Josh and Dove, getting ready to leave!
Cape Verdean cousins, showing CV´s variety
The 'Old City,' hub of slave trade
Courteny and me at the Embassy, finally meeting!
My little sister hoopin' it up!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
More photos!
Josh and Dove, getting ready to leave!
Cape Verdean cousins, showing CV´s variety
The 'Old City,' hub of slave trade
Courteny and me at the Embassy, finally meeting!
My little sister hoopin' it up!
Cape Verdean History
I just wrote this as a journal entry that was required as part of our ´portfolio´that we need to finish before becoming actual volunteers (7 weeks to go!). Because I am working with teachers in the US and their classrooms, I thought it might be a nice addition to the blog.
Two weeks ago, our training group had the opportunity to visit Riberia Grande, or Cidade Vilha, a place rich with history and the beginning of much of Cape Verdean life and culture. The "Old City" was once the major city on the island of Santiago, before a migration in 1612 (due in large part to pirate attacks, which also provide opportunity for slaves to run away to the hillsides which now accounts for many of the mountain villages) to Praia, which became the capital in 1858. Through the city, pieces from the past are visible, including a post in the middle of town where slaves were once tied before slavery was abolished in Cape Verde in 1836. From its accidental discovery in 1460 by Diaga Gomez and Antonio da Noli, to independence in 1975 to the most recent elections and shift in power, our history and tour guides led us through Cape Verde’s unique and rich historical and cultural landscape.
The physical location of the islands has contributed greatly to the social and economic history of Cape Verde. Located at a key point between Africa, the Americas and Europe, Cape Verde offered a safer portal to access African slaves; traders who went to the continent proper faced a host of possible dangers, from leaders unwilling to bargain to slaves running aground near or in rivers and being claimed by natives as their own. After slavery was instituted in Cape Verde in 1582, it became a much safer port to trade slaves. In addition, many were trained as skilled laborers and/or baptized and were thus more highly valued. Slavery was Cape Verdes main industry at this time, with 87.5% of the population consisting of slaves. Other economic industries at this time included sugar cane and cotton trade.
Later, as slavery died, Cape Verde was used for other purposes. In 1838 Sao Vincent harbor, Porto Grande, was developed as a coaling station. In addition, Cape Verde served as a telegraph point connecting Europe, Latin America and West Africa. Industry shifted to exporting cotton, wood, fabric, leather, corn, turtles, rum, tobacco and salt.
The climate of Cape Verde, also heavily influenced by geography and geology, with it’s long dry season and short rainy season, shaped the countries history, culture and economy. It encouraged Portuguese women to "stay put" in Europe, leaving Portuguese men with the options of either celibacy or taking an African woman as a "wife." This mixing of ethnicities and cultures is evident today in the wide spectrum of Cape Verdeans skin, eye and hair color, as well as the blend of languages, known as Kriolu.
As mentioned, the rain season in Cape Verde is extremely short and also varies from island to island. In general the rains begin in July/August and end in September/October; the specifics vary depending on the source. With little rain comes little food, and the history of Cape Verde is fraught with numerous droughts leading to famine: 1901 – 1904, 1920 – 1921, 1941 – 1943 and 1947 – 1948. This pattern could have continued were it not for international aid beginning in the 1970’s which prevented an unknown number of deaths.
The combination of isolated location, Portuguese control, arid climate and general economic under development/lack of jobs have led to much of the population emigrating all over the world. Early emigration took place from the island of Brava where whaling ships would bass and pick up men to work on the ships. These vessels frequently brought men to New England in America, which partially accounts for the large number of Cape Verdeans in cities such as Boston. Other emigrants traveled to Portugal, France, the Netherlands and Italy; Brazil and Argentina; and Senegal, Angola and Sao Tome, though the "emigrants" on Sao Tome were more indentured servants than employees and were unable to leave the island due to the inability to make and save money. Emigration continues today and in many ways shapes the social realities of Cape Verde. Many men leave the country to make and send money home to their families, and return infrequently, leaving the women and younger children to run the house hold. In addition, many young adults leave Cape Verde hoping to find more opportunities abroad, which can have a damaging effect on the ability of Cape Verde to build capacity and rely on human resources that may affect change.
In 1924 in Guinea, Amilcar Cabral was born. His fathers occupation led the family to travel frequently, and Cabral received his high school education in Cape Verde, on the island of Sao Vincent. His degree in Agronomy was earned in Lisbon. In 1959, the young and politically minded Cabral formed the PAIGC, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde; having grown up in both countries and given their colonial status under Portugal, the union survived despite tensions between party members from the different countries. In 1963 he began the fight against colonial rule, and in 1973 he was killed before seeing the country win its independence.
In part because of revolution in Portugal and diminishing support in that country for fighting in Africa, Cape Verde and Guinea won independence. From 1974 to 1975 a transition government between Cape Verde and Portugal was formed, and on July 5, 1975, Cape Verde received full independence. Aristides Pereira, one of the key players in the fight for independence, replaced Cabral as leader of the ruling party and, according to the constitution, became president for life. The government from 1975 to 1990 was based on the following structure: Single party rule; Life term for the president; One Prime Minister; and Parliament. Government and industry was nationalized and Cape Verde was under a strong rule. However, after 4 to 5 years, the government became more flexible; although historically this period may not seem to have a positive summary, many excellent policies were instituted, including family planning and working with the UN for food aid, in particular for children (which both provided much needed nutrition for young people and also encouraged school attendance, contributing to the high literacy rate in Cape Verde).
