Endemic plant species in Cape Verde at INIDA
Josh at INIDA
Botanical garden at INIDA
The view from INIDA
More botanical garden
Friday, August 8, 2008
INIDA photos
Endemic plant species in Cape Verde at INIDA
Josh at INIDA
Botanical garden at INIDA
The view from INIDA
More botanical garden
Saying goodbye, and Ode to Wegmans
This week we received some sad (tristi) news. Two of our trainees area leaving post. It’s sad any time that a trainee leaves, because you have made connections with them, but this was especially hard for us because they were volunteers in our village and also happen to be the only other married couple in our group. I have been speaking with them via email for about a month before arriving in Cape Verde and was looking forward to spending my time here with a fellow married couple to share experiences with. I really miss them already…it was such a sad situation, and my heart goes out to them. They will be in our thoughts.
Although I am sure after we finish training, Josh and I will be extremely grateful to have each others support in (what is hopefully) our remote site, during training being a married couple has been very difficult, particularly because we are in the same village. While other trainees are forming bonds between each other because of their shared experiences (being alone without any other support in a foreign country), it seems that others feel that because Josh and I are together, we are a “unit” and thus we aren’t really able to get to know and make friends with people one on one. We are trying to spend time apart when we are in big groups, but (I can only speak for myself) I have felt very isolated from other volunteers at those times and find myself sitting alone when I am not with Josh. I had hoped to make friends and get support from others here, but it feels like the only support I am getting is from Josh. Obviously that is a wonderful thing, but I feel that I need other people to share with as well.
Sorry, not meaning to whine, it’s just something that has been building and I think it’s important to relate to other married couples that might be joining PC that this has been my experience, and one I was prepared for. Other than this, Cape Verde is amazing, the other trainees are great, just distant, and this is easily the best thing I’ve ever done in my life (well, except for marrying Josh of course).
Yesterday was another field trip, this time to INIDA, an agricultural research center. Although not exactly my cup of tea, it was interesting to see what is going on to promote sustainable agriculture in Cape Verde. Drip irrigation is becoming more popular and supported by the government, and research on hydroponics is taking off. It reminded me of my days working at the Cornell Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva. I wasn’t a big fan of that job either :o) But it is important to see what’s going on environmentally here.
I’ve been attempting to cook (kuzinha) an American meal for my family. At home, I frequently whipped up a baked macaroni dish with veggies, ground beef, pasta, tons of cheese and sauce. So I asked some Cape Verdeans where I might find some of these things and was directed to a “Super Mercado.” After arriving, I thought I had made a mistake and tried to walk around and find the “real” store. Come to find out, Asomada doesn’t have any sort of supermarket, only small markets like convenience stores (or the bulk section at Wegmans...side note: if you don´t know what Wegmans, think of the biggest, coolest supermakert ever, and then multiply that) that do sell some items…but not much of what I was looking for! I did manage to find sauce (un seasoned, and I can’t find spices), onions, garlic, peppers and pasta. I also found gouda lol, so I’m hoping to keep looking and find mozzarella. We’ll see. And apparently they don’t have ground beef in Asomada, only in Praia. However, one of our LCF’s (Language and Cultural Facilitator) offered to bring me some back from Praia, and some cheese if she could find it. There is hope! What is interesting is that Asomada is either the second or third largest city in Cape Verde, so if the selection is this limited here, I can only imagine what it will be like when we get to our site…
Last night we went to our LCF’s house and made garlic bread and lasagna. Sort of. I mean it was lasagna, but just with different ingredients. Who cares, it was delicious! It was made with a red sauce with ground beef (from Praia), sausage, peppers and onions, then topped with a white sauce, and the whole thing topped with gouda. Not what I would consider lasagna, but soooo good! And the garlic bread was fantastic too (complements of another volunteer). It was nice to relax with our LCF instead of always being in class, and hopefully we’ll continue to have dinners together!
