Was my last post really June 13, 2010??? Man I have some catching up to do.
Well here it goes:
Since it has been so long since I last wrote, I will give a little recap of the end of last year. I was probably too busy with all my new found activities that I couldn't maintain my blog as I would have liked! Both a good and a bad thing. Reggie finished the season very well. Our team, Libolo won the Angola Cup which is as much of a success as being the league champs. We upset the top African team, Primero D'Agusto, and Reggie was the MVP of the game. We finished in second place overall at the end of the season. I finished the "season" with so many friends and memories of Angola. If it wasn't for summer school, I imagine that our return to the States would have been delayed due to local activities and travel. Last year I had joined a women's bible study that met weekly, a group that taught English classes at a local orphanage twice a week, a group that did crafts with the children at the orphanage, a cooking club that met once a month, American Women's Association of Angola that was drawing to an end for the season due to summer vacation, and practicing yoga three times a week. All in addition to supporting Reggie at his games two to three times a week. Needless to say, I went from not doing too much, to doing a lot. Oh, and I was also driving! If you read my post about traffic, you would probably be concerned for me. Most people are. But we do not have drivers provided for us, so if I wanted to do most of these extra curricular activities, I had to drive myself. Most of the time my schedule conflicted with Reggie's so he was not able to drive me. Surprisingly, I did really well. I was hesitant and relaxed at first; but those are ingredients for a very unsuccessful drive. It's funny how "relaxed" leads to failure, right? That's is a little illogical; like most things here. So in the end, it all works out.
Now I'm back and driving again :) When I first got back, beginning of February, I had to be re-introduced to life here. Just the quick pace, craziness of it all. I actually made the comment to Reggie one day when we were walking around, "I can't believe I used to drive here". That was short lived; three weeks later I'm driving again. Like I said before though, if I want to do things, I have to drive myself. I was here about 8 days before Reggie had to leave for a tournament in Portugal. Ideally, we both would have preferred me going to Portugal too, but that wasn't possible. Like most things in Angola, plans change. Initially, the team was leaving Wednesday night. Then Wednesday afternoon we get a call saying the team is leaving Thursday morning instead. While Reggie was gone I stayed with some of our friends, which was a blast. In retrospect, I still wish I would have been able to go to Portugal because Reggie played AMAZINGLY. They lost their first game to Primero D'Agosto (the other Angolan team) by 1 point. Their second game they beat the top Portuguese team, Porto. In their third game, they beat the second top Portuguese team, Benfica, and Reggie had 41 points. Our team, Libolo, finished the tournament in second place with 2 wins and 1 loss, behind Primero D'Agosto. We will get them this year though, don't worry! As MVP, Reggie was awarded multiple pairs of shoes. Unfortunately, none were a size 16, so he gifted them to teammates. On a side note, there was a tournament in Luanda earlier in the season in which Reggie won MVP of the final game and the tournament. I was home at this time but I remember Reggie recapping the game and telling me how he had been getting his stuff together in the locker room and heard his name called. He returned to the court to be awarded an OVEN for MVP of the game. He shook hands of everyone while asking himself, "What in the world am I going to do with an oven?" He was living in the hotel at the time (more on that later), so we obviously didn't need an oven. Although the oven in the old apartment didn't work, so realistically we could have used it, in a way. When he was back in the locker room he heard his name again, returned to the court one more time, to be awarded a REFRIGERATOR. Now he really didn't know what he was going to do with these appliances. Of course, everyone was asking for them, even offering to pay for them. One team mate said, "Hey man, I'm getting married in a few weeks. Those can be my gifts!". I don't know what happened to the fridge, but I believe Reggie gave the oven to our friends that lived down the street from us in the old apartment. This family was very deserving :-)
The tournament in Portugal was televised, but I only caught the Sunday game. I had stayed with some friends and we had quite the agenda that weekend! I had been struggling getting on a normal sleep schedule, darn jet lag. That weekend surely set me straight. I got to their house Thursday afternoon, Friday we had a TICA (The International Community of Angola) Valentine's party. Saturday there was a British Women's of Angola Valentine's Ball, I was lucky to snag a ticket last minute. Sunday we spent relaxing, lounging by the pool, and watching the game. This was one of Reggie's best games that I had ever seen. I know Reggie was anxious to play "real" basketball, and boy did he. Basketball in Angola is a little lacking in technique, dignity, and skill. It was a double sided sword for Reggie to play in Portugal again. The benefits of European basketball is the level of play, the draw backs are the income. While a player may sign a contract, they do not always receive that full contract amount. It is usually a good day if you get paid on time. The drawbacks of Angolan basketball, as I have already mentioned are, among many things, technique, dignity, and skill. Technique because you will have some of the most ridiculous fouls called, and some of the most blatant fouls not called. Dignity because Angola is a very corrupt country. It's third world. It's poor. I know from personal experience how corrupt the police are here. If you get pulled over, normally you can pay off the police in order to be on your way. Unfortunately, this may be at a price close to $100. Yesterday I was just told how the police on the motorcycles are the worst because they will ride by and steal womens purses right out of open windows!!! Now your really wondering why I drive here, huh? Let me assure you that my purse is down by my feet, my doors are locked, windows rolled up, and pepper spray in my lap. I'm independent but cautiously aware. This corruption carries over to basketball because it is not uncommon for people, or teams, to play the refs here. Case in point, our game Tuesday. This is a widely known fact, yet people are still proud of their team if they win, knowing the refs were paid. Can you imagine the frustration? Yet somehow, I'm proud to say, that Reggie is one of the leading players in the league despite this. Skill because players and the crowd like And-1 style of basketball; all the tricks and all the glitter. So it is common to see crazy dribbling, crazy drives to the basket, and crazy dunk attempts. All while the crowd goes crazy. For these reasons, Portugal was a nice little break for Reggie. And he soaked it up. But now, back to Angolan basketball.
