Mozambican Week

Not that every week isn’t quite Mozambican, but I think something about being completely detached from the outside world has let me get even more into what I’m doing. That or I finally have a schedule that allows me to breathe and enjoy my time here. I choose to think it’s the former. So, this weekend was absolutely great. We finally got some more rain on Saturday- not enough to fill but two of my bidons, but it’s something. And I was able to read about 200 pages of Dark Star Safari, an amazing book. Theroux rights about his trip from Cairo to Cape Town, and even though he’s still in Tanzania at the moment (I’m not quite halfway through the book) I can relate to so much he’s writing about. I’m looking forward to his travels through Mozambique. Sunday was refreshing and educational. I spent about an hour with three little kids on my porch playing and laughing. I’m used to having kids around, but something about today was different- they weren’t “estou a pedir”ing for anything, they were just being kids. I was the tickle monster for a good 30 minutes and it never got old and their laughs were so infectious. It felt really good to just laugh and make other people laugh and smile. At about 10am I went to church with one of my neighbors and students, Nando. We were late, of course, and actually the last two in but I don’t think we missed anything. It was my first church experience in Mozambique and I really enjoyed it. The Padre, who was visiting from a bigger town about an hour away, was Brazilian so he spoke in Portuguese a lot which was nice (plus I wasn’t the only molongo in the building). He spoke Changana very well, and did I lot of his sermon in Changana, but translated almost everything. And what a great sermon- he talked about how in the bible it says to have only one man or one woman in your life, and to stay faithful to this person. He talked about how people here typically have many wives or girlfriends, but that’s a cultural thing, tradition, but not the word of God. He reminded the people that they should follow the bible and stick with one person. I don’t consider myself a religious person, but I thought it was an absolutely perfect message for the people here and I really hope it sunk in to at least a few heads. Anyways, there was singing and dancing and drum beating and more singing- I wish I’d had a video recorder or something. Let’s see if I can recreate something here… The church is just four cement walls about 15 feet high with a tin roof, 20 feet by 60 feet. On the right there are rickety wooden benches and on the left esteras (grass mats). The older women of the village sit on the esteras with their babies while the teenagers and men on the benches. There are probably about 100 to 125 people, so it’s full but not packed. There is a small alter in the front with candles lit, and a small podium to the right. I can’t see who’s playing the drums but I can hear them in the front. And there’s a tambourine as well. Whoever’s playing is responsible for starting up the songs and chants- I have no idea what they’re saying while they’re singing because it’s all in Changana but the harmony is beautiful. At one point all the teenagers stand up and move into the aisle between the esteras and benches and start singing and dancing. The Padre stops them, makes fun of them because they seem tired and unenthusiastic, so when they start again they shake the whole church. Everyone joins in singing, drums are going, tambourine ringing, ai ai ai ai’s coming from the old women… it was pretty moving. I look forward to going again next week. So, after church, I was riding my high and decided not to worry about schoolwork but instead to wander around town and visit with my neighbors. The women in the market were very excited to teach me a few new phrases, which I’m sad to say I can’t remember anymore, but I’m sure they’ll be just as excited to teach them to me again tomorrow. I ralared a few coconuts and buscared water (buscar = to fetch) on my head. That’s right, on my head. It was a nice break on my arms but rough on the neck. The well close to my house was just fixed so I intend on buscaring my water more often rather than having to rely on someone else. Watch me come back looking like a linebacker… Suma came over and we traded more music, read some of Dark Star Safari, cooked dinner, and learned some Portuguese. I’m going to miss having a friend around when he goes to Maputo. I’m also going to deeply miss coconut milk when I come back to the states. I put it in almost everything I cook, and it’s delicious. Maybe I’ll just move to Hawaii…