Winter, Courtesy of the Southern Hemisphere

I sacrificed 2 of the 5 cans of Hatch green chile I brought back from New Mexico last night and made a delicious green chile stew. It was just the right amount of spicy, perfect for the chilly weather we've been graced with in Maputo since I've been back. I even made 2 dozen flour tortillas to go along with the meal, with help from S. and Rico in the kitchen.

So when I say it's been cold in Maputo, let me clarify. It probably gets up to the mid-70's during the day, and likely not below 50 at night. Basically it's very pleasant weather, but since 1) I am super sensitive to the cold to start with; 2) none of the houses/buildings here are equipped with heating; and 3) my blood has thinned after years of tropical living, I find it actually quite cold and have to bundle up. I wear several layers and a sweater in the house, and put on my sheepskin slippers to keep my feet warm.

Unfortunately for me, but probably to the delight of both Rico and the cats, Pria is obsessed with my slippers and constantly attacks the fuzzy part of the booties as if they were some fleeting animal needing to be pounced upon. I think my slippers must still smell "wild", even after all these years being stuffed in the back of a closet, because Pria really goes nuts over the sheepskin. When they're off my feet it's no big deal, just marginally annoying because the stiff sole slaps against the floor every time Pria shakes her head, slipper clenched between her teeth, in an attempt to "kill" her prey. The big problem is when Pria tries to do this same thing when the slippers are on my feet. I spend my evenings yelling, "Pria! Pára. Pára!" mostly in vain, while flailing my ankles about trying to avoid the cat's mad attack.

For now, the annoyance of the cat attacking my feet is preferable to having cold toes, but if this weather keeps up for much longer I may have to find a new solution...