More from Cape Verde

I miss Cabo Verde, being there.
I miss the people the most, the interactions, whether one-on-one or in a group sitting down for lunch. The weather too, it’s impossible to not miss high 70’s and no rain. The culture, the 'pace of life’, island time, we were a good fit. It’s a good thing to have a plan but there has to be some flexibility to it, it’s good to just step back, relax, and go with things sometimes. That was one aspect I liked about CV, about its culture, their ability and mentality to do that. To take a deep breath and relax, live (not saying that living in Praia is sand beaches and all-you-can-drink papaya juice every day, it is just a very different culture than ours in America).

This mentality was evidenced on many occasions. Whether it was meetings being delayed by one, sometimes two hours; my own host family knowing that ‘meet at Cafe Sophia by 8 am’ in reality meant that I didn’t have to leave for the cafe until, at the earliest, 8 am; to the construction workers drinking grogue while laying cement blocks at ten in the morning. The drive from the airport to our neighborhoods was the first, and probably best, example of this type of lifestyle. It struck me, how many people were standing/sitting outside their homes, on the curb of the street, like it was the only thing to do. Maybe in some cases it was only thing to do, but that fact doesn’t matter. In a way it was refreshing, that they were outside, communicating. Even if they were not directly communicating with another person they were still communicating with their surroundings, and they were communicating with me even if they didn’t realize it.

Being with my (host) family, getting to know them, was the best part of the experience. I didn’t know what to expect, how do people act, what is their sense of humor (I mean I had met people from other cultures before, interacted with them, but most of those interactions had been with Canadians so…). I kind of fumbled the first interaction. At the airport we were gathered outside trying to figure how to configure the phones we had just been given, the phones we would use during our stay and then leave with our families. The bus with the families arrived; they walked off holding signs with our names printed on them. A teenage girl was holding a piece of paper with my name on it in both of her hands, standing next to her was a young woman (it’s interesting to think back to that moment when neither of us knew anything about the other person we were about to spend the next seventeen days with, knowing how well we came to know each other, and the different moments we would share). Anyway, I fumbled the customary kiss-on-the-cheek greeting. I just forgot to expect it and it was a funny, very slightly awkward way to start our relationship(s).

I was placed in a unique and fortunate situation where I was able to experience two different ways of life/living on a daily basis. I lived in the neighborhood of Varzea with Vanina (27), her brother Claudio (21) and their friend Emilia (20) who is a student attending the University of Cabo Verde in Praia. Their four story home was in the so-called VIP part of the neighborhood situated on the southern edge of Varzea, a few uphill strides from one of the two main roads that border Varzea. There was electricity, which meant a refrigerator and television, and plumbing in the house but no running water. Water was kept in four large barrels, in a room off of the kitchen, and taken as needed for cleaning, cooking, showering, and in their case drinking. Showers were taken standing in a large bucket, which was ironically placed in the now useless shower stall. Sometimes I would look up to see the showerhead taunting me as I dunked a metal cup into a bucket of cool water. The greywater from showering was then used to flush the toilet by rapidly pouring the water into the bowl. Everyone had their own bedroom in the house, the living room was furnished with two couches and a coffee table, the doors were inset with beautiful glass, suffice it to say it was a very nice home. Living with Vanina helped to give me a better perspective when I would visit Catia’s home. Catia (15) is a girl I worked with but was unable to live with due to family problems. Even with those problems, Catia always seemed to be in good spirits and the few times that I communicated with her parents they were welcoming and kind.
She lives in her home, which is a two minute walk from Vanina's, with her mother, father, and seven year-old brother Sidney. The house is deteriorating; with one roof having already collapsed and the three remaining ceilings, two of which are in bedrooms, in the process of doing so. I knew what it was like to live in a home in the more affluent part of the neighborhood (where everyone has their own bedroom, the kitchen is the kitchen and doesn’t double as a bedroom, the house is constructed in a manner that allows for comfortable temperatures day and night) and then see and experience the differences in privacy, comfort, accessibility to resources that someone in Catia’s situation lives with. Witnessing the impact that having/not having electricity, privacy from the street, seemingly basic amenities like a bathroom or refrigerator has on a person’s life, and the general mentality/pride that comes with having a ‘nice’ home versus not having such things will influence my ideas and convictions and hopefully lend to creating a design that works well within the social and cultural context of Varzea/Santa Ninha, and possibly other areas of Praia/Cape Verde/Africa.

One of the first nights I was there Vanina, Catia, and I were on our way to a nearby restaurant, about a minute walk from Vanina’s house. On our way we stopped to talk with a group of teenagers hanging out at their regular spot, a set of stairs belonging to a building on the corner of the alley and street. One of the kids had just been robbed; his cell phone and other belongings had been taken from him. It made me wonder for a moment just what kind of neighborhood had I landed in! That occurrence, though, was the only criminal act I recall having happened in the seventeen days I stayed in Varzea. There was a time or two that I walked alone at night but, as NJ had pointed out, Milwaukee has a much higher crime rate than Praia and I’ve walked after dark in Milwaukee without incident before. Now, being a minority and looking out of place, as we did in Praia, might make one more of a target than not, but again, as NJ had also said, when it comes to either handing over your wallet and/or cell phone or being physically assaulted it’s a pretty clear decision.

