Sit back and start the adventure
Friday September 2nd to September 4th was our cross Atlantic to Southern Africa transit. I lost all sense of day and time as we crossed into different timezones and hemispheres. Chris and I had a lovely Bon Voyage with some friends in Ottawa and I prepared myself for my very first Business Class experience. Which was amazing.
Upon arrival at Heathrow Airport the jet lag hit me right away, I know I’m a light weight. We managed to make our way from terminal to terminal without too much confusion. Everything was a tunnel, a lift, or escalator away from one destination to another. Chris and I dropped of our bags at the temporary storage at the airport and headed into the city to meet friends. We arrived at Paddington through the express train and quickly exchanged money for a few pounds, loaded our Oyster card, and into the tube station to Trafalgar Square.
From here we walked to Adelaide Street, found the “Conversation with Oscar Wilde” monument and met with Dennis and Graham for some Spanish food on the corner. We sat at the bar, shoulder to shoulder with local people, and we began to order things explicitly through the recommendations of Denis and Graham. The gastronomic adventure began. I felt confident we would enjoy this place as Denis and Graham wouldn’t have recommended it otherwise. The company, like it is most often, was more important to me than the food but it the food certainly was good. I would recommend it, if I remembered then name of it. Graham and I sat, chatted, and ate as Chris and Denis excitedly chatted like long friends do. Besides the brief and gleeful interruptions by Denis, Graham and I sat and chatted about the normal things. I would like to get to know them more but we only ever seem to get the one or two hour conversations after our initial meeting 6 years ago. Distance can be difficult on friendship but it is good to see Denis and Chris picking up and continuing like time stood still.
After, what seemed to be a short meal but it really wasn’t, we said our good byes to Denis and Grahame. We walked away and met up with Asheque at a local gay pub called “Halfway to Heaven.” We tucked into a corner and started to talk and waited for our other friends, a newly wed couple, Merlin and Mussarat. Asheque and Mussarat are both Bangladeshi living in London. We soon took up a corner of the pub and stayed there, drank our beer, and chatted about everything and nothing all at the same time. My jet lag got the best of me as my head bobbed and my eyes lids closed involuntarily. I felt bad that jet lag took over our time but if we didn’t make our move back to the airport I just might have fallen asleep at the pub.
After a quick group photo Chris and I ran through the rainy streets of London to a tube entrance and back to the airport. Collected our things and off to the lounge for a quick freshening up and then to our gate. What Chris and I didn’t realize, and we should have, is our gate was a lift, escalator, and train away from where we currently were. Thankfully we made it on time and settled into our seats. The business class seating in that British Airways flight was different than Air Canada. If you could imagine a yin-yang, so we sat facing strangers during take off and landing but a privacy partition could be raised during the flight. The advantage we had was we could sit next to one another in the centre isle. For the first time in this trip I could sleep next to Chris and not across from him. I could see this being more of a concern for strangers sitting and sleeping next to one another but I was quite happy.
After takeoff I got myself settled in, but in the ear plugs, strapped on the face mask, and reclined the seat into a deep sleep. So much so that Chris though it wise not to wake me for dinner. I thanked him for that. I don’t think I could have eaten without doing a face plant in my tray.
I woke up to a cabin filled with sleeping people so I took advantage of the quiet and started to watch Downton Abbey. As soon as the second episode started I could smell the food being prepared by the cabin crew. I am sure the smell started to wake the other passengers. Soon breakfast was on its way to us and the passengers took to queueing for the bathroom. A good sign that everyone was ready to start their day.
Arriving at the airport in South Africa was mostly uneventful. We checked into the South African Air ticket counter and then through security. We were just hours away from our final flight into Maputo. It didn’t seem possible but we arrived on a new continent. A different hemisphere.
September 4th – Arrival to Maputo.
We walked from the plane to their international arrivals and completed the customs form inside the airport. Went through customs and had our finger prints scanned. All seemed pretty routine.
Francesco and James picked up our luggage as we waited in line for customs so the transit through the luggage scanners was quickly done. Through the airport doors we were greeted by local men trying to port our bags but we didn’t need their help so we continued. One was more insistent than the rest and insisted right up to the car. We asked him not to but he insisted to the point of taking one of our bags to the car. He then promptly asked for money for his trouble. Thankfully Francesco gracefully gave him a little money to defuse the situation. This type of behaviour isn’t necessarily common. Typically just saying no and insisting on leaving the bags is enough, this gentleman seemed a little more insistent, or perhaps desperate, than the others.
