Last night I attended a cocktail reception put on by the Canadian High Commisioner here in Mozambique. It gave me the opportunity to swirl wine and munch on hors d'oerves while bouncing from one small talk converstation to the next with all the other Canadians living here in Maputo. I was able to meet a few other CIDA interns working for CUSO as well as some nursing students doing their overseas practicums up in the Inhambane province. After we had dragged the two hour reception out into a three hour affair we decided to head to Gil Vicente, a very cool old jazz club down town. The group playing that night was fantastic and as soon as 10 PM rolled along the place was packed with folks of all walks of life with a heart for music. There was an incredible electrical storm last night and about an hour into the set all the power went out in down town Maputo. The band didn't skip a beat however and just turned the night into a massive drum jam. It is absolutely phenomenal to hear and feel the force of African drummers who really know what they're doing. As the staff proceeded to illuminate the entire club with candles, the crowd became more and more drawn into the rhythm and the atmosphere of the moment. All the dancing the shouting created an energy inside that reflected the electricity shooting through the evening sky. This is human existence in its purest form: moving freely with the rhythm of the soul. I felt like I was back on Pope's Hill at Folk Fest, except these guys REALLY knew how to play!!