Some of you know that I went with a group of other expats to visit a school in a very poor section of Luanda a few weeks ago. I have some pictures, and a lot of thoughts about the experience - but not enough time to write it down just now. So - to hold you over, watch this video that was taken a few years ago. Sister Amelia is an amazing person, and it was an honor to meet her and see what she's accomplished.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Still alive
Oh, hello there! Were you wondering where the heck I went? I'm still here, I've just been a little....distracted. Sorry about that! You see, there's this funny thing that happens when you live here. There is a three month cycle: The first 6 weeks or so, you plug along and everything is pretty peachy. Weeks 7 and 8, you notice that you're getting a little crabby. Weeks 9 and 10 you have to really struggle to not slap the person who cuts in front of you in line at the store, and you find yourself griping about all the little annoyances here. Weeks 11 and 12 you pretty much are just killing time until you get to fly far, far away from Angola for a bit - and then the cycle starts all over again! So all of the companies who provide a 'R and R' break for the employees and their families every 3 months - they know what they're doing. So anyway, we leave for Mauritius in 9 days.
I have all sorts of other pictures and stories to share - but I can't really focus long enough to put them here, because you see, it has been 12 weeks since we came back from South Africa. I promise, in April, I will be back to posting regularly and hopefully will be able to put together a coherent story or two. Until then, I am just trying to keep my cool and not punch anyone.
I have all sorts of other pictures and stories to share - but I can't really focus long enough to put them here, because you see, it has been 12 weeks since we came back from South Africa. I promise, in April, I will be back to posting regularly and hopefully will be able to put together a coherent story or two. Until then, I am just trying to keep my cool and not punch anyone.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Water, Water....
I felt like the biggest jerk last week! After telling our maid about the hot water heater leaking, and our 4 days without hot water - she gently informed me that her house doesn't EVER have hot water. I'm such a bratty spoiled American!
Should I start with the positive? We have a functioning hot water heater again. But just to keep us from getting too crazy, we are also smack in the middle of a water shortage. This means that sporadically, throughout the day, no water will come from the tap. We've got plenty of drinking water, since that gets delivered in 5 gallon jugs - so really, it's just a nuisance.
Back to the tap water - it's filtered, but there's some question about whether or not it's okay to brush your teeth with it. Some people in the compound use the bottled water to brush their teeth, but that is just a pain in the pooper - you have to remember to fill a container to take with you every time you brush your teeth. So since maybe the 3rd week of living here, we've just used the tap water to brush with, and it's been no problem.....for 4 out of 5 people in our family. ONE person seems to get sick when she uses the tap water to brush with. ONE person's intestinal tract seems to be too delicate to handle the African tap water. And ONE person can't quite get it through her thick head that this is the case, so she keeps trying to go back to using the tap water....only to get sick again. So forgive me for not posting here last week - I was feeling a little bit icky...but I'm sure it has NOTHING to do with the water!*
*Yes, I know, it's the water. Yes I will only use bottled water to brush with from now on, if only to save myself from the severe beating that JoAnn has threatened me with.
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