Em Becomes a Tug Assistant

Dear Friends,
Hope this finds you all fine and enjoying June . Here it is cooler and everyone is suffering with the 60 degree temperature. Ski hats, parkas, and scarves are the thing now.

Last week, I had the best day I ever have had in Mozambique ....
 It is the law that a Mozambiquan pilot must standby with the Captain on the bridge to bring the ships in and take them out through the channel. I have been trying totally unsuccessfully to wrangle a place on the port tug boat to get out to sea with them. Security,  port policies, etc created a dead end for the official tug.

 I happened to meet 2 South African guys who are here with a vessel for another project, and are helping the Port temporarily with this job of moving pilots on and off ships. I asked them if I could come along if I made a lunch...and sure enough, I was at sea the next day.

We met the 1st outgoing ship which had a pilot already on it from port . We went along up against the ship’s leeward side going 6.4 knots. They lowered a ladder and the pilot climbed down onto our vessel. Then we went full throttle to the 1st incoming ship and did the same thing...up against the side, ladder lowered, and pilot climbed up to bring that ship in. Then back to the 2nd outgoing ship to get that pilot and put him on the next incoming ship. And so on.  The ships are lined up off shore waiting for the pilots.

The ships were from China, Emerites, Holland, South Africa, Monrovia, Nassau, etc. It was one of the most exciting days of my life!! Hope you all are having lots of excitement, too, but not too much!!!  Sending many greetings from Mozambique!! Emily

Teaching English

Dear Friends,  Hello from Beira! Hope you are all fine!

Here is a beach photo from Gerald, the Austrian colleague. People here are so fit, because of the physical demands of daily life and a whole foods diet. People do all kinds of sports on the beach...soccer, rugby, karate.

I’ve been helping teach English to the Preparatory Year Med students.

As you get warmer, we are finally cooling down a bit. We had a massive storm off the Indian Ocean that has brought fresher weather. It was so hot day after day, I was starting to drink cokes and get really grumpy.  We have 12 hours of day and 12 of night.

April 7th was a HUGE holiday...Day of the Mozambiquan Woman. Everything was shut. Women were all dressed up in bright cloths around the waist and matching cloths around the head. (called capulanas). There were parties and parades and great celebration of Women!

Hope this finds everyone doing great and enjoying spring!! Would love to hear from you!! All the best! Emily

Chicken in My Lap

Dear Friends, Greetings!! I finally made it out to Young Africa today and met your 2 Moms!  They looked very professional and happy. One is doing very well and one is struggling a bit but will continue and carry on. I think she can’t read and has some coordination issues. I got nice photos which Peter will put on the web at work tomorrow.

They are doing great, the teacher is lovely, and the classroom nice. They are very grateful and send thanks. It is changing their lives. Young Africa has 1000 students now.

After the visit, Sister Augusta wanted to go on down the road to see someone in a village. So we stood by the side of the road, sweating for an hour, finally packed into a bus and reached a small village. After the visit, packed into another bus, chicken in my lap and got back to Beira.

Will get those photos to you ASAP.

Hope you are all fine! Sending many greetings and lots of thanks!  Emily

Back down the Beira Corridor

Dear Friends,
Hope you are all fine.

I had to go back to Zimbabwe for a Residency Permit...so it was back  down the Beira Corridor, over the car eating potholes , through the flooded areas, through green, green fields, and into Zimbabwe!  There, the country seems to be recovering from the worst inflation known on earth. The shops are full of goods and full of people shopping. That was wonderful to see.

But there are a lot of extremely serious political and social issues brewing and I pray things remain calm in Zimbabwe.  For a dissident view, if you are interested in the country, you can google Zimbabwe Situation. I did have a wonderful morning shopping and chatting with the ever friendly people.

Here in Beira there is a worrisome lack of rain. It’s hot as can be. We are eating avocadoes, mangos, pineapples, guava, and a lot of shrimp and octopus.  I visited the house of a local “Traditional Healer/Witch Doctor”. (Many people tend to go to a traditional healer before going to clinic) or hospital). Her brother had been working in Germany , so we could chat in German! There are many Mozambiquans who worked in East Germany before the collapse of the East Block and they all speak German.  It’s so much fun to meet them, as my Portuguese is a big struggle and English isn’t an option!

I am reading A Complicated War, the Harrowing of Mozambique, about the horrendous war that took place here in the 80’s and into the 90’s. I really recommend it if you are interested in Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe. It is horrifically spell binding.

Now Mozambique is brimming with exuberance, projects, schools, all trying.  Let’s hope for peace and forward progress in southern Africa!
Sending all the Best and take care!!
Emily 

Baby Ngotenda

Latest from Mozambique

Greetings  from Beira!! Hope you are all fine!

Got back to Mozambique yesterday...into serious heat and more serious lack of rain for crops.  I went through Johannesburg ,South Africa, where World Cup Soccer  will start June 11th. The soccer mania is at fever pitch, and all the prices of things in the airport have gone way up!!

The winter Olympics are not being covered in Mozambique,(funny thing about that!)
Off continent topic...Heard that Riley Masters from Bangor , U Maine sophomore, ran a sub 4 minute mile last weekend. How brilliant and exciting!!

Just chatted with a Mom selling bananas across the street. She has 6 kids, her husband left and there is no money to send the children to school...even elementary school. Would like to remake the point that universal, free education is a remarkable concept and hardly universal.  Attending school is quite a privilege.

Am forwarding you a note from Zimbabwe from the new Hospital Administrator at Mt. Selinda  Hospital where we used to work....note and photo follow.  Look at that baby’s fierce determination in her face.

Many Greetings and all the Best for a great school  year 2010!!!  Would love to hear your news!    Ms. Wesson/Emily

"Please send thoughts for Baby Surprise One.  (Her Shona name is Ngotenda which means Thank You.)  Surprise was born January 12 weighing 950 grams (2 pounds) and she dropped to 750 grams. (1.6 pounds)  Amazingly, at age three weeks, she is fighting hard with almost no medical intervention.  All we can do for her are keep her warm, feed her with a cup or NG tube and weigh her every other day.  Her mother, Concelia, is a sweet woman who is very dedicated to her baby. "   

 “If we took an eye for an eye, the whole world would be blind.”  M. Gandhi