Dedication

My computer has arrived! Therefore I dedicate this post to my Mom & Dad who have given me the gift of connectivity. With internet and a computer at my fingertips now I feel powerful. I have been able to continue my research on the Jatropha plant, and I have sent messages to experts online in the hopes that one will grace me with his or her knowledge on the subject. I really would love to know which machines Ribeira Alta will need to turn the Jatropha seed into a liquid that we can pour in the diesel generator to make the lights turn on. My local partner, Cesario, has been doing his part in acquiring the lands and rights for the cultivation of the plant. My role as the Peace Corps volunteer is to find out how to do the process, and find funding for the equipment and for the project in general. The internet is surprisingly vague on the matter, but hopefully by contacting individuals directly I can reach a solution. Ideally, I would like to have one on one time with someone that has done small scale biodiesel production before. However, it appears that if I succeed, I may be the only person in Cape Verde who knows how. Furthermore, I will need to be able to learn every intricacy of the process for I will have to teach the villagers how to do everything from processing the oil to machine maintenence, skills that I lack at present.

November

Since last posting things have stayed more or less the same. This month I revived the physical education class I was teaching and have been doing that consistently at 17:00 barring days where it is not possible. The exercise and music go a long way for me to relieve any feelings of restlessness I may have. The class is fun and although the turnout is variable, I could feel justified if just one person shows up. That is sometimes the case. I am still without a computer which has been the primary obstacle in accomplishing anything more substantial for the time being. On one day when I was able to borrow one I helped a good Cape Verdean friend of mine begin working on creating a business that Cha De Igreja really needs. I started by helping him fill out forms for requesting aid. On another occasion, when I had a borrowed laptop overnight I was able to form an excel spreadsheet which is the basis for a feasibility study he will do. I made it as detailed as my imagination could conceive and I found myself putting hours into it that flew by, as it was the most fun I had had in a while. When he looked over it the next day he told me that he was "muito satisfeito" with the job I had done, and those words really validated my work. It was a great feeling. I can't wait for the means to replicate the success of that small task any time I want to.
It will also help me post more often.
I've been working trying to research more for the biofuel project I've been aiming for, but the time I spend on the internet at a colleague's house isn't the same as the endless hours I can put in at home. Plus, it's just bad form when one only gets to see his PCV friends so often. However, in the brief period of time spent researching I have managed to get an idea of how the process works. The dried Jatropha seeds go into a "decortator" or something like that to remove the husks. Then they are put through a "expeller" to remove the oil. The latter piece of equipment is about $150 from where I saw it on the interweb and it seems manageable. Plus it is hand operated so no need for electricity. Stellar. However, Jatropha oil still needs to undergo a process called "Transesterification". As you might imagine from looking at the word, this is where I am getting lost. It sounds as if methanol and some other chemical are needed to transform the oil into fuel through a means which escapes me. The only information I have found is far too technical for me to decipher, and only addresses the chemistry of the process. The quest for knowledge continues. Hopefully, I can find some resources, ideally a human, to help me understand the process. Anyone know where I can get an instruction manual for a small scale Jatropha plant?

Went fishing the other day and I broke my record. 2 fish in one day...righteous.

Also, a fantastic group of PCVs from Africa came and visited making my week. Hearing tales from the continent fuels my desire to travel. I am looking forward to my friend Matt to visit for some good ol' island hopping.

The Storm

Shortly after my last post my island was hit with a storm, and the road to town was cut off again. The plus side, which likely outweighs the aforementioned inconvenience is that Cape Verde will stay green another month longer, and this is great for the local farmers. This last week I've been working with them, mostly with weeding, and have rather enjoyed it. People will wake up early and grab their "inchada" which is like a mini-hoe. I'm borrowing one right now. Then people go to the fields, sometimes closeby, sometimes over an hour away. They then work for a while, eat a breakfast that is delivered atop the head of a woman of one of the working families. Usually it is Cachupa and Coffee, which hits the spot at that time in the morning. The process is repeated for lunch. Anyways, it's been a really fun week, and my body is thanking me for the exercise.

