July with the Perlas

Well, the elevator at our apartment was broken today, so my “Grocery store-then-Park” plan was foiled.  It is one thing to carry a 20+ pound baby down seven flights of stairs, but a whole other thing to have to carry groceries back up.  Plus no trip the park is complete without at least four blankets and a bag full of toys (and by bag I mean the ginormous XL LL Bean tote that was given to Jack by the Wagners- we love it!).

So since we were stuck inside (and Jack played happily in his playpen for a moment, while Strela slept on the couch) I took this opportunity to catch up on the blog.

July was marked by a jam-packed visit from my parents.  It was their first time to Europe in about ten years, I think, and their first time to Austria.  If you know us well, you know that we sure did our fair bit of eating throughout the trip and my dad was good at picking out new places.  Here we are at our new favorite place, an Austrian Beisl that served delightful hot pretzels upon arrival.  We have been back many times since.

The weather was quite warm for the visit, but the hottest weekend was the one we spent in Budapest.  We truly loved the city and its sites, even though it was oppressively hot.  We even had to get in the hotel pool to cool off.  Sadly Mike stayed behind in Vienna (by the way, I almost typed Praia) with Strela, so we will definitely have to get another family trip to Budapest underway ASAP.  It's only a short 3 hour drive, so I have a feeling we will check that off our list soon.  Here is Jack in his luxurious train seat and in the pool with Grandpa.

Though we aimed to try many Austrian and Hungarian wines during the visit, the weather was so insanely warm, that we didn’t even want to drink!  We did enjoy some cold beer and “Soda Zitrones” at all our various jaunts.  Soda Zitrone has become the Perla Signature drink- so simple, I do not know why they do not serve it everywhere in the States.  It is just sparkling water with a generous amount of fresh squeezed lemon juice.  Some places will add a sprig of mint or other citrus fruits, but it is the most refreshing way to enjoy cafes outdoors when the temperature is nearing three figures in Fahrenheit.  I still can’t get used to the Europeans saying, "It’s going to be 35 on Sunday!" in horror.

Though we tried to fit in some site-seeing, it was really just a pleasure to spend time together.  Other highlights of the trip include my mom teaching Jack to clap his hands (here he is practicing) and watch Jack "crawl" around (he now does actually crawl on all fours, but just as of a few weeks ago).  

For more photos of the touristy activities and sights, see our Flickr page at flickr.com/mralles.

Naked Father's Day?

American Father’s Day was Sunday and I knew that Mike would want to be outside.  Additionally, another homework assignment from the dog trainer was to get Strela out to the countryside for a long, fun walk.  A Father’s Day walk/hike/picnic was born.  One of the nicest things about the city of Vienna is that the countryside (and a national park) are less than 30 minutes away.  We headed there on Sunday afternoon and while warm, it was sunny and beautiful which was a welcome change from the rainy, dreary weather we had been having. 

Smiley Dog

Jack trying out the new Baby Pack

The walk was fairly uneventful (after getting past many a dog at the entrance), and Strela was able to roam freely on her new long 45 ft lead.  She was a happy pup.  Mike had Jack on his back in our new Baby Pack that Jack LOVES.  Being up high and able to look all around has him beaming. 

We settled under a tree for a delicious picnic (if I do say so myself) when we reflected on something a bit odd in Austria.  People love to be naked.  There are lakes and canals around this national park and many were sunbathing….naked.  Not your normal Sunday in America but we were warned of this. It was the senior citizen hiker buck naked wearing shoes and a shoulder bag, or the 40 something guy ahead of you, nude, on his bike, or groups of people walking together in the buff that really caught your eye.  Now I know that Americans are more modest (possibly to a fault) than Europeans in general, but even my new British friend agrees the Austrians take it to a new level.  Don't worry, we didn't take any pictures of that.

My Daddy is #1

Sleeping Jack and Sweaty Daddy

Mommy and Jack cleaning up to head back

Animal Antics

Pigeon Out.  I can't say with full certainty that it is true, but I haven't seen Lady Pigeon for a solid 36 hours.  Plus, yesterday I did notice some odd bird feathers lying around the lobby floor.  One can't help but wonder if there are somewhat connected.

Either way, we sat outside with friends last night in a pigeon-free environment.  Let's hope this means the case is resolved...


Strela...sit.  Well, sitting is the one thing that Strela can do rather consistently on command.  However for all of her other "special needs" we have brought in an "Animal Behaviourist" named Helen as Strela has never had any formal dog training. Helen is British, note that I call her a behaviourist and not a trainer, and note my use of the fancy British spelling.  She is nothing short of amazing, and would truly give Cesar Milan a run for his money.

Helen worked with us for a couple of hours on Wednesday night and gave us TONS of homework.  Our first exercise is to help Strela process all the stimulus in this crazy city life we have thrown her into.  We now walk at a snail's pace and talk to Strela the whole time.  "Strela, what is that smell?  Strela, do you see that car? Strela, did you hear that bird?"  We may look funny, in fact we DEFINITELY look funny, but it helps us all derive more joy out of the walks.  Many of you probably already know that the only member of our family that is not dog-friendly...is our dog.  So these walks are only peaceful until Strela terrorizes the smallest chihuahua or the largest great dane with her bark (which we hold out hope would be worse than her bite).  Sigh, baby steps- literally- in dog training.  It's a good thing we love her so much.

Now some photos for good measure:

How could you not love this puppers?  Curled up in Jack's room before naptime.

