Chapter 825 Different Choices
“Fernandez, do you really stop thinking about it and stay in East Africa?”
On the pier of Maputo Port, Yossi Bio said to his friend Fernandez who came to see him off.
Fernandez took a puff of cigarette, took a deep breath, frowned and said: "Even if I return to China now, what difference does it make, and the situation in Portugal is probably not much better than that in Mozambique. I heard that the government is fighting Later, I owed a lot of debt. I am afraid that the economy will be dragged down in the future. Now that there are so many people returning to China, I am afraid that the work It’s hard to find, so it’s better to stay in Mozambique. At least I’ve developed a little affection for this land in Mozambique over the years.”
It’s not so much a feeling, but rather a feeling of being used to staying in Mozambique. Prisoners in prison will become disconnected from society over time, which is almost the case with Fernandez.
As a former Portuguese colony, Mozambique will not be reduced to a penal colony like Australia was to the British, but it is not much different.
In the past when Portugal was still prosperous, the priority of the colonies in South America and the Far East was definitely above Africa, and during the hundreds of years that Portugal colonized Mozambique, it had been in the coastal areas and really developed its inland areas. That is what happened in recent years.
On the one hand, all other valuable colonies were lost, and on the other hand, the direct threat from East Africa made Portugal feel insecure, so it invested in Mozambique.
However, it was too late for Portugal to attach importance to Africa. In such a short period of time, Portugal simply had no time to change the domestic people's concept of Mozambique.
Except for those who really have the ability to make a fortune in Mozambique, most of the Portuguese who come to Mozambique are actually at the bottom of society and cannot survive in the country, such as Fernandez and Eusebio. .
Fernandez recalled the past and said: "Eusebio, do you remember why we came to Maputo?"
Eusebio said: "Of course, to find job opportunities!"
“Yes, we all came from the village of Minie. We had no land and no jobs in Portugal. We were finally tricked into working here, so even if we return to Portugal now, nothing will change. And After paying the shipping fee, I am afraid that there is not much savings left over the years, so do we still need to go back?" Fernandez asked.
Eusebio's heart tightened. What Fernandez said was indeed a bit heartbreaking. People at the bottom are always at the bottom wherever they go. There are always a few who can make a fortune, and Fernandez and Eusebio obviously belong to the majority.
Fernandez continued: "In Portugal, we have no assets at all, and we are older now. We were only seventeen when we left Portugal, and now we are close to thirty, but we still have achieved nothing. Even if we return to I’m afraid I can’t compete with those young people who enter the factory locally. If life is like this, it’s better to stay in East Africa. After all, East Africa is a country that can beat the United Kingdom, so I think this country should have a better future than Portugal.”
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Eusebio was silent for a while, and after thinking about it, he said: "Maybe we can go back to Portugal first, and then look for opportunities to go to France or Germany. That is also a way out."
Fernandez: "This is indeed a solution. It’s a good idea, but we need channels. We don’t have high academic qualifications and don’t have much work experience. After all, we have been working in plantations for so many years. I’m afraid we won’t be able to find more channels when we return to Europe. If you don’t have such a career, of course, it would be a shortcut if you have relatives or acquaintances to lead the way, but after all the hard work, it doesn’t feel much different from what it was in East Africa.”
Eusebio: “The difference is too big. Come on, you've been in Mozambique for so long, don't you know what kind of country East Africa is? In this way, the Germans live like machines and there is nothing interesting, even in East Africa. The most prosperous cities are far inferior to big cities such as Paris and Berlin.”
Fernandez: “Dar es Salaam is not as bad as you said, right? And you really dare to think that Berlin and Paris have always been the same. They are all the most developed cities in Europe. The cities in East Africa are all very young. Furthermore, Dar es Salaam is much better than Lisbon and is more prosperous than many capitals in Europe. Although It is said that the country in East Africa is relatively closed, but it is more stable. I have passed the age of arrogance, and the pursuit of stability is in line with my heart."
"Oh, we are all old!" Yossi! Bio also sighed. Of course, this is true in terms of the average life expectancy of people in this era. Of course, it is not too exaggerated. After all, if there is no serious illness or disaster, ordinary people can live to be seventy or eighty years old. After all, life expectancy is just a statistic. In this era, the mortality rate of children alone can lower life expectancy by a lot.
“However, I still don’t think staying in East Africa is a good idea. After all, East Africa is the East Africa of the Germans. We Portugal have offended them badly. If we stay, we will inevitably be liquidated. Even if they are generous, I’m afraid They will also look at us in a bad light," Eusebio advised.
Regarding this point, Fernandez said confidently: "Definitely not. Although East Africa is not very open and inclusive, it is not too closed and conservative. There are many immigrants from all over the world in East Africa. Except for black people, I have never heard anyone from East Africa say they discriminate against a certain country. , I think it will be the same in the future.”
“That’s not certain, but I have made up my mind to return to my hometown first. After all, I still have a family, so I can only wish you good luck, my friend. , if you have the chance, write me a letter!" Eusebio said his final farewell to his companions.
Fernandez felt a sore nose and gave Eusebio a big hug.
"I wish you good luck, my friend."
Under the elegant sails of the Portuguese merchant ship, Eusebio and other Portuguese waved goodbye to their former colleagues, comrades-in-arms, and relatives. From then on, the fate of both parties began to unfold. completely different path.
In the end, there were more than 40,000 Portuguese people staying in Mozambique, which exceeded the budget of the East African government. However, the East African government chose to accept all the Portuguese who were willing to integrate into East Africa.
After all, Mozambique is too short of manpower at this time. These Portuguese people can stay to assist East Africa in developing the southern Mozambique region.
These Portuguese have also become part of the source of East African citizens. Of course, as time goes by and the assimilation policy advances, they will naturally no longer be called Portuguese in the future, but will be directly incorporated into the German nation. .
Situations like this in East Africa are actually quite common in Germany and Austria. However, the assimilation ability of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was too weak and the strength of other nationalities in the country was too strong, making it difficult to carry out assimilation policies.
It’s just that no matter what Germany and Austria say, most of the people they absorb are Europeans, and East Africa also integrates Asians, so the so-called German nation in East Africa is not pure, although everyone is essentially the same.
The location of Germany and Austria is a natural melting pot of European races. They are in the center and their economic level is not bad. They can play a certain role in assimilating the weak civilizations in Eastern and Southern Europe.
So there is no pure single-ancestry nation in the world. For example, the United States is a typical Anglo-Saxon culture, but the Anglo-Saxons are not the largest.
As a green "Roman", the biggest difference between the Ottoman Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire in terms of the people at the bottom is only the difference in cultural identity.
(End of this chapter)