A lil more...

Happy HOLYdays!

Peace Corps Challenges

1. Riding your bike on the sandy streets while wearing your fancy schmanzy Peace Corps helmet!
2. Communicating in Portuguese and then worrying about what your counterparts are saying in the local language :D
3. IT. IS. HOT!
4. In relation to numero 3… Must. Find. Water.

They´ll be more challenges to come but since I love focusing on the positives of every situation I would like to say that I am having an awesome time. I don’t have a house due to the delays of my NGO but I saw the construction that’s taking place and it’s really exciting just to imagine my little home. I’ve meditated every day since I got to Mozambique, gave up drinking and just recently started praying about everything. It’s really amazing what a few changes to your daily life can do to you. You start seeing life with such different eyes. Mozambicans aren´t just Mozambicans they are beautiful people that don´t really need any “thing” but they, just like the rest of us, need to realize the riches that already exist within them. I´ve also come to realize that I don´t really do anything for anybody but myself…now this sounds selfish, but so what if it is… by caring about what truly makes me happy I not only bring happiness to myself but to those around me. I have concluded that everything has it’s own vibration, since EVERYTHING is energy. This includes emotions/feelings … therefore when I am happy; my “self” vibrates at a certain frequency, which can be felt by others. Those who wish to vibrate at the same frequency will… and those who´s frequency is too different will reject my presence. See life is not as complicated as we make it seem. We are all just energy in vibration :D

I´ll publish more often than once a month... also coming soon.. my new P.O. Box!!

peace & <3!

reflections

Oi!
So it’s November 23, 2009 and I feel like I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I have really begun to see the benefits and joys of meditation and yoga. I have realized that this journey to and around Mozambique was also a journey to myself. It’s amazing to really find and feel the peace that we are all born with; this peace that has been so clouded by the busy commotion of society and the mind. My stay in Mozambique has been interesting on all sorts of levels but I would love to point out that it’s really shocking to see what influences American culture has had on the developing world. The most prevalent influence is seen in the media and by what people chose to wear and say. They are words and media that are so common in America but are just said with a different accent by a similar but different people. I would also like to ask what developing really means. If a developed country is one where someone can drive thru a McDonalds (in the words of Marco Benavides) and enjoy the laziness this comes with than I am not sure if I would want this beautiful land of Mozambique to become developed… If developed equals pollution and an unhealthy greed then I don’t ever want to see a McDonalds drive thru in Mozambique (although it might already exists in the larger cities). Something along the same lines as developing is the theory of evolution. What is the true benefit of technology, if any? Why are we so focused on the external evolution when we are not even aware of the internal evolution that must first take place? There is a level of consciousness that needs to be reached internationally so the wars and diseases can subside.
I believe in a world where we can all be in Peace, a world that doesn’t need the technology and infrastructure that we seem to care so much about. We must all work to leave the busy commotion of the mind and abandon the desires of the ego and return to the silence of the heart… then we will have truly evolved.

Beijos!!!

PERMACULTURE!!!!

Hello!!
This week was quite interesting. I tend to forget that I am in Africa since it’s freezing at night and it rains all day, However, the heat of today has served as a reminder. The most exciting thing that happened this week was learning about permaculture, apparently there is excellent soil to cultivate in Mozambique and all one really has to do is know what to do with the soil. So we were taught how to plant the basic foods of survival. I am really excited about this because I recently became vegetarian and was looking for a way to grow what I eat, and now I know!!! I have decided to really dedicate myself to meditation and yoga everyday as well; I’ve been reading books that speak to what meditation and yoga are all about. Therefore, I would love to share a quote I read in the book Eat. Pray. Love.,

“Just as there exists in writing a literal truth and a poetic truth, there also exists in a human being a literal anatomy and a poetic anatomy. One, you can see; one, you cannot. One is made of bones and teeth and flesh; the other is made of energy and memory and faith. But they are both equally true”

If anybody is planning on sending something this is the last week you can do it for now... We are in training which is one address, after training we will have a different address. Since it takes about one month for things to get here this is the last week to send stuff for about a month... Also on this note, it helps to write religious things on the packages just to ensure their arrival... when declaring the amount don't say the things in the package are worth more than $10.

