Guess Who Came to Dinner?

I have proof that Angola is the world's next hot vacation spot. In the past couple months, we had visits from two of the most well-known personalities in the world today. The city of Luanda was in a shut-down mode for 3 days in March and a crowd of a million people gathered when Pope Benedict XVI (affectionately known in Portuguese as Papa) visited. The residence where he stayed was located directly behind Allan's office building, creating a bit of a detour for regular traffic. The wonderful part about his visit was the preparation that went into cleaning up the city and planting trees along the route he would take. I wish he would come once a month. The second celebrity visited last month without press, publicity, or performance. Carrie Underwood came as part of the "Idol Gives Back" spot and traveled out of the city to pass out mosquito nets to needy families. Few people knew she was there, but when I got to announce her visit to the local high school students I work with, they politely smiled and admitted they had no idea who I was talking about. Fame is fleeting.

Not Down Yet

Lest some of you think that Allan's birthday cake killed me (since I haven't blogged since then), I figured I'd better write after such a long haitus. One of my friends chided me because she missed reading up on us. That's more than I can say for family :) I sometimes think I have been blogging because my ideas are constantly rolling around in my head--what could be called a brainstorm. But the reality is that I just haven't taken the time to put them down on paper. So I will do my best to reconstruct the last couple months to bring you up to date--if you care to read on, that is.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Allan took the cake this year when he made my birthday dinner. Since he was leaving on his trip the day after my birthday, he suggested making the cake the previous weekend so we could enjoy a piece each night all week long. Great idea! So for the first time he tackled a German Chocolate Cake. I can't tell you how wonderful it was, although after I looked at the calorie count, I couldn't eat it guilt-free. I grudgingly shared a couple pieces with our maid and our driver. On Thursday night in a little over an hour, he whipped up a meal of lime-and-chile basted grilled lobster with lime butter sauce, cous-cous, and green salad. Mmm! Gotta admit it, not too many guys would be willing to jump in on that one, but it was actually a pretty do-able recipe taken from Bon Appetit (August '08). I was a pretty happy birthday girl!

Rapping it up . . . at 85

Both our moms turned 85 this year, and, unfortunately, we weren't there to celebrate with either of them. But we did manage to produce a video clip for Bea's birthday bash--completely with costuming, of course. Although Allan was worried it would end up on u-tube, I can't recall he said anything about me putting it on our blog.

Let me tell ya ‘bout a lady we know so well
Her name is Bea and we think she’s swell
She raised 6 kids who are very fine
And want to say she’s a one of a kind

Doesn’t like to cook--but loves her football
Bets a dollar on the game, hopes to win them all
Crossword puzzles are really her thing
Or just sit in front of a nickel machine

Worked right up until 80 years old
And then retired---but the truth be told
Now she walks the aisles of the WalMart Store
Lookin’ for deals and buyin’ some more

Just check in her closet, she’s got gifts galore
For the Christmas exchange—can hardly shut the door
Just remind her then when the time comes around
Where she hid the gifts so they can be found

She’s still kickin’ it back now at 85
Is there another granny here who’s so alive?
Even with her tobacco and her caffeine high
Ain’t nothin’ gonna stop her til 105

So give it up for the Bea ‘cause we’re all right proud
And we know everyone in this birthday crowd
Can say with us in their own special way
We all wish you a Happy Birthday
We all wish you a Happy Birthday
We all wish you a Happy Birthday

Six in the City

Yes, you read that correctly . . . what were you thinking, anyway? The Luanda International School held a quiz night in February to test the mental skills of six-member teams competing for the honor of being "the smartest," and to raise funds for a school project. Allan and I joined four very smart people to offer up our answers against 12 other teams. It was important to come up with a theme and name for our team, and as one of the few teams who live in the city center, we adopted the name "Six in the City." We were quite striking, to say the least, as we made our entrance sporting our finest wear. Let's just say we looked much better than we fared in the final round. All in all, it was a great occasion to use some of those dramatic talents that don't get to surface often enough over here.

