Dinner was a bit of a disaster tonight. I put a pot of black beans on to boil, went into our office to use the internet, got distracted, and proceeded to burn the crap out of the beans. Now that I have a "developing world" mindset about food, we ate them anyway with rice and fried eggs. Keep in mind that we have our fellow consultants as houseguests. Before moving to Mozambique I wouldn't have dreamt of serving burnt food for dinner when there was company. Now I really don't mind. Sometimes things don't come out too tasty, or they are burnt, or too salty. My consolation is that I've had much worse food in restaurants here in Mozambique and I'm certain our houseguests have as well. We adapt, we accept, and that's that.
Portugal just won the match against England. The moment the game was over, people started driving around the streets of Maputo honking their horns, whistling and shouting. I find it unbelievably strange that so many people here are cheering for Portugal, the ex-colonial power that basically viewed this country as a source of cheap labour for the South African mines and not much else. Maybe the Mozambicans are among the world's most forgiving populations, but I just can't get it through my head how one can feel allegiance towards a former opressor.
Curious about how it is in other former colonies, I asked one of our fellow consultants who is Zimbabwean which team people in his country were supporting. He said that it was a mix, but that people were most certainly not supporting England like the Mozambicans support Portugal.
On a related note, a short lesson in linguistics. Mozambicans that speak Portuguese as a second language have a peculiar way of adding an 'e' to the end of most words. Fazer (to do) becomes fazer-e. Mil (thousand) becomes mil-e. Ricardo and I had a good laugh when, true to form, a crowd of people in the street below our building showed their enthusiasm for the game by repeatedly yelling "Portugaaaaaaallllleee-Portugaaaaaallllleee-Portugaaaaaaaalllllllleee!"
Given that England's defeat confirms a trend that the teams I cheer for in the World Cup seem to lose (i.e. Angola, Ivory Coast, Mexico, Croatia, Ghana) I'm beginning to feel a bit nervous about the Brasil vs. France match coming up in about an hour. And as if my apparent bad cheering luck weren't enough, the superstitious part of me also thinks that the fact that I burned the beans tonight (something I never do) is a bad, bad omen for Brasil.
12 comments:
Wow, I could never eat something I don't like, ever...For the simple reason that eating something my tastes define as bad would then lead to a killing head ache and then throwing everything up...Although thinking of and seeing people that haven't got much to eat might lead to a taste alteration all together!
As for Brazil...well they will win it! My predictions up to now came true (I supported Portugal and K supported England for this match).
What is the real face of a country? What I mean is, what aspects allow to form one's opinion of a country? This is a pertinent question as far as I'm concerned, since I fight against prejudice, specially my own. I become furious with myself when I think I'm being prejudiced (much more than when I feel somehow victim of prejudice, since what really must concern me are my faults, and not the faults of others).
Portugal was a fascist dictatorship for over 40 years. The vast majority of its citizens was against it, and many of them were also against having colonies (fortunately there were people who were able to see how ridiculous and prepotent that was, although we can find a colonial past in so many countries). I'll continue this (I'm very annoying :) )in a mail. I'm just happy that, although I was discriminated against many times for being Angolan, I'm able to realize that that is not enough to define a nation.
beijo:)
Well, unfortunately, I feel you were right about Brasil, I even cried because it was :s (msn smiley). My brazilian friend (who is like a medium) said they would lose, but I didn't want to believe.
About the black beans, were they good eventhough?
About Mozambican support to Portugal, I see the same in Angola and I appreciate it :) and understand it. Yes, they were just colonies, but we speak the same language.
Why do we like our brother? because it's the same blood right? so I dont ask myself too many questions.
Beijinhos!
Thanks for your "carinho"!
Angola will support Portugal, always. But if there is Brazil, Angola will support Brasil first. Around me, even with my sis (Elite), I don't support Portugal. Not because of the past, but cause I just don't like it :P So, for Portugal vs. France, I'm for France. Today was a hard time for me, cause France comes as a favourite after Brazil. But Brazil is Brazil, right? :P
Ah geez, Ali! Ya shouldn't have burnt the beans!! :P
I'm sure the beans were pretty good anyway and I can't even count the number of times I manage to burn rice. We have a nice rice cooker back in the US but of course it's in storage.
I'm sorry about Brazil...my condolences! But Australia got the boot awhile ago and the bitterness does mellow with time. ;)
You were right about Brazil...They lost, I was sad, but judging by how they played, they really deserved it this time! Still I will keep supporting them, unless Romania gets qualified next time :D
~Kanuthya - I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts by e-mail. I know the "portuguese question" is something you've not only thought a lot about and analyzed, it's something you have lived because of your nationality and your identity and your heritage.
My perspective is certainly one from the outside looking in, understanding less than I question.
I suppose because I didn't grow up in a colony or a former colonial power (although one could get into all sorts of arguments about the US here), I tend to see the shocking and negative sides of colonialism.
This has also been tainted by many of the people I have met while living here in Mozambique. Some are definitely doing good work to promote Mozambique's interests and move the country forward in a positive direction. Some of these people are Portuguese. But many, many others that I've met make me remember the negative legacy that colonialism and civil war has left here, and in this I can assure you, nationality has no weight, and many times it is the very Mozambicans that are getting in the way of the country going forward.
I think the British, to some extent, see the US as an unruly colony gone wild. Note I said to some extent. I wouldn't want to speak for my countrymen and women.
This has been a most inglorious World Cup, I'm thinking of declaring it a mass fantasy. It just didn't happen, ok? And, for me, England are in the final, and they, as well as Brasil, played really well and wowed the crowds with their skill. I feel better now.
I loved the way Ghana played in the world-cup. They were unlucky like hell !!
I hate to say it - but for the first time in my life I´m rooting for the Germans. I did´nt like the way the Portugal acted in the match against England - .
Ali la Loca, originally hailing from the unruly colony gone wild!!
I had a good laugh at that description, JVS. And I agree, this world cup has been just pathetic.
Unfortunately, the Brasilians were to fat for Samba. What a disapoinment !
But France played an excellent game against the slow Brasilians. I would like to see France go all the way - but as you know - the germans will always be inm the finale !
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