Water and Life

Have you missed me posting about our water problems?  Well then, it's your lucky day!  For the past week or so (ever since we got back from our Dubai trip), our water pressure has been extremely low.  The first few days, I didn't think much of it - because frankly, it takes a lot more than low water pressure to impress me these days.  One night I went to fill up the bathtub, and the water was literally dribbling out of the faucet, down the wall of the tub.  This got my attention - because if there's one thing I really treasure, it's my nightly bath!  I'm sure you can guess where this is going....it's now been 5 days since we called and emailed, asking for maintenance to come and see what's wrong, and no one has come.  This morning I came home from kickboxing class, drenched in sweat - and was treated to an extra fun shower.  It went like this:  I'd turn on the water, hurry up and get wet, and then the water would stop.  I'd turn off the shower, wait a minute for the pressure to build back up, and then repeat the process.  I could get about 20 seconds of water each time, and I did manage to wash my hair, body, AND shave my legs - so really, I don't have much to complain about.

Adam and I had a very nice couple over to our house this weekend.  They were on their 'reccie' trip, to see if they want to come and live in Angola.  It does me so much good to talk to people who are in this stage.  Not only do I get to feel like I can help ease their worries, but it shows me how far I've come in the last 15 months.  When I first visited Angola, I was a wreck.  I cried every day, and I really and truly could not see how I could ever survive here.  Even after we decided that yes, we would do it - I wasn't sure how long I'd last.  But I told our guest this weekend, that what I've learned is that the key isn't being so strong that nothing gets you down - it's being strong enough that when things do get you down, you get back up again.

I've sent another round of emails about our water situation, so we'll see what tomorrow brings.  Thank you to everyone who checks in on me through this blog - I love being able to share bits of life here with you!

Friday 'From Scratch' Roundup

I've decided to do a weekly post listing all of the food items I've made.  This may only be interesting to me, I'm not sure - but whatevs - it's my blog!  This week is a little light on impressive culinary wizardry - I'm still getting back into the swing of things after vacation, and Adam was home for most of the week, which meant he barbecued quite a few dinners.  On the other hand....Adam has been unhappy with the lack of Starbucks-quality mocha supplies, and I decided to see if I could remedy the situation.  So here is my list for the week, with links for recipes.  Enjoy!  Or not!  I'll never know...

• Tortillas - I use a tortilla press, instead of rolling them out by hand. I use a simple recipe of flour, butter, salt, baking powder, and water.  It's easy, but very time consuming.  It involves standing at the counter for at least 40 minutes, and all of that work lasts for one dinner's worth of tortillas.  Still, they are delicious, and much cheaper than the $15 for 8 tortillas that are available in the grocery store. 
• Waffles - My kids, the boys especially, can go through an insane amount of waffles in a week.  I try to make enough that they have them for a few breakfasts per week, so I double this recipe. Oatmeal Waffles
• Maple Syrup - There's no maple syrup here, real or artificial, so I make ours.  I got the recipe from JoAnn, and it's very basic - water, white sugar, brown sugar, and maple extract.
• Mocha Syrup - Adam adds a few tablespoons of this to his coffee, and along with steamed milk and caramel sauce, it makes for a very happy husband.  I looked up a ton of recipes, and ended up throwing together a version that used ingredients I had here.  I used 1/2 cup of water, 2/3 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup alkalized cocoa powder, 1/4 cup plus 1 TB of regular cocoa powder, and 1 1/4 TB of vanilla extract.  Mixed them all together over low heat, and then transferred to a jar and refrigerated.
• Salted Caramel Sauce - Remember how I said I made this for Adam?  Welllll........once I got a taste of this, it was all over.  Now I'm putting it into my coffee, too - who could pass up a Salted Caramel Latte?  Not this girl.  I used this recipe, but instead of fancy shmancy salt, I just used about a tsp of regular table salt. Salted Caramel Sauce

That's it for this week.  I don't count the stuff I make from mixes I brought over here with me (like Ranch Dressing, Italian Dressing, etc), and I don't count things that I would normally make back in the US, like....roasted potatoes.  This list is purely for things that I would have likely never attempted to make, back when I lived in the land of convenience. I enjoy cooking and baking, but I doubt that I will continue to make all of these things from scratch when we're living in the US again.  For now, though, I entertain myself by imagining my boys driving their future wives insane by casually mentioning all of the things that their mom whipped up from scratch!

Christmas Vacation

We are back from our holiday in Dubai, and all five of us agree - it was AMAZING!  These vacations that we're able to take are not the only good thing about this expat gig, but they're definitely one of the best.  We took a flight out of Luanda on Thursday evening, and landed in Dubai on Friday morning.  Flying seven hours with three kids (plus 3 hours in the Angola airport before leaving) was surprisingly easy, for the most part.  We've gotten pretty good at traveling, and everyone is in good spirits when it's time for vacation!

So - we arrived in Dubai, and it was gorgeous!  I've never seen so many beautiful skyscrapers.

Dubai Marina

The view from our hotel room

We had an absolute blast!  We spent loads of time walking around the malls and shopping.  We went on a desert safari, and rode camels.

The hut where we had Christmas dinner

The belly dancer at the end of our safari - the boys reallllly liked her!

We went to the top of the world's tallest building, and took a historical tour of the city.

Burj Khalifa

We swam with dolphins, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

It's now been 15 months of living in Angola, and I think I can finally say that I'm glad we signed up for this experience.  It's changed me, I think for the better, and I know that we've made memories and friends that will last a lifetime.  I still look around and can't believe that this is really my life...but it is, and what an amazing life it's turned out to be.

