My first Marriage Proposal

So, it’s pretty common here to get a lot of attention as a white woman (especially with blonde hair). There’s the common pick up line of “we will meet again, and it will be a sign” or “I want to know you” and there are random marriage proposals (and other proposals) offered daily on the streets. I have, however, been initiated to the Mozambican male way. It happened something like this:

I was hiking to where the 3 borders of Moz, South Africa and Swaziland meet, and Emily, Jon and I were waiting for the rest of our group at the border before we went on our hike (a good 3 hours round trip). We were in search of a soda to take to drink at the top, and that’s where he was. I have no idea what is name is, so I’ll just refer to him as “Ernest”. He sees us and holds up his arms and yells (FYI this is all in portuguese) “Welcome to Mozambiqur!” to which Jon replies “We’ve been here for months now”. Ernest is wearing a border patrol uniform, and they are notoriously flirty and sketchy. He comes over to talk to us and tells us multiple times about the 3 border point (obviously Ernest has been going all night at this little bar at the border). We introduce ourselves and of course I get the common confusion of my name being “Portuguese” and having no ties to Brazil or Portugal. Ernest then asks Jon which one of us he is going to marry to which Jon replies “neither”. Ernest says that he would recommend marrying me.

Jon goes to get his soda and Ernest goes away only to return about 30 seconds later, approaching me directly this time. “So, you know I’m not married. And I’m available next week if you’d like to marry me” to which I reply “No thank you” and he laughs and walks off. Jon comes back, and Ernest attempts to reason with us. He tells Jon “I’d like to marry her” to which I interrupt with “I came here to teach, not to get married” and Jon says “she’s not going to marry you”. Then Ernest goes something like “I don’t think you’re understanding. The first president of FREMILO married an American to show that there was no tension among races, and my goal in life is to follow in his footsteps. I saw you all walking toward me and felt a shock from God.” Jon still maintains “I don’t think she’s going to marry you”. Ernest “You’re not understanding me. There’s this American woman living in Gaza province that married a Mozambican. I saw her wearing a kapulana and carrying a bunch of bananas from the machamba on her head. They do it all the time” (random shout out to this girl: Thanks a lot) At this point we’ve been waiting for 20 minutes and he’s about to go for his third attempt at reasoning me into marrying him, so I suggest that Emily and I walk back up and meet the people that are coming which we do.

And that’s how it happened: my first ever marriage proposal. Somehow not quite how I imagined it…..