
to start settling in. Only a few more
days till we start moving.
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