Without the uniting presence of Cabral to solidify the tie between Cape Verde and Guinea, the conflict between the countries continued to grow. When, in 1980, there was a coup d’etat in Guinea, the Cape Verde official broke ties and formed a new party, PAICV (African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde). At this time the economy was state controlled and 80% of food was imported. Major industries included salt mining, ship repair, manufacturing, and exporting shoes and clothing. The economy was supported by international organizations and aid from other countries; in addition most emigrants sent money home. Employment in country consisted of high intensity manual labor.
Democracy arrived in Cape Verde in 1991 with the first free elections. Two major parties were represented: PAICV and MDP, Movement for Democracy. MDP swept the elections – presidential, parliamentary and municipal. Democratic changes were instituted, including a new constitution, a 5 year limit on presidency, and a new flat and anthem in 1993. The MDP economic approach was quite different from its predecessor, and most of this structure continues today: free market economy, expansion of the private sector and privatization of industry, efforts to attract foreign investors, tourist development and a focus on service oriented economy, and a fixed relation of the Cape Verdean Escudo to the Euro.
In the 2001 election, PAICV regained power and has been the ruling party since. However, as opposed to returning to its old platform, it continued many of previous parties policies. Today, the president of Cape Verde is Pedro Pires and the Prime Minister is Jose Maria Neyes. However, the political landscape may soon again change; in recent municipal government elections MDP regained much of its power.
Two weeks ago, our training group had the opportunity to visit Riberia Grande, or Cidade Vilha, a place rich with history and the beginning of much of Cape Verdean life and culture. The "Old City" was once the major city on the island of Santiago, before a migration in 1612 (due in large part to pirate attacks, which also provide opportunity for slaves to run away to the hillsides which now accounts for many of the mountain villages) to Praia, which became the capital in 1858. Through the city, pieces from the past are visible, including a post in the middle of town where slaves were once tied before slavery was abolished in Cape Verde in 1836. From its accidental discovery in 1460 by Diaga Gomez and Antonio da Noli, to independence in 1975 to the most recent elections and shift in power, our history and tour guides led us through Cape Verde’s unique and rich historical and cultural landscape.
The physical location of the islands has contributed greatly to the social and economic history of Cape Verde. Located at a key point between Africa, the Americas and Europe, Cape Verde offered a safer portal to access African slaves; traders who went to the continent proper faced a host of possible dangers, from leaders unwilling to bargain to slaves running aground near or in rivers and being claimed by natives as their own. After slavery was instituted in Cape Verde in 1582, it became a much safer port to trade slaves. In addition, many were trained as skilled laborers and/or baptized and were thus more highly valued. Slavery was Cape Verdes main industry at this time, with 87.5% of the population consisting of slaves. Other economic industries at this time included sugar cane and cotton trade.
Later, as slavery died, Cape Verde was used for other purposes. In 1838 Sao Vincent harbor, Porto Grande, was developed as a coaling station. In addition, Cape Verde served as a telegraph point connecting Europe, Latin America and West Africa. Industry shifted to exporting cotton, wood, fabric, leather, corn, turtles, rum, tobacco and salt.
The climate of Cape Verde, also heavily influenced by geography and geology, with it’s long dry season and short rainy season, shaped the countries history, culture and economy. It encouraged Portuguese women to "stay put" in Europe, leaving Portuguese men with the options of either celibacy or taking an African woman as a "wife." This mixing of ethnicities and cultures is evident today in the wide spectrum of Cape Verdeans skin, eye and hair color, as well as the blend of languages, known as Kriolu.
As mentioned, the rain season in Cape Verde is extremely short and also varies from island to island. In general the rains begin in July/August and end in September/October; the specifics vary depending on the source. With little rain comes little food, and the history of Cape Verde is fraught with numerous droughts leading to famine: 1901 – 1904, 1920 – 1921, 1941 – 1943 and 1947 – 1948. This pattern could have continued were it not for international aid beginning in the 1970’s which prevented an unknown number of deaths.
The combination of isolated location, Portuguese control, arid climate and general economic under development/lack of jobs have led to much of the population emigrating all over the world. Early emigration took place from the island of Brava where whaling ships would bass and pick up men to work on the ships. These vessels frequently brought men to New England in America, which partially accounts for the large number of Cape Verdeans in cities such as Boston. Other emigrants traveled to Portugal, France, the Netherlands and Italy; Brazil and Argentina; and Senegal, Angola and Sao Tome, though the "emigrants" on Sao Tome were more indentured servants than employees and were unable to leave the island due to the inability to make and save money. Emigration continues today and in many ways shapes the social realities of Cape Verde. Many men leave the country to make and send money home to their families, and return infrequently, leaving the women and younger children to run the house hold. In addition, many young adults leave Cape Verde hoping to find more opportunities abroad, which can have a damaging effect on the ability of Cape Verde to build capacity and rely on human resources that may affect change.
In 1924 in Guinea, Amilcar Cabral was born. His fathers occupation led the family to travel frequently, and Cabral received his high school education in Cape Verde, on the island of Sao Vincent. His degree in Agronomy was earned in Lisbon. In 1959, the young and politically minded Cabral formed the PAIGC, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde; having grown up in both countries and given their colonial status under Portugal, the union survived despite tensions between party members from the different countries. In 1963 he began the fight against colonial rule, and in 1973 he was killed before seeing the country win its independence.
