Issues
I can already tell that Mozambique is gonna be one of those countries that I have a love-hate relationship. This place is absolutely beautiful, and while I find a lot of good things about it here, theres also cultural differences, that at times, test my character. Its a culture that I’m still learning to live in. I respect the culture here and have an open mind, but there a few things that on a day like yesterday - make me slightly irritated.
1.
Volume level - When someone speaks to me they are either screaming at the top of their lungs, or whispering. There is NO medium speaking level in Mozambique. When I’m riding on the chapa people are sitting RIGHT next to each other but are screaming….literally. I’m like, that person is right next to you and you’re shouting while using hand gestures. On the other hand, when you’re in the store trying to buy something or greeting someone on the street, they whisper when they speak. I’m like, what? Como? I always ask them to speak up and they talk in the same tone or give me an annoying look. I especially ask people to speak up, especially since they’re speaking Portuguese. So if I don’t get something the first time, I ask them to repeat. And of course what should be a 5 minute conversation takes 10. Love it.
2.
Chapas - If I haven’t explained what a chapa is, it’s a mini bus - that is used to transport 15 people (roughly) However, it is totally ok for a chapa driver to cram 20 - 30 people in one chapa. Some stand. Some sit. Some hover over you with their armpit in your face. Others cough on you. Some scream in your ear while talking on the phone. And of course there is always someone cussing someone else out because they stepped on their toe or other body part. Not to mention that people are always in a rush, so when the chapa stops you have to RUN to get to the door and push your way I, or out. And don’t delay for a second - bc the driver WILL pull off if you’re not on it. Again, I don’t completely understand the rushing thing, but I guess I have to get used to that.
3.
Personal space and privacy - well yea, that doesn’t exist here. Did I mention that already? Just to reiterate, its kind of overwhelming for me. I like my privacy, but living in a house that is literally 5 feet away from my organization, doesn’t necessarily allow me to have alone time when I want it. For example, I have to take a bath outside, which means I feel more comfortable if I do it when no one is around (just for the fact that its outside and I walk to my latrine in a capulana). But its hard to feel completely comfortable when there’s a bunch of people around my house. I like to take a bath at any time during the day, mainly because its so hot and I like to stay as cool, clean, and and fresh as possible.
4.
I’m not Mozambican….I’m American….no no…American. - I don’t get offended at all when Mozambicans assume I’m one of them., or from South Africa or Zimbabwe. I do have the same color skin - so you can‘t blame them for making assumptions. When I tell people, “I’m American,” they don’t believe me. So then I go into small detail and explain that not all Americans are white, we’re all different colors with different backgrounds. I think the biggest thing that bothers me is the way I notice how black Americans are treated here, and how white Americans and other whites are treated. Sometimes it’s a good thing - for example, when I walk down the street I usually am never stopped by someone trying to sell me things on the street. When I have somewhere to go, I can usually get there with no problem. But if I’m with white people we get stopped all the time….I find it amusing actually.
And then there’s times when its not a good thing - I went in the gas station the other day to buy a can of soda and some pringles. But when I got to the counter, the Pringles were about 100 mets - and I was not paying that much for that small can of chips…tempting but no. So I told the lady I didn’t want the chips. She told me that I should just go ahead and buy them bc she didn’t know how to take it off the receipt. I’m like, no I don’t want the chips. She was rude about it, smacked her teeth, rolled her eyes, and made a big fuss about removing the Pringles. Then she mumbled something to her co-worker and told me next time I should know what I wanted before I came to pay. I wanted to respond, but I don’t know how to cuss someone out in Portuguese quite yet.
One of my Mozambican female friends told me that sometimes, moz women have an attitude with other moz women - which is common in all parts of the world. Women just don’t like women unless they’re friends, and for some reason we are the most petty creatures on earth. Point of this story is, I have never seen a Mozambican talk to a white person like that - whether they be south African, Portuguese or American. Some of you may disagree, but for some reason Mozambicans treat whites like they’re special, like they owe them something. Many of you may not understand this, especially if you’re not an African-American living in an African country, but I notice things that someone else doesn’t, and furthermore my experience and attention I receive is different than a white peace corps volunteer. I think the racial dynamics might still be an effect of colonialism, and the civil war that's not too far off. In my opinion, Mozambicans have not yet grown into a society and culture that allows them to treat and be treated equally.
It also goes vice versa. I see and notice how Portuguese or South Africans talk to Mozambicans, and it’s a way that can be degrading sometimes, as if moz’s are subordinate. There’s a lot of foreigners that come to Mozambique for business, vacation, etc, and when I see how they treat a waiter, a taxi driver, a woman, or even a non-white American, is far from what I would consider respect. I heard one of the previous pc volunteers say to me, “As a white male, I can get whatever I want in this country. I get treated very well.” And what he said I’ve seen to be generally true. Anyways…..I still love being African American here…….the American card still lets me get away with a lot of things, so I just roll with it and continue to be who I am.
On a more positive note - I just ate a big plate of Indian food with a cold can of Sprite. You can find all kinds of food in Mozambique! Until next time folks…..