Jack loves Strela. Photos from our first days in Vienna.

Pigeongate 2012

Our new home in Vienna is really beautiful.  We have a “huge” kitchen by European standards, a washer and dryer which is still something unusual in European cities and though we certainly downsized from our palatial Praia home, we still feel like we have enough space to accommodate our family of 3+dog.  One of the best surprises about our place was that we have a small deck off the kitchen.  We were not expecting ANY outdoor space, so while it is tiny and has a view of…well, nothing at all, it is big enough for a couple of chairs and a grill, and that is all that we really need. 

Our kitchen when we first moved in.

Being on the interior courtyard (more like a shaft for lack of a better explanation) of the building, this little balcony of ours has been plagued by city-dwelling pigeons since we arrived.  Not to state the obvious but pigeons are really gross and they have taken to using our balcony as their toilet as well as a perch in which to torment Strela into endless fits of barking. 

The Embassy maintenance services mentioned the pigeon problem to us when arrived.  The landlord wanted to install a net over our balcony to keep away the pigeons. We were less than excited about sitting on this already tiny balcony underneath a net, so we tried to solve the problem ourselves…with a plastic lawn owl.  We were really banking on this owl to work, and moved it around to make it appear lifelike.  Not only did the owl not deter the pigeons, but the pigeons were so not fooled that they would sit atop the owl and even use him as their toilet as well.  

The owl is creepy to me, just not the pigeons.

So after the owl failed us, we agreed to have the net installed.  We were so pleased when the net did not just cover our little patio, but spanned the entire length of the courtyard really not altering our “view” at all and maintaining an airy feel to the space. This four-day operation was quite impressive, complete with men in harnesses repelling off the roof of the building.  {Sidebar:  Strela thought that they were trying to break into our house and that led to more endless fits of barking.}   After the job was complete Mike asked, “Do you think they made sure that all the pigeons were out of there before sealing it off?”  And I said, “Of course they did!  This is Austria.  Everyone is so serious and diligent, they would never make such a mistake.”  Well, I was the one who was mistaken.  Not only did they leave behind a pigeon but apparently a nest of baby pigeons besides.

Since then the pigeon issue has actually escalated.  Now the one pigeon left has made a complete home on our balcony.  I have come to realize that this is for two reasons: 1) She has much fewer options as she is TRAPPED BELOW THE NET! and 2) Our kind but, in my humble opinion, misguided neighbors across the courtyard above the net, have taken to throwing bread onto our balcony so the pigeon won’t starve to death.  What am I to say to them? Please don’t do throw bread onto my balcony.  This net that was installed solely for our unit should just kill this pigeon mama?! Not to mention our neighbor is the Ambassador from Panama so I do not want to create a diplomatic incident.

The net working...

Stay tuned for resolution of Pigeongate 2012.

How big is Jack?!

This weekend, Mike and I taught Jack how to do, “So Big!”  We are both amazed at watching him learn this simple, but unbelievably rewarding game for all involved.  First we would ask, “How big is Jack?” and help him lift up his arms for “So Big!”  Then we would model it, lifting up our arms, and he would follow. Then Jack, without being asked, would hilariously lift up his arms spontaneously, to which we would enthusiastically exclaim, “So Big!” And now he is really doing it on command.  I have a little video of a performance here.  Strela was getting in on the playtime of course.

As of today, we have taken "So Big!" on the road.  Jack and I take a children's music class once a week on Monday mornings.  The class is made up of both Austrian and expat parents and babies, but we are the only Americans and I have come to find out that "So Big!" is not a worldwide phenomenon.  Anyway, Jack  has loved this music class from the beginning.  One of his favorite times of class is when we sing a song that goes, “We are going to shake, shake, shake, and shake and shake, and shake and shake and STOP!”  The kids and parents use little egg shaped rattles as the instruments to accompany the words.  We have purchased our own eggs to sing at home as well.  Today when the little shakers were brought out, Jack took one in each of his hands, and instead of eating them as he normally does, he put both his hands above his head for “So Big!” The teacher thought this was so cute that soon the whole class would be shaking the eggs and when they stopped, they would all put their hands above their heads like Jack.  I don’t know what it was about this moment, but I was giddy with pride, totally emotional, and just plain silly.  I tried to get a picture of the class doing The Jack, but I just was unable to capture it.  Here is the best I could do without making a complete spectacle of myself.  

Tchau Cabo Verde, Guten Tag Austria!

The Ralles Family in Vienna, a photo by mralles on Flickr.

Well, since I last posted, Mike and I had a baby, said goodbye to our beloved first post of Praia, Cape Verde, spent a whirlwind nearly three months in the United States and moved all of our belongings, including our precious cargo of Jack and Strela to the capital city of Austria, Vienna. Phew.

Now that we are (mostly) settled into our new home, I’d like to at least pretend that I am going to start blogging again. While this tour may not have the quirks and interesting side stories of Cape Verde, there is so much to do and see to keep us adventurers very busy.

We have been in Vienna just over two months now and love it so far. Mike thinks this is the most urban neighborhood we have ever called home, as we are fortunate to live in the city center, close to amazing sights, restaurants and shopping! I may need to get a job, either to keep me from shopping or be able to afford to do so. ☺ But I am not getting a job just yet, so Baby Jack and I explore the city, take a Music Together class on Monday mornings, and join a couple playgroups (really so Mommy can make some friends!).

If you want to SEE what we have been up to, check out our Flickr site. www.flickr.com/mralles. I try to upload pictures monthly, but we also post random pics on the go from our working cell phones!

