For one thing, I have settled into a Mozambique that is quite different from the one I lived in as a Peace Corps volunteer. I am now in the capital. My Mozambican colleagues go to South Africa on the weekends to buy cars and spend the same amount of money to get into a discoteca on a Friday night that I used to spend on food for three weeks. Granted, many things are the same – and it has been easy for me to slip back into old habits like greeting people with a kiss on each cheek and always having some way to keep myself entertained while on African time – but people, we are definitely not in the village anymore. And it is a bit of an adjustment.
Another interesting thing about living in the capital is that there are a lot of other foreigners around. As I walk to and from work every day I see cafes full of people who are clearly not Mozambican enjoying a coffee or a meal. The point being that – although I do continue to stand out (the blond hair and the fact that I walk or use public transport do not help), it’s not in the same way as it used to be. People who live in Maputo are used to seeing foreigners, and many of them are used to interacting with them. Which means that my interactions with Mozambicans have shifted from the innocent curiosity of villagers who may have never seen or met a foreigner, to a much more direct and sometimes more aggressive approach.
But as I mentioned before, many familiar aspects of Mozambican culture remain. It is still easier to befriend men than woman (those who are my age are married with children and thus have responsibilities in the home), there is still always a mid-morning tea break, and men still don’t care whether I’m married or have a boyfriend....they are apaixonado after half an hour and are more than willing to be my man on the side :)
While I am enjoying immensely my time in Maputo, loving the culture I knew and learning new sides to it, I am starting to feel homesick for the village and my old province of Inhambane. I have been here almost two months now and have not yet gone back to visit.....and it is starting to make me a little crazy. With a three day weekend fast approaching, I am hoping take a little trip and spend some time revisiting the culture and lifestyle of the village.
Some of my favorite aspects of Mozambican culture (whether in the city or the village)....
- You can’t ever get lost. I mean, technically of course you can get lost, but all you have to do is ask someone and they will either drop what they are doing to accompany you to your destination or, if for some reason they can’t do that, they will find someone else who can.
- Greetings and saying goodbye are very important, and take up a ridiculous amount of time. People greet one another with two kisses (one on each cheek) and a good amount of small talk before actually launching into the subject at hand. As for goodbyes, it is essential that if you are leaving a room, you say goodbye to each person individually before leaving. This can sometimes get frustrating, but once you get used to planning on the goodbye process taking 15 or 20 minutes, it somehow becomes really nice.
- People tell it like it is. There is no such thing as political correctness (unless, of course, you are actually talking about politics or important political figures, in which case there is a right thing and a wrong thing to say). Now, experiencing this aspect of Mozambican culture isn’t always pleasant – for example, when one person after another happily comments on the fact that you are getting fat (which to them is a good thing and is something I am trying to avoid this time around here in Mozambique) – but there is something refreshing about not having to tip-toe around reality.
- Mozambicans love to dance. And they are good at it. And they do it everywhere. Enough said.
- Mozambicans love having guests, and culture dictates that said guests must be fed. Again, enough said.
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