So I'm back on Boa Vista. And really happy to be here. Helping Peace Corps with training wasn't too bad, but as a friend put it, it's often easy to forget that we work with the US government, but we all remembered during PST. Lots of evaluations, meets, forms to fill out, etc etc. Like any large organization. But I'm back on my comfy island, enjoying my life once more. I spent a couple days on Sal afterwards, just to hang out with Kyle and Caryn. I'll be heading back that way via boat for Sal's big music festival in a couple weeks.
Anyway. Very little has changed since I left, which shouldn't be surprising. A couple of Portuguese comp sci students were here for a month teaching some classes as part of a cooperative program between their school and the câmara. I kind of met them, but we didn't really talk much. For some reason, I am shy about my português do Portugal, and yet I will speak with Brazilians with no problem. Weird. But I apparently missed an awesome music festival here as well as a few really great parties. A lot of kids studying outside the country were back for the summer, but now most of them have gone back abroad, so no more good parties for me. I guess I missed the best part of the summer. Damn.
Still, there was one good beach party on Saturday. It was on a beach about 15 minutes walk north of town, where there is basically nothing except sand, water, and one lone Coke kiosk. I heard about it from a friend and wandered over around 11, and was kind of surprised to find that it was already going strong. Normally this stuff doesn't really pick up until 1:30 or so. At first, they wouldn't let me in, because apparently you had to get a wristband from someone or other, and they weren't letting in any more people. But it's all about who you know, so I asked a couple friends of mine, and I got in after a few minutes. I didn't even pay full price, just because I drink at the same bar as the guys who threw the party. Anyway, they had fenced off a part of the beach, set up some drink stands and a DJ booth, and asked everyone to dress in red and white. I don't have anything red, so I had to go just white. I guess it worked out. It was your usual Cape Verdean party: lots of dancing, lots of drinking, lots of pretty girls wearing almost nothing. Plus, it was right on the beach. Unfortunately for me, I got drunk too early and ended up home in bed by 2:30, which was sad. Because the party went until the next afternoon.
Kyle copied me tons of TV shows he downloaded when he was in the US. I now have 3 seasons of Lost, 3 of Arrested Development, and one each of Scrubs and The Office. Plus a bunch of movies. Good, quality entertainment.
