Well, first of all, why am I blogging from Boa Vista, when I am supposed to be in Tarrafal for training and conferences right now? The answer starts with the Sahara. Whenever there is a strong easterly wind, it picks up dust from the Sahara and carries it straight across the Atlantic to the Carribean. But we get it first and worst. It’s not like there is sand choking the streets or anything (no more than normal at least), but visibility is reduced to shit. Last week, São Vicente had it pretty bad apparently, and no flights left the island for a few days. So even if flights were back on for Sunday, they would have been backed up pretty badly. And considering that Mindelo and Santo Antão have about a quarter of the volunteers there, Peace Corps saw it fit to just cancel the whole thing until the end of the month. So instead of being in Tarrafal right now, starting In-Service Training, I am right where I’d normally be. And the chaos with the flights screwed over Caryn, who is visiting us. She was supposed to fly to Praia with us, and now can’t get a flight back home to Sal. We don’t mind. We like the company.

Mel and Courtney also visited us over the weekend. We spent all day Saturday at François’ shack, which is no surprise, considering that I spend every weekend there. I finally am good enough at windsurfing where I can lean all the way back, pull the sail tight against the wind, and really take off down the bay. This is still with a 3.3 m sail (which is tiny), so I’ve got a ways to go. But I digress. We all intended to hit up Mazurka late that night, but we were all so tired from the beach that we elected to skip it. Instead, we bought two cases of beer and settled in for a marathon game of asshole that left us all hammered and out of control. Pictures to follow if I can remember to post them.

What else? I am just really disappointed that I am not on Santiago right now. I was looking forward to seeing everybody. It’s also really screwed up my work schedule. We now have to postpone two of my classes to begin in February instead of next week. I was putting off started a couple projects until after IST, and now… Well now I don’t know what to do with myself. Sucks.

Oh, and my birthday was good. I spent the day windsurfing (claro), and then we all got hammered at Pub Makenna in the square. Good times. Only annoying part was when Diva from the CEJ came to my apartment to tell me that I was needed here. So I pulled myself together and walked over with her. And it was just this guy who works for a construction company in town, whom I have been helping a bit with a computer problem. And he had been calling every half hour, asking for me constantly (despite the fact that I had already been there earlier in the day), basically to ask me what I could do to help them fix it.