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After a few days I'm returning to finish this post!! The first night I was writing it was Wednesday. Reggie came back from practice with a sore throat which had been progressing for a few days. We (the manager, Reggie and I) went to the clinic that evening. So I'll take a little side tangent and describe going to the clinic. Over the years we have been to many different clinics for many different reasons. Luckily this time it was just a sore throat instead of an injury from a game (an over night stay on our first Valentine's Day), or the beginnings of Malaria (we've been to the clinic three times for this over the years). Most, not all, clinics are 24 hours. We left the hotel around 8:45pm. Arrived at the clinic, got checked in and were seated by 9:00pm. Like most clinics and doctors office, just the idea makes you want to cough, or make your skin crawl. It's the same here, at least for me. Except there is not a separation of offices, everything is at the same place. So we were sitting a few chairs down from a family with a child who was coughing. One time we were waiting at a clinic (I was the patient that time) and a car accident had just occurred so people were being brought in for treatment. Thankfully it was not a bad accident, so the people were not gruesomely injured. Thankfully. But this just shows how kids, elderly, sick, emergency are all treated in the same place. As we were leaving the clinic I was reading the index of doctors and their specialties ranged from pediatrics to plastic surgery, general practice to dermatology. All within a very small office. Now please understand, that we are very fortunate to be able to even go to a clinic. Most locals are not able to afford to go to clinic, which is a large factor in the high death rates, and low life expectancy here. This particular clinic visit alone cost $85, not including medication. Most of the population survive off of mere dollars a day. While lack of medical facilities is surely an issue, in my opinion, the cost of such services is what maintains the poverty because majority of people can not afford the services. Now with that being said, we are very fortunate. The buildings themselves are not even that bad either. They are well maintained and clean. For me, regardless of where I am, the idea of a doctors office makes me feel as if I am getting sick even if I am healthy. So please, I wish not to come across as ungrateful or critical. I am incredibly grateful. If anything these experiences have made me more grateful. Living in Angola has made me more grateful. I usually try to be very specific and detailed because I want to vividly describe how life is here.
This particular visit was relatively short. There were only three other "patients" or groups waiting at this particular clinic, at this particular hour. We have been to a clinic before where all the seats are taken and people are standing all around. Now if you have any experience traveling abroad you know quite well that in Europe, actually most places other than the United States, there is not "personal bubble" space. This isn't particularly enjoyable when your at a clinic. As if the thought alone of being at a clinic doesn't make you feel as if you are getting sick, you certainly don't want to be sitting in close proximity to someone who is sick. This is always a struggle for me because I am a bit of a germaphobic person. I have gotten so much better with time, but still. Unfortunately, there are times where you have to go to the clinic. This time was one of our better experiences. Reggie's visit was relatively short. We sat down, within half an hour he was called back to see the doctor-- perfect amount of time for a short nap for him and a few chapters of reading for me ;-). Then fifteen minutes later he was done and we had the list of medication that he needed. A prescription essentially. Most clinics have small pharmacies on site, so you take the prescription to the pharmacy window and they give you what you need, assuming they have it, then you pay and your on your way. The pharmacy at the clinic had two of the three three things that we needed. We stopped by another pharmacy on our way home, unfortunately they did not have the particular medicine either. Luckily, the third pharmacy did. By this time it was a few minutes after 10:00pm. It is best to go to the pharmacy as late as possible because they are the least busy then, and traffic does not cause extra complications. I know I have already written a post solely dedicated to traffic... it's that crazy here. The problem is compounded by power-crazed people who try to control the entire road. Also, people can't merge so that causes 90% of the problems! Before I exhaust that issue, again, I'll move on...
Reggie had games Friday and Saturday this last week. We played a younger team Friday, and Petro Saturday. Both games were surprisingly easy, especially the Saturday game. Typically, Petro is one of the other stronger teams. I think the day was especially hot and that affected all the players because there wasn't much energy from either team. We had some friends come to the Saturday game which was a lot of fun. A lot of friends here are here with oil companies, or engineering companies. I am glad to offer an outlet for them; something fun and different that most people do not know exists here. After the game we all went out to pizza. It was almost like being at home. Except the pizza was thin crusted and the location was probably an old driveway between two houses that was converted into a pizza place. The ovens were in the back and all the guests sat outside in the front. It is warm, if not hot, here well into the night. So even at 11:00pm we were thankful for the fans blowing in our directions! It is so nice to be able to sit and talk with friends, share stories, and laugh-- all in the same language! Being able to speak the same language obviously isn't required, but it sure does make it easier. I am very thankful to have friends that I can share our life with here. I hope to have many more friends attend the games through out the season because the games are very fun and exciting!
Well, now it is Monday and we are into another week! Today was a relatively lazy day, but we need those every once in a while right?? I think so :-)
Until next time friends, which will be sooner I promise, abracos e beijinhos (hugs and kisses)
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Angolan Traffic
Angola is very hard to describe without experiencing it. Now the traffic in Angola is even harder to describe without experiencing it. But at the same time, the first time you experience Angolan traffic, you are in a state of shock, fear, and excitement all at once.
I've been told that during the war people in the surrounding cities moved to Luanda to escape the fighting. Luanda is, comparatively, a small city; and ironically it is the capitol city. I've been told that Luanda was originally built for 800,000 people. Well, there are currently around 6 million people living here. The inflation of the population has created immense stress on the living arrangements and the traffic in the city. The city is simply not built to support all the people who live here. That is why there are so many "slums" in the area. People who can not afford to live in apartments or houses in town live in the slum neighborhoods that are crammed together with houses made out of block-ite walls and aluminum panels for the roof. There is actually a standing slum in the city that was being built with the intention of being an apartment building. Construction of the building was abandoned during the war leaving a 14 story building without windows, balcony railings, electricity or running water. The outside of the building isn't even intact. From the outside you see the squares of the block-ite exposed instead of covered and "complete". During the war, people moved into this building because they needed somewhere to live. So they are living with out electricity, water, windows, anything, to this day. It is literally a standing slum.
This post was supposed to be about traffic huh?!? Well I'm getting to that!
