Well I finally pulled my laptop out and decided to write a blog ahead of time, before getting to the internet cafe. Last time, I plugged my surge protector into the outlet sans converter. I think it might have died. I didn’t realize my adapter is also a surge protector. Good thing I brought my big protector all the way from the US (sarcasm). My host family doesn’t have circuit breakers, so it instead killed all the lights instantly. I guess the system works well though. We have electricity around four hours each night. Other villages don’t have it at all.
Anyway, things are going pretty well. The language is coming along all right. It’s frustrating that though I can communicate my needs well enough, I can’t understand a whole lot Cape Verdeans say to me. Everything’s very one-sided. Most people don’t have the patience to say things three times, more slowly with each repetition, with gestures, alternative vocabulary, etc. It’s still amazing that we can speak as well as we can after only…what six weeks? Seven? I can’t remember. Sometimes time flies but other times it stands still.
In any case, training’s over in four more weeks and then it’s off to…well I don’t know where yet. Either the national park here on Santiago or the one on Fogo. I requested Fogo, as it’s more rural and more African culturally. Chances are good I won’t have electricity either. I requested to not have it. That sounds good to me, as nice as it is to have a working laptop. The northern islands tend to be more European. Fogo is also an active volcano. It erupted in 1995. No one died though, and Mom I promise it won’t erupt during the next two years.
So what else…This is such an intense experience and it seems to us trainees that so much has changed, that it’s weird to think that back home things are pretty much, so it seems, going along more or less the same as when we left. Clearly my English skills have already fallen. Now I know why I took the GRE before I left. Every so often you’ll meet a Nigerian, Liberian, or a Cape Verdean who learned English in the US or in Europe. Since it’s summer break a lot of Cape Verdeans abroad are back on the islands to visit. I guess now they’re starting to head back.
I’m learning a lot of cool things. I wash my clothes by hand in a sink which is basically a washboard mounted on a stand. It’s quite the workout but it also gets clothes incredibly clean. Most people where I live farm, which is inherently messy, but they still dress impeccably.
Anyway, it seems my host mom wants me to go to bed. I can’t say for sure but I should probably call it quits. Time to brush the teeth, get my chamber pot, and hit the hay (not literally, okay, I have a bed. Even though if you know me you know that I wouldn’t care if I didn’t have one). Ti logu (until later).
2 comments:
hey Andrew, i saw on facebook that you have a blog so ill be keeping up with your posts. I put it as one of my homepages. I would like to send you a letter/package, what would be good to send? If you didn't hear there is a another hurricane and everyone in LA,MS is freaking out but I hope it doesn't do much damage. Stay safe.
-Beau
You said: "It’s frustrating that though I can communicate my needs well enough, I can’t understand a whole lot Cape Verdeans say to me. Everything’s very one-sided. Most people don’t have the patience to say things three times, more slowly with each repetition, with gestures, alternative vocabulary, etc."
Bingo! Same for me in Mexico. I also have a theory that Americans are good at getting people to understand us because we generally eschew learning others' languages and force them to try to speak ours. The converse is also true in that Mexicans don't generally simplify their speech for someone with a small vocabulary and little experience with slang and accents. At work I say, "Look, I'm six years old. Now speak to me." I'm grateful for anyone who'll go the extra mile for me.
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