Olá everyone,
No tropical New Year greetings this time...Instead some "freezing ones" from cold cold Belgium! "Bonne année!" "Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!"
New Year I spent in... multicultural Brussels at a real balkan gypsy concert and party in "Les Halles de Schaerbeek" (the venue alone is worthy the visit)...A night of crazy dancing, with my Slavic roots I felt completely at home...It was also a night of killing "saudades" in company of one of my best friends...And no need to say that it felt again very surrealistic, this time however to be back in "my" Brussels...(I guess surrealism is one of those very typical characteristics of "being Belgian")
I have to admit, the reverse culture shock-to my own surprise- hasn't been so big...but still, the occasions I have been feeling like coming from Mars are numerous, the shock to see the abundance in the supermarkets and shops remained, the banality of many people's complaints and worries difficult to deal with,...
Another shock, from a totally different kind, I felt was when a Brussels shopkeeper, after I had asked him at two occasions to serve me with some Turkish feta cheese and with some raisin, replied to me in a rather severe and annoyed way as follows: "Madame, vous pouvez vous servir vous-même!"("Miss, you can serve yourself!"). Perhaps his unfriendly tone was partially due to the fact it was the first of January (maybe he was suffering from some head ache:)), but basically it reflected more his incomprehensiveness toward my "inactive " attitude in the shop, my natural expectation to be served,...Suddenly I realized I had become used to the Mozambican WHITE and/OR RICH lifestyle of being served. I remember my first impressions upon arrival in Maputo, how "disgusting" I found it to see how whites (and rich Mozambicans) were being served upon their request (or even before...). I remember how shocking I found it to see how people had black "empregadas" ("domestica" in Brazil, housekeeping staff)working totally in function of them and black "guards" who were not only guards but also boys opening the gates, washing the cars, carrying your shopping, throwing away your rubbish, etc. And of course this pattern of "submission" or extreme servility was duplicated in commercial and administrative settings as well...People from anglo-saxon countries might protest against my too radical stance here, pinpointing to the excellent client service in their respective countries (where being served forms simply part of the service you deserve as a client), but to me it remains difficult to make abstraction of the colonial not so far away history,during which the minority of the whites (now: minority of rich) were served by the majority of black (now: majority of poor). To observe the way Moz society is structured seems-I can't help it- o so neo-colonialistic...But...I also know, that employing a guard, employing an empregada we, the whites and rich ones (and yes, you read it well, me too, I 'stepped' into the system) we create employment, we give people a very needed living...The latter is the very recurrent excuse you hear to legitimize the hiring of local staff, i.e. a means to help people survive, study, etc. But the other side of the coin, the fact you can "hire" somebody for plus/minus 25 Euros/month (=minimum wage), you earning western wages (and often even much higher salaries than if doing the same job at home)isn't being highlighted that often...nor the fact that it enables us, the whites, to have a very comfortable life...And I agree, paying local people according to our western standards would mean a 'distortion' of the local economy BUT HEY, are OUR salaries no distortion of their economy (cf. post-conflict countries with high UN and international NGO presence)??? Who is mainly frequenting restaurans like Mundo's, who is paying 1500 USD for a three bedroom appartment in Maputo, who is shopping in Polana Shopping Centre, who is swimming in the swimming pool of Club Naval (2.5 USD for one swimming), who is paying almost 2 Euros for a liter of fruit juice (Christmas prices!)???
I have to add, very rapidly, that my analysis might be incorrect, as I am very new to the country and I haven't really "scientifically studied" the society. And, as already referred to above, this phenomenon, I am afraid is not unique to Mozambique...And, more importantly, it is always easy to "denounce" a situation (like I am doing here), but I have to admit that looking for solutions for a more just division of assets and goods would be probably more preferrable...
In any case, I am very keen to read reactions to this blog...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
N.B. I received this comments via e-mail from my Portuguese friend Diogo. I really would like to thank him!
"Diogo's shallow and narrow analysis about my deep and wide questions".
About your "incident":
A lot, very big lot, could be said. You refer to so many different things.
I would sum up my opinion in a rather abrupt way: when in Rome be a Roman.
Of course, if I deeply analyse the statement, I don't agree with it.
But, you know, someone said that he loved everybody he knew if he wouldn't think too much about this people personalities; on the contrary, he found all these people really stupid and ignorant if he would take some time to analyse them.
So, I like the statement.
In Maputo, it seems normal to be served and local people expect it to be that way. Since this is not culturally too shocking, I just accepted it (so did you).
In Brussels, local culture may be (I don't know) the "help yourself". So, you may have been rude with your fellow citizen by asking him to serve you. It's a matter of local culture and expectations, as nothing really important seems to be at stake.
That said, and while apologising for the shallowness of the analysis, I would add the following:
- In "developed countries", more and more I feel that the "serving - is served" relationship does not apply. In Portugal, there are people serving who could easily be my bosses, should they have had better luck. It's a new paradigm which I try to understand and keep up with. Personally, I tend to choose shopping places according to the shopkeeper I miss most (and, trust me, I do sometimes become friends with them);
- In Mozambique I also had to fight the Roman thing (I fought in Brussels, I did in Maputo). It's not in Mozambicans culture to have autonomy. Therefore, me and my team in there had a hard time as I decided that they should be doing the financial management of the bank by themselves, while I was only their resource and supervisor. It was hard, but it worked. And, despite the difference in qualifications, my Mozambican team was much more productive and happier than the Portuguese one...
My final suggestion:
- find yourself the courage to invite the disturbing shopkeeper for a coffee and get from him the best answers to your questions...
just to realize that you neded, and had, much more courage than that to be in Mozambique in the first place.
Another comment from Diogo; it is again only a shallow and narrow analysis!
If you analyse my post to deep, you'll fully disagree. If you see it in a shallow way, I guess you'd agree.
I didn't have the time to go into all questions you pointed out. But I disagree that local culture creates employment (unless your analysis is on the very short term). Employment is created in a sustainable way when there are sustainable factors of competitiveness (good weather and beautiful beaches could be an example for Moz). If the country economy ever grows, all those employment you mention will disappear, as it will be more expensive.
Aloha,
Just wanted to wonder... where are you and when are you coming back to Maputo?????
We miss you... :( this saturday I'm holding a "jantar na minha casa" for my b'day...
Well, I guess I'll see you on the 1st? right?
beijinhÖs fofa...!!
Post a Comment