I've sent out some emails to people involved in biodiesel production of Jatropha I've found on the internet with the hopes that they can give me some tips, advice, or most importantly instructions on how to go from plant to fuel. This is my part of the venture, Cesario is working on getting land permissions and securing some funds for renovating the wellhouse where the machine will go. We'll see how these things go. Fortunately, cultivating the plant itself is easy. It grows wildly in great numbers and is considered a weed. It grows where people don't have ongoing agriculture, which in Ribeira Alta is much of the land area (people are gradually emigrating to other places and countries). I planted some in pots at my house, and the plant is growing faster than anticipated. I will need a bigger pot. They require almost no water, which is good for Cape Verde. The seeds, which are produced from a plant after a year of age, return every year and can be handpicked easily, (they are a little bit larger than grapes). Hopefully I will have more to share about Jatropha and the project as I recieve replies from my cold-call emails.

The Ribeira Alta Biofuel Adventure

Okay,
So I've been doing these dailies, like the turtle stuff, interpreting, and helping farmers weed and such, but that's not really where my heart is at. I've been really setting my sights on this thing me and the Association leader from Ribeira Alta, so here goes;

Ribeira Alta is a tiny isolated village west of Cha de Igreja. It does not have road access and is a gruelling two hour hike from the nearest road. It is so isolated that makes Cha De Igreja look like St. Louis in terms of accessability. While for a couple months during the year the sea is calm enough to cut the travel time down with boat access, most transportation of goods and people involves a donkey at some point. There are about 200 inhabitants who live in the sheer cliffsides of the valley. The primary industry in Ribeira Alta is remittances and agriculture. The agriculture is principally sugarcane for making "grog" liquor and cassava.

The town has some fishing potential, and raises a fair amount of livestock as well. Unfortunately, these industries are of limited viability because of the electricity situation in the village. Ribeira Alta is not part of the electrical grid of Santo Antao, due to its location. Diesel fuel is provided by the local government to be put into the town's generator. However, this allows the village to have electricity for only 4 hours a day. Generally from 18:00 to 22:00. Furthermore the village is dependent on expensive imported fossil fuel.

The leader of the development association of Ribeira Alta, Cesario, has spoken with me about the solution to this problem. In Ribeira Alta's cliffsides, the Jatropha Curcas plant grows abundantly. The Jatropha plant's seeds, once processed, produce a biodiesel fuel capable of being used in the village generator. Cesario intends to refurbish an abandoned wellhouse and transform it into a miniature biofuel plant. My goal is to help Cesario realize this goal. We have met a number of times on this subject, and its success is my new all-consuming passion. I intend to help Ribeira Alta not only get the training and machinery necessary for this project, but also help encourage the locals to take advantage of the abundant unused lands to cultivate Jatropha on a small scale. Any thoughts?

Primary Project

Hi World,
I've been in a project soup lately. The last several months have largely consisted of me helping in some small part to the improvements of projects initiated by Cape Verdeans. This has been rewarding, as during our pre-service training (which was now over a year ago) we were taught to make sure all projects are sufficiently led by the host country nationals to ensure both interest and sustainability. This is a philosophy I agree with. People support that which they create, and the Cape Verdeans in my region have created a number of respectable projects. Most notably of those projects, has been the fishing community of Cruzinha which has made a conscientious shift in their treatment of Sea Turtles (Caretta Caretta). To my buddies in San Diego "The Caguama". Once a community that ate this endangered species, Cruzinha is now leading the fight in Cape Verde for their preservation. Recently, their efforts have earned them an international prize and some additional resources. I am proud to be a partner with this group, admittedly my contribution to this organization is mostly through my time spent doing turtle watches, and nothing much more sophisticated. The sea turtles haven't been nesting much in Santo Antao this year, but there is still some time left. I hope to participate further with this group in "sensibilization" which is travelling to other communities and for lack of a better word "preaching" the gospel of conservation over consumption.

