Matt In Real Life

This time last month I was hiding in my house trying to forget that I actually am a Peace Corps Volunteer. I was continually thinking to myself that I should be doing more, right? Am I really this incompetent? It had seemed that everyone around me was doing great things; teaching, hosting environmental camps, working for kindergartens, and many other incredibly successful projects. So the less I did, the more I came to hate myself. Thoughts of wasting taxpayer money and pointless days ran rampant throughout my mind. Peace Corps brings out the best; I know this to be true without a doubt. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t one of the best or smartest in the room, but here it’s sometimes painstakingly obvious, yet still hard to admit that I am not. It’s true though, I am surrounded by 52 of the most intelligent, dedicated, and resourceful people I have ever met. Their projects and jobs are immaculate and I often find myself jealous, which I realize is a huge character flaw. There are things that I could be doing; teaching English, helping at kindergartens and so on, but these all sound so boring. I am not the guy who can go into any situation and make a job up. I am sorry if I let Peace Corps down, but I in no way ever misrepresented what I am good at and what I would be willing to do. I am just no good at teaching HIV/AIDS to youth groups, or hosting soccer camps, that’s not me. However, there is one thing that I am really good at, and that my friends is science. 

I had meeting with our new Country Director (CD), Valerie, about my lack of job and everything else that I have been complaining about on this blog for the past 9 months or so. She was disappointed to hear all of this and we talked about what could be done to change this. I mentioned the two environmental organizations on the island, Natura2000 and Turtle Foundation, and she got to work getting in contact with these two and trying to find me a placement with one, to get my working in my field. She sent out some emails and forwarded me the responses. They were nice emails that spoke highly of me, but as my CD said, “the responses were lukewarm at best”. I wasn’t as disappointed as I thought I should have been, I am almost immune to disappointment. 

During my first few months in country and during PST another volunteer told me something that I found vaguely ignorant and I slightly judged him for his comment. He told me “some of your best contacts and projects will develop at the bar scene”. I regret judging him so harshly for this, because he was right. It seems that I always have a beer in my hand when the most influential moments happen. They start small; it’s a wave, or a head nod, like I am part of a giant club that only exists when you are together at a bar. We are all guarding each other’s secrets. Danny and I are sitting at a bar on the pier called Tmanche, just having an evening beer when I see Elena and her husband Patrik, the administration for Natura2000. Elena gives me the head nod and sits down at a table in front of us to have dinner and a few beers. After they eat dinner Elena approaches me and says, “I received an email from some lady saying she was your boss and that she wanted to have a more permanent relationship”, I tell her “I would enjoy working for Natura200 and volunteering my services wherever they need me”.  She seems unimpressed but open to the idea and invites me to come in on Monday around 9 or 10. I am excited, but do my best to seem normal, a rather hard feat for me most times.

Monday comes. I am up at 6 a.m., about an hour before my alarm is to wake me. I prepare for my first day at the office. I don’t want to seem too anxious so I wait until 9:50 to leave my house. I arrive at the offices dressed a little too formal, but its ok, this is my first impression after all. I meet the crew; Carolina (Car-o-lean-a), she is a trainer for the environmental classes being held by Natura2000, Pedrin is a Spanish guy in his 40s, quiet but his presence is loud. Patrik is Elena’s husband and is the self-appointed logistical manager. Elena is the director of Natura2000, very smart, cute, and dedicated to the conservation of sea turtles. Juilieta is a large man, he is funny but his presence demands respect. Samir is a Cape Verdean guy working on his masters out of Portugal, he is smart but young, I want to teach him everything I know, and a few guys from Ireland working on whale research. Elena doesn’t wait a moment; she wants to know what my ideas are and what my plans are. I tell her about my population study that I am working on and ask for some help with methodology. We exchange data and ideas and she puts me in contact with a society I didn’t know existed, Sociedade Caboverdiana de Zoologia, which I am proud to announce am the newest member. She opened a magical science door. These people live underground because I have never seen them around town before, but here they all are, in one room, and now only an email away. There is so much intelligence here that I again begin to feel inferior, until they start asking me lizard questions!