Excited to be on a new adventure, and excited to be back to blogging. Everyone keeps telling us that now that we are in Europe, we will get tons of visitors. They are about as flabbergasted that we had 20 visitors to CV as they are that we liked it there. Check out our visitor list and poll.

Auf Wiedersehen for now!

Big Day!

February 6th was a big day in the Ralles Household. It certainly didn’t start out as a typical Wednesday morning. I woke up Mike with the news that we were expecting Baby Ralles! As I sat home that morning trying NOT to announce the pregnancy to the world, Mike went to work in a daze. After a few short hours, Mike called because we received the much-anticipated email (yes, email) announcing our next assignment with the Foreign Service…Vienna, Austria!

The weeks that we were waiting for our next assignment were filled with great anxiety and a little sadness. We started to realize our time in this special, tiny place was coming to an end, an end that will come rather quickly. But as soon as we found out about Baby Ralles (due October, 2011) and Vienna (ETA March, 2012), we started thinking about the future with equal anxiety but this time much more excitement.

The Ralles Adventure timeline:

August- Rachel returns to the U.S. to wait for Baby Ralles
September- Mike comes for a visit and brings Strela to the U.S.
October- Mike returns in time for Baby Ralles’ arrival
Early December (est)- The Ralles Family (minus Strela) returns to close out in Praia
End of January (est)- The Ralles Family leaves Praia for the U.S. (training in DC and home leave)
End of March (est)- The Ralles Family reunited with Strela head on for the next adventure in Austria!

We hope to see as many friends and family as possible in our time in the States. As for 2012, our visitor count in Cape Verde stands at 20. Can we surpass that in Vienna? Only you know the answer!

Playing Catch-up

Not such a great blog when you do not write on it between the months of March and May, but I will try to do a quick (there is no way it will be) write up of the highlights of Ralles Adventure and post some new photos from on Flickr. After this catch-up, I hope to get back on track.

1. March 6-8th Carnival! After not doing anything remarkable for the all-important holiday of Carnival in 2010, we decided to pick up and head to the island of São Vicente for the celebration this year. São Vicente, and its capital Mindelo, is known for its lavish parades, all night parties, and general Carnival flavor. We got it all! We spent four or five days there eating, drinking, and being merry in the company of good friends from Praia and my cousin Amanda visiting from the States! See photos for the elaborate costumes and beautiful scenery of São Vicente.

2. Rachel got a job! At the beginning of April, I started as the Community Liaison Coordinator (CLO) at the Embassy, which Mike kindly refers to as the Social Chair. It is the PERFECT job for me, because not only is it all about working with people at the Embassy, which I love, it is also only part time (8:30-12:30) so I still manage to fit in long afternoon naps, General Hospital, and time with Strela. Oh, yeah and cooking and grocery shopping at eight different stores as well.

3. Visitor’s Galore! We have been the luckiest (and busiest) of all the officers at the Embassy keeping up with our plethora of visitors. In January, Mike’s cousin Erica came for a week and along with vacationing, did some really interesting work and research into Cape Verdean politics and elections. After she departed for her own whirlwind trip around the world, our friends Elizabeth and Joe from DC came for a week and we certainly made the most of pool time, a hiking day trip, and of course more eating. As mentioned above my cousin Amanda’s visit was perfectly timed with Carnival for a trip to another island, but she also got to see all that Santiago had to offer with afternoon trips to Cidade Velha and Assomada. In April, we had our first mini-visitor, Mike’s friend from Minnesota, Tobit, and his wife Thia brought their 2 ½ year old cutie pie, Aven. Tobit and Mike snuck away from Praia for a few days to hike the picturesque island of Santo Antão, while Thia, Aven and I spent our girl-time at the beach and pool in Boa Vista. Aven seemed to LOVE the African wildlife, and here that means cows and goats. This, we welcomed Mike’s cousin Steve and his two buddies flying in from Minnesota. They mark our TWENTIETH visitors, which we think is incredible! We feel so fortunate to have such adventurous family and friends, and are definitely the leaders in visitors to Embassy Praia. Go Ralles Adventurers!

4.U.S. Trip Extravaganza! Mike and I just got back from a fantastic vacation in the States. We know that our life sort of looks like a vacation all the time, but this was our first family-free (sorry moms and dads) vacation since our honeymoon and we did it up! First we made a quick stop in our old stomping ground of Chicago. The weather totally cooperated and we got to spend some serious quality time with good friends and of course (here we go again) good food. We especially enjoyed a trip to Whole Foods with Rachel Sher, where we commandeered a box and just walked the aisles filling it with things we miss from America. Rachel ended up getting a couple of new things for her pantry as well ☺.

Then from Chicago we ventured West, as far west as I have ever been, to the Pacific Northwest. We arrived on a beautiful and sunny day, took in a Seattle Mariners baseball game (they actually won!), took the ferry to Bainbridge, walked the markets of Seattle, and spent some time with our CV friends Kelly and Ná.

After a grand time in Seattle we drove north to Vancouver for my first trip across the border to Canada, eh? (Yes, I have been to Albania but never to Canada) We had an awesome visit with Mike and Lily Leung (you may recognize them from our 2010 visitor list). Mike was an excellent tour guide, showing us all of Vancouver and then Lily hosted us for a night up in charming Whistler. I am sure you are not surprised to hear that we also ate our way through yet another city, but the food is just so good, and there are so many choices, like a KimChi Korean Burrito and Poutine! Photos from our USA vacation are coming soon.