I´m still here

Okay, long time no post, and unfortunately work related travel and a busted laptop have prevented me from being as bloggy as I had originally intended. The last month I got to meet a stellar group of human beings which are, the 2010 class of Peace Corps volunteers, their presence and go-getter spirit are an inspiration. Plus, they are a very lively group of people. Having the opportunity to go to Santiago and help with their training is one of the highlights of my service so far. Post more later.

End of May

Basic update of the things here

Computer donation project: Local government has promised us logistical assistance once the computers are shipped to the island of Santo Antao. Translation: If we get the $22,000 dollars to arrange, ship, ship again, inspect and transport the computers to the schools, they will accept them. Big thanks.

English instruction: After the average class size became .5 I decided to begin again with a different demographic. I started teaching English for tourism, and had a good number of people declare strong interest in the class. Wednesday's turnout: 5, 3 of which came upon my pleading and were just passing by, 1 of which was me.

Drip irrigation project: The minister of education laid down the first brick for the new resevoir tank last month. It is to date, the only brick there.

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New projects:

Study for the foreign service exam.
Study for the GRE
Cook every recipe in the Peace Corps cookbook
Eat the tomatoes I planted in February
Take photos of everything I own
Alphabatatize my TO DO list
Write another unpublished book

Suggestions?

Cooking

Cooking is important here. The time spent cooking is probably the easiest time to multitask that exists. Boredom is easy to withstand when your belly is full and the numbing presence of a food coma prevails throughout your body. Throw a cup of coffee on top of that and what was once tedius becomes "relaxing".

Street Value of a Bachelor's in Liberal Arts

My official country counterpart last night decided he would include me in something the association was doing. In a week or so, the association will be hosting a meeting to unite the other local associations to form a network of associations for greater bargaining power. An excellent idea. My role, as a college educated volunteer with experience in facilitation and running meetings has finally gotten a role in something the association is doing. I have been requested to wash dishes and help peel the manioc for the dinner.

Care Package

Today I recieved a domestic care package. It was well put together and contained a CD which had an arrangement of songs almost identical to a CD I was going to make myself. I rocked it as I played darts and contemplated what to do with the millions of hours I have left. Life is good.

Progress

Yesterday was stellar. I went flat broke paying my internet bill, but it was worth it. When I returned to Cha I spent the latter part of the afternoon setting up a dartboard. Normally this process takes a good 15 minutes in America where tools are easily at hand and all walls are made of wood. Here, on the other hand, the process is quite complicated. The people in my village are the definition of the word helpful. I recruited two friends of mine to help set it up. This involved drilling holes into solid rock and screwing a sheet of protective wood to the wall. Hours of borrowing tools all over town, improvising washers from wine corks and broken sandals, and keeping my worker's morales high with grog, cigarettes, and coffee the project was a success. I not only owe a gigantic thanks to all of the people in my town who helped me with this project, but also to my brother who magically knew the perfect gift for me and sent it to me without me even asking. My other brother, I owe much praise to as well, for he sent me the box of leathermans (leathermen?) which made installation possible. When I woke up this morning I felt extremely happy because I felt like I went to sleep in my house and woke up in my home. Throwing darts (for the first time in daylight in Cape Verde) brought me back to the priceless days of spending time with my college roommates killing hours aiming for that 20 times 3 zone.

Oh and my drip irrigation project finally got approved and they are laying the first brick today,

Tope De Coroa

About a month ago I crashed a seminar on drip irrigation that was happening in Paul. It has come to that. While I was there I met some international types (Canaries and Spanish). They mentioned in passing that they were gearing up for a backpacking trip to the highest point on the island(Tope De Coroa). When they found out (unaccidently) that I like to backpack too, they added me to the team. We left Cha De Igreja on a Saturday at the crack of dawn. The 5 of us went up and down mountains for the majority of that day. We took rest stops occasionally and I got to spend some time in Cha De Igreja's long lost cousin "Ribeira Alta". That night we arrived around 9 PM in the Boca de Alta Mira and we befriended the schoolkeeper to let us use that facility to lay down our bags.
The following morning we trekked to Ribeira da Cruz and continued through the beautiful 45 degree angled "Martiene" We kept going until we reached the side of my island that looks like a hilly Savanna with no evidence of water ever being presence there. In the middle of BFN we came across a house that takes visitors and we stayed the night.

