After realizing that today marks the third Sunday of our stay on the island, my initial thought was, "oh no, we only have three more weeks left!" Thanks to some positive attitudes of my new friends, I'm discovering the importance of staying in (and enjoying) every moment while it lasts. So now I'm going to say, with zest, we still have three more weeks left! How lucky are we?!
This past week has been full of some incredible moments. I finally met Claudio, one of the most vivacious characters on the island; we witnessed a tourada behind a sturdy garden wall; and I survived my first solo work trip out with a man who only speaks Portuguese...it took me about five minutes just to figure out that he used to be a voluntary firefighter, and only after he drove by the fire station. At work this week Laura and I saw some pretty awesome landscapes; I think the guys we work with have a secret competition to take us to the best spots on the island. I've personally seen the cheese factory, Biscoitos, and this one spectacular diving spot at least three different times. But every time we're taken out, we learn so much. These men are full of island secrets just waiting to be spilled. I feel so fortunate to be working in an area where I really get to know the island, its people and its breathtaking landscapes.
Today Portugal held their presidential elections...we find out the results later tonight. Whichever party wins tonight will determine the future of Portugal's economic conditions, a very precarious situation at the moment. Despite the prospect of financial collapse, I'm excited to go into work tomorrow and see how attitudes and positions have changed. (UPDATE: Social Democrats have taken over, removing the Socialists from power. We'll see what happens from here...)
Other than Portuguese politics, the island has been buzzing with festas this week! On Thursday evening we joined a local church for one of their traditional dinners. I left with a bursting belly full of fish soup and local congro, or as Vanessa was appalled to find out, eel. Contrary to what many of us thought, it was pretty tasty. Or at least I thought so...I had four bowls of fish soup. I think we're all super psyched for Sanjoaninas next week, which is a fantastic week-long festival full of food, music, and good times.
What else have we been up to? Touradas, festas, discussion meetings, building summer camps for Art Nilson, the wonderful Air Force nurse-turned-pastor, exploring the coastline, and climbing into volcanoes. We've been quite busy lately, and it looks like we'll continue being busy until we leave. The agenda for next weekend is a four-day trip to Sao Miguel, which has the potential to go down as one of the best weekends yet. See you on the other side of it all!
Peace and love,
Singer
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