Coconut Grog

The majority of the time I am satisfied with my boring life in Cape Verde. I walk around town, exchange pleasantries about peoples’ families, shell beans, teach English, etc. then go home and absorb myself in all things American. I don’t really share much my own personality with Cape Verdeans, it is a mixture of a cultural and language barrier compounded by the fact I take some time to warm up to people. However, once every few months the feeling strikes me to be a little more outgoing and open myself up to the possibility of friendship with Cape Verdeans.

Yesterday was that kind of day. Another PCV and I were visiting the port town trying to figure out some logistics for our computer project. A car with two young Cape Verdeans guys drove past. Per usual they called us “beautiful” and tried to get our attention. For whatever reason, boredom and because he had tattoos, I decided we were going to talk to him. We got into his car and went to this hotel resort that has a beautiful view of the ocean and on certain days you can see the island to the East, Maio. We sat at the hotel, a storm was coming from Praia the capital in the South. The sky was dramatic dark grays and the ocean water very clear. We could see houses on Maio. There was a streak of lightening in the sky, which we hardly ever see here in Cape Verde. We drank Cokes and talked about soccer and sharks.

There was a man who worked at the hotel from Tanzania. He told us the convoluted way in which he arrived on Santiago Island and how he came to work at the hotel. The guys we were with convinced him to show us his motorcycle and almost let me ride it (but just ended up making me pose on it while they took photos, awkward). We told the guys we needed to go shopping and attempted to make a quick escape from them but they insisted on giving us a ride. I know the other PCV and I both were feeling slightly worried and possibly judged riding around in this car with these two guys. People talk in Cape Verde. After shopping (where they tried to pay for our groceries but we refused) I said that we needed to go home

They insisted to drive us back to my house. We stopped and bought coconuts, split them open and poured grog in them. Speeding along, laughing and drinking out of the coconuts, and speaking to one of their friends on the phone in Creole I had strange flashbacks to high school experiences I don’t think I ever had. They stopped at one of my neighbor’s house, who has an impressive drip irrigation system and talked to him about different electronic devices they had in their possession to sell. We were forced to drink sugar cane juice which was bearable because it was cold. At this point we were itching to get to my house. When we finally got there, the family I live with was waiting upstairs. All their eyes were on me. I tried to gracefully explain I could not have these guys come into my house, they did not really persist. The man I live with is well known and even sort of feared. The perfect substitute father figure

Anyhow, sometimes I need adventures like this. I always feel safe because I speak the local language and in the towns close to my house, people know me. Like I wrote, it was like a strange flashback to a life I don’t think I lead…it was at least a change of pace.