The Bata

In Mozambique it is traditional for teachers to wear a "bata" while they teach.  A bata looks very much like a white lab coat (see below).  You might ask, isn't it hard to keep a white coat clean in Mozambique? The answer is yes.  When wearing a bata you must be very careful not to touch anything or you will inevitably get it dirty and have to wash it.  Also, don't get it wrinkled or you will have to iron it.  I like the bata because I think the students and other teachers respect me more when I am wearing one, but I predict trying to keep my bata clean and wrinkle-free will be a struggle for the next two years.  Such is life as teacher in Mozambique.

 Deej, Maria, and me in our batas and ready to teach.

Brian giving a math lesson about negative numbers.