Sights and Sounds from our Street

     I have ventured out on my own a couple of times to see what is on the street and so I thought I would give you a little taste of where we live.  I composed these two sentences to use:  "Can I take your picture for my English class?" And, " I want to compare English and Portuguese words for my aula (class)".    These are some of my results.  Right around the corner is a Primary school that you can hear all day long.  There are usually two sessions of school, from what we understand.  
  
The look of  the land , the clothes, and the people in the following pictures, are very typical.  Back to our street, which has the longest name imaginable (Rua das Forcas Populares da Libertacao de Mocambique),    
 A few more houses down is a sort of drink place with a pool table.  This owner has called out to me before in English, so he was chatting to me about billards in English today.  Next to our house is a bar with a pool table as well, and load music at night.  Another important reason for our air conditioner is to cover the outside noise!  Further down the street the other way just happens to be the carpenter who is making us another dresser and a kitchen  shelf.  He wanted to be in a picture since he said he was the master.  Every time I walk down that way there are hot girls (not temperature wise) sitting on the car flirting with the workers. It really reminds me of the mechanics in the #1 Ladies Detective Agency books.   
    A loud sound every night comes from the gathering of the dogs.  Who knows why, but they seem right outside the window and fight and bark and yell a lot.  Guys walk by with these big transistor radios up to their ears, about 40 years out of style.  That really sums up Mozambique, they are in a time warp.  Today we woke up to a loudspeaker mounted on a car calling people to do something, but we have no idea what.  Well, that sums up my morning walk and gives you a little local color without me showing you the piles of trash everywhere and the pot holes that swallow your car.  Boa tarde!

Communiy pmp number 5

 I talked to this man about his family and told him about my children. He was very happy for me to take the picture of his familia.

I found the Padaria (bakery). Anyone who knows a Hanni knows this is a must find in any city. They sell only pao (don’t have the accent right) and rolls. My 8 rolls didn’t cost much.

The picture above is of a brother and two sisters who laughed every time I opened my mouth to speak and followed me down the street today.

A few more houses down was this man with his treadle sewing machine. He was happy for the picture, but his wife was giggling and I kept telling her to come and smile. They do all sorts of mending.

I wanted to take a picture of the girls who have a food stand next to us, but I am worried about her seeing my camera and knowing where I live, so I didn’t. She cooks batatas (potatoes) in oil as a sort of potato wedge that she sells all day. I will take some bike pictures someday as well, but was worried that too many people had seen my camera today and I told many of them about the English class we were going to have. The mother and her baby I talked to and tried to tell her the English words for mother and baby, but again, some blank stares ensued.

On the farthest corner is this little Indian store we had seen many times, but I always went there when it was closed, which is 12-2 for most stores everyday. I talked to her about making curtinas (curtains) for the house from the kapulana (native skirt) fabric there. Another Senior couple had done that for the Elders apartment and I liked the look. We communicated a little. I may have told her we were missionaries here for 18 months (meses) or 18 tables (mesas) who knows!! She has relatives in England who speak very good English, I am told.

These are non-electric irons for sale in a little shop.  All they need are a little charcoal.