In part because of revolution in Portugal and diminishing support in that country for fighting in Africa, Cape Verde and Guinea won independence. From 1974 to 1975 a transition government between Cape Verde and Portugal was formed, and on July 5, 1975, Cape Verde received full independence. Aristides Pereira, one of the key players in the fight for independence, replaced Cabral as leader of the ruling party and, according to the constitution, became president for life. The government from 1975 to 1990 was based on the following structure: Single party rule; Life term for the president; One Prime Minister; and Parliament. Government and industry was nationalized and Cape Verde was under a strong rule. However, after 4 to 5 years, the government became more flexible; although historically this period may not seem to have a positive summary, many excellent policies were instituted, including family planning and working with the UN for food aid, in particular for children (which both provided much needed nutrition for young people and also encouraged school attendance, contributing to the high literacy rate in Cape Verde).
Without the uniting presence of Cabral to solidify the tie between Cape Verde and Guinea, the conflict between the countries continued to grow. When, in 1980, there was a coup d’etat in Guinea, the Cape Verde official broke ties and formed a new party, PAICV (African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde). At this time the economy was state controlled and 80% of food was imported. Major industries included salt mining, ship repair, manufacturing, and exporting shoes and clothing. The economy was supported by international organizations and aid from other countries; in addition most emigrants sent money home. Employment in country consisted of high intensity manual labor.
Democracy arrived in Cape Verde in 1991 with the first free elections. Two major parties were represented: PAICV and MDP, Movement for Democracy. MDP swept the elections – presidential, parliamentary and municipal. Democratic changes were instituted, including a new constitution, a 5 year limit on presidency, and a new flat and anthem in 1993. The MDP economic approach was quite different from its predecessor, and most of this structure continues today: free market economy, expansion of the private sector and privatization of industry, efforts to attract foreign investors, tourist development and a focus on service oriented economy, and a fixed relation of the Cape Verdean Escudo to the Euro.
In the 2001 election, PAICV regained power and has been the ruling party since. However, as opposed to returning to its old platform, it continued many of previous parties policies. Today, the president of Cape Verde is Pedro Pires and the Prime Minister is Jose Maria Neyes. However, the political landscape may soon again change; in recent municipal government elections MDP regained much of its power.
Friday, August 1, 2008
A word about getting around...
I’m not sure our brief discussion about the transportation in Cape Verde was sufficient in capturing the whirlwind of excitement and adventure that is the Hiace ride. Fortunately for everyone, immediately after posting our blog on Monday we had another fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants-thrill-ride in one on our way back to Mancholy from Asomada.
Language (**SEE NOTE BELOW) is still a huge barrier and we have been having trouble conveying to Hiace drivers going in our direction that we are going to Mancholy and are ok with just being dropped off at the entrance of the Village, given that NO Hiaces go directly into Mancholy (without paying extra money and pre arranging it). So each trip starts out like this:
US – Mancholy?
HIACE DRIVER – Txada Lem
US – Sin, pertu Mancholy, pera Mancholy? (Yes, close to Mancholy, stop at Mancholy?)
HIACE DRIVER – (random gesture that we will need to pay more money to go to Mancholy)
US – Nau, ka NA Mancholy, na Estrada principal (No, not IN Mancholy, at the main road)
HIACE DRIVER – Ah, sin
After this we get on the Hiace, and the conversation happens again, just to make sure the crazy American’s realize they will have to walk to Mancholy from the main road, which we are well aware of. The whole thing has become very amusing at this point (the first time it was frustrating because we didn’t know how to say “main road” yet and thought the driver was trying to make a quick buck off of us just for stopping at the side of the road, but we figured out pretty quickly that it was just confusion as to where we’d be dropped off).
Ok, so we’re on the Hiace, in the back (still not sure where the “best” place to sit in the Hiace is at this point), and then we wait. Until it’s totally full. Well, totally full to the drivers standards, because in our minds, it’s full when there are three people in each seat, which is what is it meant to seat comfortably, which means…15 including the driver. Right.
On this particularly day with this particular driver, there seemed to be no cap or limit on “full” and we didn’t take off from Asomada until there were 22 people on board, including those hovering and sitting on laps. No worries though, because right after we started going, someone came running after us, and the number jumped to 23. Yes, 23 people in a van meant for 15. Ok, I’ll even admit that we can squish 19 in normally, and a couple of kids on laps make it akward but doable. But on this particular ride, on this particular day, there was only one kid in the whole Hiace, so that meant 22 adults crammed in. And did we mention we were in the back, furthest corner from the door? Meaning no easy escape had we felt it was too crowded and chosen to take another Hiace.
Each stop we made, folks got off but were replaced with more, including at one point a “traveling salesman” and his wares, which was like two extra people. Super fun. We should also mention at this point that Dove was feeling under the weather (more about that later) and super achy, so a Hiace ride in the back under normal conditions would have been less than comfortable, but on this particular day, with this particular driver, and with feeling particularly not good…but wait, there’s more!
