An African Dilemma

Africa is a continent to experience and understand. It has the potentials and resources for growth and development, as well a heritage of many cultures that had enriched its own. Many went through struggles for national independence against foreign colonisers, and today pride themselves in their achievement of freedom and democracy.

But why are most African countries perpetually dependent upon foreign aid? Bilateral and multilateral assistances, not to forget private philantrophies have prioritised African countries's agenda to eradicate not poverty but diseases like HIV and malaria. How far have all these helps gone to make life better for the average African?

The last four months of living in Cape Verde has been an experience unlike the five years I spent earlier in Mozambique. The difference is that, I interacted much more with the locals - rather than confine myself to a particular community that had little to do with the local population. Sta. Maria is a small town that serves as the capital of Sal island. It has a population of about 20,000, of which the majority live in Espargo, the commercial capital. It is therefore extremely easy to get to know everyone - the restaurant and bar owners and their clientele, the inhabitants of the pier who live by the fishes they catch and sell, the fruit and vegetable sellers and, the businessmen and entrepreneurs looking for investors and property buyers.

Cape Verde offers many business opportunities to foreigners, especially in tourism and property development. According to sources, around 1.8 billion Euro has been approved in 2007 for the develoment of tourism infrastructure - such as resort hotels, condominiums and villas. The crises of 2008 put a temporary stop to all these developments but it has picked up again recently. There are many business possibilities for any creative investor - big and small. For instance, there is a marina and golf project that is waiting for foreign investment. There are first class resort hotels awaiting tourists, more restaurants to make competition in this branch more enjoyable.

Inter-island shipping and port facilities are acutely in need of capital infusion especially from the private sector. Goods take time to move from island to island and from Cape Verde to neighbouring West African countries. However, starting a shipping business is not as easy and it goes the same with starting a local company. To start a business requires a 25% Cape Verdean partnership. To bring in a cargo ship from another country means paying an import fee of around 30% of the value of the ship. These are not the major hurdles to make.

The worst problem has been in communication. It is not easy to get a connection with the CV Telecom - not even with all the business reasons one argues in order to get a telephone/IT line. It is waiting time of 50 days, if not more. Then it is the matter of getting a residence visa which in most cases, is no big deal if one is already a property owner with a registered local business. The Cape Verdean police in Espargo - which deals with visas interpret the visa rules and regulations as it wishes. It seems normal for anyone sitting in some government entity to interpret the law according to one's own sense of humour.

The most problematic aspect of doing business in this area is the lack of communication - people who are supposed to call, or communicate with you simply ignores the phone and email systems, so that doing business is wasting time in perpetual waiting. They say " No stress" but there is nothing more stressing than waiting for the other party to communicate in order to continue the process of doing a business. No matter how acute the shipping and port improvement is, the people responsible for expediting this development don't seem to be in a hurry.

For anyone who wants to give something back to Cape Verde - for the days of sun and "strees free" living, doing business that assures employment and progress is not a very self-satisfying engagement. #

The Power of Nature Unleashed

It was not too long ago when the world woke up to see mammoth waves pouring out of the sea and taking everything in its path -the tsunami that hit hardest Thailand. The sea had unleashed all the power kept in its bosom -or was it anger nourished through years of mindless neglect. Before then, we knew little of tsunami and its indescribable force of destruction.

The catastrophe has left vivid images of tragedy - the loss of human lives, of whole families vanishing in the torrent of waves as it swallowed everything along its path. The tsunami in Thailand and neighboring countries affected more than a few countries. Many Europeans vacationing in Thailand lost familymembers. The grief and mourning over this tragedy transcended national borders.
This time, it is the Japanese people mourning over the loss of many lives that up to now cannot be ascertained in number. Once again, it is the image of incredible force as the sea spilled out its content towards the land with such might and force that nothing could stand in its way, not ships, trains, huge buildings and infrastructure. Everything in its way have suddenly become small and irrelevant.

In the last few years, we have witnessed dramatic, albeit drastic changes in climate. We have seen how Europe - especially the northern part have suffered extreme cold winters, and in the south where winters are milder, the snow has become a regular visitor. Yet in other parts of the globe such as Africa it has been drought and rainless months. The climate variations are extreme and there is no telling how much climactic changes we will be witnessing.