After resting, and eating at the rest stop we started walking in the direction of the big hill (Tope De Coroa). The journey up was fun. We were observed on all sides by wild goats. When we reached the top, the air was so dusty the view was practically non-existent. We took our puctures and ate our goat cheese rations and then set off down the hill. The descent was way more fun, as you could run full speed down the soft rock mixture and it felt as if one was flying. The trip was visually unexciting, but the experience itself was quite fun.

Bwaaah!

Hell yeah! I don't know why I just fell like typing that...doens't have the same value as screaming it out loud, but the townsfolk probably think I have enough parafusos loose already.. Haha, I just did it anyways. Too be fair, my walls are cement and soundproof and no one really knows what that means here. Unfortunately, I have not found an equally enthusiastic Creolo phrase. It is probably like "Very Well" = Muito Bem! Just said enthusastically. My enthusiasm comes from an unknown source, but I don't mind waking up feeling my oates from time to time. I got up and I thought to myself..jeez Grant..you have absolutely no idea what you're going to do today (aside from tenatively translate a letter with the principal of the school). I was thinking about hiking down to the canyon today and looting an old washing machine frame that was down there. If I could powersaw the sides off, I think they would make great shelves for my work in progress bookshelf.

But Thomas, you might ask, why build a shelf out of scrap metal and tin cans when you have all your fora money accumulating and you could just go out and buy one the next time you're in Ribeira Grande. The answer, of course, is that if I bought one it would be hard for me to justify building one out of tin cans and scrap metal. Listening to funana in the morning is like drinking a coffee through an IV, and instead of going to just your bloodstream it goes to your soul too, the end.

Success

Made cachupa successfully! It was more like feijupa because there wasn't enough corn in my village, so it was mostly beans. Still tasty. All six of my students are demanding more English classes, so I will oblige. Also, breakdance class was a success, and demand for more of those have increased. I'm not exactly doing the development work I had in mind, but I'm at least keeping busy.

Cockroach Basketball

The rules: If a cockroach is on the walls near the toilet you get two swats to attempt to knock him or her directly into the toilet bowl. Only partial credit if the roach is stunned from the plastic bottle you throw at it.

A colleague of mine has a similar game, but it is required that you have less than perfect vision, and of course cockroaches.

Today I had a ton of success. My association that I work with decided to get moving on the gota gota thing I had suggested. A tecnico from the ministry of agriculture came out with my counterpart and I to scout out a potential placement site for a storage tank. After revisting the cliff I almost fell off on my first day here we checked out two more sites. The pouridge was just right on the last one, and there is a couple of townsfolk trying to get a hold of the owner. Hopefully it pans out. I have also heard that a couple people are going to try to make it to my earlier English class tomorrow. I also successfully made French Fries. This marks the first time I've ever successfully fried ANYTHING on my own. Its been a good day.

In Like A Lion

I start teaching English classes again today. Hopefully the Igrejians will be remotivated for learning another language by my super-sized poster thats up in the Praca. I found cow meat at a store in the Cha-D-Igeja, and I bought it without thinking. The opprtunity to get new food at site is always welcome, but in my haste I forgot that my years of vegetarianism have left me clueless on how to even prepare this frozen block of cow. They say on the internet to thaw it in your fridge for a good while so I hope it works. You better be right about this internet!

