"Just wanted to say hi!"

There is a particular aspect of Mozambican culture I have yet to figure out, and it's the Typical Mozambican Phone Call. This is how it goes:

*Phone rings.*
Me: Olá? / Hello?
Mozambican: Professora Helena! Como esta? / Professor Helen! How are you?
Me: Estou bem. Como-- / I am fine, and how are --
Mozambican: Eu também estou bem. Só queria cumprimentar! / I am also fine! Just wanted to say hello.
Me: Ok, obrigada... / OK, thanks....
Mozambican: De nada, de nada. OK... até logo, ne? / You're welcome, you're welcome. Ok, well... later!
Me: Uh ... tchau? /  Uh ... bye?
*Mozambican hangs up.*

I have gotten this exact phone call from a wide variety of people. My host mom, my school director, my roommate, a friend of a friend who I met in the marketplace... the list goes on. I would say I get these two to three times a week. The first ones I received were from my host dad in South Africa, who I had not yet met at the time. He would call me every two to three days for no apparent reason. I thought it was really weird. I asked a Mozambican about it and they said "Oh, well it's just, you know, to make sure you are doing well."

Clearly.

I suppose that makes sense, but to me it seems as if this takes out all meaningful conversation and leaves only a formulaic question-and-answer script -- so what's the point? When I figure it out, I'll let you know. As for now, I'm just glad it's short and I don't have to make a lot of Polite Telephone Conversation. Those tend to be filled with Awkward Silences.


In other news, I went hiking with my dog yesterday. We wandered around for a bit down by the river, until we ran into The Bush of Africa. Here it is.

This is the Bush. Isn't it so... bush-like?

I didn't have a machete on me (To do: get machete), and didn't particularly relish the thought of trampling through thick underbrush with my next-to-nill knowledge of Mozambican Venomous and Dangerous Bush Animals. (Are there crocodiles in the Mavudzi River? How about black mambas? These are legitimate concerns.) So I climbed a tree and took a nap instead.

Poppy guarded the tree-trunk as I lazed about in the foliage.

 It was a good day.