After a rainy drive back south to catch our flight, we left Seattle armed with some Copper River Salmon and headed to NJ for a couple nights before flying to Lisbon. Since this is probably the best Portuguese we (and by we I mean Mike) will ever speak we decided to take it for a ride and spent a few days in Porto, Portugal, which was beautiful with sunny, warm weather, and of course more food. It was only a little awkward and mildly embarrassing when I opened my mouth to speak Portuguese and out came Cape Verdean Kriolu. Oh well!

Well, if you are still reading this long, drawn out post, THANK YOU! And because you are still reading, I promise to be a better blogger in the coming months!

Lots of love from the land of sunshine!

Sometimes I forget we live in Africa...

Then I take Strela for a walk and find a large grazing horse on the way.  Strela looks at it like it is an oversized dog, and she doesn't know if she should run to it to play and run away in fear.  Luckily she is on a tight leash, so doesn't have the option of doing either.

Yesterday during our walk we encountered three cows and their owner.  I tried to joke around with him that in America it would be strange to find cows grazing in the middle of the city, so that is why I was standing on the street corner taking pictures of his livestock.  The humor seemed lost on him, but then again this was all in Kriolu so who knows what I was really saying.

Then during lunch, my conversation was interrupted by a pick-up truck driving past with huge speakers on the back blasting music announcing the big event at the most popular club this weekend.  This is a common occurrence in Cape Verde as the most popular means of advertising. Legislative elections were last weekend and we were relieved when they were over because that meant that we wouldn't have to trail these trucks on the road blasting the opposition party's loud, but catchy, song (see video), MESTI MUDA! This means, "need change," wonder where they got that campaign idea from?**  Thank goodness we live in a quiet cul-de-sac!

mesti muda mp3 download

Last week I started a new tradition that I know I will miss when this experience ends.  We have an orange tree in our front yard that has become quite prolific in producing delicious, unique oranges native to Cape Verde.  They are green and yellow on the outside and their flesh is a key lime color.  They are sort of a cross between the sweetness of an orange and the tartness of a lime and their juice reminds me a little of grapefruit juice but sweeter.  Though it takes me about thirty to forty oranges to make a pitcher of juice, I don't mind taking the time because it is SABI!  And really, what else do I have to do? :)

Sometimes it is easy to forget where we are when we spend time in our house dubbed mini-America by our friends who don't have all the perks that come with being in the Foreign Service.  Especially after last week when we received a shipment of goodies from the States that we purchased and shipped when we were home in October.  I don't know what we were thinking with our several flatbed carts at Costco, we have no place to put all of this stuff!  In fact, I have itemized four major boxes to store some extra canned and dry goods until we run out of what I can fit in our pantry.  Ah, life in Africa.  In all seriousness, in the four months it took for all of this food and drink to make it here by boat via Antwerp and the Canary Islands, I have gotten completely used to making due with what I have available to me, that I was almost annoyed that I had to deal with all of these things.  Then we ate chips and salsa and had a Mexican feast complete with Corona so I decided, hey I could live with this.

Love from Mini-America to Maxi-America!

**Please note that The Ralles Family does not endorse any candidate, political party or policy in Cape Verde.

Family Time

Happy New Year!
Originally uploaded by mralles

You know you are behind on blogging when you are about to start a new post with: So one month and one week ago but... one month and one week ago my sister Meredith and her husband Ted arrived for a week-short visit. It went by so quickly, I am surprised we have so many pictures to show for it!

We traveled from our island of Santiago to the nearest island, Maio (named for the month of May, when it was discovered) and the flight by propeller plane lasted only 7 minutes and 54 seconds. Yes, you are reading that correctly, the flight was LESS than eight minutes long, which was probably a good thing since my sister was not too pumped about the ride. I think it actually took us three to four times as long to get our luggage as it did to fly to this island.

Anyway, we were picked up at the airport by a slightly creepy German guy who showed us to our "villa." I am putting villa in quotation marks because I can sense all of your thoughts of amazing, luxurious conditions; and while our home for two nights was adequate, it was not what you dream. However, the view from all areas of the house and the two hammocks that hung on our large terrace were highlights of the trip for sure. We chose Maio because Meri and Ted wanted beaches, and Maio, with its tiny population of 4,000 people (we think we may have seen everyone), is known for unspoiled, private beaches. In fact, the rumor in Praia is that Maio is where you go to walk along the beach naked. Don't worry, we didn't try that.

During the day we defrosted our Manhattan visitors on various beaches around the island, and during the evenings we ate and drank to our heart's content at the island's two main restaurants enjoying the local delicacy buzio (conch), African lagosta (lobster) in a variety of ways, and fresh caught tuna carpaccio. Some confusion did arrive on the first night when we asked for dessert. In Portuguese/Kriolu, we thought we were asking for a crepe with banana AND chocolate. The waitress asked for clarification and we said we wanted "both." Then a crepe arrived with just chocolate, we were a bit sad for no banana, but we ate it and enjoyed it and waited for the check. THEN a second crepe arrived with just bananas. After having a good laugh at the expense of Mike's and my language skills, we had no trouble digging in for a second helping of dessert.

It was hard to leave the quiet and breathtaking views of Maio, but it was New Year's Eve and time to get back to Praia for the parties. We had made (what we thought was) dinner reservations at the 4-star hotel in town which turned out to be a full party with open bar, live music, and A LOT of food. This was a welcome surprise except we were also expected at the Diplomatic Wine and Cheese party. There was no doubt that we made this work out by attending BOTH parties!

