FUSION COOKING OR BAD COOKING?

It’s early Sunday morning and I’m heading to the market with my 200 meticais (about $5) to do my weekly shopping of fruits and vegetables. I grab my lovely shopping satchel, which I had made out of the thick plastic  that my sheets came in with capolana fabric on the outside, and wonder what it will be filled with.

I glance at the Peace Corps cookbook and dismiss my worry over my culinary ability.  “Be creative and flexible”, I convince myself as I walk down the path to the field already bustling with people.  I head to the “aisle” where woman are selling their produce, grown in their garden, neatly placed by quantity for the price.  Tomatoes, onions, garlic, lettuce, potatoes, bananas, and mangos, are greeted into my bag easily because I don’t have to decipher what they are. I know my tomatoes.

My brow started to crinkle as I approach the green harvest separated from the lettuce. To me it all looks like pretty leaves, different shapes and sizes, all clean and green.  Okay that’s what I need clean and green, to be experienced in my Mozambican cuisine (hey that rhymes!).  I must have been staring at these leaves with a phobia because when I looked up I realized that there was a group of vendors who gathered together watching me. Now I’m feeling anxiety rupture inside! – I have to choose which pile of .20 cent greens that I can cook and eat!

So I start to talk to myself because I needed the company at that moment. “Calm down! Ask if those are bitter like the other ones you threw out.” “I don’t know how to say bitter.” “Make the face!” And that eliminates one pile.  Ask which ones are sweet”. “Oh look, those are pumpkin leaves, and she is cleaning off the stems! This is good”.  “Peanut butter is good. This is a hassle”. “Try one more, how about the leaves from the bean plant”. “Oh yeah the protein exudes into the leave?” “Maybe, just buy it, your audience is beginning to pity your stupidity, next time come with the housekeeper and leave your flip flops home!” “I’ll bring that recipe book, a pot and charcoal, and cook here.” “Let’s go home”.

RESULT: Garlic, onions, carrots, a bit of curry powder, and peanuts, sautéed with pumpkin leafs.

SCORE:   TASTE: 6.5    EFFORT:  8    NUTRITION:  9    ASSIMULATION:   9.5  

 

HOUSEKEEPER'S OVERALL OPINION:  3.5 

Why? Here there is no variety on cooking; all things are made one specific way.  There is only one way to make pumpkin leaves here: I talked to 5 people about this dish and EVERYONE replied: NO GARLIC, MISSING THE TOMATOES. This is one of the most amazing cultural facts that I’ve learned here, one staple ingredient, one recipe, no variation.  Cookbook authors / fusion chefs would be a phenomenon here!

HEY, maybe I’ll do a fusion cuisine project – combination of cultures, resources, novice, and creativity! Have I stumbled on a women’s empowering group?  Why do only the women cook? That would suggest passing the apron to the men. Here, the women in my generation – nope.  MAYBE ALYCIA’S (MY DAUGHTER’S) GENERATION!

xo

Lentil & Rice for Thanksgiving.

I am surprised that it is close to the end of November!   I sit here eating lentils and rice, and am thinking of my family and friends enjoying the holiday of Thanksgiving. Giving thanks is something that has new meaning for me –  being so far from my home in a very different culture, communicating differently, meeting new people, working in a different environment, even wondering what I can make for dinner. At home these things were easy to do or could even be avoided, but being away situations in life need to be absorbed with gratitude.

I am thankful for experiencing the wonders of Mozambique.  I just completed six months of residing here; my Portuguese is better; I have a nice group of friends; and some projects are already underway at the hospital. Even as I do the analysis of my Community Needs Assessment I look forward to possible new projects in the area of nutrition, child development, and starting a HIV support group, so the next six months will be interesting.

I take my working here pretty serious - a bit too serious - having a weekend getaway made me realize that even my blog post can relax seeing the beauty of the beaches on the Indian Ocean coastline. So sit back, grab a drink, and see the awesome terrain of Bilene, Inhambane (approx. 1 ½ hrs from my site).

After a conference in Maputo, a group of us rented a van with driver and went three hours north. I was so excited after hearing the popularity of this beach, but more and more curious as we got near because it was rather scarce of beach  views. "Are we there yet?",.

The van dropped us off before our lodging because it did not have 4x4. After an hour or so we arrived, despite the name of the lodge.

Right this way…. Wow!

The lodge is on a lagoon but a walk up a hill - I mean sand dune - would get us to the ocean. I have never imagined that sand dunes could be like this!  I felt like I was in the Middle East rather than Africa! What an awesome hike this was.  

 

 
 Up, across, down...