So, with a city whose actual population is six times greater than it's intended population capacity, you could imagine the effects that has on traffic. It is very surprising to see how many cars are on the road considering it is a poor country. There is public transportation but it comes in two forms: bus or taxi. Neither are desirable. People don't pay attention to safety rules or regulations here. I've seen buses full of people. I don't mean full as in every seat it occupied, I mean full as in people are crammed together in the aisles and people are nearly hanging out the window. Then, the bus stops yet again for more people to get on. The doors can barely close there are so many people standing in the doorway! I would not want to be crammed on that bus with all those people. The bus probably doesn't even have a functioning air conditioner knowing things here. No thank you! An even bigger no thank you are the taxis here. Taxi are not the normal yellow taxi that you would see at home. These taxis are similar to old VW buses that are painted blue and white. Taxis operate in teams, the driver and the "helper" for lack of better terms. When the taxi pulls up to a "stop" AKA anywhere they want, then the "helper" opens the doors and start screaming the general location of where the taxi is heading. I've read that it usually costs 65 kwanzas (less than $1) for the taxi fare. We've been told that taxis are a pretty good source of income for the owner. Everyday the driver pays the owner a flat rate, usually $100, while the driver and the "helper" split whatever is left over and are require to maintain the taxi. Drivers have the mentality to make as much money as possible in a day which in turn causes them to be absolute idiot drivers. They are the WORST of any drivers here. Driving isn't too good to begin with but these guys are insane. They will speed past someone on the left hand side of the road, only to serve back into the right side of the road barely avoiding a head on collision or crashing into someone in the right hand lane. Then, there are the scooters. People who drive scooters here think they are invincible. They think that everyone else should look out for them; when I think, based on common sense, they are the smallest things on the road, they should look out for cars. I understand the efficiency of scooters here because they can weave in and out of traffic, they don't have to stop when traffic guards are directing traffic, heck, they even drive on the wrong side of the road (then again everyone really does in one way or another); but never in my life would I get on a scooter here. Another thing about driving here, people flash their lights to convey so many different messages: go ahead, I'm coming through, watch out, idiot, don't you see me? It's too easy to misinterpret "I'm coming through" for "go ahead" which would result in an accident. However, miraculously, there are very few accidents here. Most of the accidents are fender benders, not that that is any better, but it is better than a car being totaled and people being injured. Once there is a fender bender, the real entertainment starts. People talk with such animation you think they were upset at the world, but they could really be telling you how much they love you. It is almost frightening how passionately they communicate. It appears as if they are yelling at each other and an onlooker could easily assume that a fist fight is going to break out. Then they will shake hands and walk away. All it was was a casual conversation. It doesn't look that way though. Now, add the incredibly animated person to a fender bender... can you imagine the result?!?! It's hilarious!!!
Our apartment sit on the corner of two pretty well traveled cross streets. I'll be hanging out then hear people laying on their horns. My thoughts are either someone is blocked by a double parked car and they can not get out, or someone is not being aggressive enough at the intersection, or there was an accident. If the horn honking continues for a few minutes I know it is probably an accident. So I go to watch out of my window. Sure enough, there are two guys yelling and screaming in the middle if the street (with their hazard lights on, I guess that is some safety)with their arms waving and pointing at their already scratched and dented old car. Meanwhile, they are blocking traffic on an already congested street. But they don't care. Then after a few minutes, they are on their way and traffic is moving again. I love watching out our window because it is so funny. There maybe four cars at the intersection and one is trying to go left while the car he is turning past is trying to go left also, then another car wants to go straight and the fourth car is making a U-turn all at the same time. It is crazy, and a miracle that there are not more accidents. I do not believe there are any "rules" for driving here, and if there are, people surely do not follow them.
Now after I have explained the craziness of driving here, I have to say, Reggie and I both drive here. Whenever we are together Reggie normally drives and I am normally saying, "car, car, CAR!" in the passenger seat driving him crazy. :) He is a very good driver, trust me. One has to be aggressive while driving here. If your passive, like I used to be, you will get nowhere (and people will be honking and yelling at you which isn't fun). I have been driving on my own more, on my own meaning without Reggie but usually with friends. Once you get out and about, driving becomes more comfortable. It is VERY different than anywhere else I've driven- even Madrid. But if you can drive here, you can literally drive anywhere. The biggest difference is that you have to expect everything here. You have to expect that the oncoming car may swerve in your lane to avoid a pot hold. You have to expect that cars are not stopping at the "stop" signs, which they do not stop at by the way. You have to expect that no one has the right of way. And you have to expect that the other driver doesn't expect anything also. You can almost always count on the above things happening so a driver has to be more aware here. Usually, people make a two lane road into 3 lanes by driving out on the median. Then they all of a sudden jump back into the right lane. Everything is unexpected so you can't assume anything. While driving anywhere you can't assume anything but especially here you can't count on common sense or any kind of rules that you learned in drivers training. But once you get the hang of it, it's not that bad :) I just have to remind myself that Angolan driving is not acceptable at home!
So after all this I still haven't really talked about traffic. It is a joke here to say, "I'll be there by 10am, depending on traffic". Depending on traffic can change plans drastically. We normally allow one hour travel time to get to the gym on a game day. However, recently it has only taken 10 minutes to get to the gym. Any given day, that could change so you have to account for the unexpected. Certain days traffic is worse than others. Certain hours, traffic is a stand still. Personally, I think traffic is so bad here because 1) there are so many cars, and 2) people don't know how to drive. While a car may drive on the median to pass the 10 cars ahead of him/her, there will be a car parked in the median with it's hazard lights on causing the first car to have to merge back into the lanes. Well people here don't know how to yield because driving here is such a power struggle. People will not let you in, or merge, because they don't want you to get in front of them. Obviously, they are unaware that the "zipper effect" while driving is very effective! If people were not so stubborn and power obsessive traffic would also be a little better. While I have my ideas as to why the traffic is so bad here, I may be completely wrong. However usually, it's because reason #2, people don't know how to drive. Or option 3, which I unofficially mentioned, people are driving on the median then come across a parked car and need to merge back into the regular lanes (if you can even call them that!).