Then I start rolling with whatever this new job is. They ask me to accompany them on whale research and turtle research and they want to be a part of my lizard study. Pedrin and I went to the small island off the coast of Sal Rei and where we found some really interesting things that have persuaded me to entirely shift my study focus. I have never felt so part of an organization that is doing work that I believe in. The science is solid and I learn that there is even a Cape Verdean science journal that is quite good. I have every intention to publish here, and Pedrin and Elena are excited about my ideas. This is what I was looking for. I have arrived at the moment that has run through my mind for so long. On my birthday I received presents and kisses. I have become part of a science family that I so desperately needed. I can breathe easier now, especially now that the Saharan sand has stopped blowing so viciously.

Long Titles and Pleasantries

I was recently in Praia (the capitol) for a 5 day meeting concerning the National Parks project document. The UNDP, United Nations Development Project, represented by Oliver Puigner (Chief Technical Specialist for both projects; Climate Change and Biodiversity) and Fabiana Issler (Regional Technical Advisor for Biodiversity) were present as well as the local government officials and my supervisor Leão Carvalho (National Coordinator for Biodiversity) for all of the preliminary meeting. We were to finalize the documents, coming to agreement on the wording and meaning of said wording. This would be a long process in one language, but three? Unreal! The first day of meetings was incredibly productive, I was doing my very best to understand the Portuguese and felt as though the other two Peace Corps Volunteers as well as myself made some great contributions that were taken seriously and even stayed permanently in the project document. Go us! The following 4 days were a slow decline to what I can only describe as a small coma. The languages being spat back and forth at lighting speeds gave me a slight headache; I guess I forgot the other official language of the UN is French. No, I don’t speak French. It was easy to drift off to another world when 1) They were speaking French and 2) they were working on part of the project that had nothing to with us *Climate change. There were several times when many things were being said in both Portuguese and French quickly and then Fabiana would look over to us and say “do you agree?” my response “I don’t know, I don’t think that any of us understood exactly what was said”. Anyhow, to get to the point, the project went official as of Thursday April 14^th. Thanks to the help of all government officials and NGOs (special thanks to Natura2000 and Elena Perez) who have a stake in this project and made contributions, my project has “officially” begun.

What does the mean to me and my future on Boa Vista? Good question reader…. I don’t know. Here is the limited amount of information that I have received from the newly hired Lazero, the local coordinator for Parque Marinho do Leste here on Boa Vista. Lazero worked at another park on São Nicolau for about 4 years and is currently living in Praia. He is due to move out here in May, fingers crossed, and will have a brand new truck with him for the park. All of this sounds promising, but I am forever skeptical. If all of this comes together and we begin work in May, I will be ecstatic. However, turtle season starts towards the end of next month and I will never be short of work with Turtle Foundation. 

In other news- 

• I will be coming home for a short visit in July! Interested in seeing your favorite blogger? No… oh.. ok

• My post that some of you may be familiar with "The Shadow of The Sahara" is receiving some national and international attention that I had not foreseen. I have received calls from Peace Corps Administration and emails from across the world telling me how much my article meant to them. I also forgot to tell you, that blog actually made the latest newsletter of Cape Verde that you can see here Nobas Newsletter

• I have started my population study on the endemic Chioninia spinalis boavistensis 

• Peace Corps Cape Verde has a new country director and she is cool!

• If you get some time or just feel like spending some more time cruising the interweb then cruise on over to Turtle Foundation and see what good work these folks are doing.

Languages Are Fun

I wouldn’t say that the word sexy is used all that frequently here in Cape Verde. However that could just be because I am not sexually appealing to many Cape Verdean women or some other circumstances I am unaware of. I tend to lean towards “other circumstances” for the mere fact that I refuse to believe I am not attractive, don’t we all? Nobody wants to hear they are unattractive or that they are fat, that’s just not polite. Unfortunately, that word, I’m afraid is lost in Kriolu, and will never to show face unless forced or bribed.

For example, if I am feeling gracious or just happen to have a package from America and have lots of treats, I will generally hand out most of the candy. The candy is always welcomed but mostly the giver is unnoticed, that’s where the bribe and forceful nature of thank you comes in. I will not give them the candy unless I hear please and thank you. I digress, politeness, why are we so polite in America? In the English language in general? We always ask things in a manner that is unsure or hesitant; “Can you please give me”, “could I please have”, “if you’re not too busy please do….”. They all seem to ask for something to be done if it doesn’t inconvenience the other person. 

I double digress, politeness… in daily conversations with even acquaintances there is almost no boundaries, physically or linguistically. The space is always much closer than American standards and the conversations can always take a hard right into the metaphorical wall. For the sake of privacy during the conversation I shall call this friend G. This is the conversation I had with my friend (at work… in front of everyone) after returning to site from Senegal and having been at site for roughly 2 weeks:

G: Matt, what’s up man? Long time since I have seen you

Me: Nothing special just getting back to life here in Boa Vista

G: How was your trip, how was Senegal? Were you safe, no problems?