Meri and Ted's visit was rounded out on New Years Day by lunch at our "empregada," Conseição's house. She really has become part of our family and it was so nice that she invited us to have lunch with her family. She made (and sent us home with) an incredible amount of delicious local food including Feijoada which was a Segal family favorite. Meri told me if I don't learn how to make it while I am here, it is just a travesty.

The photos don't lie, this was a great visit, now if only we could get our parents to come...

Getting Crafty in Africa

Sad attempt at sewing, actually a third sad attempt.
Originally uploaded by mralles

So it turns out that I am about as crafty in Cape Verde as I am in the United States. Not so much. In November I decided to be a joiner and attend a week-long workshop at the Brazilian Cultural Center to make holiday decorations. Being that we are going to stay put for the holiday season, I thought it would be a good idea to brighten our house with some festive decor.

After the first night was spent listening to the instructor, in Portuguese, lecture us on the appropriate colors of the holidays season [don’t you dare use purple to decorate your Christmas Tree!] I was not sure I was even going to return the second night. Turns out, I have nothing else to do. So I showed up on Tuesday with my homework complete. I was to cut out fabric Christmas Trees. Upon arrival at class I found out we were going to have to sew these things together, turn them inside out, stuff them and make little pillow ornaments out of them (see lead photo). I thought, “How hard could that be?” Wow. Sewing. Way hard. To add insult to injury I attended this class with two women, Joy who is an exceptional sewer and Susan who certainly understated her experience sewing, both from different generations than me, if you know where I am going with this. Not to replay the whole conversation, but at one point it was said, “Your mother doesn't sew, how does she get through life?”

On night three, I have decided I am just done sewing. I really don't care if everyone in the class has made four different ornaments and I have yet to finish my one. I am done. I eye the glue gun when I get there and am ready to rock it out with that. The whole night everyone is telling me how beautiful my candy dish looks the way I decorated it with these red and green rocks, so I think I am doing a fantastic job. Until I get home and show said candy dish to my lovely husband. That is when I realize this candy dish is actually kind of ugly (though now I secretly love it). What's worse is that I had three burnt fingers to show for it.

The fourth night Susan had the brilliant idea to bring wine to class. Not only did this loosen all of us up (and that is when my creative juices really took off), but it also offered us a new prop to decorate. Wine bottles!

In the end, the workshop was a lot of fun and I made several neat little decorations from it. Each year I will take these decorations out at holiday times and think of purple not being the right color, sewing is not for me, burnt glue gun fingers, and that wine makes everything just a little more fun.

Happy Holidays!

Visitors for Thanksgiving

After lunch at Vander's, Group Photo
Originally uploaded by mralles

The day before Thanksgiving, Jen Keyte and I spent the first day of her vacation in Cabo Verde making chocolate mousse, pumpkin pie, and setting the dinner the table…in bikinis. Between cooking various dishes, time was spent sunbathing or taking a quick dip in the pool. From the outside nothing seemed typical about this year’s Thanksgiving, but when the day arrived it felt like all traditions were in place.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade played on TV, and while the spectators looked cold, the sun was shining and sky was blue outside our door. The whole house was filled with the typical smells of Thanksgiving. However, the oven was full of three small stuffed chickens when we found out the only way to get a turkey was head into the “fora" and find someone to kill one for us. Football entertained the crowd after dinner was over, but I was unable to indulge in my typical tryptophan nap because my parents were not here to do all the work so I was in charge!

We certainly missed our family, but we gathered our Cape Verdean family of friends together for the big day including our visitors, Brian (who came from Liberia/Geneva where he splits his time) and Jen (who came from New Orleans, by way of many other US cities as she came on vacation off a series of work travel).

It was the first Thanksgiving that Mike and I hosted as a family ourselves and I settled (exhausted) into bed that night with the biggest smile on my face.

After recovering from the holiday, we had a great time showing Jen and Brian around our island of Santiago. We drove to Assomada, the second largest city, and took a long walk to see a huge baobab tree in the middle of a dense green valley. Though we were not sure what to expect, I think we were all quite shocked buy the enormity and beauty of this tree, rumored to be one of the oldest ones in the world.

Farewell to the Stolens- Fora Style

Kelly and Ná enjoying the morning view
Originally uploaded by mralles

Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while probably gathered that our two closest friends in Praia are Kelly and Ná Furtado. What you may not know is that after they were married this past May they decided to start their marriage and life together in America. Boo for us. Big time.

But instead of dwelling on how they abandoned us, I'll focus on our fantastic weekend in Ná's hometown of Pedra Badejo, about 40 minutes from Praia in the mountains along the coast. Referred to as the “fora” because it is in the interior of the island, this town maintains a much more traditional way of life than in Praia.

This was not our first visit to Pedra Badejo, and Ná's family welcomed us back with open arms. We started at Grandma's house where Ná grew up. The family was busy cooking katxupa, which is a delicious stew of beans, fresh corn, various meats and vegetables. Somehow we did not get the message that this katxupa was for us, so we set off to eat a HUGE and delicious lunch of other Cape Verdean specialities like feijoada (another bean stew, but somehow completely different than katxupa), grilled fish, chicken, and of course rice and french fries. Then to aid digestion we happily took a long walk around the small town. It's long because Ná is like the mayor having to stop and shake hands with and talk to everyone he knows, which is everyone in town. Stopping back by Grandma's house on the way out of town, our stomaches still COMPLETLEY stuffed from lunch, we chowed down on the fresh and delicious katxupa anyway. I mean, we didn't want to be rude. The guys also indulged in a little grogue, the local liquor made from sugar cane.