Not too long ago in Coppenhagen, the problem of reduction of carbon dioxide emission was on the agenda and leaders of the world's most powerful nations should have marshalled an agreement to solve this urgent problem. But as expected, it was a choice between reduced economic development vs. reduced carbon dioxide emission. In the light of many countries still smarting from the impact of the 2008 financial crises, many sacrificed the environment for economic progress.
Hard choices to make but the planet Earth has reached its point of exhaustion, its capacity to hold things in balance is becoming harder each day. We are simply powerless to prevent more tsunamis from coming. #

Cape Verde food delights

The best thing about living in a new country is the attraction over local food culture -the special cuisine that has been handed down from generations of happy native food lovers, from grandmothers to mothers to daughters. Food, like music lies in the heart of every local culture.

The Cape Verdean food culture consists mainly of fish and seafoods which are in abundance. One only has to go to the local pier and choose from the daily catch what to buy and bring back to one's kitchen. But there are days when the catch is meager and that is when the Sahara wind is strong.

Aside from fish and seafoods, the traditional Cape Verdean food consists of beans- different kinds of beans and corn- boiled until tender, sauteed in onions and mixed with different kinds of meats such as chicken, pork and beef. This is the catchupa rica. Without meat, it is catchupa pobre which is eaten as breakfast with eggs and sausage, or eggs and bacon. There is also stewed beef with potatoes, carrots and other available vegetables.

Most restaurants' dish of the day is grilled fish that is served with rice, pomme frittes and salad. However, the more expensive seafoods consist of shrimps, octopus, squids and lobster. I have not seen any fresh catches of the latter delicacies but they are available in restaurants and the prices vary in every place.

I buy my fresh tuna, grupper and mackerels in the pier from my favourite fisherwomen where I get preferential price - meaning the price used for locals as against tourists. Lately, we have grown fond of grilled squids and octopus. Long time ago, the sight of an octopus made me squirm. But no longer. They are delicious in any dish - grilled, stewed and fried or breaded. When we were in San Antao Island - a truly beautiful resort hotel, we were amazed at the cook's culinary ability with local dishes. His stewed octopus was wonderful and I tried to copy it with coriander when we got back home.

The tuna catches are immediately delivered to restaurants. Unless it is marinatred well in herbs, it does not have enough taste. Usually it is grilled or fried. In my kitchen I tried to cook it with curry and coconut milk and on another occasion with tomato marinade. I tried to make kinilaw - the Filipino raw fish in ginger, vinegar, chili, salt and pepper plus other secret ingredients, but it lacked something I could not define. Then I tried the Swedish style of marinade called gravad which is common with salmon. We had Swedish friends coming who brought fresh dill. The results was quite good along with homemade sauce of honey, mustard and oil.

Since coming to Sta. Maria, I've searched the Chinese shops for local ingredients for Asian cooking but they are not available. I did find fresh coriander but no noodles, soja, fish sauce, sesame oil and Thai sweet sour chili. And no spring roll wrappers! Lucky enough, we have a Danish friend who brought some of these ingredients so that I was able to cook some Asian dishes for dinner. Think how serious I have been to start an Asian restaurant. But it should not be a problem to import.

I can only say that food trips are the most interesting adventures one can have anywhere and the more exotic the places are, the more exciting the local food culture is. For the food lovers, learning and improving on new cuisine is always great fun.#

Snakes in paradise

Today is Sunday and I have just been to church. I say the same prayers, acts of contrition and thanksgiving for a good life of relative peace, comfort and harmony. The piece of paradise we discovered a year ago is undeniably one of God's best creation. The history of Cape Verde has not been an easy one. It was a port for slavery which accounted for over a century of misery and human tragedy.

Despite the painful memories of those slave trade years and the extremely hostile weather that battered the islands with fearsome force that wiped out any vegetation, thus causing famine with the regularity of the seasonal changes, the Cape Verdeans are a sturdy, friendly people who don't blame anyone for their their historical pains.