Pushing

I've written before about how challenging it is to go shopping here.  Grocery shopping is not ever a really fun task, but in Angola it borders on torture.  The smells, the bugs, the crowds, the lack of edible food....it's no one's idea of a good time.  Given all of that, I try very hard to not subject my kids to the grocery stores.  Sometimes, though - it's unavoidable.

Last weekend, while we were out for lunch for Max's birthday (KFC - the one and only American 'restaurant' in Angola!), I needed to get a few groceries for dinner.  I took Max and Molly with me, and Adam and Miles went to the car to wait for us.  We had the misfortune of being at the closest grocery store to our house - which is also one of the nastiest.  My plan was to grab the few items we needed, and get through the store as fast as possible.  Well......it was Saturday, which is the worst day to be in the stores.  It was even MORE crowded than usual.  The kids and I navigated through the packed aisles, dodged the roaches (not exaggerating!) and got into one of the ridiculously long lines.  After a few minutes, a man with an armload of groceries maneuvered his way in front of us.  I rolled my eyes and sighed, but decided against making a fuss.  A few minutes later, two men tried to do the same thing.  So....let me state the obvious here, and tell you that it's different in Angola than in the US.  In the US, it's generally understood by everyone over the age of 3 that 'cutting' in line is not ok.  In Angola, the consensus seems to be that if you can get away with it, it's worth a try.  So I'd had enough, and told these guys to get to the back of the line.  They sheepishly went back, and I tried to not feel rattled.  That 'safe' feeling you have at home, when you speak up - where you pretty much know that if you call someone out for obviously bad behavior, someone will have your back?  Not here.  It doesn't matter that I'm a woman, doesn't matter that I have young children with me - no one is going to stick up for me if I get into trouble.

So finally we make it to the front of the line, and I start putting our groceries on the counter.  Max and Molly were standing behind me, next to the cart.  Suddenly I hear Max quietly, but in an upset voice, saying, "No!"  I look up, and the same two men are right behind him, pushing him to try to get past!  My poor Max was NOT budging - even though he was frightened, he was not about to let those guys get around him.  I'm like most moms - if you mess with my kids, you're going to see me go all mama bear on you.  I marched over there, and in my best Portuguese, told them to stop.  The cashier and all the people around us were watching, and no one felt the need to help me. After a few tense moments, they finally moved back.  I was shaking, and managed to pay for our groceries, bag them, and get them in the cart.

It all ended up fine, but it was a tense situation, where I was reminded of just how vulnerable I am here.  I think the truth is, I'm not in any more danger here than anywhere else - there's just more of a sense of security in America, where I understand the culture and speak the language.  I'm not sure it's a bad thing to really experience what it feels like to be the underdog....it's just not fun.

Left Behind

One of the hardest parts about expat life is that nothing is permanent.  The cycle of new families arriving and other families leaving is tough.  I've learned in the past year that the friendships made when you are living overseas tend to be on fast-forward; people become close very quickly, and when they move, it leaves a big hole in the community. Even here, where close friendships are a necessity, the closeness of my friendship with JoAnn is unusual.  Even the cashiers at the supermarkets (who are known for their blank stares and careless attitudes) comment on the rare occasions when we aren't together.  She's my constant companion, my partner in crime....and she's leaving me behind.

We knew it was coming, but that doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye.  My kids are devastated that their friends are leaving, and they are sad for me, too.  I'm feeling a mix of emotions - I'm definitely going to miss JoAnn terribly, but I am also incredibly grateful for the time we've had.  She was here when I needed her most - when I felt like I couldn't make it another day here, she'd come and drag me out of the house and make me laugh.  When I ran out of something, she'd bring some over.  No matter how miserable my day was, or how awful I felt - she was the kick in the pants I needed to keep going.  And even though she's leaving, our friendship will be a permanent one.

As sad as I am for me, I'm happy for her, and for her extended family.  I know everyone back in the US has missed JoAnn, her husband, and her kids - so they'd better take really good care of them!  They are a special family, and Angola won't be the same without them.

Happy Birthday!

Today is my 12th anniversary of becoming a mom.  My sweet boy is 12 years old, and I can hardly believe that we are so blessed.  He is kind and funny, smart and sensitive, and has such a beautiful spirit.  He's been a big brother since he was two years old, and seeing the way he protects his sister and brother makes my heart so happy.  Max, you are constantly amazing me, and I can't wait to see the incredible things you will do in your life!

I asked our driver, Tomas, if he could teach me how to sing 'Happy Birthday' in Portuguese.  He was happy to give me a performance, so I thought I'd share.

Musings from Miles

I know it goes without saying that I love all three of my children.  Like most parents, I think my kids are pretty darn cute, funny, and smart.  Miles is no exception, and being the youngest, I think he often has to step up his game in order to compete with his older siblings.  Somehow this has resulted in some of the funniest, strangest conversations - most often about God.

Today Miles was helping me make dinner, and out of nowhere, he blurted, "God never sleeps."  I agreed with him that yes, God is always awake and watching over us.  

"I bet he sure gets tired," Miles added.  I agreed. 

 "I wonder if his mom and dad tell him to go to sleep, but after they go to bed, He gets back up and keeps making more people!"  I think Miles is projecting his naughtiness onto God here, but man, that kid cracks me up.