You know what the Sun's all about...

You know what the sun’s all about…

when the lights go out.

So we’ve had some power supply problems, to say the least, here in Chan di Igreja (and all the rest of Santo Antao. Beginning early last week, we lost power during the daylight hours. (Up until then I’d enjoyed power 24-7.) I asked and was informed that all the electricity on Santo Antao is provided by two smoking and ancient diesel powered generators in Provencao. (Environmentalists feel free to cringe.) Anyway, apparently there was a delay in the latest shipment of diesel fuel, and so Electra, the (one and only) power company in Cape Verde was rationing the electricity for the island, doling it out in 8 hour dollops to the various villages. I had to cancel my classes on Thursday and Friday of last week after Chan di Igreja ran out of candles. I was assured that it wouldn’t be more than a day or two before normal power was restored.

Then it got worse. We went from having power only at night time, to only having power (quite inconveniently) from 2AM to 8AM. I asked and was informed that there was a problem with the “motor” (generator) in Provencao. Apparently, having gotten a rest, the machine decided it liked sleeping a lot better than working, and it couldn’t be coaxed into action again. I was assured that “teknikos” (technicians) were on the way from Praia (only a few islands over) to look into the matter. Surely the idea that someone qualified to operate and repair generators that supply power to an entire island and its residents would actually be stationed on that island, is too ridiculous to consider.

Then it got worse. Now, in its infinite wisdom, Electra has decided to “randomize” power to the villages. (I should note that after Cape Verde gained its Independence in 1975, one of the first orders of the new government was to privatize the previously (poorly run) telephone and electric operations. CVTelecom, the county’s only telecommunications provider, quickly invested in Broadband Internet, and made improvements to existing lines and constructed cell towers on every hillside. As a result, there is at least one (albeit sketchy) internet connection in every village, cell phone reception in nearly 100% on all the islands, and the pre-paid cards you buy to use your “movil” (cell phone) can be purchased just about anywhere. By all accounts, CVTelecom is a Cape Verdian success story. Electra, on the other hand, raised the rates for electricity, made no improvements to the infrastructure, and has no plans to do so, according to my (very smug) local Electra representative. If anything, electrical service has gotten worse since 1975. Basically, Electra sucks.) But where was I? Oh yeah…This means that we get, using today for instance, 2 hours of power spread out in 10 to 20 minute intervals, completely at random. (I picture an evil and happy old man, sitting at the controls of the generator, flipping switches on and off…Now you’ve got it, now you don’t. Now you’ve got it, now you don’t. I heard, several times today “Luz bem! Bo podi danos aula!” (The power’s back on! You can give class!), only to be followed, shortly thereafter, by “Luz jda bai! Nos ten aula oje?” (The power’s gone already! Are we having class today?).

Anyway, there is, believe it or not, an upside to all of this. The stars. Out here in the middle of the ocean, with, literally not one electric light burning for over a hundred miles, it is Dark. Real dark. Unbelievably dark. Ridiculously dark really. In Chan di Igreja they call it “obskuro mut fundo” (Very Deep Dark) With no moon this week, you can’t see your own hand 2 inches in front of your face. (Or, I can assure you, the crotch-level door knobs that they are so fond of here in this country.) Anyway, about the stars…they’re glorious. More than I ever imagined there could be…Like you could lie down in a bed of them. The night sky here looks like it’s had a gauze blanket draped across it. The Milky Way seems to stretch right across the top of my house (although I’m sure that’s an egocentric view) and out into the ocean. I’ve seen Mars every night this week, an impossible amber beacon just atop the mountain to the West of me, like a red needle in a shimmering white haystack. And shooting stars too. Lay down on my roof and look up, and you’ll not wait two minutes before you’re pointing at a streak of light, hollering “Bo tava t’oja-l? Bo tava t’oja-L?” (Did you see that one? Did you see THAT one?) *Yes, Benvinda thinks I’m a total nerd. The first night I thought we must have been in the midst of an epic meteor shower, but as the lightless nights have worn on, and the stars have continued to fall, I’ve grown certain that this is the norm, we just can’t see them at home. Dozens and dozens of them in an hour…some of them trailing across the sky for two or three seconds. Its…well, its beautiful. Just…beautiful really.

P.S.
The title of this entry was stolen from my favorite Black Keys song. Also, please forgive the use of the parenthetical within the parenthetical, and various other grammatical irregularities that always gave Mrs. Williams, my amazing 12th grade English teacher, apoplectic fits.