And we saw, we were conquered by its beauty and decided to live a dual residence in Stockholm and in Sta. Maria, Sal Island. The condominium where we bought our flat - with best oceanview in the whole town of rising condominium complexes, is called Porto Antigo 11 ( there is 1 and 111 ) and the developer are Italians.

Porto Antigo is the most expensive of all the condominium areas and has a well-cared garden and swimming pool. Majority of the condominium owners are British and Italians, and then comes other Europeans such as Belgians, Portuguese and Germans. The Italians have a big presence in Cape Verde and are behind some major property development projects.

We have the misfortune of having an Italian administrator who cannot manage and has allowed debts of some owners to pile up until the condominium finances could no longer pay for the water and electricity. Because he has allowed the situation to get so bad without proper communication with the owners, and because his handling of the finances lacks transparency- he just decided to shut down or allowed Electra- the state-owned water and electricity company - to shut down the water/electricity supply to whole complex (Porto Antigo 2). That was last Feb. 10 and until this writing, the residents still have no water.

There is much to say about the lack of competence and efficiency in condominium management here in Sta. Maria, Sal Island. Porto Antigo is an example of what seems an endemic disease with Southern Europeans who are a majority among investors in property development in Cape Verde. There is lack of transparency in finances - where our money paid in monthly fees actually goes. There is no yearly accounting of income and expenditures that is made available to homeowners. And apparently homeowners in debt don't get collection letters with warning of interest rate added to their existing debts. Some homeowners rent out their flats without bothering to pay their fees.

This morning, the coordinator of the homeowners, Mr Van Baarlem - a Dutch living in Amsterdam who also owns an apartment in Porto Antigo 2, discovered that someone vandalised his door. The keyhole was filled with glue and he could not open it and so the police came to inspect. He and his wife have just arrived from Amsterdam but due to the water shortage were forced to hire another flat in Sta. Maria.

We who are coming from Sweden are a minority here and we find it too impossible to believe that someone could close down water supply for everybody - even those who are fully paid with their monthly fees. Water is essential to life and health. For ten days, residents have been fetching water from the swimming pool to clean toilets. This Italian manager has no idea of the tremendous health hazard he has exposed the whole island due to bad hygiene. I cannot forget that the bird flu epidemic in Hongkong started from unhygienic toilets.

While Cape Verde needs foreign investment to develop its full potential especially in tourism, it suffers from a lack of sound management politically and economically. Its business rules are not simplified and Europeans making a fortune in this island impose their own laws with impunity . It is hard to believe how this Italian administrator - who belongs to the family trying to promote property sales and occupancy in Porto Antigo could mindlessly kill the good chances of Sal Island to prosper in tourism residence though reckless ignorance of the effects of an act, so criminal and disgusting - not to mention uncivilised. For is it not uncivilised to deny water to people especially those who pay their dues on time.

I feel sorry for the Cape Verdeans here in Sta. Maria who are friendly and want more tourists to come so that they can sell things, have jobs in the hotels and transport, sell fishes they catch everyday, have people eating in the restaurants and bars. But if there were Mussolinis running condominium complexes here, then Europeans who want sunny and peaceful days could easily move to other places where things are managed better.

Why I am writing this topic in my blog is simple. I see our situation here in Sta Maria, Sal Island as a microcosm of the economic dilemma of certain Southern European countries. That many take for granted the importance and integrity of financial transparency. When the financial crisis took place in 2008, we know exactly which European economies went nearly bankrupt were it not for the acute assistance extended by international and European financial institutions.#

Some thoughts on love

Today millions of people in the world celebrate love - the greatest emotion ever to inhabit the heart - without whose existence, this world could not have survived so long. If we count the wars that humanity passed through time in order to arrive at a civilization where men and women can define themselves according to best of culture and modernity, I can only imagine that there was also a huge magnitude of devotion and love that inspired the conquest to their glorious triumphs.

I cannot imagine a world without love because where it does not exist, there is mostly likely conflict and war inflicted by an aggressor against a powerless majority. Or is it true that a long-time dictator hangs on to power because he too does it for love. How amazing it is that love like religion - with their respective private and public spheres, are being defined according to the personal interests of the one defining the word.

