random writings

on the way to mozambique

I sometimes wish I could teleport what my eyes are seeing into your head. It’s the everyday little things that make life so interesting.
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Walking to and from the konbi rank (minibus station) is always interesting. Even though this country has a population of less than 1,000,000 and Manzini less than 100,000, the konbi rank is a combination of bus fumes, mass crowds, vendors, drunks, business men/women, honking, sweat and unbelievable noise. As I walk there after work, I pass vendor after vendor (called hawkers) selling fruits, veggies, clothes, airtime for cell phones, shoes, candies, newspapers and so forth. The hawkers line both sides of the street, behind them are various shops and bakeries. In front of the hawkers are pedestrians trying to find space on the side walk. Beside the pedestrians are men resting on their cars with their car door open. There are no formal taxis here, just men with cars who take passengers wanting a ride. They greet me with “hey baby…need a taxi.” It drives me crazy. I’M NOT YOUR BABY!! On the other side of the ‘taxis’ is mixture of j-walkers, cars, buses and konbis. From 4-6pm it is virtually a standstill. I hope for the best every time I try and cross the street. I find my konbi, if I’m lucky it’s almost full and we don’t need to sit around waiting for it to fill up. If I’m unlucky I have to sit in the back row where they squeeze four passengers.
My drive takes about 20minutes. Getting out of the station is a nightmare. Konbi drivers are seriously the best drivers in the world. I have no idea how they manoeuvre in such tight conditions. Once we get out of the ‘city’ and into my hood we pass mud huts, barbed wire fields, cattle, chickens and dogs in the road, men selling corn being roasted in a big metal can, children playing with plastic bottles, a few shops and so forth. I love looking out the windows and always see something new.
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I love feeling hungry and stepping outside my office. Do I buy from the fruit vendor? Do I want peaches, pears (the best ever), oranges, bananas or apples? Not in the mood for fruit….corn corn and more corn. Boiled or barbequed? I love it.
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Dear African Woman: Please teach me to balance buckets of fruit on my head. How do you carry a baby on your back (wrapped in a towel), two pales of water in each hand and a bundle of something on your head? When you see me wearing pants do you really think that means I’m ‘easy’? How do you feel when your husband takes a second and third wife?
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How hot is it? When the wind blows it feels like someone is pointing a hairdryer at me.