Cape Verdeans are a welcoming people – a characteristic reflected in the countless variations on the simple phrase “How are you?” in Kriolu (Creole), the spoken idiom that replaces the country’s official language of Portuguese when islanders talk to each other.
In the different dialects spoken in the windward and leeward islands, the alternatives run from the basic “tudo dretu ?” (everything straight?) to the gentle “tudo tranquil ?”, the hip-sounding “tud kul ?” and innumerable others. Greetings are accompanied by long handshakes and, for women, kisses on both cheeks.