Me: No problems, it was beautiful. I really like Senegal, the food, the culture, everything. I went to see this town in th (get cut off)

G: What have you been eating man? You came back fat! You’re fat now. I lost some weight, I was really sick, but have been working out too, but you’re fat now.

Me:………? Really? Like really fat? (timidly)

G: Well you know… just… fat.

Me: Ok, well I have some things to do sooooooo, talk to you later?

G: Sure thing Matt, I’ll pass by your house today

Me: Of course, peace and love

How embarrassing right? Well this is pretty normal conversation for me here; there is no filter for what can be said and location of conversation it seems. The other conversation would have been less inappropriate had I not been speaking to my friend’s girlfriend, and him being right there. We’re at a bar/restaurant just hanging out about a week after returning from Senegal, we shall call her L:

L: Good evening Matt! How are you?

Me: I’m good, how are you?

L: Good, so how was Senegal?

Me: It was good, I had a good time there. Be right back, I need to use the bathroom.

(Exit the booth, and return)

L: Woah, Matt, you came back sexy.

Me: From the bathroom?

L: Hahahaha no, from Senegal. You returned sexy.

Me:…… Really? I don’t think I changed much. Soooooo, how about that football (that’s soccer to you Americans reading) game? Did you see that goal?

Which one to believe? I don’t know, but I lean heavily towards sexy. But sadly, it’s the other conversation that I hear more. I am in no way slighting one conversational tactic or the other. I think that in English we have a way of saying things more delicately, but I enjoy the directness of Kriolu. If you want something you say, “give me”. Sound rude? This is completely acceptable. To bring this blog back full circle, I will continue to live in my own dream world, where I am “sexy”. Thanks Cape Verde, I’ll ignore the fat comments. Peace and love friends.

A Month in a Thing Called Life

I have contemplated how to write this blog for days. I have fought with myself, deleted 30 different copies of this, started and scraped it all. I had promised myself I would never allow someone to get close to me. I failed miserably. I realize this as I sit on the front steps of another volunteer’s house the day before we are to leave for Senegal. I guess I have only been “dumped” once in my life, I’m always the one who thinks to end things before serious talks ever begin, before real emotions are even an idea. Who would have ever thought a casual relationship would never work. Someone always gets hurt. This time it just happened to be me, but I am resilient. The first few days in country are slightly awkward, because we just so happen to be traveling to Senegal together. The night I realize that it is truly over (in Senegal), I let loose and have one hell of a night.

It has been so long since I have been surrounded by this many Americans, thus I felt slightly vulnerable. Unsure if I was still capable to socially communicate. Turns out… it’s kind of like riding a bike; you never forget, but you might fall and metaphorically scrape your face. In no time at all I was socially normal and ended up with some really good friends whom are serving in real Africa. I have the upmost respect for you all.

The main reason for going to Senegal was for a little thing called W.A.I.S.T (West African Invitational Softball Tournament). It was an incredible experience, 200 plus volunteers who have been living in extremely conservative, Muslim communities converging upon one softball field, dressed in the most outrageous costumes that you can imagine. Since Cape Verde only had 7 players we teamed up with the recently evacuated Niger to form the Cape Verde/Niger Refugee Spectacular (I think everyone had a different name for the team, but truly not important). A fortuitous event as they were all really cool and fantastic softball players. We won our division, whoop!! Although, the idea that we “won” is slightly misleading, half the teams we played forfeit before the first pitch… enter insanity. We were told that we were “too competitive” because we were playing sober. Drunken doubles aside, there were some really great conversations, and an information exchange that gave me some great ideas for things I could possibly do on Boa Vista. The networking that occurred during those four days is invaluable. If this was just a conference I don’t think the same relationships would have been formed.