As we were nearing Mancholy, passing the hospital, a bunch of folks were headed towards the road, presumptively headed back to Asomada. Our Hiace driver slowed, jerked the Hiace around, stopped on the opposite side of the road and declared (we think) that this was the end of the road and everyone should get off. Seriously. There were still at least 10 people left on the Hiace at that point, most going all the way to Txada Lam, which was still quite a hike from where we were, and none of us with a ride to our destination. In America, I can only imagine the indignation and outrage the riders might have expressed, but we all just got off, paid our money and went on our way. Of course the ride to Mancholy typically costs 50 Escudos, and we each handed him 40 Escudos instead, to which he replied “Nau, 50! Mancholy e la!” (No, 50! Mancholy is there!), to which we replied “Sin! Mancholy e la, mas nos e LI!” (Yes! Mancholy is there, but we are HERE!).
Arguing with a Hiace driver in Kriolu and winning made the whole trip totally worth it.
The thing that we are noticing about Cape Verde is that there are lots of (pretty minor) frustrations but they are pretty easily handled with humor and a little humility. Plus, it’s hard to get too huffy riding in a Hiace when your ride takes you past some of the most beautiful scenery you’ve ever seen – hillsides and valleys covered in green, mountains capped with clouds, tiny villages with houses placed precariously on the sides of said mountains and nestled in said valleys. This place is awesome.
And now for some health news…Dove has just recovered from her first official illness. She was feeling a little icky on Sunday which continued through Monday morning. In the afternoon, after getting back from Asomada (and that fateful Hiace ride) she took her temperature only to discover it was *gasp* 102. Oh no! It spiked in the night to over 103, but lots of napping, Tylenol and water helped, as did several trips to the bathroom, and now things are much better. Getting sick in Africa is a lot like getting sick in America, except 1) when you have the chills, they don’t necessarily have the blankets to keep you warm, 2) when you get the sweats its already 90 degrees, 3) your husband lives across town and isn’t around 24/7 to baby you, 4) the whole village knows you are sick and as soon as you step foot outside the house everyone asks if you are better yet, and 5) your host family is so nervous that something is really wrong that they ask if you are feeling good about 30 times a day, truly concerned about your health. Of course, this just goes to show how our host families have really welcomed us into their homes as part of their families.
**NOTE BELOW: Kriolu is a beautiful language, taken partly from Portuguese and partly from the languages of slaves brought here by slave traders. It is also, by most language standards, a pretty easy language to learn. Sentence structure isn’t terribly difficult, and unlike romance languages there aren’t any annoying very conjugations and very few gender agreements to make. However, although we are both doing pretty well in learning the language, we are both finding it a major challenge, mostly because in any language you have to memorize oodles and oodles of vocabulary. Interestingly as well, lots of words we use in English don’t exist in Kriolu; we may have 10 words to distinguish between super minor differences in words, and they may have just one or two words to do the same. (Dove: I’m beginning to think English just has waaaay too many words and I’m waaaay happy it’s my first language and I don’t have to learn it later in life). We are both SUPER grateful that we took advantage of the Rosetta Stone package in Portuguese that the Peace Corps offered to us (for free) because, if nothing else, it got our minds back in that “language learning” mode, and also because there is some cross over in Portuguese and Kriolu (though usually just enough to be confusing and accidently say things in Portuguese). So for any future Peace Corps Trainees/Volunteers out there reading this blog, do as MUCH language before you get here as humanly possible, even if it’s not the actual language you’ll be speaking. You can’t possibly be a good, effective volunteer if you can’t speak the language.
Language (**SEE NOTE BELOW) is still a huge barrier and we have been having trouble conveying to Hiace drivers going in our direction that we are going to Mancholy and are ok with just being dropped off at the entrance of the Village, given that NO Hiaces go directly into Mancholy (without paying extra money and pre arranging it). So each trip starts out like this:
US – Mancholy?
HIACE DRIVER – Txada Lem
US – Sin, pertu Mancholy, pera Mancholy? (Yes, close to Mancholy, stop at Mancholy?)
HIACE DRIVER – (random gesture that we will need to pay more money to go to Mancholy)
US – Nau, ka NA Mancholy, na Estrada principal (No, not IN Mancholy, at the main road)
HIACE DRIVER – Ah, sin
After this we get on the Hiace, and the conversation happens again, just to make sure the crazy American’s realize they will have to walk to Mancholy from the main road, which we are well aware of. The whole thing has become very amusing at this point (the first time it was frustrating because we didn’t know how to say “main road” yet and thought the driver was trying to make a quick buck off of us just for stopping at the side of the road, but we figured out pretty quickly that it was just confusion as to where we’d be dropped off).
Ok, so we’re on the Hiace, in the back (still not sure where the “best” place to sit in the Hiace is at this point), and then we wait. Until it’s totally full. Well, totally full to the drivers standards, because in our minds, it’s full when there are three people in each seat, which is what is it meant to seat comfortably, which means…15 including the driver. Right.
On this particularly day with this particular driver, there seemed to be no cap or limit on “full” and we didn’t take off from Asomada until there were 22 people on board, including those hovering and sitting on laps. No worries though, because right after we started going, someone came running after us, and the number jumped to 23. Yes, 23 people in a van meant for 15. Ok, I’ll even admit that we can squish 19 in normally, and a couple of kids on laps make it akward but doable. But on this particular ride, on this particular day, there was only one kid in the whole Hiace, so that meant 22 adults crammed in. And did we mention we were in the back, furthest corner from the door? Meaning no easy escape had we felt it was too crowded and chosen to take another Hiace.
