Let the games begin

Just an average Friday

So, the sports committee (which, yours truly is a member of) planned a school wide soccer tournament for this Friday and Saturday. I don’t know what exactly I was expecting (lie. I was expecting it to start 3 hours late and for half of the people not to show up), but I LOVED it. As soon as the morning assembly was over, 2nd year students started their games. I had to teach an English class first, but when I made it over to the field it was, what can only be described as, madness. Someone had brought speakers, so techno music was blaring (typical Mozambique….although the techno remix of “its raining men” was a new addition) as kids played on the dirt field. Obviously, this is not the kind of thing that gets uniforms – so half of the boys had their shirts flipped over their heads.

Let me take this time to comment on Mozambican fashion…. Most of the clothes people here wear are cast offs from America. So when some random church collects clothes to send to the poor kids in Africa … this is where they come. ALSO. There is absolutely zero gender issues with cloths. So you’re a 16 year old boy and you want to wear a lavender baby-tee that says “Greek goddess”? Go for it. You’re a first year auto mechanic student and you have a hot pink Barbie backpack? No shame. Feel like wearing swim trunks? Do it. Pokeman tank top (why?)? Put it on. Also lacking in the way of equipment : shoes. About half of the kids played barefoot. Some wore just socks…a (very) few had real shoes. My personal favorites were the kids who wore totally barefoot EXCEPT for one shoe (that one hot pink high top converse is totally helping). Meanwhile, the kids who had already lost (cough cough all of the carpenters) were posted up at the speakers just dancing their little hearts out. Add this to the list of things I love about these kids: all of a sudden, some part of a song will get to a kid and he just can’t fight the urge to dance. It’s like lightning. You’ll just see a crowd of kids standing around talking and then BAM one of them is just going nuts. It happened to one of my favorite first year students while he was playing today… apparently his techno jam came on and he just completely stopped playing to have a little dance break. And let me tell you, these people can moveeee. They are putting every goofy white-person dance to shame! I’ll video it some time so yall can see it, because seriously, its incredible.

I hope you’re getting an idea of what kind of sports fan I am – seeing as I have described everything BUT the actual sporting event. Honestly, I was really impressed with all of my students. They are incredible athletes and they were so into the games – plus, it was great team building for the turmas. So I cheered for all of my kids, who would run off the field and want to wave at me (so.cute.).

I “breakfasted” with some of my first year kids. They made me wash my hands and then presented me with about 7 packed Tupperware containers of homemade Mozambican food which they insisted I eat (no complaints there). I fielded an endless number of “teacher I want to visit your house in Moatize,” (tell me when you’re coming) “teacher do you know lil wayne,” (I’ve already told you, no) and “teacher tomorrow you will play with us?” (apparently yes).

After I had a Fanta with some professors, I was given very explicit instruction to return at 7 am on Saturday to play in the Meninas game (don’t worry, I saw them play today…I’ll be fine). Side note; I’m SO proud of my girls. There are only about 30 girls at our school and they’re really holding their own. I’m just thrilled they’re here and still in school. So if I can make a fool out of myself and play soccer with them – just to let them know that they can do it too…done and done.