Hi guys.

So I got an e-mail asking a little more about the “paying compliments” and greetings on the street phenomenon, so I thought I’d give you a sample. When you pass any stranger, much less a vizinho (neighbor) on the street, this might be a typical exchange…

Bon Dia!
Bon Dia!
Nha dam Bensao.
Nha Dam Bensao.
Tudo Dreto?
Tudo Dreto…y Bo?
N sta fixi. Bo sta fixi?
N sta fixi. Tudo dreto. Modi Ki Bu Sta?
N sta Bom. N sta Bom. Y bo?

So that gets the greeting out of the way, and then you have this whole other conversation about how well you slept, what you had for breakfast, what your plans for the day are, etc. etc. It literally takes about 5 minutes to say Hi. There REALLY is no such thing as being in a hurry here. Consequently, nothing starts on time. Yesterday I was invited to come and watch the soccer game in my village, and was told it would start “promptly” at 2pm. Having already assimilated much of the Cape Verdian culture, I showed up at 3:30 and was the only one there. I think they actually kicked it off about 5. Crazy.

Also, I didn’t want to give the wrong impression about my host family being rich. They are by the standards of Cha di Tanque (my little village) but to put it perspective, today Mani (my Pai) and Palmeira (my Mai), who are both in their 70’s, got up, made me breakfast, then walked half way up a mountain to find a tree, chopped off two limbs with a machete, stripped the bark, made two splints, split the limbs, hammered on a hoe to each of them, then hammered in the splints. Then they came back, made me lunch, then walked about 45 minutes to the “Campo” where they will be out in the sun digging holes in the parched earth for the rest of the day, planting beans and probably getting paid about 50 cents for all their efforts. The people in Cape Verde are TOUGH.

Txio for now. Someone send me some pictures of something!!!!

All My Love