On days that we didn’t have to meet as a group or were not out on an excursion I would walk to Catia’s house in the morning, talk with her about her home, issues with it, what she would like to see changed. We would talk about her school and what I was doing in Cabo Verde. The language barrier was the most frustrating problem as far as cultural hurdles. Not frustrating to the point of anger but more like frustrating to the point of laughter, finally being reduced to miming and on some occasions quacking like a duck. Due to that fact our talks would usually include the essentials; an English-Portuguese picture dictionary, a basic Creole grammar packet, and plenty of scrap paper to write/draw what we were trying to communicate. Sometimes it would take thirty minutes to complete a conversation that would take only a few minutes if spoken between two speakers of the same language. That was all part of the experience though; it made the information and conversation that we did share that much more important/special. Around noon Catia would cook lunch, using a butane gas tank or small fire if the tank was empty. Even though things are tight for her and her family, right down to the last escudo, she would always offer me food. Then at about twelve-thirty we would grab four plastic jugs, two each, and walk a short distance to get water. This is where a very important part of Catia’s life comes in to play, where an outstanding issue for Cape Verde is revealed, and where one of the great things about the neighborhood (Varzea/Santa Ninha) is demonstrated. Water in Cape Verde is a problem (some days there is no water available at all), but Catia and her family don’t have to pay for it, the community helps them. They know about Catia’s situation. They know that there are problems with drugs and alcohol in her family, that she does much of the caring for her seven year old brother, Sidney. The free water is only one example of how the community unites around less fortunate individuals/situations and lends help/aid.

Vanina and her family do so much when it comes to helping. They realize what living in a community means, how important a community is in the lives of so many people. They have stressed on many occasions that community is the most important thing in a neighborhood. Not only do they do so much for Catia (provide; a stable situation that she can come to if there are problems at her home, meals that consist of more than just rice and beans, the comfort of a couch, or a computer she can do schoolwork on, it’s a second family for her) they also help other kids in the neighborhood. They help Leo, for example, who is an expert Michael Jackson impersonator (he does a decent Rhianna too, not that I would know how to evaluate that or anything). Leo is seven years old; his father does not live with him, and he faces problems at home including inconsistent nourishment amongst other things. Leo came over a few times to eat supper, hang out, and have some laughs. Another example of this occurred when Vanina and I took a walk up a hill that overlooks Varzea. As we made our way up the slope we passed by an old woman's home, armed with a broom she was outside of her doorway ridding the stones that formed her entryway of dust, dust that would find its way back to the same stones by the end of the day. Vanina and her entered a conversation generated by the woman asking about me, the alien white man. When Vanina explained that I was there to help Catia and study the neighborhood the tempo of the conversation changed. I could hardly pick out even familiar creole words she was speaking so fast but the emotion in her voice and on her face told enough. Her house is built on the side of a hill and because of this when it rains water (and the sediment that comes with it) runs in to and through her home and pools up which causes problems with mosquitoes, her belongings being damaged, and living in general. Vanina informed her about a program the government runs that gives aid to people having trouble with their homes (the fact that the woman had no idea that the program existed was not the only instance that indicated there is lack of communication and education that exists in Praia/Cape Verde). Vanina told her we could come back another day, unfortunately it happened that we were venturing across the island when Vanina went back to talk with her. But it was another experience that helped illustrate the needs of the city and just how it effects people not only physically but emotionally as well.
I do not entirely know to what extent other students were able to experience or witness situations like these. In the conversations that I have had with fellow students it sounds like I am the only one, or at least the one who saw the most of the bad domestic situations, e.g., Catia, which I suppose is a good thing. Of course, I'm not comfortable with what is going on in the lives of these people but at the same time I am thankful and glad I was able to be a part of their lives. I’m glad to be around it because that puts me in the position to improve the situation or at least relieve it in some way, however small. That is what the community does when they allow families to take water free of charge, or when they help children, give them a stable environment to stay outside of school, when the community comes together to help in the construction of a house (like in the case of Catia's house). Community is so important. Hopefully we will be able to strengthen even more the communities throughout Praia with our projects and ideas this semester.

I enjoyed the trips we took to Rui Vaz, Sao Francisco, Rabelados, Porto Madeira, Tarrafal, Assomada, meeting the U.S. ambassador, it was great to experience a variety of culture and nature, and to spend time with classmates and professors but I enjoyed more my time with my family. It was a more rich learning experience I think, to have the opportunity to communicate and live with them, living in a different way/environment than I ever had before. They made it easy to adapt to the culture, going out of their way to make sure I was comfortable. I'm not sure how I would deal with hosting a foreign 22 year-old student for seventeen days but if I ever did I hope I can do it half as well as Vanina, Catia, Claudio, and Emilia. I look forward to returning.

...and we met the President!