Days on a Dune Island

So it’s been awhile since my last post, believe me I have my reasons. How am I supposed to top dolphin-saving, Giardia-fighting, turtle-protecting blogs? My life seems to have found some sort of groove here in Sal Rei, and it has nothing to do with my primary assignment (the National Park that may never commence). I am teaching 8 English classes now, 6 in my house and 2 at Nazarene church a little bit up the hill from my house. Mondays and Wednesdays I go to the church and teach for roughly an hour and half from 7 to 8:30pm. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays I teach two classes a night in my house, these are by far my favorites. The classes in my house are smaller and we are able to cover more material. These classes have some cool benefits as well. One of my students is the owner of a local restaurant, and she makes the best Cape Verdean cheese cake, which she is kind enough to make for me sometimes. Also, there is a stigma of bad customer service here in Cape Verde, no more sirs and mams, one of my classes is made up entirely of the waitresses of some restaurants in town.

In other local news, my favorite bread-lady has left Boa Vista for her home on Fogo, very sad. I saw her in the Plaza and she called me over. As, I walk a little closer she has a look of concern in her face. She tells me that she is going to Fogo and Brava, so naturally I ask her when she is coming back. Never! What do you mean never? She then proceeds to explain to me that she misses her family and she doesn’t like it here. She makes me promise to find her when I come visit Fogo, and so I do. So the once busy Padaria is no more. My impromptu Portuguese lessons are no more. I will miss my friend, but I am happy for her, she wants to be with her family. I find a bit of a paradox that as I get busier, I feel as though I have more time doing nothing.

I had a meeting with a few people from the Boa Vista government and my friend, the director of the library, in which we discussed a project from Christmas. The plan is to make a Christmas tree entirely out of recycled 1.5 liter coke and sprite bottles. There will also be a contribution from the churches whom I believe, if I heard it correctly, are making a nativity scene out of old juice containers. Not exactly how I pictured myself inducing environmental change, but I’ll take what I can get.

In other news, I am now in possession of flippers for snorkeling. A friend of mine who lives in the same complex as me has loaned them to me indefinitely. My snorkeling adventures have become more frequent and have become a fairly good integration tool. Every time I go there is always someone watching and eventually they wander close enough for me to talk to. We’ll talk about any and everything, eventually using my snorkeling mask and flippers to go on their own little adventures. And supposedly, there are better spots to snorkel that some of them have promised to take me to, but they tell me that I have found a good spot because there are so many fish there. Way to go mom and dad on the snorkeling stuff! Everyone tells me they are “profissional”, no translation necessary.

On another note, I think I have decided to allow myself 1 shower every two days instead of three. That third day makes a big difference in the amount of water we consume, but it also makes a big difference in the way one smells.

Sorry for the lame blog, cooler things to come!

To: My Mothers; Biological Mother (love you mom), "Hood" Mothers, and Cape Verdean Mother

From: Needing a Shower