We were expertly driven to our new home from the airport. It is currently still under renovation. The lovely home has an el shaped pool in the front, a two car garage, and a modest garden. The four bedroom home is well appointed. The newly renovated home brings much promise. Many rooms on the first floor are one step up or one step down from one another but the second floor is all one level. The stairs from the main floor to the second has a gentle rise which is graced by a large picture window which lets in so much sun light. It makes the staircase seemingly grand. Dark hardwood floors are throughout our new home, besides the bathroom and kitchen. Our bathrooms are marble floored, tiled shower, a standard sink, toilette, and bidet all included. Yes, you read that correctly, a bidet. Now time for this country boy to learn how to use a bidet. No time like the present to learn.
After our tour Francesco and James drove us to the apartment we will be staying in until our home is ready. With an ocean view and grand entrance it feels quite spacious and comfortable. There is a park along the sea side which we look into.
Driving in this city is going to be a challenge. For one everyone drives on the left hand side of the street and for another a lot of traffic flow is suggestive, intuitive, and flowing. In my mind the aggressive driver, not defensive driver, gets into traffic on sheer will and flows through like a mighty currant. I may long for the orderly flow of traffic but in time I’m sure to adapt.
After a nap in our temporary accommodations we were picked up and brought to an Indian restaurant not far from the Canadian High Commission. I didn’t realize they also did pizza and burgers. The vegetable biriani, chicken tandoori, and butter naan did not disappoint. Often times when you have a restaurant that tries to do too much the quality suffers but this one did not. Thanks to the skillful James and Francesco our first night in Maputo was a success.
September 5th – The First Morning
The first morning we met Antonio was, from my perspective, without stress. He is a quiet and seemingly gentle soul. He was more than happy to clean our temporary accommodations. A bit of shopping was waiting for us in the apartment. I believe James and Francesco took care of that but I’m not sure who unpacked the kit and took care of the shopping. To whomever did that, thank you. What a comfort to know I could make my morning coffee.
Francesco arrived later that morning to take us around to drive in front of the Canadian High Commission and then meet some fellow Canadians at a restaurant for lunch. The lunch was well attended but Francesco needed to leave a little early so he left us in the good care of colleagues and the ambassador and his family. The kind hearted talk took up most of the lunch and I was pleased to get to know everyone. It is often said a good posting is based on the people and I think this will be a good one.
After lunch we were taken to the ambassador’s residence because we all needed to get ready for our photos we we did it as a group outing. Shirts and ties for the men and the ladies needed to look their best. A tour of their home and then off to downtown to get our photos done. Driving through the bustling streets of Maputo still unnerves me that people don’t necessarily follow traffic rules but we made it.
With photos taken and a pair of flip flops purchased at the mall we returned home to rest. Jet lag settling in and my mind gets ready for sleep and tomorrow a new day.
Most of you may have realized a member of our family is missing from the story until now. Blake was left in the care of Lyon Pet Travel service. He was picked up on Thursday August 30th and is expected in Maputo Thursday September 8th. We took much time and energy to get him ready for the trip. Much of it were travel requirements transiting through the European Union and then the import into Maputo. Vet appointments, worried emails, and training Blake to be comfortable in a kennel was a long process to this move. The evening of September 5th we received one last email from our travel service, the import papers were not signed so we texted our life saver, Francesco, and he agreed to print the documents and bring them by the apartment for signing, scanning, and then emailing to the pet travel service. Talk about last minute stress on our part.
We received an email from Lorna, from Lyon Pet Travel, that Blake had made it onto the plane with all documents in hand. He was well fed, rested, walked and did all his business. She was pleased to let us know he was in good spirits getting onto the plane and would be updating us along his journey. It is nice when a journey is put into action and things go relatively smoothly. There are always challenges when travelling, it is how you deal with and recover from the bumps in that journey that determines your journey’s success. My philosophy is try not to stress about things that are not within your control. Plan for what you can and work with what comes. Also, don’t sweat the petty stuff and don’t pet the sweaty stuff, but that more of a general life philosophy.