Each stop we made, folks got off but were replaced with more, including at one point a “traveling salesman” and his wares, which was like two extra people. Super fun. We should also mention at this point that Dove was feeling under the weather (more about that later) and super achy, so a Hiace ride in the back under normal conditions would have been less than comfortable, but on this particular day, with this particular driver, and with feeling particularly not good…but wait, there’s more!
As we were nearing Mancholy, passing the hospital, a bunch of folks were headed towards the road, presumptively headed back to Asomada. Our Hiace driver slowed, jerked the Hiace around, stopped on the opposite side of the road and declared (we think) that this was the end of the road and everyone should get off. Seriously. There were still at least 10 people left on the Hiace at that point, most going all the way to Txada Lam, which was still quite a hike from where we were, and none of us with a ride to our destination. In America, I can only imagine the indignation and outrage the riders might have expressed, but we all just got off, paid our money and went on our way. Of course the ride to Mancholy typically costs 50 Escudos, and we each handed him 40 Escudos instead, to which he replied “Nau, 50! Mancholy e la!” (No, 50! Mancholy is there!), to which we replied “Sin! Mancholy e la, mas nos e LI!” (Yes! Mancholy is there, but we are HERE!).
Arguing with a Hiace driver in Kriolu and winning made the whole trip totally worth it.
The thing that we are noticing about Cape Verde is that there are lots of (pretty minor) frustrations but they are pretty easily handled with humor and a little humility. Plus, it’s hard to get too huffy riding in a Hiace when your ride takes you past some of the most beautiful scenery you’ve ever seen – hillsides and valleys covered in green, mountains capped with clouds, tiny villages with houses placed precariously on the sides of said mountains and nestled in said valleys. This place is awesome.
And now for some health news…Dove has just recovered from her first official illness. She was feeling a little icky on Sunday which continued through Monday morning. In the afternoon, after getting back from Asomada (and that fateful Hiace ride) she took her temperature only to discover it was *gasp* 102. Oh no! It spiked in the night to over 103, but lots of napping, Tylenol and water helped, as did several trips to the bathroom, and now things are much better. Getting sick in Africa is a lot like getting sick in America, except 1) when you have the chills, they don’t necessarily have the blankets to keep you warm, 2) when you get the sweats its already 90 degrees, 3) your husband lives across town and isn’t around 24/7 to baby you, 4) the whole village knows you are sick and as soon as you step foot outside the house everyone asks if you are better yet, and 5) your host family is so nervous that something is really wrong that they ask if you are feeling good about 30 times a day, truly concerned about your health. Of course, this just goes to show how our host families have really welcomed us into their homes as part of their families.
**NOTE BELOW: Kriolu is a beautiful language, taken partly from Portuguese and partly from the languages of slaves brought here by slave traders. It is also, by most language standards, a pretty easy language to learn. Sentence structure isn’t terribly difficult, and unlike romance languages there aren’t any annoying very conjugations and very few gender agreements to make. However, although we are both doing pretty well in learning the language, we are both finding it a major challenge, mostly because in any language you have to memorize oodles and oodles of vocabulary. Interestingly as well, lots of words we use in English don’t exist in Kriolu; we may have 10 words to distinguish between super minor differences in words, and they may have just one or two words to do the same. (Dove: I’m beginning to think English just has waaaay too many words and I’m waaaay happy it’s my first language and I don’t have to learn it later in life). We are both SUPER grateful that we took advantage of the Rosetta Stone package in Portuguese that the Peace Corps offered to us (for free) because, if nothing else, it got our minds back in that “language learning” mode, and also because there is some cross over in Portuguese and Kriolu (though usually just enough to be confusing and accidently say things in Portuguese). So for any future Peace Corps Trainees/Volunteers out there reading this blog, do as MUCH language before you get here as humanly possible, even if it’s not the actual language you’ll be speaking. You can’t possibly be a good, effective volunteer if you can’t speak the language.
Monday, July 28, 2008
(Dove and Josh) Mancholy
We´ve been with our host families for over a week now and thought it might be time to update our ´familia y amigos na Merka´about our adventures.
Josh and I are both living in the small village of Mancholy, about 20 minutes from the booming metropolis of Asomada (note the sarcasm) and only a 10 minute walk from each other. We love it. There are only about 100 people in our village so you can imagine how 5 American´s stick out. Everyone is friendly and helpful, though no one speaks any English, which is the point anyway. All of the trainees are scattered throughout villages surrounding Asomada and on Wednesdays we head back to Asomada for training on things like diarhea (it only took us 2 days to start talking about this with each other, seriously. It´s a big thing over here lol).
After three days in Praia, all the volunteers piled into several Hiace (yass, a large van that is supposed to seat about 15 including three in the front seat, but which regularly holds over 20) and took the winding road to Asomada. There we were greated by our smiling, clapping and singing host moms and piles and piles of food. We had to introduce ourselves and try to find our moms, which was easier than expected. After that, we took off (5 moms, 5 volunteers, 1 LCF ie Language and Culture Facilitator and 22 pieces of luggage) in another hiace speading down the road towards Mancholy with Funana music blasting and our moms singing and clapping the whole way. It is something none of us will ever forget.