That’s all…
Beijos!!!

semana numero tres

So we’re at the end of week three and I don’t really think we all quite know how much we are changing as the days go by. We’re learning a lot (so much about HIV/AIDS but also about ourselves), we’re eating a lot (the FOOD rocks), some might be crying a lot (not me… hee hee), we’re walking a lot (the hills here are just sooo intense, which means nice looking booties J),we’re also living a lot. We’re beginning to see how life outside the comforts of the U.S. really is. I guess I shouldn’t say we but I… Hiding within all these “a lots” is a new sense of respect and admiration for Africa, a love really. The children that follow you around are amazing, the roosters at 4 A.M. are amazing, the stars are amazing, the rain is amazing, I have really just fallen in love with this experience. I try to think of where else I could be maybe graduate school or maybe at some case worker job that only a bachelor in psychology can give you? But I don’t think the Roselia in these shoes would really be comfortable with the Roselia in the other shoes… and I can only say this because I am here. So I have decided to never stop living for adventure and in adventure, life is seriously way too short to not fall in love with ourselves and be happy with this.

feel free to email me at banuelos.roselia@gmail.com!!

Also the address to send me goodies is

Av do Zimbabwe, 345

Maputo, Mozambique

CP 4398...

muitos beijos!!

Orientation

Wooo.. what. a. day. So much info and so little time. Today was our orientation in Philadelphia. 65 of us going to Mozambique at 2am!!! I don't even want to think of the 40 hrs of traveling ahead of us. We keep thinking of our last everythings in the U.S. for two years... Last shower, some people have taken a few so far, last meal, last ice cream. I don't really think that I will miss anything in the U.S. other than my family but otherwise I like to think that I have no attachments here. I am just extremely excited for what's waiting for me... We leave in four hours and although I am a little bit anxious it doesn't seem to phase me. We've talked about how the toilets flush in the opposite direction, how Mozambique is known for some of the best scuba diving spots in the world!!! But then we've discussed the impact that this opportunity is going to have on ourselves and those whom we are about to help. The incredible self development we are about to embark on is beyond what we can un understand. We'll meet a side of ourselves that we haven't ever seen. That's what I think life should be about... Embarking on missions and adventures outside our comfort zone just so we can meet ourselves entirely.

Above is a picture of me with my bald head. I want to see how long my hair gets in two years!!

This is probably the last time I'll be on here for a while. I will be back as soon as I can.

Letter to family and friends!

September 2009

Dear Families & Friends,

Greetings from the Mozambique Desk in Washington, D.C. It is with great pleasure that we welcome your family member to the 2009 Mozambique training program. During the past year we have received many questions from Volunteers and family members regarding travel plans, sending money, relaying messages and mail, etc. As we are unable to involve ourselves in the personal arrangements of Volunteers, we would like to offer you advice and assistance in advance by providing specific examples of situations and how we suggest you handle them.

1. Irregular Communication. (Please see #3 for the mailing address to Peace Corps' office in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique) The mail service in Mozambique is not as efficient as the U.S. Postal Service; thus, it is important to be patient. It can take two to four weeks for mail coming from Maputo to arrive in the United States via the Mozambican postal system. From a Volunteer's site, mail might take 1-2 months to reach the United States. Sometimes mail is hand carried to the United States by a traveler and mailed through the U.S. postal system. This leg of the trip can take another several weeks as it is also dependent on the frequency of travelers to the U.S.

We suggest that in your first letters, you ask your Volunteer family member to give an estimate of how long it takes to receive your letters and then try to establish a predictable pattern of how often you will write to each other. Also, try numbering your letters so that the Volunteer knows he/she has missed one. Postcards should be sent in envelopes--otherwise they may be found on the wall of the local post office!