After four sleepless nights in Dakar, Matt Kubal and I packed up our gear and decided to head north to St. Louis, pronounced San-lou-ee. The day we are leaving I’m nervous, my French is weak and my Wolof is non-existent, and by my French is weak I mean I only know some numbers. Other people are worried for us because we are going to a place called “Garage Pompeii”, a lot filled with station wagons and buses that look as though they should have been retired in the 70’s. We are dropped off on the outskirts of this so called garage, looking incredibly touristy (enormous hiking backpacks, sleeping bags, and white skin). I begin saying St. Louis, and people are speaking at me in rapid fire, but luckily pointing in the general direction of the cars for St. Louis. Without any real problems we are settled in a station wagon headed for St. Louis. The trip there is surreal; on no island in Cabo Verde can you drive for more than two hours, this trip took seven sweltering hours (Africans hate the wind, they will close windows regardless of temperature). Four market stops, two police bribes, and one new Senegalese friend later we arrive in the first Capitol of Western Africa. Thanks to a new friend, Amanda, we are put in contact with a few volunteers who reside in the area, and are able to stay for free the first two nights! I love Peace Corps Volunteers. The third night, we need to be out of the house because there is much traffic through the transit house due to some evacuations in the north. We are told about a little hut hotel on the beach called The Pelican. It’s a quaint little place that seems more like a couples retreat, but the price is right, so Kubal and I snuggle up. We spent our days walking the town, kayaking the Senegal River, and biking though the National Park. As the trip begins to slow down, so does my body. I am physically exhausted by this point and ready to go back to Boa Vista. However I still have a week of IST (In-Service Training) waiting for me in Praia… joy. 

Waiting for my flight back to Praia I see a man with a guidebook for Cape Verde from the 90’s. That book will get him nowhere. I begin a conversation with him and learn that he is a French Volunteer in Mali. He works for the French version of Peace Corps more or less. I ask him if he speaks Portuguese or Kriolu, he doesn’t. He begins shooting questions at me about where to go and what to do, clearly he needs help. I begin by giving him emergency numbers of volunteers on other islands, and after an hour or so of speaking with him I decide to take him under my wing. I show him a little of Praia and then Assomada. I call my host mother and ask her if I can bring a French guy to eat a traditional Cape Verdean plate (Katxupa). She is ecstatic; she loves to show off for guests. To the countryside we go. He loves the food and the welcoming nature, and I can’t deny that I feel truly loved there and have a longing to be with them more. After a nice visit, we return to Praia, because the next begins my training and he is on a plane to São Vicente (best of luck friend, hope all went smoothly). 

Our training is surprisingly good. I went in thinking that it would just be a wasted 5 days, but we were given useful information, and presented with NGOs willing to fund projects. Four other volunteers and I go to a place called ProSan, they specialize in composting and minimal water use toilets. I begin to see the challenges that will come with the public bathroom project that I am trying to get down with VZW, the Belgian NGO. I am in no way giving up on this project but I do need another meeting with them before I begin writing a grant. The biggest news of all though, happened because of a breach of protocol by one of the other Environmental volunteers. 

Scott, on Sãnto Antao, has met a gentleman named Oliver. Oliver is the chief technical specialist, whatever the hell that means. What he really is… the representative from the UN in charge of the National Parks Project that I am a part of. Although I should clarify this; Manuel Carvalho is the National Coordinator for this project, and Oliver technically answers to him, I digress. Scott had been sending Oliver emails asking what we were supposed to be doing and when we would begin. This is where the breach of protocol occurs. We shouldn’t be contacting Oliver directly yet because he didn’t even know we were assigned to this project. This causes a little unrest on the Cape Verdean side and next thing I know Sarah, Scott, our APCD (Associate Peace Corps Director), Manuel Cavalho, Oliver, and me are in a meeting to discuss the parks. We are officially welcomed to the project and are privy to information and maps and resources that I have been trying to find for months. Oliver then tells us that we are to return to Praia April 11-15^th for the official opening and workshop, where we are to present our islands and have a report that includes the following information; 

-           - Overall impression of the project now that we have been at your sites for some time;

-       - Key challenges or risks that you perceive, with ideas how to address them

-       - Additional or supplementary activities that you consider relevant or useful in biodiversity conservation that have not been included yet or have come up recently.

This is a wonderful opportunity to really show that I am actually competent. However, I have no way to get over to where the park is going to be, and I haven’t even seen parts of this island yet. I can’t present if I have no idea what the ecological issues are in that area. I feel an adventure is in store. I haven’t a clue how I am going to get the information I need yet, but am confident that I will figure something out... time to break some of the asinine PC rules?

I know this blog is very informative and less fun to read, and for that I apologize. The next one will be more fun, you have the Matt Acre word. I think the presence of Cabo Verde at W.A.I.S.T. will cause an influx of West African volunteers visiting, which is rather exciting! I can’t wait to see all of my newly acquired friends again. Only 345 days until my glorious return to the motherland and the next softball tournament. Paz y amor from my little spot of land in the Atlantic.   