The island of Santiago is beautiful. It´s the beginning of the rainy season so things are getting green. When it rains, everything is covered by clouds and mist and it feels like you are walking through a big fat rain cloud. There are mountains everywhere, everything is uphill lol (not sure if I´m going to get fat from the food or skinny from the hiking), and we are loving every minute of it (not counting the flies and mosquitos; Dove even loves the roosters and donkeys that wake her up in the morning).
Right now the kids are all out of school in Mancholy so they spend a lot of time playing and helping out with housework and in the field. Dove´s mom works in Asomada and her dad tends to the animals and does other assorted jobs around the house, which is rare for CV but pretty cool.
Dove is living in a family of four, with her mom, dad and two amazing sisters (12 and 6). All are very patient and speak slowly and put up with the fact that she can´t really say much still and walks in the house with muddy feet all the time (I keep forgetting!). She also has the most amazing thing: a flush toilet and running (cold) water in the shower. HUGE luxury. Our family also has 1 pig, 2 roosters, many chickens and 5 goats. Dove is very happy about this and is looking forward to killing her first chicken. Woohoo! Her mom is an awesome cook and her sisters are adorable, plus her dad speaks a little french which is very helpful when learning the language.
Josh...isn´t sure how many people he lives with. A lot. We think it´s officially 5, but it´s a virtual hub of activity so people are constantly coming and going. It´s awesome. He also has a plethora of animals and next Wednesday they are killing a porku (pig) and we´re going to go and check it out. Quite the event! He is not so lucky with the running water, but they heat his water for his bucket bath every day, so that´s a plus. There is always too much food to eat but it´s so good it´s hard to say no.
There are a zillion things we want to say, a zillion pictures to post, but internet is expensive and slow and Dove isn´t feeling so hot today (not a good night sleep) so txow (chow) for now, and we´ll try to make this a weekly event!
Josh and I are both living in the small village of Mancholy, about 20 minutes from the booming metropolis of Asomada (note the sarcasm) and only a 10 minute walk from each other. We love it. There are only about 100 people in our village so you can imagine how 5 American´s stick out. Everyone is friendly and helpful, though no one speaks any English, which is the point anyway. All of the trainees are scattered throughout villages surrounding Asomada and on Wednesdays we head back to Asomada for training on things like diarhea (it only took us 2 days to start talking about this with each other, seriously. It´s a big thing over here lol).
After three days in Praia, all the volunteers piled into several Hiace (yass, a large van that is supposed to seat about 15 including three in the front seat, but which regularly holds over 20) and took the winding road to Asomada. There we were greated by our smiling, clapping and singing host moms and piles and piles of food. We had to introduce ourselves and try to find our moms, which was easier than expected. After that, we took off (5 moms, 5 volunteers, 1 LCF ie Language and Culture Facilitator and 22 pieces of luggage) in another hiace speading down the road towards Mancholy with Funana music blasting and our moms singing and clapping the whole way. It is something none of us will ever forget.
The island of Santiago is beautiful. It´s the beginning of the rainy season so things are getting green. When it rains, everything is covered by clouds and mist and it feels like you are walking through a big fat rain cloud. There are mountains everywhere, everything is uphill lol (not sure if I´m going to get fat from the food or skinny from the hiking), and we are loving every minute of it (not counting the flies and mosquitos; Dove even loves the roosters and donkeys that wake her up in the morning).
Right now the kids are all out of school in Mancholy so they spend a lot of time playing and helping out with housework and in the field. Dove´s mom works in Asomada and her dad tends to the animals and does other assorted jobs around the house, which is rare for CV but pretty cool.
Dove is living in a family of four, with her mom, dad and two amazing sisters (12 and 6). All are very patient and speak slowly and put up with the fact that she can´t really say much still and walks in the house with muddy feet all the time (I keep forgetting!). She also has the most amazing thing: a flush toilet and running (cold) water in the shower. HUGE luxury. Our family also has 1 pig, 2 roosters, many chickens and 5 goats. Dove is very happy about this and is looking forward to killing her first chicken. Woohoo! Her mom is an awesome cook and her sisters are adorable, plus her dad speaks a little french which is very helpful when learning the language.
Josh...isn´t sure how many people he lives with. A lot. We think it´s officially 5, but it´s a virtual hub of activity so people are constantly coming and going. It´s awesome. He also has a plethora of animals and next Wednesday they are killing a porku (pig) and we´re going to go and check it out. Quite the event! He is not so lucky with the running water, but they heat his water for his bucket bath every day, so that´s a plus. There is always too much food to eat but it´s so good it´s hard to say no.
There are a zillion things we want to say, a zillion pictures to post, but internet is expensive and slow and Dove isn´t feeling so hot today (not a good night sleep) so txow (chow) for now, and we´ll try to make this a weekly event!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
(Dove) First night in Praia
July 17, first night in Praia
The air is warm but the breeze is cool, blowing through our open windows as the sounds of voices singing and hands clapping float up to our fourth floor room, and though I have not slept in 37 hours, I’m too excited to sleep now. Tonight is our first night in Praia and, although they may not realize it, the residents are welcoming us with a beautiful serenade from a few blocks away.
