Dia de Mulher

Very cool day. They don’t have Mother’s Day here, instead they celebrate all women, Mozambican or not  The morning started with a ceremony out in primero bairro (first neighborhood- I live in the seventh). I went with my neighbor Professor Nelson, and I got to wear my Dia de Mulher capoolana. It has a picture of Josina Machel, the wife of the first President of Mozambique, who is commemorated on April 7th. Once at 1st bairro we met up with other professors and students, we sang the national anthem, and then gathered under a tree for the ceremony. I was asked to sit up in the front, with the school director, and two other women. I was hesitant at first but they wouldn’t take no for an answer. But it turned out great- I had a front row seat to the dancing the older women did, the dancing and singing of the small primary school kids, they skit my students put on, and the commemoration speech dedicated to Josina Machel. Director was wonderful, explaining what was going on when people were speaking in Changana, and giving me short history lessons about Dia de Muhler. It was great to see all the women of the town getting into the ceremony and the men taking more of a backseat. Women here are absolutely amazing, and I was proud to participate in a day to honor them. I actually thought that they were going to ask me to say something, seeing as though everyone else I was sitting with was participating in the ceremony, but in the end I didn’t. But I had a few words prepared in Portuguese, so I was ready just in case.

After the ceremony, I caught a ride back home, did some laundry, some cooking, and some test preparation (it’s finals week at school), then Prof Nelson invited me to a soccer game. Because Mozambicans tend to be quite behind schedule, even though I was an hour and a half late to the game they were still waiting for players, so I kicked the ball around with my students for a bit. They were surprised that I could keep up (but just barely) and it was pretty refreshing spending some time with my students outside of the classroom. The game ended up being between students that live at the internato (boarding school) and students from another bairro. I think I was the only girl at the field, but I’m getting used to that. We ended up winning 2-1, just in time to watch the sun go down.

I had dinner at Professora Carlota’s house with Prof Telma, Prof Edward, Prof Armindo, and Prof Fenias. I probably spent more time talking to Carlota’s kids and Telma’s nieces than I did the adults, but my language is still slowly coming along. Regardless, I feel like I’m actually starting to fit in. I think today was one of the first days where I’ve felt like a friend rather than a foreigner. It was pretty great.