A note about Josh: He apologizes that I have been doing most of the writing, however we are so busy that he’s having a hard time getting anything written for the blog. So he’s still here and alive and well (although he had a bad day last week; we call it “the mango incident” and quickly learned the importance of bleaching out fresh food for at least 20 minutes before eating it). When we’re at site, we should have more time to get write individually. Until then, you’re all stuck with me.
Ti logu!
Although I am sure after we finish training, Josh and I will be extremely grateful to have each others support in (what is hopefully) our remote site, during training being a married couple has been very difficult, particularly because we are in the same village. While other trainees are forming bonds between each other because of their shared experiences (being alone without any other support in a foreign country), it seems that others feel that because Josh and I are together, we are a “unit” and thus we aren’t really able to get to know and make friends with people one on one. We are trying to spend time apart when we are in big groups, but (I can only speak for myself) I have felt very isolated from other volunteers at those times and find myself sitting alone when I am not with Josh. I had hoped to make friends and get support from others here, but it feels like the only support I am getting is from Josh. Obviously that is a wonderful thing, but I feel that I need other people to share with as well.
Sorry, not meaning to whine, it’s just something that has been building and I think it’s important to relate to other married couples that might be joining PC that this has been my experience, and one I was prepared for. Other than this, Cape Verde is amazing, the other trainees are great, just distant, and this is easily the best thing I’ve ever done in my life (well, except for marrying Josh of course).
Yesterday was another field trip, this time to INIDA, an agricultural research center. Although not exactly my cup of tea, it was interesting to see what is going on to promote sustainable agriculture in Cape Verde. Drip irrigation is becoming more popular and supported by the government, and research on hydroponics is taking off. It reminded me of my days working at the Cornell Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva. I wasn’t a big fan of that job either :o) But it is important to see what’s going on environmentally here.
I’ve been attempting to cook (kuzinha) an American meal for my family. At home, I frequently whipped up a baked macaroni dish with veggies, ground beef, pasta, tons of cheese and sauce. So I asked some Cape Verdeans where I might find some of these things and was directed to a “Super Mercado.” After arriving, I thought I had made a mistake and tried to walk around and find the “real” store. Come to find out, Asomada doesn’t have any sort of supermarket, only small markets like convenience stores (or the bulk section at Wegmans...side note: if you don´t know what Wegmans, think of the biggest, coolest supermakert ever, and then multiply that) that do sell some items…but not much of what I was looking for! I did manage to find sauce (un seasoned, and I can’t find spices), onions, garlic, peppers and pasta. I also found gouda lol, so I’m hoping to keep looking and find mozzarella. We’ll see. And apparently they don’t have ground beef in Asomada, only in Praia. However, one of our LCF’s (Language and Cultural Facilitator) offered to bring me some back from Praia, and some cheese if she could find it. There is hope! What is interesting is that Asomada is either the second or third largest city in Cape Verde, so if the selection is this limited here, I can only imagine what it will be like when we get to our site…
Last night we went to our LCF’s house and made garlic bread and lasagna. Sort of. I mean it was lasagna, but just with different ingredients. Who cares, it was delicious! It was made with a red sauce with ground beef (from Praia), sausage, peppers and onions, then topped with a white sauce, and the whole thing topped with gouda. Not what I would consider lasagna, but soooo good! And the garlic bread was fantastic too (complements of another volunteer). It was nice to relax with our LCF instead of always being in class, and hopefully we’ll continue to have dinners together!
A note about Josh: He apologizes that I have been doing most of the writing, however we are so busy that he’s having a hard time getting anything written for the blog. So he’s still here and alive and well (although he had a bad day last week; we call it “the mango incident” and quickly learned the importance of bleaching out fresh food for at least 20 minutes before eating it). When we’re at site, we should have more time to get write individually. Until then, you’re all stuck with me.
Ti logu!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
(Dove) Training, Tarrafal and thoughts on food...
Two weeks in and training is great. We are starting the technical components and learning a lot about asset based approaches to development as well as small enterprise development - thank you Americorps VISTA for laying the groundwork for me in ABCD! It's proved to be an awesome tool and I think doing a year of VISTA before coming here was a great idea.
