Monday, August 8th. Starting our second week here!

Susanne reporting for blog duty again.....Chelsea helped.

Friday
We arrived at the site today to learn that we would only work at Danger Zone and Fast Track, as the owner`s mom at Scratch passed away.  So we had 2 teams of 10 instead of our regular group sizes of 6 or 7.  We asked what we could do for the family and heard that it was customary to buy sugar, flour, oil and tea which we picked up later in the day and gave to one of the daughters on Saturday.  People who pass away in Mozambique are often buried the same day or very next day, so that the home owner was busy with funeral preparations.
Friday was build day number 5 for us.  After spending a few days on walls and bathrooms, we finished off tying off the reeds for the bathroom walls and got going on an extension of the walls which would hold the sloping roof.  5 rows of brick in the back, and 2 in the front supported by cement beams with rebar in the middle which we had tied together with wires earlier.  Some team members went to the well to get some water and Cecile got to try carrying some water on her head. All the women here carry anything on their heads including water from the well, firewood and food. It is amazing and they make it look a lot easier than it is. Some others tried their luck at carrying firewood, but again: looks easier than it is.
kids w2ho were leery of us earlier in the week when we were ``new`` now wave at us as soon as they spot the vans coming down the sandy roads, and run alongside or behind us, picking up other kids along the way.
today was the first day where we ran into a bit of a lull due to lack of materials, so the teachers took over to lead us in some games: duck, duck, goose with a large group which might have been worthy of a Guinness book of world records.
According to our Lonely Planet Guide, our hotel is THE place to be on Friday nights, as there was a disco in the building, so we thought we would check it out.  Every time we asked what time it started, we got a different answer.  One time, we asked: what time does the place close...answer was ``2, 3 or 7``.  So we we ready for anything as our rooms were right above the dance floor and we expected it to be a long and noisy night.  Well, after dinner we sat around for a few pre-party drinks with Dan`s speakers which have been put to great use all week at the work site and went to the disco around 10ish.  We were pretty sure that the floors were greased before the night as it was sooo slippery.  Awesome time all around with the waiting staff joining us and great music played.We had a blast with Djassi showing us some Mozambican moves and everyone getting some good exercise.

Saturday:
It poured.....well, not right away.  The beginning of the day was cloudy and then it poured.  We were back on 3 work sites and tried to get some work done between downpours and then finally during downpours.  We built some more brick wall (angled sides) and began stuccoing the exterior walls with splatter cement.  It's a little handheld container which holds runny cement, you turn a handle and the it splatters against the walls, covering the bricks like stucco.  The workers really don't like the rain. As soon as it rained, things sort of stopped and the workers told us to go inside their existing homes...the huts with reed roofs. Some did, others finished some others tasks...so some of us got pretty soaked.   They look after us so well, some brought blankets and both Chelsea and Susanne lucked into blankets with volleyballs...what are the chances :)

We wrapped it up mid day and waited a while for the bus....soaked to the bone and freezing cold.  Once back, we got ready for a few glasses of wine and our big dinner out at the Limpopo Indian restaurant.  As we were now a few days into the build and different food, a few stomach problems had appeared on the team.  So it didn't really occur to Chelsea and Susanne that Indian food may not have been the best choice...but we took our chances and all was great.  Meals were amazing, but spicy......ok, I will take the blame as another trip leader had suggested the place. Allllll me :)

Sunday:
Today was our day off.  No work today after our 6 day week.  We got dressed for church and piled into our vans which took us to our community.  Females had to cover shoulders and knees, and we arrived at a building which did not really look like a church but would be used for the service, as we found out.  It was amazing.  People trickled into the large shed which had a few mats where women and children sat on the ground.  Men sat on chairs or benches on the side.  We were welcomed by the minister and a 2 hour service started which is hard to describe as there is no way to convey the songs, voices and general experience which was absolutely amazing.  Lots of translations between speeches, and thank you`s, songs, and the sermon.  We got to say a few words of thanks, and it was interesting to note that it was important for the people here to not only hear from Chelsea and myself who said a few words as team leaders but also from our 3 guys. They did a great job and the main message from the people in the community was to thank us for coming all the way from Canada to help build the homes, but also that it was an overall message of hope that people in far away places care and that we are all the same...whether black, white, and no matter where we live. Again, I can't do any of those two hours any justice by describing the morning.  Songs were loud, there were lots of ``Amens`` and ``Hallelujahs``, clapping, drums and cheering.  We had to sing a song for the people in the church and we did our best of ``Oh, Canada`` and Angela was a little star for presenting a gift to the church which she had brought from home; a large poster of a cross which was proudly lifted up after she gave it to the minister among cheers and clapping. All in all, it was an incredible experience and I know some team members said that they found it to be quite emotional...myself included.  Wow, it will be hard to forget this moment.....
We had lunch at a local restaurant  in Xai Xai before we got home, stopped for a 45 meticash iceream (about $1.50) at KFC (yip, they have one here!) and got back to the hotel. Our planned beach did not work out so well today as it was still cloudy with some showers here and there. Seems to be a repetition of last year`s Cambodia trip when it rained as soon as we got to the coast for beach time.  People needed a bit of a break, though, so it's nice just to sit, have a glass of wine (we found cheaper wine at the local super market...about $7 or so a bottle) and get caught up on blogs, diaries or reading.  just hanging out :)

Quick facts:

• Dairy Milk Cashew and Coconut chocolate bars....best thing ever for the coconut loves (other than me...).  $3 or so
• Teachers make $120 a year and class sizes are around 50-60.   Kids go to school in shifts; ie. young ones from 6:30-9:30 am, then some a bit older for the next 3 hour shift etc.
• Mozambique beer: 2 M is great, nice and light. Laurentina beer is dark, also really good
• Most wine is from South Africa
• Many meals come with rice and potato, not just one side
• Men can have more than one wife. Women don't marry guys who don`t have a job usually. Many Mozambican men work in the mines in South Africa for months at a time.
• Gas is $1.50 a litre
• Restaurants seems to have TV`s on all the time and are turned up pretty loud.  We have one in our hotel dining room which plays anything including something like much music, as well as soap operas, news etc.  The resturant today also had a TV blaring.
• Meals here are huge and we are eating a ton of bread...it`s sooooooo good. Kind of like french baguette.. am thinking that the idea of losing a pound or two was likely not so realistic....grrr!
• Menus are translated into English...somewhat:  ``sharimp``  in the seafood section