A good start!

One of the good things about blogging, it’s that you got the opportunity to know new people. In my case, writing about my living experience as cape verdean in London, gave me the chance to know Tatiana, who is also a  Cape verdean student living in London. When Tatiana told me her experience living in London, somehow I had this good feeling that  I was hearing myself talking.Because most of the things that she told me, I already have experienced.  And this all situation, of meeting someone from my country, relates a lot with a feature that I’ve just written for one of my module assignment, which is about foreign students in London( the title: ” Does London welcome foreign student?”). In this piece, I’ve put a lot of  my own view points around this topic. I tried to describe as much as I can, the all scenario of a foreign student coming half away from home to start a new life in  a different country.

I don’t know, if I’ll meet more cape verdeans in London, but have met Tatiana was a good start for me.

Read Full Post »

What’s the big deal about making “Cachupa Rica”?

I’m so pleased that I eat “Cachupa” today! For that reason, I decide to talk a bit more about this d.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s cape verdean dish.

Since I started to live in London, one of the things that I miss the most about Cape verde, apart from the “Quebra- canela” beach, it’s “Cachupa”. “Cachupa” is a boiled stew of corn, beans,vegetables, sausages, chiken or tuna. The “cachupa” recipes vary from island to island in Cape verde islands. For me and most of cape verdeans, it’s always a speacial occasion, when you have cachupa as a meal. And usually, these speacial occasions are called “cachupada”.

But if it’s only boiled corn,beans, and vegetables, what’s the big deal about making “cachupa rica”?

Well… in many rural places in Cape Verde, women still spend many hours gathering firewood (known as lenha) to cook cachupa. It might sounds funny, or antiquated, but the food tastes much better when is cooked in firewood rather than when is cooked in an ordinary stove. However you can still making a delicious “cachupa” without spending hours gathering firewood.

“Cachupa Rica” recipe:

• 2 cups of corn
• 1 cup large dry lima Beans
• 1/2 cup dry stone Beans
• 1/4 cup dry red kidney beans
• 1 lb. lean salt Pork meat
• 1 pig’s foot (split) if desired
• 1/2 lb garlic Sausage
• 1 whole, uncut blood pudding Sausage
• 1 small cabbage  cut in quarters
• 1 – 2 cups big pieces of hard winter Squash
• 6 garlic buds
• 2 seeded ripe tomatoes
• 2 laurel bay leaves
• 1 Chicken bouillon cube
• 1/2 c. olive oil
• dried and hulled cracked corn( known as midju cutxido)

Wash all corn and dry Beans. In a heavy large kettle (10 quart) boil corn for 10 minutes and carefully discard froth which collects on the top. Add dry Beans, 1 bay leaf and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bring to a boil. Lower heat enough to maintain a steady but slow boil.

Add salt Pork. If you are using pig’s feet add at this time. Leave cover slightly ajar. Throughout cooking make certain liquid covers the corn and Beans. Use at least 4 quarts of water or stock. After the mixture has boiled for the first hour add any Pork meat and Sausage. Cook partially covered at a very gentle boil over low heat for an additional one and one half (1 1/2) hours.

Saute onions, garlic, chopped seeded tomato or tomato paste in oil until very soft. Add the second bay leaf. Add the mixture to the kettle when the cachupa has about one hour of cooking time left. Correct seasoning by carefully adding salt and pepper to taste. If adding Squash do so when there is about 1/2 hour cooking time remaining. Remember that Squash will continue to cook even after the kettle has been removed from the heat.

A few Cape Verdean cooks will even add a cup of canned or fresh Tuna to the sauteed Onion, garlic and tomatoes to enhance the flavor of the stew.

For best results let cachupa sit covered and off the flame for at least twenty minutes before serving. The spices and salt will be absorbed into the corn, bean and the “gravy” will take on its special texture. Arrange the meats and vegetables on a large platter and serve the corn and Beans from a bowl. Some folks may want to individually drizzle a little tabasco or piri-piri sauce on top.