I really wish I had a video camera to explain the complexities of driving! I think I need to bring one back and start making movies of driving in Luanda. It would be pretty darn entertaining, let me tell you! In the Bible Study that I attend, someone mentioned that arriving at a destination here is a blessing because the drivers are so crazy. Like I said, it's an experience. :)
I've been told that during the war people in the surrounding cities moved to Luanda to escape the fighting. Luanda is, comparatively, a small city; and ironically it is the capitol city. I've been told that Luanda was originally built for 800,000 people. Well, there are currently around 6 million people living here. The inflation of the population has created immense stress on the living arrangements and the traffic in the city. The city is simply not built to support all the people who live here. That is why there are so many "slums" in the area. People who can not afford to live in apartments or houses in town live in the slum neighborhoods that are crammed together with houses made out of block-ite walls and aluminum panels for the roof. There is actually a standing slum in the city that was being built with the intention of being an apartment building. Construction of the building was abandoned during the war leaving a 14 story building without windows, balcony railings, electricity or running water. The outside of the building isn't even intact. From the outside you see the squares of the block-ite exposed instead of covered and "complete". During the war, people moved into this building because they needed somewhere to live. So they are living with out electricity, water, windows, anything, to this day. It is literally a standing slum.
This post was supposed to be about traffic huh?!? Well I'm getting to that!
So, with a city whose actual population is six times greater than it's intended population capacity, you could imagine the effects that has on traffic. It is very surprising to see how many cars are on the road considering it is a poor country. There is public transportation but it comes in two forms: bus or taxi. Neither are desirable. People don't pay attention to safety rules or regulations here. I've seen buses full of people. I don't mean full as in every seat it occupied, I mean full as in people are crammed together in the aisles and people are nearly hanging out the window. Then, the bus stops yet again for more people to get on. The doors can barely close there are so many people standing in the doorway! I would not want to be crammed on that bus with all those people. The bus probably doesn't even have a functioning air conditioner knowing things here. No thank you! An even bigger no thank you are the taxis here. Taxi are not the normal yellow taxi that you would see at home. These taxis are similar to old VW buses that are painted blue and white. Taxis operate in teams, the driver and the "helper" for lack of better terms. When the taxi pulls up to a "stop" AKA anywhere they want, then the "helper" opens the doors and start screaming the general location of where the taxi is heading. I've read that it usually costs 65 kwanzas (less than $1) for the taxi fare. We've been told that taxis are a pretty good source of income for the owner. Everyday the driver pays the owner a flat rate, usually $100, while the driver and the "helper" split whatever is left over and are require to maintain the taxi. Drivers have the mentality to make as much money as possible in a day which in turn causes them to be absolute idiot drivers. They are the WORST of any drivers here. Driving isn't too good to begin with but these guys are insane. They will speed past someone on the left hand side of the road, only to serve back into the right side of the road barely avoiding a head on collision or crashing into someone in the right hand lane. Then, there are the scooters. People who drive scooters here think they are invincible. They think that everyone else should look out for them; when I think, based on common sense, they are the smallest things on the road, they should look out for cars. I understand the efficiency of scooters here because they can weave in and out of traffic, they don't have to stop when traffic guards are directing traffic, heck, they even drive on the wrong side of the road (then again everyone really does in one way or another); but never in my life would I get on a scooter here. Another thing about driving here, people flash their lights to convey so many different messages: go ahead, I'm coming through, watch out, idiot, don't you see me? It's too easy to misinterpret "I'm coming through" for "go ahead" which would result in an accident. However, miraculously, there are very few accidents here. Most of the accidents are fender benders, not that that is any better, but it is better than a car being totaled and people being injured. Once there is a fender bender, the real entertainment starts. People talk with such animation you think they were upset at the world, but they could really be telling you how much they love you. It is almost frightening how passionately they communicate. It appears as if they are yelling at each other and an onlooker could easily assume that a fist fight is going to break out. Then they will shake hands and walk away. All it was was a casual conversation. It doesn't look that way though. Now, add the incredibly animated person to a fender bender... can you imagine the result?!?! It's hilarious!!!
Our apartment sit on the corner of two pretty well traveled cross streets. I'll be hanging out then hear people laying on their horns. My thoughts are either someone is blocked by a double parked car and they can not get out, or someone is not being aggressive enough at the intersection, or there was an accident. If the horn honking continues for a few minutes I know it is probably an accident. So I go to watch out of my window. Sure enough, there are two guys yelling and screaming in the middle if the street (with their hazard lights on, I guess that is some safety)with their arms waving and pointing at their already scratched and dented old car. Meanwhile, they are blocking traffic on an already congested street. But they don't care. Then after a few minutes, they are on their way and traffic is moving again. I love watching out our window because it is so funny. There maybe four cars at the intersection and one is trying to go left while the car he is turning past is trying to go left also, then another car wants to go straight and the fourth car is making a U-turn all at the same time. It is crazy, and a miracle that there are not more accidents. I do not believe there are any "rules" for driving here, and if there are, people surely do not follow them.
Now after I have explained the craziness of driving here, I have to say, Reggie and I both drive here. Whenever we are together Reggie normally drives and I am normally saying, "car, car, CAR!" in the passenger seat driving him crazy. :) He is a very good driver, trust me. One has to be aggressive while driving here. If your passive, like I used to be, you will get nowhere (and people will be honking and yelling at you which isn't fun). I have been driving on my own more, on my own meaning without Reggie but usually with friends. Once you get out and about, driving becomes more comfortable. It is VERY different than anywhere else I've driven- even Madrid. But if you can drive here, you can literally drive anywhere. The biggest difference is that you have to expect everything here. You have to expect that the oncoming car may swerve in your lane to avoid a pot hold. You have to expect that cars are not stopping at the "stop" signs, which they do not stop at by the way. You have to expect that no one has the right of way. And you have to expect that the other driver doesn't expect anything also. You can almost always count on the above things happening so a driver has to be more aware here. Usually, people make a two lane road into 3 lanes by driving out on the median. Then they all of a sudden jump back into the right lane. Everything is unexpected so you can't assume anything. While driving anywhere you can't assume anything but especially here you can't count on common sense or any kind of rules that you learned in drivers training. But once you get the hang of it, it's not that bad :) I just have to remind myself that Angolan driving is not acceptable at home!
