lunes, 31 de octubre de 2011

A LETTER FROM A WHOLE NEW WORLD

16 of April 1947
                                                 ElEspinillo; Formosa                                                                                                      

Dear friend:

                     First of all, I need to apologize because I did not write before as I had promised. But I assure you that I will do it more frequently from now on. We have been working very hard since we arrived in Formosa so Margarita and I have been very busy.
                     The place where we are living it is called El Espinillo and it looks a little bit wild with lot of trees everywhere and full of woods. The field is huge and there are ducks all around; chickens; strong horses and healthy cows. Also there is a river near our house that is plenty of fishes. I go hunting from time to time into the woods. It's unbelievable the variety of animals that you can find here. The nature has been so generous with this place that we can take advantage all the richness that is in these fields.
                     Lorenzo is growing strong and healthy,he did not notice the change we thought that he would feel unconfortable at first, but he is doing all right.
                    People here is very kind and they are always willing to cooperate in case you need an extra hand. I love this place! I think we settled down here for good, Everything is fantastic so far.
                                                               
                                                               We miss you! Love!
                                                                                 
                                                                                                     Eusebio

A PIECE OF LIFE

ANCESTRAL TIMELINE

domingo, 30 de octubre de 2011

AN IMMIGRANT STORY

 My name is Victor Vieira, and I was only eight when my family and I left Portugal where I came from. After the War there was nothing left for us, only poverty and the shadows of death every where. In a cold early morning of 1946 we travelled by ship from Portugal to Argentina, a strange and totally unknown country for us, but safer. My father told us that it would be tough for us to re-build all our lives but it would be worthy.
 Once we arrive here in Argentina my father started to work in a greengrocery market that let us stay there at night because we did not have a place to stay. We all stayed together until I decided to look for a job and help my family. I was a little boy then, but I was very clever and selfconfident and I knew I could get a job and so I did. My first job was in a factory in Avellaneda, where I had to organise some boxes. It was not much but it helped me to feel useful and help my family too. As nobody understood my language I had to communicate by body language. It was helpful at first, actuallly, but I was forced to learn Spanish because I needed it desperatly.
 So little by little I built my life here in a generous country and almost forgot everything about Portugal. It was not easy but it was not impopssible either. I am in my seventies now and my whole story is here in Argentina.