After a night out for the guys and night in for the ladies, we awoke early at our great hotel to panoramic views of the sea and a black sand beach. After breakfast we headed out with Ná's Uncle and five brothers to a coconut grove, which was a highlight for all of us. It was strikingly beautiful and GREEN after all the rain this summer. Ná's brothers, all of whom are almost as handsome and nice as Ná, led us into this orchard where one promptly climbed up a fresh palm tree knocking out many coconuts. Then they took turns chopping open the coconuts with a machete and we each enjoyed the fresh coconut water and coconut flesh out amongst the trees.

But do you know who loves the fora the most? Strela! She got to eat and drink whatever she wanted and roamed around free with all new smells. She was in HEAVEN.

*Footnote: Furtado translates directly to the word “stolen” from Portuguese and Kriolu so we often refer to Kelly and Ná as the “Stolens.”

History in the Making?

AKON!
Originally uploaded by mralles

My TACV flight back from Boston reminded me of what was in store for me the weekend I returned home. Referred to as “History in the Making,” on October 30th Akon, a Senegalese pop-star famous in the States, was coming to do a concert. Half of his entourage including his brother was on my airplane and I have to say all the big headphones, encrusted Rolexes and Louis Vuitton luggage did give me pause as people do not normally roll like that in Cape Verde.

Mike had secured us and our “team” of Kelly and Ná, Carrie and Derek VIP tickets from the Embassy. So we got all “buzz off” (Cape Verdean Kriolu for the Yiddish “faputzed” or “all dressed up”) took a few shots and headed out on Saturday night for the main event. Now I didn't really think I knew who Akon was or as Derek puts it, “everyone's favorite monotone popstar.” but turns out I knew almost every song and all the words that go along with them. Hm, I guess I have to thank Hot 99.5 in Washington, DC for that?

In this blog, I can not do two things justice: 1. What a big deal this was for Cape Verdeans & 2. How much freaking fun we had.

Rumor on the street was that this concert was the biggest thing that has happened in Cape Verde SINCE INDEPENDENCE. Yes, that is right, since Cape Verde won a war, freeing themselves of Portuguese rule and establishing an independent nation. That and Akon are the two biggest things that have happened here since 1975. For how much fun was had, I will have to refer you to our pictures. We were drinking warm beer and jumping up and down dancing like teenagers. See, I told you I couldn't do it justice.

The highlight of Akon's set, can you call it that especially if he was lip-syncing the whole time? Anyway the highlight of his set was the song, Right Now (Na, Na, Na), that we dedicated to Ná, while singing on the top of our lungs.

By now, EVERYONE has heard of Cape Verde.

View of the island Fogo from my plane to the States
Originally uploaded by mralles

Our whirlwind tour of the USA is complete and we are back in Praia. I made a lot of promises to update the blog when I returned so I am happy to report that I am back. We had a fantastic trip Stateside and saw a whole lot of our very large country (any country is large after living in Cape Verde). In one month, I was in Florida, NJ, NY, DC, Arizona, and Minnesota! Since you all do not read the blog to hear of our adventures in America, I will not revisit the highlights, of which there were way too many to count.

At one point Mike and I realized we were actually visiting on official business from the Cape Verde Department of Tourism. Everyone wanted to know when they could come visit that I should have made up brochures. Our personal presentations must have been enticing enough, because we did score a few new visitors for the coming months, and have had some interest from past visitors on a second trip. Check out our revised visitor schedule- you know you want your name up there!

Mike and I thought that on that note, you should all know that Cape Verde has been in the news lately as quite the prestigious destination. Many of you have asked what we would do when you get here. Well, until I have my brochure ready, these articles can whet your appetite.

First, Cape Verde scored number THREE in Lonely Planet's top 10 destinations to visit in 2011. Who knew?! Having been to #1 (and not having any idea why you would go there unless you are a huge fan of Cheers, like Mike) and #2 (which maybe you are saving until we- fingers crossed- end up there some day?), I can tell you starting at #3 is not such a bad idea. This article from The Independent also shows off some of the diversity of the different islands and is available as reading material in our guest room as well.

Our American friends that stayed with Strela during our jaunt in the States (and did a phenomenal job training her as well, phew) named our home the Ralles Resort and Spa. So please let me know when you want to book your reservation!

All the best from Praia and more of our adventures to come!

Hurricane Danielle heads west, Hurricane Dog remains here

Strela and Filippa in a rare moment of calm
Originally uploaded by mralles

“According to AccuWeather.com Tropical Expert Dan Kottlowski, Danielle is a fairly classic Cape Verde storm, which is one that originates near the Cape Verde Islands. Typically, Cape Verde storms have a good chance of developing into major hurricanes due to their long paths over warm waters and minimal interaction with land.”

While we did experience quite a bit of heavy rain this past Saturday morning (complete with thunder and lightening rousing even me out of bed around 4:30 am), you would never know this information living here in Cape Verde. Cape Verdean Hurricane Danielle could be the biggest hurricane of the season in the Caribbean and Florida (right now a Category 2). Though it really has very little to do with Cape Verde, it is the most news-worthy information out of the islands this week. Ah, island living.