So after all this I still haven't really talked about traffic. It is a joke here to say, "I'll be there by 10am, depending on traffic". Depending on traffic can change plans drastically. We normally allow one hour travel time to get to the gym on a game day. However, recently it has only taken 10 minutes to get to the gym. Any given day, that could change so you have to account for the unexpected. Certain days traffic is worse than others. Certain hours, traffic is a stand still. Personally, I think traffic is so bad here because 1) there are so many cars, and 2) people don't know how to drive. While a car may drive on the median to pass the 10 cars ahead of him/her, there will be a car parked in the median with it's hazard lights on causing the first car to have to merge back into the lanes. Well people here don't know how to yield because driving here is such a power struggle. People will not let you in, or merge, because they don't want you to get in front of them. Obviously, they are unaware that the "zipper effect" while driving is very effective! If people were not so stubborn and power obsessive traffic would also be a little better. While I have my ideas as to why the traffic is so bad here, I may be completely wrong. However usually, it's because reason #2, people don't know how to drive. Or option 3, which I unofficially mentioned, people are driving on the median then come across a parked car and need to merge back into the regular lanes (if you can even call them that!).
I really wish I had a video camera to explain the complexities of driving! I think I need to bring one back and start making movies of driving in Luanda. It would be pretty darn entertaining, let me tell you! In the Bible Study that I attend, someone mentioned that arriving at a destination here is a blessing because the drivers are so crazy. Like I said, it's an experience. :)
English Phrases on T-Shirts
I always laugh at the t-shirts that I see people wearing on the streets but for some reason, I didn't write down any of the phrases. Here are a few that my friends helped me put together. Consider this post a "Work in Progress" because I will come back and update it when I see new t-shirts.
- A grown man with a muscular build wearing a red, tight, long sleeve shirt with High School Musical on the front.
- A t-shirt that reads, "Sex Instructor. First Lesson Free" (My friend Pam offered this one to me. Her driver, who is from Angola and speaks a tiny, tiny bit of English didn't know what the shirt meant-- so we assume the young man wearing it didn't either)
- A custodian at the International School was wearing a hat with the F-bomb in capital letters. He must not be aware of what the hat says because he's around children who speak English and you can't get much more offensive than that. (Thank you, Stacie)
I have also seen lots of young girls with random phrases on their t-shirts. I read it to myself thinking, "She obviously doesn't know what that means"... I just need to write the phrases down so I can share them.
I am also surprised to see the number of shirts that are old jerseys, school t-shirts, business t-shirts and such. I wonder where these shirts are from and I think maybe they are from churches or organizations outside of African who send second hand clothing to people here. It is an interesting sight to see from the other side. Instead of seeing bags taken to a drop off location in the States, I imagine that I see people benefiting from those people who donate at home. This all might be an assumption, but you never know.
One time last year the locals were sending clothes donations to another location, I forget where exactly, and I was so impressed with how much people gave. It is assumed, and rightly so, that Angola is poor. While some people can afford to give away their extra clothes, if they are so fortunate to have surplus, some people wear the same outfits over and over. The drop off location was a church in town and there were literally close to one hundred big black garbage bags overflowing the church steps. I do not know where all the clothes came from, maybe some were from more affluent families but I am pretty sure that some, if not more, were from average Angolan families. It was wonderful to see such love and the gifts that these people were giving to people who are in more need than themselves. According to most people's standards, the people giving are equally in need, however they didn't hesitate to offer what they had. Enlightening isn't it?
- A grown man with a muscular build wearing a red, tight, long sleeve shirt with High School Musical on the front.
- A t-shirt that reads, "Sex Instructor. First Lesson Free" (My friend Pam offered this one to me. Her driver, who is from Angola and speaks a tiny, tiny bit of English didn't know what the shirt meant-- so we assume the young man wearing it didn't either)
- A custodian at the International School was wearing a hat with the F-bomb in capital letters. He must not be aware of what the hat says because he's around children who speak English and you can't get much more offensive than that. (Thank you, Stacie)
I have also seen lots of young girls with random phrases on their t-shirts. I read it to myself thinking, "She obviously doesn't know what that means"... I just need to write the phrases down so I can share them.
I am also surprised to see the number of shirts that are old jerseys, school t-shirts, business t-shirts and such. I wonder where these shirts are from and I think maybe they are from churches or organizations outside of African who send second hand clothing to people here. It is an interesting sight to see from the other side. Instead of seeing bags taken to a drop off location in the States, I imagine that I see people benefiting from those people who donate at home. This all might be an assumption, but you never know.
One time last year the locals were sending clothes donations to another location, I forget where exactly, and I was so impressed with how much people gave. It is assumed, and rightly so, that Angola is poor. While some people can afford to give away their extra clothes, if they are so fortunate to have surplus, some people wear the same outfits over and over. The drop off location was a church in town and there were literally close to one hundred big black garbage bags overflowing the church steps. I do not know where all the clothes came from, maybe some were from more affluent families but I am pretty sure that some, if not more, were from average Angolan families. It was wonderful to see such love and the gifts that these people were giving to people who are in more need than themselves. According to most people's standards, the people giving are equally in need, however they didn't hesitate to offer what they had. Enlightening isn't it?
