Market Day!

One of my favorite times of the month is when we take a trip to the market that sits in the shadow of the Maputo football stadium. The market is absolutely huge and you can find anything that you may need: clothes, curtains, medicine, car parts, spices, cutlery and dishes. When we go, it is to buy our fruits and veggies in bulk.

The market is full of life, colors and something always interesting happens on each visit. On most visits there are many, many people yelling out to me to buy from them “Senhora! Senhora aqui!” Which on occasion irritates me as I’m not alone, B is usually standing right next to me. So when they address only me, it makes me feel that think that I am the Boss Lady and B is my man servant there to lug my stuff around. I feel this way as well when we go to Pic ‘n Pay and why I want to push the cart rather than have him do it. But on most occasions people think that we are from Brasil or Portugal as they don’t see too many foreigners in that market except for those traveling to another destination to go camping and who will need large amounts of provisions. Or Chinese people—they seem to like to buy in bulk as well. So it is often that people make comments or jokes about us in their language---it always makes me laugh when B answers them back with just as feisty a joke in Changana.

A couple of weeks ago a group of women were practically screaming at me in Changan. I thought the word they were calling out was the name of the vegetable they were selling, but when B wasn’t responding I asked him if he understood and he answered “I have no idea what these women are screaming about?” So then I asked them in Portuguese, “What does that word mean? And in chorus they say “SENHORA!” Thereafter, a huge debate between B and these women ensued---as he says “I don’t know what Changana you are speaking but I have never heard of that word before.” The crowd then multiplies to about 20 people all speaking in Changana about how exactly one must say ‘senhora.’ While this is happening a smaller group of women started to have lots of fun teasing me about my accent asking me to repeat different words in Changana. I’m not sure why it is so amusing but it always tickles people pink here. It would be the equivalent of me asking a Chinese person who doesn’t speak English very well to repeat over and over again ‘Merry Christmas’. “R”s are hard for them to pronounce so I just wouldn’t do that but people don’t seem to mind at all of putting me on the spot and making me mispronounce impossibly hard words in their language. It happens every time I go to the market. Every time.

Another time I wore a onesie short set as it was scorching hot and I couldn’t bear the thought of wearing jeans and shoes. I asked B if this would be ok and he said “Of course!” No. It so was not ok. Upon first arrival I saw many women looking at me and some mumbling but I couldn’t tell if it was directly aimed at me. But then at one point a man, again not realizing B was Changana, says in their language that he was going to get two other men to come after me and rip my clothes off as “I was asking for it dressed that way.” B got really mad and a yelling match started between them. My confused look hinted to the woman seated closest to me that I had no idea what was going on so she explained to me in Portuguese. My Johnny Come lately self screamed at his back, “Why didn’t you say any of that in Portuguese so I could defend myself, you coward,” Thankfully he was far enough away he didn’t hear the last part—I’m not sure what I would have done if he turned around and actually came back.

But my favorite part of market day is the inventiveness of the vendors. Most of them have names for the fruits and veggies they have up for sale, especially the potato vendors. For example some names the vendors have for where the potatoes were grown are “Beleza Mata” “Playa Boy” “Vida e Nice.” Others show their creativity in the way they sing and call out their prices while still others use sweet talk to get you closer “Ola fofinha, you are so pretty today,” or “What a handsome couple. You need my tomatoes to stay so nice!” And of course, I fall for the sweet talk every time….I’m such a sucker.