Africa. After 20 months, we are here. And it feels like a dream. Unlike the events of the past months, our flight was uneventful, if a bit crowded. After our lunch in Boston with RPVC’s from Cape Verde, which was quite a treat, we ended staging with a closing “artistic” ceremony including an interpretive dance from Josh’s group and a stunning cover of “Blowin’ in the Wind” by the group I was in (The answer my friend is in-te-gration…), loaded our luggage on and off the bus to the airport, waited in line with Cape Verdeans returning home from vacation (and some juggling of luggage – though our bags were underweight, our carry-ons were not, though we were not charged any extra fees, even for checking my guitar), we toasted our goodbyes to America (and to the birthday boy!) and boarded the plane. Imagine my delight when I asked the flight attendant serving our late night dinner how much a glass of wine was, and she said free, all flight! The trainees in our section enjoyed a glass but were all too exhausted to spend much time enjoying more. We talked excitedly about expectations, what preparations we’d done, joked about our favorite Portuguese words (which we all agree is xicara, pronounced shee-cah-rah) and pirates. I don’t know about anyone else, but the 7 hour flight provided only broken and fitful sleep and although I was glad to have rested my eyes on and off, I felt anything but rested upon landing in Praia.
No matter…the second the plane dipped beyond the clouds and we caught our first glimpse of the island of Santiago, I was wide awake and in love. It is the largest of the islands, with a variety of landscapes, but it was still surprising to see it finally, in person. As we circled in to land, we snapped a few photos of the coast and of the tiny fishing boats below, nearly swallowed up by the vastness of the Atlantic.
I have never had such an easy time entering another country. Customs was fairly quick, no complex instructions to follow, and our country director was waiting for us when we got to baggage claim. Although collecting 29 peoples luggage took some time, nothing was lost and we were all welcomed warmly and loudly by current PCV’s as we left the baggage claim and finally stepped foot in Praia. The ride to the training center, where we will be until Sunday, was also organized and easy, though it was difficult to know who was who at first and I felt like I was in a daze, from both exhaustion and reality finally sinking in. That made moving swiftly sort of difficult…staying awake in sessions was a challenge as well but I think we all made a valiant effort in sitting through all the logistical and technical stuff like safety and health (which were pretty thorough). We were also given the opportunity to store valuables, had our pictures taken, shots given (yes, to all who are wondering, we are getting lots of shots. And have to take anti malaria meds while we’re on Santiago for PST) and walking around money for the next couple of weeks. Not too bad.
By far the best part of the experience today was our first language lesson (oh, and Josh and I having to dance in front of the group because we were late coming back from our break – oy). Our Language and Cultural Facilitator (LCF) who will be helping us integrate while we are here, took us into the city for gelato. We had to order in Kriolu and learned a bunch of words, most of which I can’t remember but I did write them all down. Although it was difficult, it was fun to start speaking to Cape Verdeans in their tongue.
So much more happened today, but my head is still spinning from it all, and the people outside are still singing and clapping and drumming and I’m sure dancing and it is all I can do to keep my eyes open to hear one more song…
The air is warm but the breeze is cool, blowing through our open windows as the sounds of voices singing and hands clapping float up to our fourth floor room, and though I have not slept in 37 hours, I’m too excited to sleep now. Tonight is our first night in Praia and, although they may not realize it, the residents are welcoming us with a beautiful serenade from a few blocks away.
Africa. After 20 months, we are here. And it feels like a dream. Unlike the events of the past months, our flight was uneventful, if a bit crowded. After our lunch in Boston with RPVC’s from Cape Verde, which was quite a treat, we ended staging with a closing “artistic” ceremony including an interpretive dance from Josh’s group and a stunning cover of “Blowin’ in the Wind” by the group I was in (The answer my friend is in-te-gration…), loaded our luggage on and off the bus to the airport, waited in line with Cape Verdeans returning home from vacation (and some juggling of luggage – though our bags were underweight, our carry-ons were not, though we were not charged any extra fees, even for checking my guitar), we toasted our goodbyes to America (and to the birthday boy!) and boarded the plane. Imagine my delight when I asked the flight attendant serving our late night dinner how much a glass of wine was, and she said free, all flight! The trainees in our section enjoyed a glass but were all too exhausted to spend much time enjoying more. We talked excitedly about expectations, what preparations we’d done, joked about our favorite Portuguese words (which we all agree is xicara, pronounced shee-cah-rah) and pirates. I don’t know about anyone else, but the 7 hour flight provided only broken and fitful sleep and although I was glad to have rested my eyes on and off, I felt anything but rested upon landing in Praia.
No matter…the second the plane dipped beyond the clouds and we caught our first glimpse of the island of Santiago, I was wide awake and in love. It is the largest of the islands, with a variety of landscapes, but it was still surprising to see it finally, in person. As we circled in to land, we snapped a few photos of the coast and of the tiny fishing boats below, nearly swallowed up by the vastness of the Atlantic.
I have never had such an easy time entering another country. Customs was fairly quick, no complex instructions to follow, and our country director was waiting for us when we got to baggage claim. Although collecting 29 peoples luggage took some time, nothing was lost and we were all welcomed warmly and loudly by current PCV’s as we left the baggage claim and finally stepped foot in Praia. The ride to the training center, where we will be until Sunday, was also organized and easy, though it was difficult to know who was who at first and I felt like I was in a daze, from both exhaustion and reality finally sinking in. That made moving swiftly sort of difficult…staying awake in sessions was a challenge as well but I think we all made a valiant effort in sitting through all the logistical and technical stuff like safety and health (which were pretty thorough). We were also given the opportunity to store valuables, had our pictures taken, shots given (yes, to all who are wondering, we are getting lots of shots. And have to take anti malaria meds while we’re on Santiago for PST) and walking around money for the next couple of weeks. Not too bad.
