Life's Bonuses

While cleaning out our office today, I came across a notebook I used to record info for our house in Washington. In thumbing through it, I found this poem I had scribbled down last summer. Prior to our move to Angola, I had traveled through Texas, Missouri, California, and Washington. I was able to visit with over 50 friends I have collected over the years, beginning with college roomies in 1967. What a joy that was since I hadn't seen a couple of them in 35 years! (We really must do reunions more often!) It seems like I have had many lifetimes, each with their own distinct memories. I have valued your friendships, although it's impossible to capture the emotions of having such special friends. To you, my friends . . .

Through miles
And years
Through smiles
And tears
All these we have traveled together

Through loss
And gain
Through joy
And pain
These too we have traveled together

Through death
And birth
Through grief
And mirth
We also have traveled together

Once young
Now old
Once timid
Now bold
We have steadily traveled together

Years come
Years go
Some fast
Some slow
But still we have traveled together

Such treasures
I keep
Both awake
Or asleep
Knowing we’ve traveled together

Though our paths
Often part
You’re still close
To my heart
Ever grateful we’ve traveled together

Shopping ------ Luanda Style

Driving around Luanda gives a whole new meaning to window shopping. Sometimes I get whiplash trying to take in all the "sideshows" of vendors pedaling their wares. I'm not so sure we haven't run over the toes of a few of them as they wound their way in and out through the maze of cars. There are some fantastic photo ops, if you dare. The other amazing thing is seeing the women who balance a plastic tub on their head with a baby tied onto their back. I'm determined to get a good photo of one of them. (This photo was taken by one of the other expats.) It's not actually safe to roll down your window in the traffic. So we just look.


Eggs by the crate, glasses for eight
Clocks and locks, and fancy socks
Mops and brooms, shelves for rooms
Tables and chairs, onions and pears
Plastic flowers and eggs, newspapers and pegs
Bracelets and papers, math calculators
Wallets and panties, bug spray for “anties”
Fabric by the meter, a cool fan or heater
Toothbrushes and maps, soccer balls, caps
Remote controls and polish for toes
Doormats and floor mats, carpets and hats
Stereos for cars, hangers and bars
Perfume to wear, combs for your hair
Shoe racks and boards, screwdrivers and cords
Feather dusters and pens, and even live hens
Kleenex and wheels, all kinds of deals
Umbrellas and blades, charcoal and shades
Popcorn and pots, rope to make knots
Eyeglasses and drainers, ice cream and strainers
Curtains with rods, gym shorts for bods
Rulers and keys, and cell batteries
Hoses, suitcases, CDs and shoelaces
A complete set of dishes, all kinds of fishes
Petrol for your car, bikes to go far
Utensils to cook--- do you just want to look?
These things I have seen on the streets where we live
You can buy anything if the kwanzas you’ll give
Forget the small shops or browsing the mall
By drving the streets you’ll, no doubt, have a ball.

The Law of Gravity

I do believe I have come across a corollary for Newton's theory: Living below the equator creates a higher degree of gravity pull downwards on the body. (If this proves to be true, I’ll be checking out a location above the equator.) Makes sense, right? I’ve heard the South Pole has a dynamite magnetic force. How else could you possibly explain weight gain here? Despite regular attempts at exercise and fairly healthy eating, the old bod seems to have a stubbornness that resists shedding. I thought perhaps because the food labels here don't contain a calorie count, that perhaps they didn't. Or that when the label isn't written in English, English speakers aren’t affected by the content. Or if I couldn't convert the intake from kilograms to pounds, then kgs didn’t affect my weight gain or loss. I know it couldn’t possibly be the fact that there are tons of business and social dinners, sundowners, and parties. Something must be wrong in my logic, but I can’t figure out what. I play tennis, do pilates, work out on the elliptical machine—seemingly to no avail. Hmmm . . . maybe it’s something in the water. Hadn’t thought of that. Maybe I’m on to something here.

