A mammoth post…
I have now been in Mozambique for a month and I am still having a great time, although I haven't been feeling 100% for the last few days.
Backtracking to the weekend…on Friday, in true Mozambican style, we turned up to a drum concert late…to find out it was over! This was a not a problem and we simply continued elsewhere…and so began an exhausting but good weekend.
Saturday was my first experience of the Maputo Hash House Harriers. As their Facebook page states, it is a ‘drinking club with a running problem’. Every Saturday they meet and either run or walk 8-10kms around Maputo. I like to say, ‘I am going running now’ but I am most definitely part of the walking group for the moment. Saturday was the 1400th Hash so they had a party in the evening with paella and a singer from Zimbabwe, both amazing. As a newcomer, I had to stand at the front with the other newbies, introduce myself and down a beer, amid chants. The rest of the evening included lots of downing, chanting, nicknames like ‘Dirty Pussy’ and long-arming…exactly like University/hockey tour…except everyone is about 30 years older! A little surreal in the middle of Maputo, but such a good night. Every one is lovely and it’s a good way to see Maputo.
On Sunday we went to a braii at Karen and Grant’s. Myself, Nick and Chris arrived, positioned ourselves in a rather antisocial line, in the shade and stayed there for the remainder of the afternoon…straying occasionally to get food. I may have been a tad hungover, and hence a little whingy so Chris, the comedy genius that he is, decided to nickname me Rusty as apparently, ‘I whinge like a rusty hinge’. It’s the price I pay for making friends with boys that still play ‘Yellow car’!
Wednesday was a public holiday, and instead of going to the beach, Nastasia and I spent the day, hiding indoors, complaining about the heat, watching films and sleeping…I’m clearly adjusting to Mozambican life well!
On another note, Mozambican men are nothing if not persistent. Single girls, don’t bother with the dating websites, get yourself to Maputo and your problems will be solved. You could have a different man for every day of the week.
I am sometimes told that I am beautiful. I don’t mention this in a moment of arrogance, I have simply come to the conclusion that I could be 75 and look like the back end of a bus and I would still receive more than my fair share of compliments and marriage proposals, purely because I am blonde and pale and different.
The line, ‘I have a boyfriend in England (tenho um enamorado na inglaterra)’ is met with, ‘But do you have a boyfriend here, a Mozambican boyfriend?’ The two are by no means mutually exclusive. I tried the line ‘But I am married with children’ (don’t panic James!) but as I don’t have a Mozambican husband, this is again, no problem. You have to laugh, as they are entirely serious.
Flattering as some may find it, it is exhausting! However, do not fear, I have plenty of male friends who don’t want to date me in the slightest! As I was told by the Nick, ‘You’re not a real girl; you’re like a boy’. Charming…but reminiscent of comments made by B, Bryn, Eddie etc. to Tory and I on a frequent basis so it made me laugh.
My first English lesson on Tuesday was not the huge success I envisioned, for a start…no one turned up, despite an office full of people, who supposedly, want to take the lessons. I gathered this from the fact that they kept asking, ‘When will you start teaching?’ My response, at 12pm… ‘9am this morning!’ The morning is not convenient I was then told, despite deciding on 9am the previous week! I was then asked ‘Would you prefer to teach for 1 or 2 hours?’ I said ‘2’ and was then told, ‘Ok, I think 1 hour will be best’. It was around this point that I decided to take my lunch break! However, in the afternoon, I did manage some translation and fingers crossed; the lessons will start on Tuesday!
I went to sleep on Tuesday and woke up on Wednesday with a face full of mosquito bites. Not a great look. So far, everyone I have met today has pointed at my face and asked ‘Do you not have a mosquito net and spray?’ Yes, yes I do…but 50% Deet is nothing when you have blood as tasty as mine! I am covered from head to toe in bites and there seems to be nothing I can do to stop them!
I went to Moamba today to take part in the session on ‘Gender, HIV and AIDS’. We split into 3 groups and in mine we discussed ‘How do you define gender?’ and ‘What qualities characterize the different genders?’ a question I thought was hard to answer. My group decided on, ‘Women look after the children and the house and men work to look after the family’, quite simple after all! It was am interesting session. It aims to encourage men to take more responsibility for HIV as many just label it as a woman’s problem and not as a collective issue. We discussed who is most affected (women and young people aged 14-24) and the differences between men and women and gender equality. I understood most of the discussions, in rapid Portuguese, which is encouraging, although, it is a lot easier when conversation is based around a particular topic.
Sorry for yet another essay! I’ll try and cut them down in future…a blog is a great excuse for my inane ramblings.
Not an essay Alice! I find your diary really interesting. Keep it up.
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