In other news, we are dog-sitting which has created quite the hurricane in the Ralles household. Our friends Paola and Ivan found themselves in a pinch this weekend, with plans to head out on a long weekend vacay and no one to take care of Filippa, their own Cape Verdean mutt a few months older than Strela. With good Karma as motivation, we took in Filippa Friday afternoon and it has been non-stop action for the two pups ever since. At first it was fantastic having Filippa around for Strela as they kept themselves busy playing and running around our garden out front. But hours upon hours of play, the two puppies were clearly exhausted but unwilling to rest. Forced separation has helped encourage relaxation, but now it is Tuesday and Strela is showing signs she is ready to go back to being an only child. Up until now, she has played a happy host, allowing Filippa to take her toys, eat and drink out of her bowls, and even sit with Mike and me. But just as I was writing this, Filippa took Strela's prized rawhide. Teeth were bared, growling began and the claws came out...literally. Luckily they decided to fight right beneath my desk chair so the confrontation was quickly split up, and the dogs were sent to their corners. We will welcome back Paola and Ivan with open arms this evening when they come to get Filippa, but are happy we were able to help out.

As the rain keeps falling on Praia, we will monitor Hurricane Danielle while cleaning up after Hurricane Dog.  See below satellite footage of Danielle's beginnings out here.  Much love from a few rocks in the middle of the Atlantic!

The Rains Hath Come!

When it rains, it pours...
Originally uploaded by mralles

August marks the beginning of the rainy season in Cape Verde. Our friend Kelly, who is from the notoriously rainy Seattle/Tacoma area questions the phrase “rainy season” in so far as in two weeks, this has including one day of downpours and one cloudy day of showers. To put this in perspective, let's look at some statistics:

• Cape Verde receives 261 mm (10.3 inches) of annual rainfall classifying the country as a “semi-desert."
• A desert is defined by receiving less than 250 mm (9.8 inches) of rain annually, SO CLOSE!
• Seattle receives 940 mm (37.1 inches) of rain each year
• This surprisingly pales in comparison to NYC receiving 1,140 mm (45 inches- 28 of which is due to snow) and Miami at 1,420 mm (55.9 inches)

What we would refer to in America as a few rain days, constitutes a rainy season in Cape Verde, as between August and October there is a possibility of rain, which ceases to exist any other time of year.

The whole concept of rain in Cape Verde (or lack there of) is met with a great deal of emotion. Water, a most important natural resource, is so sorely lacking that rain is met with celebration not only in the streets but particularly on the farms. This time of year produce is getting scarcer and more expensive at the markets. The less rain that comes only heightens the community's anxiety for another year without crops. Cape Verde is always worried about the onset of drought that historically can last up to 5 years. In the 20th century alone some 200,000 islanders perished amid drought, causing a diaspora of nearly 500,000 (same as the nation's current population) to flee to Europe and North America.

On the flip side, rain brings with it mosquitoes and disease. Last year there was a Dengue Fever outbreak for the first time in many years (note: South Florida is tracking cases of Dengue as well. So Moms, don't worry too much!). The Cape Verdean government and medical resources met this challenge with great success according to international disease control experts. After last year's experience, the country is trying to be even more proactive in disease prevention and mosquito control. For example, in June there was a day off of work for “Dengue Clean-Up” to ensure areas around the house prevent standing water from accumulating for mosquito breeding. Never mind that this day was also the day that Portugal played Brazil in the World Cup. Coincidence? I don't think so.

No matter what season, the weather in Cape Verde can not be beat. Mild humidity makes the strong sun much more tolerable than summer in Washington, DC. Though Mike is constantly sweating, when is he not, it is really easy to be happy when you wake everyday to a blue and an ocean view to match!

Jeep not for sale...yet

The Jeep enjoying the terrain
Originally uploaded by mralles

It has come to our attention, over and over in fact, that our 2000 Jeep Wrangler is quite popular in Cape Verde. We have received multiple offers to buy the Jeep already and we still need to drive it for at least 17 more months (who's counting?).

One Sunday in May we arrived to our parked, forest-green Wrangler sporting its tan hard top (soft top to come after the rainy season) and there was a note on the windshield. It said and I quote:

Dear Lady, Dear Sir,
Would you mind giving us a call, in regard to the price of your nice Wrangler...
Yours cordially. I'd be thankful.

We would have jumped on this opportunity in the States but we already have an interested buyer (or three) from the Embassy community. In Cape Verde cars do not depreciate in value. Furthermore people list cars as NEW when they are 15 years old! The US government has a rule that we can only sell our car for what we paid for it, effectively to avoid ripping off the local consumer in the developing world. Good call, US, because it seems that we could sell this car for a fortune to the highest bidder!

A few weeks ago I was driving along, enjoying teeny-bopper music from my i-Pod (Mike installed a new stereo with i-Pod hook-up). Up ahead I noticed a group of handsome men (all the men in Cape Verde are pretty much handsome) in the back of a pick-up truck (all the men in Cape Verde pretty much ride in the back of pick-up trucks). They were smiling, chatting, and looking over my way, when I realized, that they were flirting with the JEEP! It became obvious as they started pointing at things, maybe the fog lights and the wheels, I don't know! I would have thought I was crazy if it didn't happen again TODAY!

I am not letting these incidents get my self-esteem down, because the Jeep is the coolest and most perfect car for the cobblestone streets and dirt roads of Cape Verde. Plus I have FINALLY learned to drive stick shift, and can honestly say it has finally taken. I can even get up the hill to our our house, no problem.