How many have been killed in the name of love? A father kills his own daughter because he loves her so much, but the good daughter fell in love with the wrong man and "shamed" the family. So, she was killed for the sake of love and she died for love´s sake. There are still thousands of women who are suffering in the name of love because love has an evil side that seemingly gives right to one party to hurt the other - physically and emotionally. This is a love´s dilemma that batters my mind. Why are there men who find it so easy to hurt the person or persons he cares most?

It is the romantic meaning of St. Valentine that sees red roses everywhere today. Love is not just for one day and red roses are all year round. I refer to an equitable distribution of such grand emotion so that it will spice up may daily life which at times could become boring and meaningless. Even if love is the greatest source of warmth, there are many things that belong to the brain that do not work because the intellectual environment is not challenging enough.

I have expressed so many private thoughts on the subject of love because I do believe that it is truly magic, and that in life if the heart is closed to its approach, how then can joy come to console during some moments of sadness when the sun finally sets on the horizon? We love to watch the sunset and we have seen the most glorious ones in all shades of oranges. And we sit and hold hands and toast life that is still in our hearts for as long as it beats.

Today we also celebrate our 2nd year of engagement that took place in Birka Paradise when my skipper - in a nightclub full of celebrating people, knelt down his knees and proposed. All the Cholo and Felicitwomen in the dancehall got red roses. I got the whole bucket. HAPPY VALENTIVE!
(Photo of Felicity and Cholo, New Year's Eve 2010, Cape Verde)

The limits of generosity

It is not easy to find the limits of one's generosity because this human attribute lies in the innermost of one's heart, a heart that is human. The heart controls and appropriates all its beautiful qualities in different ways, at different times to different recipients. A heart that is capable of love is also capable of sharing it with others in more than a hundred different ways.

I am not talking of romantic love which involves two people whose lives are unified by a common purpose and direction in life. This is the emotional feeling of two whose presence in each one's life makes a difference between living and existing.

There are other forms of love that serves as a source of goodness and generosity. A family is the home of the noblest of emotions between parents and children and among brothers and sisters. It is only in an extreme case of aberration where a parent, a son or daughter can disown one another.

Then comes love between friends which is not easy to define because when I say friends, I mean friendship that has survived the test of time and loyalty. I use to say, I have many friends but there's just a few I keep to my heart. If I am too careless with my capacity to keep friends I could end up dry as the Sahara. I guess it goes the same with romantic love - that giving too much of oneself in an unequal sharing basis could leave the other undernourished, in a sort of way.

I am getting off my topic of generosity because I get easily carried away by the subject of love itself. It is just great to speak and write about it if one is in love. To resume my topic on generosity, I want delimit it to people and situations outside my blood relations.

I just passed through an experience where I believe there was some element of cultural difference involved. Where I come from - that is Asia, the trait of generosity is abundant and we seem to spread it around like there's no tomorrow. We are generous even to strangers. This particular experience that evoke this blog's topic is quite disturbing to my sense of generosity and friendship because it felt like I (or we ) have been taken advantage of.

These are not friends of mine who stayed for almost week with us because it seemed cheaper for them to do so. They, or at least the man is an old friend of my other half and they came to buy a boat, our boat. Since we opened our door to these people, all other doors were also opened. What seemed unsual was that, my (our) generosity with things we have and own was not reciprocated. They were living off us, apparently.

It was truly disturbing! It is not in my nature to remind another that it is his or her turn to pick up the tab or that they can share in the food cost. I believe that it is extremely lacking in taste and breeding to take advantage of another's generosity, let alone friendship. It was almost funny when our female guest came home with two oranges, and later two small beers, which meant they only considered themselves and excluded their hosts. And that this was taking place in my home was hard to imagine.

Then came cynicism in conversations about the state of affairs in Sweden, how it is taken advantage of by people who are guests - who live by other people's tax contribution, some of whom are most likely supporters of fanatical religions spreading chaos and terror in the world.

I am sitting there having some people who are castigating immigrants and I am not exactly fair and blue-eyed. What kind of people are eating our food, using our water and electricity, our guestroom, our toilet - who are so anti-immigrant, they´d probably kiss anti-immigrant newcomer parliamentarian Jimmy Åkesson's ass.