By far the best part of the experience today was our first language lesson (oh, and Josh and I having to dance in front of the group because we were late coming back from our break – oy). Our Language and Cultural Facilitator (LCF) who will be helping us integrate while we are here, took us into the city for gelato. We had to order in Kriolu and learned a bunch of words, most of which I can’t remember but I did write them all down. Although it was difficult, it was fun to start speaking to Cape Verdeans in their tongue.
So much more happened today, but my head is still spinning from it all, and the people outside are still singing and clapping and drumming and I’m sure dancing and it is all I can do to keep my eyes open to hear one more song…
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
(Dove) Here we go!
Hello Boston! Yesterday Josh and I arrived at staging...but not without a few "bumps" in the road (it wouldn't be our adventure with out it!). We got to the airport around 1:20 for a 2:50 flight, which turned out to be a very good thing. When we got to the kiosk and looked up our ticket, they couldn't find us in the system. So we checked with the ticketing agent, who informed us our tickets had been cancelled and refunded. Yay. Apparently another "miscommnication" about us going to Cape Verde. They reserved two seats for us quickly and then we got on the phone with SATO Travel, the agency that handles our travel arrangements, with the understanding that "if you get us your payment information within 10 minutes we can get you a ticket, otherwise we'll have to move you to another flight, and those are all booked too." Fortunately the ticketing agent was patient and understanding, and SATO was able to figure out the mess up quickly, and we got on our flight.
Last night was great. We met up with Dani and Evan and headed to the Publik House for some Belgium brews and mac and cheese. Yummmm. Then we basically crashed.
Today was filled with paperwork, malaria medication, safety information, ice breakers, and meeting a lot of very, very cool Peace Corps Trainees (PCT's, which we are now called). There is one other married couple, two people fluent in Portuguese and a host of folks from all over the country, of all ages from fresh out of college to fresh into retirement - 29 of us total. Everyone seems enthusiastic and open, and I think we both feel like we're part of a great group of people. There is a maturity with this group of people that I didn't really get with everyone at my Pre Service Orientation with VISTA, probably because this decision is much, much bigger and takes a lot of contemplation to make. I've been really happy at the closeness that we've all had so far and that we are all sharing the same fears and excitements; it makes the process a lot easier when expeirencing it with 28 other people.
Tomorrow we're in for a special treat: Peace Corps has arranged a lunchon with local Cape Verdeans so we can meet them and they can wish us well as we start on our new adventure in our new home. There are more Cape Verdeans (and their families) living in New England than there are living in Cape Verde currently, hence the direct flight and all. This is a pretty rare experience and I think we are all very fortunate that someoen thought to set this up for us. Thanks Peace Corps!
For the benefit of my fellow trainees, I'm uploading the photos we currently have of staging and will add more tomorrow, so that their parents can see us acting like goofballs too :o) There are a few, so again I'm posting them on Flickr; I'll add more tomorrow if I can before we get to the plane, but for now, enjoy! (oh yeah, a note to all the parents and families who are new to the blog: I'm not great about editing photos, I don't really have a lot of time to go through and pick the best ones at the moment, so I'm just posting all of them. Sorry for any bad/upside down/crooked etc shots in advance!)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/doveandjoshua/sets/72157606194740637/
Last night was great. We met up with Dani and Evan and headed to the Publik House for some Belgium brews and mac and cheese. Yummmm. Then we basically crashed.
Today was filled with paperwork, malaria medication, safety information, ice breakers, and meeting a lot of very, very cool Peace Corps Trainees (PCT's, which we are now called). There is one other married couple, two people fluent in Portuguese and a host of folks from all over the country, of all ages from fresh out of college to fresh into retirement - 29 of us total. Everyone seems enthusiastic and open, and I think we both feel like we're part of a great group of people. There is a maturity with this group of people that I didn't really get with everyone at my Pre Service Orientation with VISTA, probably because this decision is much, much bigger and takes a lot of contemplation to make. I've been really happy at the closeness that we've all had so far and that we are all sharing the same fears and excitements; it makes the process a lot easier when expeirencing it with 28 other people.
Tomorrow we're in for a special treat: Peace Corps has arranged a lunchon with local Cape Verdeans so we can meet them and they can wish us well as we start on our new adventure in our new home. There are more Cape Verdeans (and their families) living in New England than there are living in Cape Verde currently, hence the direct flight and all. This is a pretty rare experience and I think we are all very fortunate that someoen thought to set this up for us. Thanks Peace Corps!
For the benefit of my fellow trainees, I'm uploading the photos we currently have of staging and will add more tomorrow, so that their parents can see us acting like goofballs too :o) There are a few, so again I'm posting them on Flickr; I'll add more tomorrow if I can before we get to the plane, but for now, enjoy! (oh yeah, a note to all the parents and families who are new to the blog: I'm not great about editing photos, I don't really have a lot of time to go through and pick the best ones at the moment, so I'm just posting all of them. Sorry for any bad/upside down/crooked etc shots in advance!)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/doveandjoshua/sets/72157606194740637/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