But all in all, the best part about the Jeep is that it was my idea! Half 4-wheel drive, half convertible...perfect for a tropical paradise.

So head on over for your tour of the island of Santiago because the Jeep will get you anywhere you need to go!

Basketball without Borders

Willie, Rachel, Mike and Nykesha
Originally uploaded by mralles

Watching kids play basketball with NBA and WNBA players... barefoot. Donating basketballs to a local center for at-risk children. Eating lunch with the Cape Verdean National Basketball Team (they took THIRD in the African Championship in '07, believe it or not). Meeting and discussing the USA and sports with the President of Cape Verde. These were the situations I found myself in the past few days and I loved it.

This week my faith in professional athletes was restored. The NBA, and their Basketball without Borders program, sent a small delegation to Cape Verde as a Sports Envoy to run clinics with kids from three different areas of Santiago, the island where we live. Mike has been working on this program of sports diplomacy for months now and dedicated time and resources to make sure that it went off without a hitch. Congratulations to Mike because not only was the visit a huge success but it was a BLAST!

The visiting delegation was comprised of Brooks Meek, VP of International Operations for the NBA, Willie James Green, Jr.- currently playing for the Philadelphia 76ers- and his brand spanking new wife Terrah (they got married July 4th), Nykesha Sales- former WNBA player from the Connecticut Suns and the franchise's all time leading scorer- and her good friend Keia Howell.

The first day Mike spent with the athletes, he came home and asked me, “Do you know why I am NOT a professional athlete?” I had to bite my tongue to not say the many things that came to mind (just kidding, Mike). He then told me that after 11 hours of travel around the island, running these clinics for hours in the hot sun, the players were getting back to their hotels to fit in a workout before dinner. Obviously staying in shape is their full time job, but it is inspirational to be around people who are so dedicated and so passionate about their work. This passion also came through in their work in Cape Verde. No matter how hot the courts were, how bumpy the cobblestone road was, how long the tour of an unfinished stadium went on, this group touted smiles, regaled us with hilarious stories and had a sincere appreciation of this wild ride on our rock in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

Arriving well in the wee hours of Saturday night and staying on until early Wednesday morning, we packed so much into the short visit that this blog post would be way too long to be enjoyable. I am having a really hard time putting into words how awesome this experience was, but posted photos on Flickr for you to see for yourself.

Thanks to Brooks, Nykesha, Keia, Willie, Terrah...AND MIKE for making this one of my best weeks in Cape Verde yet!

For local press coverage (to see Mike on TV!) click on the links below:

http://rtc.cv/tcv/index.php?paginas=13&id_cod=4694
http://rtc.cv/tcv/index.php?paginas=13&id_cod=4740

Mailing address?

Where do we live? Terra Branca.
Originally uploaded by mralles

The care packages for The Ralles Adventure abound in Cape Verde, most often sent by our mothers, followed by our close, personal friends at Amazon.com. We are privileged to have the use of the “diplomatic pouch” for our mailing needs and desires. This means that packages are sent to a Virginia mailing address and forwarded on to us for no additional cost. Typically we receive packages within two weeks to a month, barring any major issues. There are some size and weight limitations and contents can not contain liquids, batteries, aerosol, or plant matter (this one we learned the hard way by trying to ship our Obama Chia Pet). These limitations, however, are overshadowed by the feeling we get opening a box containing tortilla chips, Girl Scout cookies, or in my case adorable plastic dishes especially for Pool Fridays.

My mom and Aunt Jane were musing about ways to send us contraband items, like my hair conditioner, and asked if they could just send it to my Cape Verdean “mailing address.” I replied, “What mailing address?” It is true, we have no address. In fact, I have no idea what street I live on. Cape Verde does have a postal system, but there is no traditional mail carrier service. If you want mail, you have to go to the post office and rent a mailbox for an annual fee. Mail is very inconsistent, like other public services in the developing world. For example, our friend Kelly has not yet received her Christmas present from her family but her husband Ná has been sporting his Seattle soccer jersey since January. The gifts were either sent separately, or Kelly's parents like Ná more, the jury is out.

This concept of no address truly baffled my mom and aunt and so they asked, “If people want to come to your home, how do you tell them where you live?” Well, I tell them I live in Terra Branca, our neighborhood. At the circle (and they would just know which one I am referring to), I instruct them to turn up the hill where the sign points to Terra Branca, then make a right at the pink building and the first left at the building with blue trim. Stay to the right and I live in the house with the green door. Hilarious aside: As I was typing the cable people called and needed directions to the house, which I communicated in my poor Kriolu, and guess what? Even they could find me.

Another question was from Aunt Jane, “So if you were going to call a taxi, what would you tell them?” Well, I have only called a taxi one time since living in our new house, to go to the airport when Rachel Sher and I caught our early flight to Sal, another island. Again, in my terrible Kriolu, I described where I lived. The cab driver, Pepa, was very excited because he too lives in Terra Branca. He wanted to be sure he knew where I was so came over on foot that very evening, knocked on the door, and enthusiastically said he would be at that very spot the next morning at 4:30 am.

I guess I have learned two things from writing this blog post: 1. Street names, largely unimportant. But maybe that is because this city is about the size of my college campus. 2. My terrible Kriolu is not that terrible if people seem to find me just fine.

When you all come visit, we will make the 11 minute trip to the airport and will not force you to find your way around a town void of street names. See you soon!