Thursday, June 10, 2010
My new friends
When I was home in January for school, my mom mentioned the American Idol Gives Back Tour where Carrie Underwood came to Luanda, Angola. In the process of trying to find the episode online I came across the blog of a lady who is from Texas and is currently living in Luanda. Out of excitement for another American living here, I emailed her and told her my story. We continued to email back and forth and decided to meet for coffee one day. That is where a wonderful friendship started. We met at the local shopping center and sat for hours talking. My friend, Stacie, is here with her husband and three children. Stacie's husband works for Exxon Mobil and they have been here for 3 years on assignment. It has been such a joy to meet her because she is a wonderful lady with so much knowledge about living in Luanda. I also have to thank her for putting me in touch with the American Women's Association of Angola (AWAA) which has in turn connected me to so many other activities and wonderful women. The day after Stacie and I met for coffee, the AWAA had their last monthly meeting for the year. Many families head home for the summer months, so many activities cease during that time. Since I wasn't as adventurous driving back then, and the location of the meeting, Stacie was kind enough to send out an email to the AWAA members to see if anyone could offer me a ride. That is how I met Pam.
Pam emailed me offering to give me a ride from the city out to Luanda Sul. When Pam picked me up the morning of the meeting, we hit it off immediately. We talked the entire the drive. Pam is here with her husband who works with an American Engineering company. She and her husband have only been here for a few months so she is relatively new. While I've been here longer, I hadn't been "out" much besides basketball games; so I was pretty much new too. Pam has a driver that drives her where ever she needs to go. Whatever she does she invites me and offers to give me a ride. It is such a comfort to not have to drive in the city; although I have been driving more frequently now. We joke that she and her husband are my adopted parents and I'm their adopted daughter because they never had a daughter. They have truly been a blessing and such enjoyment.
The Friday following the AWAA meeting, a yoga class started in the city. That is where I met Katie. Katie is a certified yoga teacher whose boyfriend is from Angola which has brought her to Luanda. She has only been here for about a month but has adapted really well. We are only a few years apart in age and share many interests; such as yoga. Ironically, Katie is from California. I am always amazed when I met someone half way around the world who is from America, let alone California. Katie has been such an inspiring light in the last month. She is very optimistic and joyful; which is a great attribute to have here. I believe it is easy to get depressed or negative while living here if you focus on the negative things. Katie offers a unique experience and opinion that has really impacted my experience. Katie also teaches yoga classes at a local studio which I attend 2 days a week. She has extended many yoga opportunities to me which has been a wonderful experience. We have also been to the beach, grocery shopping, and running together (those stories are coming). The last few weeks have been very fun with Katie and I look forward to continuing our relationship, along with all of my other friends.
These three ladies have been vehicles for me to meet even more people. I am still so surprised at how many expatriates are living here and how I was completely unaware of it! I have met so many wonderful people in the last month, it has transformed my experience here. I could not possibly name every single person here, as I wish I could. Every single person that I have met is an individual with so many delightful characteristics and unique stories and experiences. I'm sure I will delve into all those stories more detailed at a later date.
While it has been so great to meet these fantastic ladies, I am really sad to see them leave; and to be leaving. Most women, and families, are here for a three year assignment. Unfortunately, I have met people who are at the end of their assignment and leaving permanently this month. I'm sure they are anxious to be on their way out; but I am sad to see them leave. I guess that is selfish of me, but they have all contributed to an incredible experience that I wish could continue for eternity. Unfortunately, we have to be realistic and our time here will eventually come to an end. Some before others. But that just means that more people will be coming out. More people to meet, more stories to exchange, more laughs to have, and more friends to be made. Although no one can be replaced. Luckily for me, Stacie, Pam, and Katie are planning on being here when Reggie and I return for the next season so that will be great. However, as I have learned more literally lately, whatever is planned, isn't always what happens.
Pam emailed me offering to give me a ride from the city out to Luanda Sul. When Pam picked me up the morning of the meeting, we hit it off immediately. We talked the entire the drive. Pam is here with her husband who works with an American Engineering company. She and her husband have only been here for a few months so she is relatively new. While I've been here longer, I hadn't been "out" much besides basketball games; so I was pretty much new too. Pam has a driver that drives her where ever she needs to go. Whatever she does she invites me and offers to give me a ride. It is such a comfort to not have to drive in the city; although I have been driving more frequently now. We joke that she and her husband are my adopted parents and I'm their adopted daughter because they never had a daughter. They have truly been a blessing and such enjoyment.
The Friday following the AWAA meeting, a yoga class started in the city. That is where I met Katie. Katie is a certified yoga teacher whose boyfriend is from Angola which has brought her to Luanda. She has only been here for about a month but has adapted really well. We are only a few years apart in age and share many interests; such as yoga. Ironically, Katie is from California. I am always amazed when I met someone half way around the world who is from America, let alone California. Katie has been such an inspiring light in the last month. She is very optimistic and joyful; which is a great attribute to have here. I believe it is easy to get depressed or negative while living here if you focus on the negative things. Katie offers a unique experience and opinion that has really impacted my experience. Katie also teaches yoga classes at a local studio which I attend 2 days a week. She has extended many yoga opportunities to me which has been a wonderful experience. We have also been to the beach, grocery shopping, and running together (those stories are coming). The last few weeks have been very fun with Katie and I look forward to continuing our relationship, along with all of my other friends.
These three ladies have been vehicles for me to meet even more people. I am still so surprised at how many expatriates are living here and how I was completely unaware of it! I have met so many wonderful people in the last month, it has transformed my experience here. I could not possibly name every single person here, as I wish I could. Every single person that I have met is an individual with so many delightful characteristics and unique stories and experiences. I'm sure I will delve into all those stories more detailed at a later date.
While it has been so great to meet these fantastic ladies, I am really sad to see them leave; and to be leaving. Most women, and families, are here for a three year assignment. Unfortunately, I have met people who are at the end of their assignment and leaving permanently this month. I'm sure they are anxious to be on their way out; but I am sad to see them leave. I guess that is selfish of me, but they have all contributed to an incredible experience that I wish could continue for eternity. Unfortunately, we have to be realistic and our time here will eventually come to an end. Some before others. But that just means that more people will be coming out. More people to meet, more stories to exchange, more laughs to have, and more friends to be made. Although no one can be replaced. Luckily for me, Stacie, Pam, and Katie are planning on being here when Reggie and I return for the next season so that will be great. However, as I have learned more literally lately, whatever is planned, isn't always what happens.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Playing Catch Up!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know! It's been a while! :) But fear not: I have plenty of stories for you my friends.