The Sound of Music

If you recall, Indonesia was the land of karaoke. Invariably, after the speeches and presentations ended, the silver mike was brought out, and everyone, no matter what his voice sounded like, was entitled to time on center stage. One Christmas, Allan and I even rendered our version of the familiar carol, which we called “Jungle Bells.” It’s a different story here in Angola----party central. They crank it up almost every Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night starting around 8 p.m., and it doesn’t let up ‘til sun up, usually around 6 a.m. And as The Seuss would say, “Oh the noise, oh the noise, oh the noise, noise, noise, noise!” Now if we can hear the music three or four blocks away, think what it’s like for my friend who lives across the street from the park! Sometimes putting a pillow over our heads helps, at least until we fall asleep. Tell me, who can dance that long? Or how can they leave the party with their hearing in tact? On a brighter note, I have had the opportunity to participate in the music at the International church where we attend. It’s a joy to watch the Africans worship! No holds barred. They sing contemporary Christian music, as well as songs that were contemporary 10 years ago, in addition to crooning some of the hymns of the faith. By the way, we found the hymnals that the First Baptist Church of Huntsville, Texas, discarded 30 years ago! I get to be the “hymn leader” two times a month and to sing in duets, quartets, and even a solo. The hymns sound great a cappella, which I much prefer to times when the band jumps in and pounds out the Salvation Army one-two, one-two count. Who would have thought I would be leading worship in Africa????

Who Knows Where the Time Goes?

I sing these lyrics from Enya's song. Who would have thought that once I quit work I would have no time on my hands? Although my schedule varies from week to week, normally it is filled with so many activities that I can't fit them all in. Normal weekly activities: Portuguese class (twice weekly), ladies' Bible study, canasta, tennis, and volunteering at the local high school. Normal monthly activities: American Women's Association of Angola, International Cooking Club, ladies' fellowship at church, TICA (The International Club of Angola formed to fund charities), a Chevron BBQ, and a Spouses' Coffee. Mix in business dinners, social dinners, teas, and pre-assignment visits and orientation for new families (we've had 24 new families come in the past year). I can't tell you how often I've gotten my days and meetings mixed up. I usually check with my friend Amy to check my plans for the day. Gosh, it's the pits getting older! Allan and I find it a treat to be home one night on the weekends. I'm not complaining--really. You know me. I love to be busy. And the wonderful part of it is that I can choose what I want to do. There are so many opportunities here to be involved with the Angolan people, and the needs here are greater than you can imagine. We consider it a gift to be here and find ways to make a difference.

How do you spell C-O-N-G-E-S-T-I-O-N?

Luanda traffic! The current population of Luanda is around 3-4 million people, although the city was built to accommodate 300,000-400,000. Magnify this by more people driving than know how, a small handful of traffic signals throughout the entire city, double-parked cars due to insufficient parking places, terrible road conditions, and random road closings where the entire street has been dug up overnight. So it is not uncommon to be in the car most of the day. Allow 30 minutes to an hour for a normal 10 minute drive. The best by-product is that I have done more reading here than I have done in the past 10 years! (Don't worry--I'm not driving the car! We must have a driver for security reasons. Plus, there is NO way I would ever venture out to drive in this traffic.)

The Price Is Right

. . . but not in Angola. Luanda is often referred to as the most expensive city in the world. Did you hear that correctly? Yes, the most expensive city in the world, so don't talk to me about U.S. prices. Housing here can cost $12,000 to $30,000 for MONTHLY rent! And companies are outbidding each other for the houses.

I usually carry $300 to the grocery store for weekly groceries. Sample food prices: a red pepper - $6; stalk of celery - $20 (I haven't bought one yet); whole grain bread - $13; head of lettuce - $5 (that's a deal, really); one kilogram of fish - $30-----need I go on?

Dinner out is another story. An average dinner price for the two of us at a typical restaurant is about $50-$100. (Needless to say, we don't eat out very much.)

Food for thought (pun intended): The next time you are tempted to complain about oil prices, think about the high cost of living in places like this where we are driven to find the oil we need. Hmmmmm.

You asked for it . . .

Ok, I am tired of living with the guilt. We have been in Angola for over a year, and I have promised I would write to you . . . and soon. I compiled note after note on my computer, but I never seemed to finish what I started. Where should I begin? How could I possibly describe what life is like here? What would anybody really care about anyway? On and on. Hundreds of you---ok, many of you---no, actually, some of you have written to check up on us because you haven't heard from us in eons.

So I decided to put my techie nature to work and enter "THE WORLD OF BLOGGING." I almost feel I should be dancing with some heavy-soled shoes on to do that! (After all, my two daughters-in-law are way ahead of me in this department, and I love reading what they have written.) I must admit that it must take a bit of ego-centricity to blog. Dare I believe others out there really want to know the details of my life? Everyone is already over-stimulated with their own responsibilities, jobs, emails, blogs, blaaahg, blaaahg, blaahg. But at least this allows you to tune into this station when, and if, you choose to.


There is truly so much to say, and I honestly don't know what will interest you. But I will share a slice of our days in the hopes you can appreciate this unique opportunity that Allan and I have. This is probably a good way for me to "debrief," as frustration can run pretty high at times. And, of course, feel free to ask questions and make comments by clicking on the comment tab at the bottom of each post.