Millie's Tea House

On February 21st, Millie’s Tea House opened for the afternoon to serve the only high tea in Luanda. Manfred, the butler, greeted eight beautifully dressed ladies at the door and presented them with their tea selection for the afternoon. After they were seated in the dining room, the ladies enjoyed a complete menu of savories and sweets fit for royalty. Smoked ham and pineapple salad sandwiches on crustettes, tomato-basil sandwiches, and traditional cucumber sandwiches were served with sugared grapes, artichoke-rice salad, and African Sunrise tea. Cranberry-orange scones with jam or cream were followed by mango sorbet. The trays of dainties included macaroons, dipped apricots, anise cookies, chocolate-pecan tassies, Belgian wafers dipped with chocolate and crushed macadamia nuts, and lemon-filled sandwich cookies. These were finished with a spot of caramel tea. (Is your mouth watering yet?) Millie had worked hard all week preparing for this special event, and Manfred stepped in to graciously assist in hosting for the afternoon. He also helped clean up the myriad of dishes and silver after Millie collapsed on the bed. The guests were the winning bidders of an auction item which the Vances put up for bid last September at a benefit for the Home for Abandoned Girls. Millie asked Manfred not to quit his day job quite yet, but there’s a lot of potential there. It was the talk of the town!

Wheels Up

At the end of May I’ll be going to the US to spend two months in Washington, then a week with my mom in Kansas City before heading back to Luanda in August. Allan will join me towards the end of June. We look forward to time with the kids, grandkids, and friends who will visit. We’re anxious to work on some landscape projects at the house, as well as unpacking some of those boxes that been sitting there for a year. And of course---salmon fishing and crab catching. Mmmm! Can’t wait.

Time Lapse

I cannot believe it has been almost two months since my last blog entry. Who knows why? I have all these thoughts racing around in my head which never seem to make their way down to the computer. Yes, I’ve been busy, but probably no more than usual. Lunches, dinners, Bible study, sitting in traffic, meetings, scrabbling, teaching at the high school, sitting in traffic, making curtains. etc. etc. etc—and, oh yeah, sitting in traffic. So I’m back for another round. Let’s see what I can fill you in on.

Retreating

When we took an international assignment, I knew that one of the things I would greatly miss would be the yearly ladies' retreats, especially at Mission Springs and Mt. Hermon. Was I ever surprised in Indonesia that they had a ladies' retreat at Puncak, a beautiful area outside Jakarta, reminiscent of the Santa Cruz Mountains. If you recall, that was immediately after the tsunami had struck Sumatra. The emotion was felt as women shared personal testimonies from their time helping in Ache and watching the hands and feet of the gospel go out to the Muslims there. The worship and singing from women from all over the globe was fantastic. So here we are in Luanda where we had difficulty even finding the church that offered a service in English. Well, last weekend marked the very first women's retreat here in Luanda. Several women from the Luanda International Christian Church had the vision to sponsor a one day retreat for the ladies here, many of whom had never had this opportunity before. What a special time it was as 53 ladies (many who did not go to our church) of many different nationalities gathered for fellowship, prayer and worship based on "Loving Well," a video series by Beth Moore. The focus of the retreat was learning to love well, even those who are difficult to love. I was privileged to participate in the planning committee, and it was beautiful to see how God honored the prayer, planning, and preparation that went into the day. The response was overwhelming, and the table discussion so encouraging as ladies from Canada, Scotland, Kenya, and the U.S. all brought different perspectives to the topics. One of the Kenyan women shared that what we call slums in Luanda don't really qualify because they have electricity, or even satellite. In Kenya, the homes in the slums are made of cardboard and wash away when the rains come. Every woman left with such a sense of connectedness and a desire to spend time together again. And look what I would have missed if I had never left the U.S.!

Pink Bananas and a Flock of Chicks

By far the most unusual gifts Allan got for his birthday this year were a bunch of pink bananas from our driver Fortes (who told us they were very special) and a flock of chicks from Erin. Fortes wanted to do something special for his "chef" and chose something he would not normally buy for himself. It was very sacrificial. Erin donated the funds for the chicks to Heifer International who provides food to the world's poor. They were such creative gifts to celebrate Allan's birthday. Besides, what do you get the guy who has everything he needs? Here we are living in the city often billed at the world's most expensive and realize there are thousands of starving people right outside our doorstep. So what better thought as a birthday tribute than to provide sustenance for someone else? I was so inspired by this idea that I will be sending a donation to Heifer to plant trees as a memorial to the Jordan, the son of one of my friends on Boston Way, who tragically died in an accident last week. It's a great way to make a lasting gift for years to come. Heifer is one of several agencies working to fight hunger by "teaching others to fish." Although there are other worthwhile organizations, this is one worth checking out: http://www.heifer.org/

What Price Freedom?