September 6th – Chris’s first day at work and my first day alone with Antonio. I was left with the Portuguese phrase book and instructions to talk to Antonio and try and get myself learning more Portuguese. Fully agree, I’m here, let’s do this. Day one was a great first lesson. Learning the difference in what to say at different times of day when saying hello.
Bom Dia – for good morning
Boa Tarde – for good afternoon
I woke up, took my shower and walked into the kitchen to make my morning coffee. I looked at Antonio and said “Bom Dia” and he looked at me and said “Boa Tarde.” Yes folks, as a gentlemen of leisure I woke up promptly at noon and wished Antonio a good morning. Good thing he has a sense of humour and is patient with me.
We also found out that the dryer in our apartment is broken. Poor Antonio washed our clothes and then resorted to hanging our clothes through out the house to dry. Thankfully he managed to find places for them. He purchased some rope to make a small clothes line so his next laundry will be a bit better. I hope he’s OK with it. We should be in the new house in a few weeks so he’ll be better setup.
I was reflecting on a conversation that I keep having with people, what am I to do while I’m here. The short answer to this is I’m not sure. The longer answer to this is I would like to first learn Portuguese and then try and find some inroads to the pottery/ ceramics community in Maputo. There might not be any and it might be outside of the city but I’m willing to look. I have recently found out that the majority of the soil that surrounds Maputo isn’t earth but earthenware clay. This is an exciting possibility, even though I have never worked with earthenware. I hope to see if I can find something. Most reports I hear, in regards to arts and crafts, there is not much mention of ceramics. Mostly it is fine art, sculpture, wood working, cloth, and some other things like beads. Because of the nature of Mozambique most of the potters are probably not on the internet so I’ll need to ask questions and find things out.
My routine has started with a small meal, coffee, and Malarone. My daily malaria medication needs to be taken with food or milk. Thus far I have not had any side effects to Malarone so I’m cautiously optimistic. Here goes nothing.
I am still getting used to the city noises, the apartment noises, and the general atmospheric noises. Thus far I have freaked out in the middle of the night three times thinking there was someone in the apartment when there wasn’t. Because the apartment walls are empty the place echoes. I have heard people screaming in the streets and when I go to look they aren’t screaming at all. All automobiles seem to be at the same level of noise but trucks, for some odd reason, seem to be noisier than back home. Possibly they carry more in their load or the maintenance just isn’t the same. All of this to observe, I really have a lot to get used to.
Because our temporary accommodations are near the ocean I also see ships sailing through the port. They generally look fine but some of them have extremely visible signs of rust, like the entire prow as an example. We have been cautioned that taking ferries to the different islands isn’t necessarily a good idea as they are known to sink or capsize. Standards of safety aside I see people using them so maybe one day.
September 12 – The week to the weekend went very quickly. I had the opportunity to have a BBQ to meet most of Chris’s work colleagues, their spouses, and the locally engaged staff. We spent Friday afternoon chatting and getting to know one another. I learned that my initial assumptions were correct. The team that are here are quite nice. The locally engaged staff have been so kind and the spouses, which I assume I will get to know, are quite engaged.
I need to step up my game and start to learn Portuguese more if I wish to be more independent. Another thing I noticed is that we all have different ideas and goals. This normally isn’t a great point of consideration normally to me. In this case, because the spouses are a relatively small bunch, those differences seem to magnify a little. Hence being a little more independent will do me a world of good. I asked around to see if anyone knew about ceramics or pottery in Maputo. The answers I received all seemed to be the same. Someone knew of something but nothing all that concrete. My research into ceramics in Maputo, besides on very enthusiastic conversation with a fellow potter in Ottawa, seemed to bring me to nothing much. This is understandable as pottery/ ceramics isn’t always considered an art form but a craft and not always highly regarded. With some conversations with a few people at the party I might be able to make some inroads with the Alliance Francaise to build and fire a kiln but I still need to know where to source the clay. From what I observe the clay here is earthenware, not my normal clay body but there you have it. I hope to find some sources of locally usable clay and maybe speak to some local potters. To see how things are influenced here and learn some techniques. I would also enjoy sharing techniques but I’m just not sure if people will be open to that, all I can do is try.
We picked up the cars over the week as well. They are small but I think this will mostly be to our advantage. A Toyota Cami and a Nissan Cube – both from the mid 1990’s.
