Our arrival in Cape Verde was, to me, characterized by a sense of chaotic overstimulation: trying to see, do and understand everything at once. Many differences between Cape Verde and the US were immediate and striking; it was impossible to ignore that not all roads were paved, not all neighborhoods were planned, that water was scarce and electricity was unreliable. I expected there to be drastic differences and planned on doing all I could to adapt, and this mental preparation made it relatively easy for me to take all changes in stride.
On the other hand, I had not mentally prepared for my return to American life being a dramatic change, and the strangeness of the return sometimes caught me off guard.
To begin with, there were the obvious, more superficial changes—it was cold, everyone speaks English, things like that. These changes were easy to adjust to, whether or not they were pleasant changes. Of course, there were other, larger adjustments to make. After three weeks I had become accustomed to life in Cape Verde, and returning to “normal” life made me realize that there were more differences between our cultures that I hadn’t initially noticed. I always knew that Americans were infatuated with size and speed and such, but the airport seemed excessively large and bright, the city seemed bigger than I remembered, and the traffic on the highway went very fast. In particular, I remember traveling through the crazy mess of highway overpasses on the way home from the airport and remembering that on the way back from the Praia airport we took a rough dirt road down the hill into town. I also had to readjust to the American pace of life, and that surprised me. I didn’t think that I had adjusted to the Cape Verde pace. I have always walked at a brisk pace, and did so throughout the entire trip, but somehow “island time” slowed me down a little. I didn’t notice it while in Cape Verde, but now that classes have resumed, I’ve found it takes me a little longer to travel from place to place than it used to.
The most surprising reaction I had during my readjustment was the way I felt about indoor plumbing. The proper shower that I had been looking forward to for nearly three weeks, while pleasant and refreshing, was disappointing. I realized now just how much water I use in a typical shower (and therefore how much more I used in a long, just-returned-to-indoor-plumbing shower). In spite of my relief and finally feeling truly clean, I felt guilty. The only reason I had this luxury is because I happened to be born in a place where plumbing and instant hot water are commonplace. I thought of my Cape Verdean family, and wondered if and when they would be able to have a running shower every morning. They deserve that luxury just as much as I do.
In Cape Verde, I learned for the first time what it felt like to be a minority. I got used to being stared at, hearing people call me “blanca,” and having complete strangers touch my skin or hair. While it was a relief to no longer draw so much attention, I feel that it was certainly a learning experience, as I have never before been such an obvious minority. Also, while in Cape Verde, I admit I complained about being overfed. No matter where I went, I was provided with food and encouraged to eat and eat a lot. However, I immediately began to miss that sense of warmth and hospitality that I now associate with Cape Verdeans. While these are two aspects of the trip I grew a bit weary of dealing with, when I returned home their absence just reminded me that I was no longer in Cape Verde.
Although I think it is too early to make a final summary of my thoughts and experiences and lessons learned, at this point I can say this much: this trip was a refreshing opportunity to see the life I take for granted through new eyes. It invited me to think about how the development of a city works, and compare what I knew about ancient developments to what I saw in Praia’s development. I had never before seen a city that was mostly developed through auto-construction, and again that brought forth questions of if, when or how urban planning would be implemented in the future. As naïve as it sounds, I had never before considered the idea of a city lacking in infrastructure, and it elicited questions of how infrastructure could be brought to areas that had already been developed, and if the illegally settled areas would ever become legally recognized. As time goes on I am sure I will continue to notice differences.
No comments:
Post a Comment