So here is a list of "stories" that I am going to share with you since my last post on May 21st, 2010:
- All the wonderful friends that I have made here in the last month and a half
- English phrases on t-shirts here
- Angolan traffic
- Supermarkets and local stores
- Yoga
- Benfica Market and the Luanda International School Fair
- Fabric shopping
- Mama Muxima Orphanage
- Encountering a cockroach in our apartment while cleaning
- My "run" with my friend Katie and the "running group"
- Women's Bible Study
- Reggie's photo shoot for Caras magazine
- My driving experiences: the good and the bad
- My attempts at trying to speak Portuguese more
- Libolo (updates, fun stories, friends at games)
- The monthly Cooking Club
- The weather change
- neighbors engagement party
- Going to the movies at Belas Shopping
- My outlook on the overall Angolan experience
So, as you can see, I have been very busy lately! I have not been writing because I am actually exhausted by the time I get home that I barely make it to take of my makeup! I am not forgetting about you all, I've just been busy! I used to get asked the question, "So, what do you do here?". I shamefully would answer, "Oh I pretty much sleep. And do homework about 1-2 days a week. And go to basketball games. But that's it". Now that has all changed.
My goal is to get through a big chunk of these stories tonight, after yoga! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you!
Take care, and stores and pictures soon!
Beijos!
So here is a list of "stories" that I am going to share with you since my last post on May 21st, 2010:
- All the wonderful friends that I have made here in the last month and a half
- English phrases on t-shirts here
- Angolan traffic
- Supermarkets and local stores
- Yoga
- Benfica Market and the Luanda International School Fair
- Fabric shopping
- Mama Muxima Orphanage
- Encountering a cockroach in our apartment while cleaning
- My "run" with my friend Katie and the "running group"
- Women's Bible Study
- Reggie's photo shoot for Caras magazine
- My driving experiences: the good and the bad
- My attempts at trying to speak Portuguese more
- Libolo (updates, fun stories, friends at games)
- The monthly Cooking Club
- The weather change
- neighbors engagement party
- Going to the movies at Belas Shopping
- My outlook on the overall Angolan experience
So, as you can see, I have been very busy lately! I have not been writing because I am actually exhausted by the time I get home that I barely make it to take of my makeup! I am not forgetting about you all, I've just been busy! I used to get asked the question, "So, what do you do here?". I shamefully would answer, "Oh I pretty much sleep. And do homework about 1-2 days a week. And go to basketball games. But that's it". Now that has all changed.
My goal is to get through a big chunk of these stories tonight, after yoga! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you!
Take care, and stores and pictures soon!
Beijos!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Well, it's been a while!
Hello all! Well, it's been a while huh?!? So many exciting things have happened since the last post. Most importantly, Libolo won the cup!!! Woo hoo Forca Libolo! After a devasting loss to D'Agosto the first game out, we came back and won the next two games. The team that we beat is considered to be the top team in Angola as well as the top team in Africa. They have won the cup for the last 6 years. It was history in the making as Reggie likes to say. He was also the MVP of the cup; what a personal accomplishment for him. the team had a great dinner that night to celebrate. Of course it was at our usual and favorite restaurant, Veneza. Most of the staff wanted to take pictures, which was so funny. Reggie kept the cup after the game. It is so huge! It stands as tall as my belly button. Not that that is saying much for me, but it's such a huge trophy. It's currently in our living room! :) After the final of the cup we went straight into TOP 4 games. We lost our first game against Petro, unfortunately. My opinion is that all the players were coming of a long demanding week and didn't have enough rest time between games. We won our next game against ASA, which was good. The next game is scheduled for Monday against Agosto, and I'll let you know how it goes!
This week has been wonderful. I have been in touch with another American woman who is living here with her family. Since I have been in touch with her, so many opportunites have opened to me. We met Tuesday at the mall for the first time. We sat and tlaked for a few hours. It's so nice to sit and speak English with someone with ease. Wednesday was my first meeting with the American Women's Association of Angola. This is a group of American and/or Canadian women. There are monthly meetings, and I jstu happened to catch the last one. This is a great opportunity to meet other Americans in Luanda. Another member of the organization was kind enough to offer me aride to the meeting which was so nice! Riding together was a great opportunity to get to know eachother. We have planned more events for the weekend and upcoming week and I can't wait! Going back the the meeting; the organization participates in lots of volunteer work, charity work, and establishing relationships within the organization. Since this was the last meeting I will have to wait until next season to become a member but I am so excited for the social aspect of the group and especially the volunteering opportunities. My friend was so kind to lend Reggie and I some movies, TV series on DVD, magazines, AND two boxes of MAC-N-CHEESE! Now if you know me, you know how much I love Mac-n-cheese. This was quite possibly the highlight of my day! It was such a nice gesture and a little bit of home.
Today a small group of women met for a yoga class. It was so nice to be able to remove myself from the teaching position and take a class for myself. I drove myself to the house that the class was held. It was very near to where we live so there wasn't much of a problem. Until I couldn't find the right street! After driving down a few different streets, making a few phone calls, and asking a security guard if I was on the right street (in Portuguse by the way!), I finally found my destination! The class was so much fun! Ironically, the teacher is from northern California. She has only been in Luanda for a few weeks and is teaching at a small studio in town. It's such a small world. I'm hoping to join her for her other classes, in addition to the weekly classes with the AWA members. It was a great way to start the day.
Tomorrow Pam, the lady that offered me a ride to the meeting, and I are going to Benfica market tomorrow. I am not entirely sure what to expect besides there are negotiations to be made when purchasing items! there are lots of arts and crafts which are great memorabilia to take home. We're also going to the local International School fair to support fellow AWA members and check out the school. It should be a very fun day.