Carnival

A group of the more intrepid volunteers made a trip to Carnival in Sao Nicolau. I was fortunate enough to join these brave souls as they embarked on a glitter filled journey through a land of wonder and catchy songs. At the climax of our journey we were 18 strong, which is more volunteers than I will ever see at any one time in the Barlavento (Northern Half of the island chain). I love Cape Verdeans, but partying with people who speak your language is a treat like no other. When I am in the company of people who understand my language, I feel a refreshing sense of identity. The journey started on Wednesday when I got to visit Brendan and Steve's site and see the beautiful mountain they live on. I was pleased to have my favorite Santiago duo waiting for me as well when I arrived. Once we had seen their site sufficiently well the party train made a voyage for Taraffal where I got to meet the famous Mr. Beach and hang out on that side for a couple days. The highlight of that experience surly was the beach camping trip we made two hours up the shore from Taraffal. On this beautiful beach we made fire, caught up with each other, made food, and even saw bioluminecent (sp?) shrimp. I haven't been camping since America and the experience was truly incredible.

A morning filled with frisbee, emerald waters, and sun greeted us the next day as we shook off the night before. Brendan managed to even show the Cape-Verdeans how to toss the pig skin around, and others went James-Bonding on some fish. We returned satisfied from the beach and ready for the night ahead...which just so happened to be Carnival Wooooooooooooooo!

Our costumes, which were ready by 3am, were a mixture of a Japanese Cartoon villian, an Aztec warrior, and a seahorse were even more awesome than they sound. We rocked these for the three days of Carnival and even a little bit on the "rest day". The parade we danced in was hypnotising with bright lights, colorful costumes, two songs played over and over back to back but still left you wanting more, and the most material you could put on women's costumes and still describe them as scantily clad. Dancing three steps to the left and three steps to the right through narrow cobblestone streets really puts you in a strange trance. By the time we got to the finish of each parade I was shellshocked. My original plan was to go to just one Carnival in Sao Nicolau, and switch it up by going to Mindelo the following year. Plans change.

Blog!

I had an awesome two page post that was colorfully written and just getting to the good part when my backspace mysteriously took me into another dimension where my blog post don't exist. Your loss. It was really good, but I guess you'll never know what happened to me the last couple days.
Here's the cliff notes
Random wave of euphoria overcame me on a hike, and I've been kicking ass and taking names since.
Last night I went to Povacao and had a great time
I'm going to Sao Nicolau, because thats what all the cool kids are doing for Carnaval. If you're not going its either because youre following this blog from America, which makes me proud of you. Or you are a PCV who doesn't have the stones to do real Carnaval, which means I still love you, but I am disappointed.
I miss my last entry as well as the stray dog I was becoming best friends with.

2010 For The Win

The new years has been awesome so far. Normally New Years is my favorite holiday, and this year, despite unfamiliar circumstances, was no exception. I spent the 31st hanging out on the beach listening to music, when I returned to town I made supper and nothing out of the ordinary. At midnight however, I saw the sleepy little town I live in transform into a celebration unrivaled by American towns 20 times its size. The town chucked fireworks into the air and the local drivers, including the ambulance, got all 5 of the town's cars together and made laps around the town honking as bystanders jumped in or on each of them. Once sufficently full, the vans and trucks went cruising down the north ramp of our town singing and cheering in the new year. Our destination was the nearby fishing Village of Cruzinha where a parallel party was occurring. Everyone got out of the vehicles after much cheering to wish each other new years. In my life I don't know if I've ever experienced such genuine well wishing in my life and the holiday spirit was unrivaled. Most everyone was rocking at least a 14 tooth smile (excepting those who hadn't the means) and the momentum carried us all the way back to Cha d' Igreja for the real party. We got back at one, at which point I got a call from my brothers. It was great to hear from them as I haven't heard their voices in nearly six months. We caught up as best we could with the noise and connection quality.
The party rivaled most anything I'd experienced in San Diego. Everyone was dancing, young and old alike, and the ponche and wine flowed like rivers. The venue was a night club that opened on special occasions in Cha De Igreja, and on the inside it was a legitamite night club, with a bar, dance floor, full sound, colorful lights etc. I was disappointed to see the party wind down at four, and I reluctantly went home which was 60 feet away. It was a good way to start the new year although I was kicking myself the next day.........people didn't go home at 4AM, it turns out they just took the party back to Cruzinha.