Papa´s got a brand new bag

{NOTE: This was written way before Thanksgiving, and as you might have noticed, was posted way after Thanksgiving, so some information may be for not} The “holiday” season is upon us, and by us I mean you since it isn’t the holiday season here. The lojas don’t begin decorating for Natal (Christmas) until about the week before. Anywho, while you are planning your offensive plans for the turkey bowl, or figuring out how long you need to cook that 5lbs tofurky, why not let yourself melt away while reading some of my holiday inspired ramblings. Oh what fun.

But maybe I should start with some Peace Corps or Cape Verdean related items? I don’t have much, I am still making my knitting thingamajiggey proposal, you’ll know when it’s done because I will have put it up here for all to peruse. We are still a bit short on the bicycle fund to purchase helmets, so when you are making those last minute holiday purchases, don’t forget to get a few Cape Verde Bicycle shirts (see previous post for all links). My English classes to mold future students into my likelihood have not gotten off to a good start, and by that I mean they haven’t started. What else, oh, Carberinho, ta spera, ta spera, ta spera…vida de costa.

Ok, on to the nittey gritty. Hmm, that’s an interesting phrase if you stop to think about it, which I just happened to do. As many of you may know, I have a new hat. My friend at the park, who I am working with on that knitting project, made it for me. Guinness has already called me to put it in the 2009 edition under “Awesomest Hat Ever”. Its surprising how many times I have been included in that most scholarly book. In January I am planning on embarking upon a hike of such grand proportions it will require more than one sentence to fully describe it. I am going to hike to Carrical, and possibly the far eastern edge of the island. This is almost equivalent to hiking from London to Ulaan Batar in Mongolia, twice!!! Assuming I can arrange a donkey and 5 liters of water, I foresee no problems.

I also plan, or want to plan, a trip to Mindelo and onwards to Santo Antao where there is supposedly a French or German man who makes cheese. I go not for the cheese but more for the fact that I have been told he has tables that have a little trough in the middle filled with various ponches. I guess I’ll do some hiking too while there.

Rumors abound in Cape Verde, and one is that a boat has started up again going to Sal. As you will recall, the last SN – SAL boat met its unfortunate demise at the bottom of the ocean. As have a few other Cape Verde boats. But this new (old) boat has rekindled hope in all that island transport, while shoddy at best, is still being half heartedly looked at by someone.

World AIDS Day (I assume a day in which to highlight the work done against it, not in support of it) will be celebrated in all its regality here in Cachaço. On December 1^st, those crafty little Peace Corps volunteers along with Amigos Unidos will hold possibly the biggest, greatest, loudest, boldest, quirkiest, liquidiousest World AIDS Day known to humanity. Only the Romans, if they still had their little empire, could possibly have rivaled our event. The event will include: An information session, a theatre performance {didn’t happen}, free AIDS testing, condom giveaway, SNACKS!!!!!!!, among many many many other things (not determined at this time). If you are in the neighbor, it would behest you to stop and witness the greatest spectacle to possibly ever occur on this little floating ball we like to call Earth. {As hindsight is 20/20, I can accurately say that the event, beyond being the single greatest AIDS day event ever held, was such a rounding success, nearly a quarter of all Cachaçeans came out, and half of those got AIDS/HIV tests}

This past weekend, the 5^th and 6^th were Municipal Day in Vila. The whole week they had lots of events, mostly cultural stuff celebrating the island, and then the last two nights had music in the high school soccer field. This year it was a group from Santo Antão. They were good, covered a bit of Bob Marley. Anywho, like most festas here, I didn’t enter until 3am. There were horse races on Saturday and on the last race, one of the jockeys (actually a child) fell off the horse. He lost.

Up next in Cachaço and Sao Nicolãu is Natal and Ano Novo. There are a few national holidays in January, not sure what exactly, and then the big granddaddy, Carnival in February. The park will continue chugging along, with a few loses come the end of the year. But the CV government will be taking over, which means a wee bit less money than the $4,000,000 dollars the UNPD had given the park for the last four years. We’ll see what happens.

O minions of mine, I believe my typing hands have gone dry. Enjoy celebrating the genocide of the natives we massacred and jellied cranberry sauce {I made a pretty good pizza for Thanksgiving, so you should be equally jealous}. Mmmm, that’s good stuff. Till next do we meet, I leave you with this question to ponder: Is it all just what it is, or is it more?

(NOTE: The picture is a view from my roof looking towards the mountains of Covada)