A volunteer friend in Senegal, Kate, is a fantastic writer... check out her blog if you get some time and show some love. I realize the website is a little confusing but, she is one of the Niger refugees.
http://niger-mania.blogspot.com/

  

Belgians, Germans, Cape Verdeans, Oh My My!

We are told as Peace Corps Volunteers that we WILL experience the roller coaster ride of our lives over the next 27 months. These words are hard to comprehend as an applicant, and as you wait for your service to begin, hell even during what is known as “the honeymoon phase” of your service. After about 6-8 weeks in country you begin to see the reality of service in another country and the difficulties that come with development work in the third world. I have been at my site for almost 5 months now and believe me; I know this metaphorical roller coaster all too well. The valleys are deep, and the peaks are beautifully high. How does a volunteer come out of the depths and reach a point where he/she is able to see the future? 

As I sat at the table drinking my Coke with the Belgium NGO, I couldn’t help but cry. I had been laughing internally so long and hard, that tears had begun to form in the corner of my eyes. The two Belgians, one of them born in the U.S., but at the age of nine emigrated to Belgium, had been in country for roughly 5 days. “Matt” they say “people make appointments that they don’t keep, they make you wait for hours to talk to anyone, and when you finally do meet with someone the meeting is generally unfulfilling”.  I tell them whilst laughing/crying “I have been here in Cape Verde for 6 months, I understand your frustrations and if you want to get development work done here, then these are parts of the culture that must be understood. We can’t force development in the same sense of “development” that occurs in Belgium or America”. I think I end that part of the conversation with a welcome to Cape Verde or something else cheesy like that. The conversation then turns to the potential project that was surprisingly good. 

There is a part of Sal Rei to the north known as Baraka; this part of town is where many of the construction workers and many lower end laborers live. There is no water, no electricity, no bathrooms, and is in general quite unsanitary. They are without a doubt the ones who need the most help. I have been trying to pitch an idea to the Camâra (government) for public bathrooms/showers. However, I have been met with resistance with the main excuse being, people don’t want public, they will only use private bathrooms. They have a relatively good point; Cape Verdeans are a proud people. With this knowledge I have been asking around to my friends who live there what they think Baraka needs the most, and bathrooms is in the top three always. So I ask them if public bathrooms/showers were there would people use them, without ever hinting that is what I am thinking of doing. Point being, I think I have received an unbiased opinion of the most important things in Baraka, and to my Peace Corps friends reading this blog (damn you PACA). 

So back to the Belgians, they had thought of building some communal place in Baraka, and I thought that perhaps a bathroom/shower attached would be a good idea. They loved the idea and were incredibly excited to have met me saying, “the first few days we were here nothing happened, but then the last couple of days everything seems to be coming together. We meet you and you tell us that there is another one of you on the island (Danny)! We are very pleased to see this project coming together”. This is where the peak comes; here I am sitting with two professors from a Belgian university telling me, a 24 year-old inexperienced development worker, they are excited to work with me. We begin talking about all the other projects they will be starting in July, some of them intimately involving Danny and I. Little did they know, they were saving me, pulling me out of the storm.  

I have also been taking a few meetings with Turtle Foundation, mostly Christian, the director of the Boa Vista site. We have discussed several projects that could be important, and income generating for Cape Verdeans. One project that interests me in particular is the construction of a field guide to the reptiles and insects of Boa Vista and then having Cape Verdeans sell them to tourists. Christian is a 30 year-old ecologists from Germany, his interests in the animals of Cape Verde is unrivaled. I feel as though he is an ecologist first but, development work seems to be a close second for him, not much unlike me and probably why we get along so well. 

Now for those who read this and say, well there are no Cape Verdeans in any of these projects, calm. The man who will be running the main project in Baraka is a Cape Verdean pastor, his name is Francisco. He will be helping with the coordination of people and supplies, and will be an integral part of the entire operation. I made a point during my meeting to stress the involvement of Cape Verdeans to insure the transfer of skills and the sense of ownership. 

So, all of that being said, the roller coaster continues. And damn, the peaks are beautiful.    

I’ll be in Senegal and Praia for three weeks, so don’t think I am ignoring you, it will just be difficult for me to be in contact. Paz y Amor my landlocked friends.