Saturday morning James, Francesco, and I took a trip to do some shopping. Woolworths was the first stop. I must admit it was a boutique type grocery store that seemed to cater to Western tastes as it is a South African chain. We visited a local dog food store to pick up some treats for Blake as we need to train him to be on his own again. I don’t think he is traumatized by his trip to Mozambique but he is a little more clingy and we won’t be left alone, hence the shopping trip without Chris. Generally speaking we spoil Blake so I think a little law and order will give hime some peace. We do need to leave the house and leave him behind, like we do normally, so I think the crate training will need to continue and set him in there while we are out.
Our shopping did not end at Woolworths. I was introduced to another spot in the same mall that is closer to a “Super C” with alcohol. Through the narrow residential streets we then located a local butcher who specializes in imported beef. It was a little on the expensive side but you get the cuts of meat you like, how you like them, and it freshly packaged. They also did frozen meats so that was nice. Francesco was in his element, engaging the counter staff and he even located rabbit. James and I looked through the glass top freezers and identified quite a few things. It was a successful trip to the butcher.
After this we visited a place called Super Spar. It is a little closer to a Walmart for the variety. Electronics, cleaning supplies, linens, groceries, and bath products. We picked up another bug zapper that looks like a tennis racket. We do like them as they make a satisfying zap sound when you hit a bug with it. I suspect it will become more useful come full summer as the flies are not all that bad at the moment. I haven’t seen many mosquitoes but we have had a few house flies. Blake tries to eat those in mid air, I don’t think he has been successful but he does try. The Super Spar has a lot more selection to grocery items than any of the other places we have seen so it might be a place to look at getting our dry goods, bed and bath products, and other little things. It had the largest baking selection I have yet to see so that is promising. James has warned me about the quality of the ingredients I will find. Brown sugar here is a sick brown colour and the grains of sugar are quite a bit bigger. I have been warned so lets see how the adventure goes in baking. I must remember that bread will rise differently, cakes will bake differently, cookies will bake differently, well, you get the picture. Once again, I think Super Spar will be my go to place for most items. James has advised me about the UHT milk and cream however. (UHT = ultra high temperature – pasteurization process.) I need to be cautious about UHT milk products as they react a bit differently when making anything with them. For example: ice cream. I consider myself warned. Let’s see what I can make with it once I get things settled. It’s all an adventure. There will be tears. There will be triumphs.
Upon my return from the shopping trip the street was lined with cars, people were walking about, songs were being sung in the park, brides and grooms roamed the walk ways and pathways of the park. We were informed this is a weekend event. Saturday and Sunday the park across the street, known as the park of lovers, transforms into a wedding photo panorama. People all gather into the park and sing songs while they wait for their turn to either take photos with the happy couple or to simply pass the time as they wait for other wedding parties to finish their photos. The wedding parties are easy to spot as they all wear the same colour cloth, either as shirts or skirts. The cloth is known as “capulana.” The colours and patterns are unique and beautiful. It makes for some amazing photo opportunities but I didn’t take photos as I thought it intrusive. Maybe next weekend. The brides dress in a traditional white wedding dress and there are typically little girls dressed in poofy flower girl dresses and grooms in black suites. We might be in this apartment for one more week so I might have an opportunity to see it one more time. The songs are seemingly typical of African call and answer style songs but I simply don’t understand the words so I can’t tell. There seems to be one leader calling and then the choir responds. I did witness one man calling and entire chorus of women doing the response and swaying and dancing as they did so. It was a beautiful thing to hear and watch.
Sunday was filled with lots of singing, children crowding the streets, cars jockeying for parking spaces, and making a general cacophony of noise as the traffic inched its way through the streets. Young men with boxes of treats for sale ambled their way up and down the sidewalk close to the entrance of the park as processions entered and left the park. Chris and I watched from the balcony and listed to the songs rising from the mango trees. The park and the street was simply teaming with people, vendors, and cars. We saw one brave wedding part arrive in a large minivan. I simply didn’t want to watch as it passed through crowds, inching its way through an ever narrowing street. It was fascinating to see its negotiation between it and the trucks, cars, and pedestrians coming towards it as well as all of the parked vehicles on both sides of the street. This made the ability of the mini van to pass through the streets, in my mind, even more of an impossibility but it just worked its way through. One of the many things I will need to get my head around is the sense of personal space around yourself and cars. It just isn’t what I’m used to. Trucks and cars are all pretty much the same size to vehicles in Canada and the streets are much narrower yet cars, pedestrians, and anything else seem to work together towards a common goal. This isn’t saying there are no accidents, evident by the multiple dents, dings, missing head lights, and crumpled bumpers prove. It is sometimes a cringe worthy endeavour to witness.