Read Full Post »

When they celebrate carnival in London?

Days before easter, Carnival in Sao vicente island is the most famous in Cape Verde. Therefore it has become an event of huge proportions. But, how about London? When they celebrate carnival here?

Since 1964, The Notting Hill Carnival has been taking place in London, on the last weekend in August, every year. This event began with the Black immigrants from the Caribbean. However,  I found it interesting because here they celebrate it in August, istead of February and somehow I think the whether in London has something to do with it.

CARNIVAL IN MINDELO, CAPE VERDE.

Read Full Post »

No scholarship for Cape verdean student !

In september 2008, in my first year at London Metropolitan University, I was quite worry about how to pay fees for the full-time year. So I went to the Finance Office to know if it would be possible for me to get a sholarship or any fund from university.
” I’m afraid, but according to the university system, cape verde islands is not on the list of scholarships countries” said one of the general office. To be honest, I was already expecting that kind of answer, not only because usually people don’t know where cape verde is on the map, but also because cape verde is an independent country, and is not part of the European Union.
Consequently, I had no choice if is not to pay the full tution fee for the all year. And sometimes, I found myself wondering, if it actually worth it.
People outside the UK, speacilly in my country, thinks that when you got the opportunity to do a degree in a place like London, you are the luckiest person in the world.
According to my own experience, studying in London Metropolitan University and living in London city, the place where you are in it does matter but it is not everything. The social life, the language, and your capacity to adpat where you are it is crucial for your own development.
Nowadays, after living in London for 2 years, I can say that the most important thing that I ‘ve learned, is that you might be in the best place or University in the world, but if something is missing you’d never feel like you have achieve something in your life.

Read Full Post »

Zouk-Love

After some research on zouk music and dance in London, I finally found something!
The zouk dance classes, Mass club in Brixton Hill every week. So, I asked my
aunt, who is huge fan of Kizomba and zouk dance, if she knew about this place, and she said yes, that is famous one in London, where a lot people go there to learn how to dance zouk.
Zouk music, is one of the famous style music in Cape Verde islands, and is originated from islands of Guadalupe, Haiti and Dominica.
” Zouk”means party or festival.Particularly in Cape Verde, people are more familiar with a speacial style within zouk, called Zouk- Love.
Zouk-Love is more slower and dramatic. Nevertheless, Zouk- love has a lot influence from Brazil, France and Angola.
Susana Lubranno,Gil Semedo, Nelson Freitas and Philipe Monteiro are some example of popular zouk-Love artists.

I met Kelly years ago during my International Foundation Programme
course in Humanities, that all international student like me in London has to do, in order to be prepared before their degree course. And once, after our class I invited kelly to my place. As any fresh student in London having for the fist time her own place, I was quite excited to show kelly mine. While we were chating, Kelly said to me that she’s really keen on clubing, and that we should go toguether in one sometime. “Yeah, I’d love to!” I said. “Great! I can also show some really great songs that they play in these kind of clubs, where I use to go” said Kelly. After playing the “criola” song by Mika Mendes, Kelly said: ” So, isn’t it good? I just love this song and the beat of it! “. ” Of course! I know this song, it is “criola” by Mika Mendes a famous cape verdean singer” I said. For me, that situation was extremelly ironic and also funny, because Kelly was saying that she loves the song but she couldn’t understand a word of it.
And same happened to me years ago before I’ve learned english, when I used to listen american songs on the radio and I couldn’t understand a word, but only the beat was enough to make me love it.

Read Full Post »

Cape Verde islands

 The republic of Cape Verde is an island country, where i was born and live half of my life. Cape Verde is poor country, with no natural resources, but also known for a very welcome country, where people like to share with others even with the little they got.

This blog will be about everything that I miss about cape verde, and also about my own experience living in London as a capeverdean student.

 

 

 

 

 

Read Full Post »