….to a piece of heaven on earth untouched by greed and enjoyed by the innocent.

Amazing journey it was! Thanks for sharing this with me.  xo

Malaria is a crisis in Africa.

 

Malaria is a crisis in Africa. For the month of November Peace Corps volunteers in Mozambique are working to STOMP OUT MALARIA!  

                                                         

Malaria Statistics

(From the WHO World Malaria Report 2011)

• ·         Every minute, a child dies from malaria
• ·         About 91% of malaria-related deaths in 2010 occurred in Africa. The majority of these      deaths were children under age 5

                                                               

Malaria is spread from person to person by mosquito bites. The mosquito that transmits malaria is the Anopheles mosquito, which mainly bites at night time, between 9:00. The mosquito then carries the malaria parasite, and transmits it to another person when they bite them.  Now that other person is infected with the parasite, too and a mosquito can carry it from an infected person to another person. Symptoms of malaria include fever, chills, sweats, headaches, loss of appetite, pain in the joints, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, and convulsions (fits).

Infants and young children, as well as pregnant women, are most vulnerable to malaria, because they have reduced immunity in comparison to other people who may contract the disease. Individuals with stronger immunity can still have the malaria parasite in their blood and not experience the malaria disease, or have only a very mild, non-life-threatening case of the disease.

However, malaria can be transmitted congenitally, which means that a pregnant woman who has malaria can pass the disease to her infant, either in the womb during pregnancy, or during delivery. This is because the malaria parasite is carried in the infected person’s blood, and pregnant women share a blood supply with their babies. Similarly, malaria can be transmitted through blood transfusions.

Education and resources remains the barrier to eliminate Malaria here in Mozambique.  Mosquito nets are distributed during neo-care at the hospital and the lab is equipped with testing kits.  Yet it is very common day to day results test positive.  During my questionnaire of 100 people 80% of these adults have had Malaria.  The danger is with young children, so the message remains strong to use the mosquito nets. 

Other preventative methods are:

• ·         Indoor residual spraying (IRS): this is when insecticide is sprayed on walls inside a      home.
• ·         Wear protective clothing, such as long sleeves and long pants
• ·         Avoid wearing dark colors, which attract mosquitoes
• ·         Apply mosquito repellents containing DEET (or dimethyl phthalate) to exposed skin
• ·       Screen all windows and doors in the house, or at least in rooms where people sleep,     to stop mosquitoes from getting in
• ·       Eliminate places where mosquitoes can lay eggs. For example, cover or drain and fill    areas with standing water

111 countries around the world have already eliminated malaria!

Mozambique will be added by 2020!

Malaria prevention and control are being assistance by the U.S. Government (USG).  In May 2009, President Obama announced the Global Health Initiative (GHI), a six-year, comprehensive effort to reduce the burden of disease and promote healthy communities and families throughout the world, with a particular focus on improving the health of women, newborns, and children.

Acknowledgements:  Malaria No More and Lalela Project and revised by Malaria No More in partnership with the American Peace Corps. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2vKZ0vl_7k

My jigsaw puzzle.

This blog is just pieces of a jigsaw puzzle of people that have made my journey awe- inspiring; the people are humble of their beauty, and are gracious with their time and attention.  Thanks for visiting and allowing me to share these snap shots of what I am experiencing here in Mozambique.

·         I walk about 20 minutes to the hospital every morning and must say “Good Morning” 30 times. The courtesy is rampant among everyone, yet because I look so different that politeness is expanded with simple questions or comments like, “Are you lost? Where do you want to go” (one kid actually turned around to walk me to the bakery”) or “You need to get an umbrella to shade yourself from the sun.” The community here exhibits what kindness is.

       ·         Patience. Over my life time my patience has evaporated, I hope to absorb it back from these women. One example that I see at the hospital is mothers coming in for monthly well baby checkups. Mothers bring their babies in once a month for the first year the date is close to the day the baby was born. The visits are done by steps of service areas, first step is weighing in of the baby then waiting to be called to determine next step; vaccines, further consultation, lab work, and/or the pharmacy. Because of lack of personnel even the techs jump from weights to vaccines to consultation to writing prescriptions. A mother with a three month old that has diarrhea will go home after 5-6 hours of waiting at each step WITHOUT one complaint, grimace, or rudeness.I am reminded of the reactions of people back home being at the grocery store check-out line and the cashier is waiting for a price check .

