Everything is New

Having Janet's family and best friend here in site is like experiencing everything anew. Unfortunately it also means going through culture shock all over again. Rolling around town in a 7 person azungu posse generates so much more attention than what we are used too. After a year and a half here we've become so integrated into our community that people normally treat us like any other teacher. The constant stares, spontaneous applause, and the overall superstar effect has slowly diminished during our stay, so its effect had dimmed in our memory, but this week we got it fullforce! Everyday is a party in our front yard when visitors are staying with us. Neighborhood kids materialize as soon as we emerge to dance, sing, play games, or just patiently observe what we are doing. A camera makes it an especially exciting party and kicks up the enrgy level a couple notches whenever it appears. Even when we stay inside, little faces appear in the door or any open window. Our family also reminds us about all the annoying noises we tend to subconciously tune out, like the continuous loud music, crying babies, and ubiquitous roosters that start cacadoodledooing well before sunrise. We hadn't even noticed all the trash littering our yard until our guests starting picking it up. But its great, ever tree and bird is beautiful again when you are seeing it with people new to this part of the world and the sunset light is so fresh! Young people have been especially interested in Janet's 9th grade brother and sister, they don't often get to see real teenaged foriegners. Sammy built a wire bicycle with our neighbor Seni, Annie got a couple of marriage proposals, and despite minimal communal language to facilitate communication, everyone got along fine, reinforcing the notion that kids are just kids everywhere, even in faraway Mozambique. Everyone's effusive greatings reminds us how lucky we are to be amongst such friendly people. And the power didn't go out a single evening during there stay! Despite all the craziness, it is so amazing to share our little town with family, we are so gratefull they could make it half way around the world to experience it with us!