We're staring to put together our projects that we will complete before swearing in, and our group has some great ideas so far. I think we're going to do a youth festival since there is very little for kids to do in our town. Talent show anyone? Plus we´re talking about arranging a weekly play day for the kids where we can provide structured activities and hopefully work with the older youth so that they can continue after we leave. It's all about sustainability.
Yesterday we went to Tarrafal, which consisted of two parts: First, we visited a concentration camp that was opened by the Portuguese in the 1930's to house prisoners from Portugal as well as political prisoners who were fighting for freedom from Portugal in the 60's and 70's. Intense stuff. Of course, we followed it up with a trip to the beach...paradise. This side of the atlantic seems a lot bluer and a whole lot warmer, but it felt comforting to be in the same water as I was in back at home! Maybe Majik and family were in the water at the same time :o)
Tarrafal is gorgous. The beach was perfect and there were these cool black rocks deeper out that you could access from the beach and lounge on, or jump off of into the turqouise waters. Not being used to the salt, my skin was a little unhappy but who could complain. We bobbed up and down for hours and then played frisbee on the beach with the kids. I love this place. Especially the kids. Now if only I could remember everyone name...
And food...while the food at the beach didn't agree with me, the food at home (both Josh's and mine) is fantastic. Kudos to the Peace Corps for hooking me up with an amazing mom who can really mix it up in the kitchen. We have fish a lot, and rice every night, and then a main dish of maybe chicken and veggies, or just fried chicken (and french fries, mmmm), or sausage and veggies, and lots of beans. Those of you that actually know me know how many stomach problems I can have with certain foods...I have not been sick to my stomach ONCE since I got here (aside from the ver ocasional 'Big D' that is to be expected and we have all had regularly...I've had it probably the least of anyone!). Cape Verde is good to me. And while I love my family and life in Mancholy, I can't wait to see where we are going and meet my community and really get started with our projects.
Ti logu,
Dove
We're staring to put together our projects that we will complete before swearing in, and our group has some great ideas so far. I think we're going to do a youth festival since there is very little for kids to do in our town. Talent show anyone? Plus we´re talking about arranging a weekly play day for the kids where we can provide structured activities and hopefully work with the older youth so that they can continue after we leave. It's all about sustainability.
Yesterday we went to Tarrafal, which consisted of two parts: First, we visited a concentration camp that was opened by the Portuguese in the 1930's to house prisoners from Portugal as well as political prisoners who were fighting for freedom from Portugal in the 60's and 70's. Intense stuff. Of course, we followed it up with a trip to the beach...paradise. This side of the atlantic seems a lot bluer and a whole lot warmer, but it felt comforting to be in the same water as I was in back at home! Maybe Majik and family were in the water at the same time :o)
Tarrafal is gorgous. The beach was perfect and there were these cool black rocks deeper out that you could access from the beach and lounge on, or jump off of into the turqouise waters. Not being used to the salt, my skin was a little unhappy but who could complain. We bobbed up and down for hours and then played frisbee on the beach with the kids. I love this place. Especially the kids. Now if only I could remember everyone name...
And food...while the food at the beach didn't agree with me, the food at home (both Josh's and mine) is fantastic. Kudos to the Peace Corps for hooking me up with an amazing mom who can really mix it up in the kitchen. We have fish a lot, and rice every night, and then a main dish of maybe chicken and veggies, or just fried chicken (and french fries, mmmm), or sausage and veggies, and lots of beans. Those of you that actually know me know how many stomach problems I can have with certain foods...I have not been sick to my stomach ONCE since I got here (aside from the ver ocasional 'Big D' that is to be expected and we have all had regularly...I've had it probably the least of anyone!). Cape Verde is good to me. And while I love my family and life in Mancholy, I can't wait to see where we are going and meet my community and really get started with our projects.
Ti logu,
Dove
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.
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