Chris spent much of Sunday in bed as he wasn’t feeling the best. I think his near-superhuman ability to push through jet lag caught unto him. We wasn’t feeling his best and insisted on sleeping. No fever but just general fatigue. Not anything to worry about but we did do a malaria test and he was negative. We picked up a small carry on suite case from Katie and visited her apartment, which is just down the street from us. What a lovely location and apartment. We walked Blake through the streets and then went to the apartment so Chris could pack for his week long mission up north. He slept a lot more that night and seemed to brighten up Monday morning for his 6:30 AM pickup.
Antonio was informed last week about Chris’s work trip so it wasn’t a surprise. I used Google translate to also let him know that our dryer would probably not be fixed/ replaced as our locally engaged staff (LES) Ibrahim is out sick at the moment. Not knowing the status of things I think it is best to simply let things alone for the time being. Antonio has purchased some rope to hang clothing and uses our spare bathroom to hang things as well. This does make drying time a little longer but that’s just the way things are until we move into the house.
About the house, we might not be moving in until next week, which isn’t a bad thing. Because Chris is on mission until this Friday it might give us a little time to organize our possessions, Blake, and the pack up kit for the move with this delay. I have been told by Chris that our house seems to be getting a good make over on the outside but he simply hasn’t seen the inside since our initial introduction on our arrival. Chris gets picked up by a shuttle service every morning and it makes the rounds to everyone who requests it. This includes the people in our compound so he gets to see the house every day. Best to stay out of a construction zone. James has informed us that they have most of our furniture, appliances, and internet modem at their home. This is perfect for us as they are our neighbours. The apartment oven is the smallest oven I have seen outside a camper. None of my current baking trays will fit. I certainly hope this won’t be the same in the house. Only time will tell.
Tuesday, September 13 – Yesterday was eventful. Chris left for Xai-Xai and Blake and I became the masters of the house. We promptly did nothing besides walk the neighbourhood and watch a little TV. This morning it was raining when I took him out but it wasn’t unpleasant. The temperatures are expected to rise as we are slowly entering their summer season. I have read about the heat the summers bring so I’m not quite looking forward to that. Oh air conditioning, I will have it on often.
To update on the noises I hear all night long, I think it comes from the 4th floor penthouse apartment. They must be awake all night long because I hear doors opening, chairs being dragged across floors, sliding patio doors closing and opening at four in the morning. I am not quite sure about why they are awake but I assume it’s because they have a young family. I have seen young children playing in the courtyard and am assuming they live above us. I might be wrong but the majority of the people I see coming and going seem to be childless and hear nothing from those next to or below me. I guess you normally don’t hear people below you do you. In any case I guess that is the current assumption. I swear I heard a door close in my apartment last night. The echo was so familiar. When I checked things out there was nothing and no one.
Wednesday, September 28 – I decided to leave my journaling alone for a little time and try and experience where I was. With a hammock strung up on the balcony facing the ocean I took as much in as I could from the small part of the city I am in. The public gardens that are in front of my building, as I have probably described, comes alive every weekend with newly married couples and their wedding parties. They all come dressed and ready to take photos. What is remarkable are the guests sing and dance in a collective fashion while they wait for their turn to get into the photo. The traditional choreography and melody add a wonderful sense of family and community. Weather it is tradition or out of sheer want to stave off boredom who am I to say, I can only give my outside perspective.
The men on my street watch as the guests arrive and park their cars or mini buses. They approach the guests and ask if they would like their cars washed as they wait. Their entrepreneurial nature isn’t lost on me. The men are paid a small stipend for looking out for their cars while the guests are in the park and if they choose a car wash that is also paid for before the guests leave. I read an article on line that said the unemployment rate in Mozambique is very high and other sources indicate the literacy rates are very low.
Ex Pat on Post 