Eu sou Chara/Shara/???

I have been so impressed by the opportunities the Embassy has given me the past few days. I went to a bunch of aid organizations (governmental and non) and got lots of names and places to go to and see about. There are tons of chances for my students to learn about opportunities they have to develop Mozambique through services that already exist around them. I was also told that there is a movement to incorporate HIV/AIDS work into the curriculum of the Tourism University. Although I am very open to HIV/AIDS education it wasn't something I automatically connected in my head when I found out I was going to teach at a Tourism University. There are real problems with transactional and intergenerational sex in tourist areas here. It is not a subject that is often talked about so I wonder what will happen there. Its all part of the adventure. Embrace the unknown, Akisha! It will all come in time.

In the meantime I'm a little overwhelmed by it all but once I put faces to the names and images to the acronyms I should be fine. There are many exciting possibilites. I hope I can keep this initial awe and wonder throughout my time here and not become jaded and frustrated. It's a process, I know. Ups and downs. I'll arrive in Inhambane tomorrow. I leave at 5:30 am!

I spent my last night here at my old Peace Corps boss's family's house. Before I left Peace Corps one of his family members named his daughter Akisha, after me. That makes me her chara/shara...I don't know exactly how to spell it. That's the best I can do. She is really cute and talks a lot. She is nothing like the newborn I saw in Maputo outside her apartment years ago. She attempted to comb out my dreads. (I told her the word. She thought they were braids) She actually told me I should wash my hair because it was hard to de-tangle it. Maybe I should wash it... :) The whole night I thought everyone was calling me but they were talking to her.