Volunteers often enjoy telling their “war” stories when they write home. Letters might describe recent illnesses, lack of good food, isolation, etc. While the subject matter is good reading material, it is often misinterpreted on the home front. There is a Peace Corps medical officer at the Peace Corps office in Maputo. In the event of a serious illness, the Volunteer is sent to Maputo and is cared for by our medical staff. If the Volunteer requires medical care that is not available in Mozambique he/she will be medically evacuated to Pretoria, South Africa, or the United States. Fortunately, these are rare circumstances.

If for some reason your normal communication pattern is broken and you do not hear from your family member for an abnormal amount of time, you may want to contact the Office of Special Services (OSS) at Peace Corps Washington at 1-800-424-8580, extension 1470. Also, in the case of an emergency at home (death in the family, sudden illness, etc.), please do not hesitate to call OSS immediately, so that we can inform the Peace Corps office in Maputo. Tell the operator your name, telephone number, and the nature of the emergency and the Duty Officer will return your call.

2. Telephone Calls. The telephone system in Mozambique is relatively good and service in and out of Maputo to the United States is mostly reliable. In the interior of the country, where most of the Volunteers are located, phones are fewer in number and of decreased reliability. Volunteers do not have residential phones; however, they have the opportunity to make and receive international calls through public phones or personal cell phones that can be purchased locally. They will be able to inform you of the actual telephone numbers once they arrive at their permanent sites in the country.

The Mozambique Desk maintains regular contact with the Peace Corps office in Maputo through phone calls and email. However, these communications are reserved for business only and cannot be used to relay personal messages. All communication between family members and the Volunteer should be done via international mail or personal phone calls.

3. Sending packages. Parents and Volunteers like to send and receive care packages through the mail. Unfortunately, sending packages can be a frustrating experience for all involved due to the high incidence of theft and heavy customs taxes. You may want to try to send inexpensive items through the mail, but there is no guarantee that these items will arrive. We do not recommend, however, that costly items be sent through the mail. Even though many Volunteers choose to get local post office boxes, you may always use the following address to send letters and/or packages to your family member:

John Doe, PCV

Corpo da Paz/U. S. Peace Corps

C.P. 4398

Maputo

Mozambique

It is recommended that packages be sent in padded envelopes if possible, as boxes tend to be taxed more frequently. For lightweight but important items (e.g. airline tickets), DHL (an express mail service) does operate in Maputo.

If you choose to send items through DHL, you must address the package to:

John Doe, PCV

c/o U. S. Peace Corps Mozambique

Avenida Zimbabwe 345

Maputo

Mozambique

(The phone number for the Peace Corps office in Mozambique is 258-21-49-9082, as DHL will need this information).

For more information about DHL, please call their toll free number, 1-800-CALL-DHL, or visit their web site at www.dhl.com. Other courier services may operate in Maputo; DHL is only one possibility. Shop around to find the best prices and service options.

We hope this information is helpful to you during the time your family member is serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mozambique. We understand how frustrating it is to communicate with your family member overseas and we appreciate your using this information as a guideline. Please feel free to contact us at the Mozambique Desk in Washington, D.C. if you have any further questions. Our phone number is 1-800-424-8580, ext. 2331 or 2332, or locally, 202-692-2331 or 202-692-2332.

The beginning of the beginning...

I've never been good at expressing my thoughts on paper... so let's hope this helps. I'll be leaving to Mozambique in about 3 days, on September 29, 2009. I have no idea what to expect and I like it that way, I've never enjoyed entering something with preconceived notions. To say the least, I am extremely excited for what's to come. I don't see it like I'm leaving, I see choose to see it like I am arriving to an awesome adventure. The address for where I'll be for the first three months is;

Roselia Banuelos, PCV
Corpo da Paz/U. S. Peace Corps
C.P. 4398
Maputo, Mozambique

That's all for today.

p.s. I've posted a map for those that are wondering where Mozambique is. hee hee.