Small Victories

I've heard over and over again that surviving in Peace Corps is all about lowering expectations. This isn't meant to be a bad thing. What's happening is that our lofty goals of changing the world are smacked around by reality. Goals go from erasing illiteracy in Maputu to passing 70% of your 10th graders. Ya know, things that are actually possible.

For me, the biggest struggle/fear is language. I really believed that the magical Peace Corps training would have me fluent by the end of 10 weeks in a language I knew VERY little. Now, with the training almost half way over, my expectations are going to have to change. Maybe I won't be fluent by the end of 10 weeks, but I'll be able to give lessons, or at least with a script. I won't be able to talk about philosophy, but I'll ask about the weather, or maybe, I'll be able to buy food. Maybe I'll be fluent after 1 months in service. 6 months? A year?

The point is, I don't know. Fluency is this transient thing between me and happiness. Every time I think I'm progressing, I'm faced with another word I don't know, or pronunciation I keep forgetting, or conjugation I mess up.

Rather than be overwhelmed by the impossibility of fluency within 10 weeks, I'm deciding to celebrate the small stuff. For example, today I bought phone credit by myself. Usually, this is a simple process of just finding a guy wearing a yellow vest, saying "vodacom" and handing him 50 MT. BUT this time was different. I found out our neighbor sells credit, so rather than walk all the way over to the Supermercado, I can go next door. BUT it's not that simple. I've discovered that our "neighbor" is actually a small village, and there's about 5 small houses behind a large house. (Who knew?!) I'm sure you're dying to know how I pulled off this very do-able task.

First, I asked my sister what's the name of our neighbor that sells credit. Como se chama nosso vencina que vende credito?

After asking her to repeat the name, I asked if she knew if the neighbor was home and if I could visit her. Conhece si esta ale? Esta bom si eu visita?

M replied that it was fine, and after repeating the name (I've forgot it) I walked over. I passed the large fence and entered through the driveway. It looks like your average house until you pass the garage and see a stretch of cement houses; then your realize it's an entire community.

I saw a woman washing laundry. Before asking if the neighbor was here, I did the obligatory hello how are you questions. Ola, como esta? Tudo bem aqui. Obrigada. Eu estou a buscar para "Name". Eu prefero comprar credito.

The woman very clearly said "She's right here," and from behind a corner out popped the neighbor that sells credit. I had met her once before with my irmao. She came over to me and asked what I needed. Tem doscentos para Vodacom? I spoke in a complete sentence!!

I even introduced myself as we completed the transaction and went on my merry way. It was a simple conversation but I had no friend, no mae, no irmao to step in if I need them. Victory!

Love love love

P.S. Sorry for the missing accents. My teacher would not be very happy right now, but I don't know how to type them in blogspot, or word. I'm working on it :)