My Favorite Things

I know I whine a fair amount (ok, a LOT!) about the hard parts of living here.  And let's be honest - it IS hard over here.  But there's also a lot of really nice aspects of our life here, and those sometimes get lost in the stress.  In no particular order, here are some of my favorite things about life in Angola:

*Surprises.  Sometimes it's sour cream in a store that's never sold it.  Sometimes it's a construction worker with a sombrero made of cardboard.  The one thing you can count on here is that nothing is ever exactly how you think it will be.  And that, my friends, can be extremely entertaining.

*Accents.  Lordy, do I love a good accent!  I can't always understand what people are saying, but I sure do enjoy listening to them.  Scottish, Irish, British, Portuguese, Brazilian, Oklahoman (is that right?  I didn't want to call it 'Okie') - it never gets old.  Call me simple, but I get a good chuckle every time I hear someone say, "I'm gonna bowl the chicken."  (This is JoAnn's way of saying 'boil' the chicken.)

*Learning.  I'm constantly learning new things - about other people, about myself, about infectious diseases....it's an education every day.

*Simplicity.  There is something to be said about not having a million and one obligations to take care of on the weekends.  Most of the time we have no plans, other than spending time together.

*Fresh Air.  Oh, the smell of body odor, unencumbered by deodorant!  Ok, so that's not really a positive.  But walking through the grocery store, you'll often see a non-local suddenly stop dead in their tracks and whip their head back like they've been slapped.  That's the BO hitting them dead in the face, and that is what passes for entertainment here.

*Appreciation.  Nothing makes you appreciate what you have like seeing people without.  I've never in my life realized how good we have it, and how little most of us appreciate it.  The expats who seem happiest here are the ones who have figured out how to really focus on the positives, and what a great life skill that is to pass along to our children.  That, and wearing deodorant.