The Circus Is In Town And I'm The Main Attraction

            A few weeks ago, Adam and I decided to go to the cinema at the shopping center to see a movie. All of the hype on social media networks surrounding the movie We Are The Millers peaked our interest. Luckily for us, Trip De Familia, as it is known here, just happened to be on the cinemas play list.

            I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect at the movies considering most of my other experiences here in Luanda have been so vastly different from those in the States. But no matter what, I couldn’t have prepared myself for the experience that was awaiting me.

            Adam and I grabbed a bottle of water and a coke from our fridge to enjoy during the 45-minute drive to the theater. Of course, the beverages were mistake number one. By the time we arrived, I already needed to make a stop in the ladies' room. Adam ill-informed me that the theater did not have a restroom. If I needed to use one then I would need to use the one in shopping center before we went into the theater.

            I walked into the restroom and was shocked to find that most of the stalls didn’t have doors on them. Unlike most stalls in the States, the lack of doors didn’t stop people from using them. As I stood in line debating on whether I thought I could wait until after the movie or if I should just suck it up and join the rest of the Angolans, my bladder made the decision for me. I was going to suck it up and use the open stall just like all of the women in line before me.

            I quickly made it to the front of the line and headed towards the open stall. And this is when I discovered mistake number two. When deciding whether or not to use the restroom, I hadn’t considered the fact that I wasn’t Angolan and of course stood out in the restroom. You would have thought that the circus was in town because everyone in the bathroom was staring at me. It wasn’t that people here haven’t ever seen a person of my color before, but it was that most people here haven’t seen a pale skinned, blonde-haired, blue-eyed person.

            I tried to ignore the fact that I had about ten pairs of eyes on me while using the restroom, but when a three-year-old little girl stood directly in front of me in the stall and looked at me with her big brown eyes, there was no denying it. The movie theater was no longer the main attraction; instead, it was now me.

            I was so relieved when the bathroom experience was over with and was looking forward to enjoying the movie. Adam purchased two tickets, which were surprisingly cheap for Angola. The ticket prices were only $8 a piece, very comparable to those in the States. Next we went to the snack counter. What is a good movie without the right snack and beverage? Our selection was very limited with the only options being popcorn, M&Ms, and canned soda. Of course I didn’t mind that they only had 12oz cans of soda instead of the extra large fountain drinks that we have in the States because after my first trip to the bathroom, it certainly wasn’t something that I wanted to do again.

            We grabbed a popcorn and a couple of Coca Colas before heading into the theater. I noticed that other people were bringing in food and drink from outside and weren't trying to hide it. Apparently the theaters here don't have a policy against outside food and drink, which is probably why there was such a limited selection at the snack counter. But the outside snacks weren’t the only thing that I noticed. I also noticed a couple of bathrooms INSIDE the theater. Adam obviously noticed them as well because before I had a chance to point them out, he turned to me and told me that they were new to the cinema. New or not, the bathrooms probably would have saved me from the embarrassment I had experienced only moments earlier.

            Adam and I found a couple of seats and waited for the movie to start. The movie was in English but had Portuguese subtitles across the bottom. I expected the subtitles to be a bit of a distraction, but quickly became so engrossed in the movie that I forgot all about them. The only thing that reminded me that they were still there was the fact that Adam and I would laugh at something, and then about a second later the rest of the theater would erupt in laughter. Everyone else had to read the subtitles causing a bit of a delay in laughter. What a unique experience.

            My first time at the movies was more of an experience than I had anticipated and had no trouble securing a spot on my top ten list of uncomfortable/embarrassing moments. Although I am not sure when we will see another movie, there is one thing I am sure of, I will not be drinking anything before the movie starts.