After the 6th day they decided to move to a hotel - thanks God for small mercies, because I was prepared to pack my traveling bag and return to Stockholm. My sense of fairness and generosity has never been as shaken as this recent encounter with a couple who mostly likely landed from the planet Miser.

Looking at it from a larger view, there are some of us who are generous and egalitarian in our way of life because it feels good to do so. We become a happier people when we make others happy. On the other hand there are those who simply take and take, but never give back.#

The Coming and Passing of 2010

2010 is coming to an end and it is only fitting to think of how fast the year went with things and events that filled the hours, days, weeks and months of the year soon bygone. It has been a year of life-changing decisions after reaching a stage where one enjoys the freedom to enter an arena of choices and non-choices.

The start of 2010 for me was momentous when an opportunity for a last minute travel to some island in the Atlantic presented itself with the first snow blizzard that ushered in a long hard winter in Sweden. That was the beginning of many new things that followed later. The most important, was the beguiling chance of a new lifestyle somewhere that extended in space beyond some seas and oceans.

In January last year, we (my life companion and I) discovered Cape Verde by accident - a third choice after rejecting the first two places also known for sunshine and exotic beauty. Some say that divine intervention or accidental fates can come with unentended consequences that bring great surprises. Just when life's worth appeared to have reached its peak of diminishing return, so comes an invitation for new challenges. Not exactly challenges that impose itself like an ultimatum, but one that comes with the allure of a temptress.

When we discovered Cape Verde, we saw the possibility to re-arrange our lifestyle and enjoy the freedom to be where our hearts take us. Sweden is beautiful to experience the four seasons, to watch the eternal cycle of birth, death and rebirth of nature's living landscape. But winters despite its pristine beauty is not for all ages. It forces many less sporty souls to a life of indoor seclusion. One does not have to accept such an imposition if there's a way out of it.

There are places of more agreeable weather that guarantee a lifestyle of active interaction with mankind and nature. The tropics is nothing new to me. I am of the tropics and I have lived near two great oceans - the Pacific and Indian. To sail the Atlantic ocean recently simply completed my acquaintance with the three great oceans of the world.

After making a decision to a split residence between Stockholm - during its best months from May to October and Cape Verde- during the winter months from November to April, we found ourselves owning a piece of seaside property in Sal island, in Cape Verde. Having a dual residence became a real possibility. It is not unique as many already enjoy a similar arrangement of living in two places where they enjoy a better quality of life. I am from the tropics and I have experienced life where both land and sea are accessible without spending too much flight hours. But to continue a new life in a new place is more interesting because I have already unburdened myself of the many baggages of the past. The land of my birth where the bones of my loved ones rest has become unlovable. I need a new place to nourish my heart and allow my mind to remain active and questioning.

In 2010 I said goodbye to a job I was fairly content with. But I didn't like the petty bureaucracy of the workplace. I don't like dealing with a bunch of mediocres. I welcomed the freedom to choose what I want to do, not because I have to but because I would like to. I also said goodbye to my house where once there was love and family, but they no longer resided in what was once a home. I tore myself away from many distilled memories of the past kept in boxes but I took the best ones and kept them in my heart.

I am open to new surprises that come with the change of lifestyles, in particular the sudden possibility of owning a yacht and sailing the Atlantic from Las Palmas to Cape Verde. I have always had images of glamour and adventure attached to sailing. It was indeed the biggest adventure of my life. Everything else I did in the past as a journalist covering insurgency and separatist wars or doing peace and conflict research in war-torn Bosnia are pale by comparison. If I survived a difficult sailing in a tempestuous ocean then I believe that I just earned the right to a few more years of adventure, but I will choose the waters to cross.

I can say that the year 2010 has been a good one. It showed me that choices in life have no limits except those imposed on oneself. The ability to change no matter how uprooting the feeling that comes with changing entitles one to the joys of self triumph over achievements made, big and small. It is the defining moment of true character.

I welcome 2011 with as much vigour and anticipation for new things to keep heart and mind in balance. The outside world is facing the perils of extremism, but in my world - if I have the choice, I would like to moderate time's speed so that I can savour the coming and passing of more years and the many moments that make my life complete and happy.#