The book 1776 by McCullough is a must-read for every American. I must admit I was profoundly affected by the accounts this Pulitzer Prize-winning author shared from his extensive research. I began to wonder if I had been totally asleep in my American history classes or if they never really told us the cost of liberty. Yes, I knew the general details of the major conflicts and the issues that were at stake, but I really had little concept of the destitute state of those who fought. With no training, little pay ($6 per month), inadequate supplies, and rampant sickness, they left behind their jobs and families to march hundreds of miles in poor (often freezing) conditions to fight an enemy who outnumbered them at least 4 to 1. Even though I knew the final outcome, as I was reading, I couldn’t imagine how we would possibly pull off a victory. I was truly inspired by the acts of courage and heroism, as well as shamed by how much I take for granted and how often I complain when things aren’t going my way. Imagine that in the midst of planning battle strategy, riding alongside the troops, and dealing with ill-trained leaders, George Washington found time to write 976 letters in less than two years—and we can’t find time to hit reply to an email!

Luanda Days, I Mean Daze

you know you are in one when . . .

• you have spent almost 5 hours in the car and only made 3 stops— for Portuguese class, the grocery store, and lunch take-out.
• you get lunch take-out from a restaurant and walk away 30 minutes later with 2 kabobs and $25 less in your pocket.
• it takes 48 hours to download a large file of photos.
• you get bumped off the internet 3 times right in the middle of your scrabble game and the next player skips your turn!
• you are desperate enough for celery to pay $15 for it.
• you have to shower with a 1 liter bottle because you have run out of water.
• the water coming out of your faucet is brown.
• no one in the store understands what you are asking for, even though you think you are using flawless Portuguese.
• you find your night security guard curled up and sound asleep on a piece of cardboard behind your car.
• you can’t find cream (when you really need it) in the entire city of Luanda.
• you don’t want to share the last of your special coffee beans because you won’t get any more til your next trip back to the U.S.
• your phone rings in the middle of the night because your kids forgot there was a 9-hr. time difference.
• you send your driver to buy 10 tomatoes but he returns with 10 kilos of tomatoes (happened to a friend of mine).
• you are willing to spend $300 per night to stay in a little rustic cabin outside the city just to get away!

Bloomin' Success

One of Allan's passions in Indonesia was growing orchids, so it was a great loss to him to leave those plants behind when we moved. He had at least 100 (but to hear him tell it, they numbered in the 1000's). We had so many beautiful varieties which flourished in that climate, and it was such a bonus to buy the plants for only $2 a piece. So it was quite disappointing to find out that a single plant here in Angola would cost $50, but ones with blossoms were $75. That was out of the question. So Allan was thrilled to be able to bring some orchids back from South Africa a couple months ago, and we have held our breaths hoping they would grow. Then two weeks ago---voila!---three beautiful blossoms. We just had to share this with you!

Another Bundle

It just occurred to me when I posted our new photo that some of you may be wondering who is the roly-poly bundle in my arms. Brian and Allison have been foster parents for the past couple years, both in Massachusetts and now in Washington. They have cared for Luna Sunshine since she was a couple months old and have recently found that the petition to have parental rights terminated has been accepted, so they are pursing adoption. We are excited for them and praying that all will go well with the courts system to allow this to happen. They have been awesome parents to her, treating her like her own, even though they know that nothing is final until all the approvals have been given and all papers have been signed. We certainly enjoyed our time at Thanksgiving getting to know her better, and I'm sure she had a kick spending time with the rest of the family.

Lost in Translation

For someone who loves to talk, it's almost a punishment to live in a culture that doesn't speak the same language as you do. In Indonesia, most of the populace (and even most household help) spoke no English at all, and even simple tasks like shopping for vegetables was very stress-producing. I spent almost three years learning Bahasa, which has absolutely no relevance to English words at all. I probably learned more on the golf course with my caddie and felt fairly competent when we left that I could hold my own, at least for routine taks. I was even able to deliver a simple speech before the women's club in Bahasa. So now that we're in Angola and Portuguese is the national language here, I am starting at square one. But I must say, I am quite enjoying the challenge and love the discovery of new words and how they are formed. At least many Portuguese words can be deciphered because of their similarity to English. And if I am stuck for a vocabulary word, I just try adding a "são" (pronounced as a nasal "soun"), and sometimes I am right after all! Of course, there's always the liability of embarrassing yourself by making an error in pronunciation or vocabulary. One of our favorite stories in Indonesia was when Allan posted a sign on our bird aviary, thinking he was telling the guards not to feed the birds, when in reality, he was asking them not to eat the birds. So I asked him to please check with his secretary before delivering a speech in Bahasa. We've had some interesting twists here as well. When my Portuguese teacher asked me if there were unfamiliar words in the text, I told her I didn't know the word advogado. She told me it meant liar. I found that strange to put in a book, and then it dawned on me that she was saying lawyer, which wasn't clear because of her accent. We laughed about it when I explained to her what I thought she said and then finished by saying, "Well, actually, a lot of lawyers are liars." The latest almost-error was a week ago when I got my hair cut pretty short. As the stylist was blow-drying it, I was searching my mind for the vocaulary word to tell her I looked like a little duck (pequeno pato), but all that came to my mind was pequeno peito. I was later relieved that I had withheld my comment when I looked the word up in my dictionary. Peito is the word for breast.

