Tudo está bem

Reading Portuguese to get the general gist isn't too problematic with some knowledge of Spanish. Listening and understanding the pronunciation is a different ball game, even here, where the African delivery of Portuguese (or French) is flatter and less heavily accented. I've got to get my ear tuned in.

Maybe I'll get close to people's mouths thanks to the Portuguese tradition of cheek kissing. This was always a troublesome custom in Cambodia, with various nationalities milling around and never being sure how many cheek kisses to apply, within a range of 1 to 4. Plus when it was over 40 degrees, the last thing that an acquaintance wants is a perspiring face smulching the side of theirs. Luckily here the climate is just about perfect at this time of year, as the southern hemisphere winter begins. Warm days and evenings that cool to the temperature of a UK summer's day, needing no fan or air conditioning.

I met with our former country representative who is now working for the World Bank as there were various things I needed to be briefed on regarding NGO registrations, employment rules and bank accounts. Now it's clear our programme needs renewed in-country representation, we have to ascertain the correct way to do things in order not to fall foul of any government departments, and to be compliant on things like taxation. The subject matter is quite dry but it's an interesting mission to try to unearth all of this.

I am enjoying Maputo so far. There is new money and construction and (in many places) less grittiness than ten years ago. Outside of the capital I doubt much has changed. Standard bartering over taxis, but all done in a reasonable fashion. Much less hustle and bustle than many African countries and now I've had experience in all, I'm reminded that Southern Africa is more chilled than most of the East or West.