·         

    Summer here should be called Inferno (Hell) I am not joking.  For the first time in my life I truly understand what sweating bullets means.  In the last two weeks temperatures have hit over 100ºF/ 40ºC. This is my number one cultural adjustment. Did I hear you say air conditioners?  Not yet, not for a while, aside from the expense of the unit, this country is still working on stable electricity (I think only half of the country has power lines and a water supply in homes - but they are rapidly developing the infrastructure).

·         My district is small, about 2/3 the size of Connecticut, the population is about 67,000, it is rural and agriculturally based. It seems to be a good snap shot of the national poverty line. The high school attendance here is approx. 65% boys and it is not unusual for a girl to drop out of school between 7^th – 9^th grades and have a baby by 17.  I’m working on a needs assessment and one of the questions is “If you could choose to have any job you want, what would it be?”  Their reaction looks like if someone asked you if you won the lottery. The majority of girls have responded “teacher” or “at the hospital”. 

·        

            Of course the children are beautiful.  They are very curious about me yet timid; the camera seems to break the ice. The teens and adults are mesmerized when looking at their picture. 

All else is going well, I’ve made some friends and my house is equipped with the necessities and comfortable. I’m keeping busy with doing a community needs assessment, and trying to get some projects started at the hospital.  Next month my PCV group meets in the city for week long training and I’m looking forward to that.

My next blog will be pictures of the landscape so come back and see the beauty of this country so stay tuned!  xo

Sharing

September 25, 2015

This morning I was thinking of all the things have been shared with me this week; how it has extended friendships, expanded viewpoints, and has broadened the possibilities of making a change for the better.  I want to thank Kevin James O’Brien, fellow Peace Corps Volunteer, for sharing this blog picture with me, and reminding me what sharing can do. Thanks, Kevin.

Visit Kevin’s blog and see what Mozambique shares with him!

www.iowakob.wordpress.com

Sunday at the Market

 Sunday Market: Rain or Shine, Buy or Sell

Today is my seventh Sunday here in Magude and for me there are no questions on what to do like the other days.  I am going to do what everybody else does; I’m taking my shopping bag and going to the market.

It is so important for me to integrate into this community; it will not complete anything to be a visitor. This is one of the ways to become a neighbor. This people are genuinely friendly and many know my name – it thrills me to have people come up to me and ask how I am.  They actually stop and wait for a reply and then thank me for asking them the same. Unlike our cultural you really wait for a answer, and nobody seems to be in a hurry (can you 

This continues to amaze me!

imagine!).

I often am deep in thought about something that needs to be done and how I am going to go about it.  I’ve had to make a very conscientious effort to delay that habit till I am alone, not easy, it is such a habit. The market and walking to the hospital is when I practice.

This market is in the middle of the village on a huge lot, rights next to the railroad built over 50 years ago under Portuguese rule.  

The lot is vacant during the week, just used by walkers to cut directly to the next neighborhood, but on Sunday from sunrise to sunset it is the shopping center and social spot of my villa and the surrounding villages.

The staple items for everyday living are sold here …

These basins are used for grinding food material.

 Clothes quality, second hand  that are donated from outside organizations, like Salvation Army.

 Cleaning supplies - matches, and mayonnaise. Yeah Toilet paper! (It is not 100% common, water can be used, or leaves).

The traditional healer’s potions…

And the social aspect of going to the market; curiosity and smiles!

 

But of course, purchased the most… FOOD. 

Potatoes and onions staple.

NOODLES!

Peanuts, used in food like we use black pepper/

I also introduced garlic bread and a vegetable omelet to the delight of dinner guests. 

For about a week now, I have a gas stove and a refrigerator, so I’m feeling more settled in. Peanut butter and I have rekindled a bond for the first four weeks! 

She gave me all of her sweet potatoes!

The items do not vary as they do in the States, and neither does the cuisine.  So far I have eaten in three homes and the daily plates have not varied much at all. Diversity has not yet been franchise here in this southern Provence; seems that the items that are harvested are also used for one specific dish. One example that has made me giggle is the staple food of xima. Xima is a boiled corn meal; it resembles smooth, dense, grits or mashed potatoes, yet it has no taste. I had to improvise to be able to eat it by adding sugar and margarine (it reminded me of Farina) much to the amazement of my hostess.  Her face was like if someone at home put mustard on a slice of pizza! 

As soon as I create some Mozambican / Italian / American dishes I will share my recipes.

 Honestly, since I'm discussing food:  I would fly home for a weekend just to eat my mom's lasagna or make chili for my kids! Oh and I have caught myself glued- staring at facebook pictures of a dish that someone made for dinner! I can’t even thing about ice-cream, it makes me whine.  XO

Ps.  On the bright side with the walking and eating healthier I have lost 20 lbs and feel better.