Comfort Scents

We hear a lot about comfort food, but have you thought about comfort scents? Psychologists would back me up on this one. Getting a whiff of a certain smell propels you back to a familiar time or place, sometimes almost forgotten except for the trigger that aroma provides. Sometimes it's not such a good memory, but I would say most often those smells flood us with a heartwarming break in our life. Coffee most often reminds me of my dad. Evergreens - cutting down Christmas trees with Bill and the kids. Cigarette smoke - Friday night football games in Texas (don't ask me why). Fried potatoes, onions, and bacon - Aunt Lydia's for breakfast. Campfire smoke - camping with my family and campfire nights at summer camps. Now I know I could go on and on, but I don't think you planned on taking this walk down memory lane with me. I realized this week that when I choose a certain perfume to wear I am reminded of the giver. Thanks Erin for Amazing Grace, Lydia for Lavendar Bath Gel, Allison for Lavendar and Vanilla Body Souffle, Ragena for Bathina, Bonnie for Moonlight Path Lotion, and Allan for Organza (which was the first and only perfume he bought for me---and that was only because some sales girl recommended it). As far away as we are, my nose takes me back to you, my friends. That makes scents, doesn't it????

Junkie

Ok, I admit it. I have become an online Scrabble junkie. Well, what do you expect when I have a husband who doesn't enjoy the game but will play it to pacify me if I spot him points and bend the rules? There are some pretty awesome players out there, and I've learned a lot of new words. But I can feel my adrenalin pumping when I start a game or get close to a win. I've played with people all around the world and actually have a pretty good record going, but I can tell it's become an obsession when I'd rather "scrabble" than work on the other things staring me in the face. So I am putting myself on a scrabble-less diet for the next week while I devote time to preparing for the workshop I am teaching in a couple weeks and finishing the curtains I started. And I hope it's not going to be too painful.

In the Jungle

In September, we experienced our first safari . We traveled to Namibia, the country on the southern border of Angola. It truly was the experience of a lifetime. Jason met us in Windhoek, the capital, after which we spent 8 days traveling to 4 different game reserves. Jungle--it was not. More like a desert for the most part. We saw more giraffes, zebras, and springbok that you can imagine. and although we never saw lions or cheetahs roaming free, we did witness a lion feed at one of the reserves that would chill your bones. We spent hours each day searching, identifying, and logging the different species of animals we saw. We gained a new appreciation for God's handiwork in the creation of so many amazing animals. I swear the rhinocerous is the strangest one ever. We frequently had to stop the car to wait for a parade of elephants or zebras to cross the road. We sampled meals of oryx, springbok, alligator, ostrich, and yes, even zebra. At one water hole, we watched the feeding of rhinos, hippos, and water buffalo who came to feed at the same time. Our pictures cannot do justice to what we witnessed, but it is certainly a trip we will never forget.

Home On the Range

Yes, I've been back to cooking again since we've been in Angola. We were thoroughly spoiled with Emi, our cook in Indonesia. Although I originally protested the idea of having someone else in my kitchen, she was amazing. Not only did she prepare lunch and dinner, but she also made tortillas, bagels, breads, you name it. (Come to think of it, she's to blame for the weight I gained there!) But an empregada (maid) in Angola is not only more expensive and difficult to find, but rarely does she cook Western food. So I am back to full time cook, and I am actually loving it. Although finding ingredients locally for a particular recipe is a challenge, I normally start with what I have available and adapt. Sometimes the substitutions in the recipe outnumber the original ingredients, so it truly is a new creation. We have come across some new favorites, as well. I am including a few of these for you to try. We had some fantastic BBQ ribs that a friend prepared, and she shared the recipe for Absolutely Awesome BBQ Sauce from a website. A favorite dessert (for which I can easily find ingredients) is a fruit sorbet, and I think my current favorites are mango and melon. One of the local desserts I've grown to love is Banana Paõ, commonly called fried bananas. I recently prepared Lemon Cream Sandwich Cookies (from Bon Appetit) for a coffee we had and got great reviews on them. So I hope you'll try some of these, too.