Next week we have three games!! Woo hoo! I am also planning on volunteering with a group of women at a local orphanage and going fabric shopping! I can't wait!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Weekly Wrap Up
I went to the beach Tuesday with a friend. Her cousins were expected to join us but one slept in late and I don't really know what happened to the other. We still had a great time though. We left around 11am but didn't actually arrive at the beach until 1:00pm. With traffic, the drive to the beach is usually about an hour. Without traffic, you are there in 10 minutes. This time, though, it took 2 hours thank to the wonderful traffic Police of Luanda. We got pulled over. Actually it was my fault, but the guy wasn't very helpful by any means. The traffic cops here stand on the side of the streets and flag people down to occasionally check their papers or to pull someone over for an illegal maneuver. I was flagged down for an illegal maneuver. Apparently, I made a left hand turn when you could no longer make a left hand turn. So there was Mr. Cool Cop in his uniform and orange 'TRAFFIC' vest flagging me over to the side of the road. Getting pulled over while driving is my fear here; in addition to the crazy drivers of course. Usually cops, or a person with any kind of power are very macho. So I wasn't looking forward to this encounter at all. Thank goodness Rafaela was with me so she was able to communicate with him for me. One thing about the cops here, it is almost as if they get upset if you don't speak Portuguese. Almost a "how dare you" type of attitude. I understand it, I just can't speak it. Anyways, turns out one paper for the card was expired. According to him we would have to take the car to an office where they would hold it until we paid nearly $200 to update the information, then they would release the car to us. I was stressing out, needless to say. Luckily, Rafa's uncle is the manager for the basketball team. So we called him and he sent someone down to meet us with some money. Get this though, the money wasn't to pay to get the proper documentation-- it was to pay off the cop. That is how corrupt and backwards this country is. We've been told that some people go into the profession of being a cop just so they can earn extra money on the streets. It is incredibly common for cops to get paid off by the driver if the driver does not have current papers, or even papers at all. You'd be surprised how many people, in many professions, will turn a blind eye if you slide them a little cash. It's the unfortunate truth about the poverty in this country. I guess I do not have too much room to speak though because this tactic allowed us to continue on our way. After that we were EXTRA careful not to make and silly wrong turns.
The beach is usually really crowded during the weekend so it was nice to go during the week when only a few people are there. We enjoyed the afternoon soaking up the sun and talking-- good old girl time. We even had entertainment. Usually vendors walk along the beach trying to sell items to people on the beach. There was a lady selling roasted peanuts and bananas, a man selling African statues and jewelery, another man selling some sort of sheets or bedding, and a group of kids eating coconuts. I was able to take pictures of everyone except the lady selling peanuts and bananas- she wasn't too exciting anyways, haha. I have noticed that people here love to have their picture taken. A complete stranger will walk up to you and ask you to take their picture. This is what happened with the sheet man. He was whistling to get our attention then wanted his picture taken. Of course after the picture he gave us the universal sign of a thumbs up. Then he casually walked away and that was that. When we first saw the group of young boys, I was fascinated by what they were doing. They had walked across the beach carrying these large round, ball- like, fruit. At the time I was not sure what exactly they were holding. Once they got to the rocks nearby they started banging the fruit on the rocks to break them open. I kept watching in fascination and wondering what they were going to do next. Once they cracked the body of the fruit they would hold it above their heads and drink the juice-- talk about fresh. After, they continued to slam the fruit against the rock to break it completely open so they could eat the inside of the fruit. It turns out that they were coconuts. I thought this was so innovative and functional. I'm sure it is common practice here, but it was a first time sight for me. After we went back to our towels the second man came up with his statues and jewelry. Rafaela, my friend, had jumped in the water so I was alone to talk for myself. My usual excuse is to say, "no fala Portuguese"- I don't speak Portuguese. Unfortunately, he replied asking what language I spoke. Of course once I said English, he started speaking English; asking if I want to buy a statue or jewelry. I simply told him that I did not have any money, but asked to take a picture. That didn't really seem fair, but I really wasn't interested in buy any of his product and only really wanted a picture. Luckily, he let me take his picture then he was on his way to other potential customers after asking again if I had any money. After that we were not bothered, aside from the crabs that were crawling around near the water! Reggie and I had gone to the beach during the week once last year where I first saw all of the crabs. I did not like them at all. They obviously don't bother you because they scurry down their little hole when any activity occurs near them. But some of them are huge! And they look so funny when they 'walk' or 'crawl', which ever you would like to call it. It gives me the chills! I did face my fear and crouched near a hole to try and take a picture. Once they poked their head out and saw me they dove back in. I was lucky enough to snap a quick shot when one was half out of his hole. We left the beach around 3:00pm in order to make it back to our houses to get ready in time for the game. this time, it only took 45 minutes to get home; and no complications besides the usual traffic. :)
I have not described traffic on this blog yet. Let me give you a little insight. I like to compare it to New York with out traffic lights or rules. I'm sure there are certain driving laws here because we see cars with Driving Schools sign on them... so they must be teaching them something! However, when you drive around, it is as if no one follows or cares about rules. Everyone is in such a rush to get to their destination that is actually causes more harm than good. I do not think I have seen so many impatient and careless people ever. I keep saying that I am going to record a video of the intersection below our apartments. Words simply can not explain the craziness. Although, at a later time I will try my best to give you a very descriptive view of the traffic and driving experiences here. Since there is so much traffic people often sell stuff in the streets to people waiting in their cars. You can find ANYTHING in the streets. Water, soda, juice, mops, brooms, buckets (which I still need to buy), sunglasses, air fresheners, TV Antennas (yup, I've seen it), popcorn, butter cookies, fruit, laundry baskets, briefcases, irons, shower heads, toilet paper, wine glasses, belts, CDs, DVDs-- you name it, you can probably find it. When we were driving home though, we saw something that I had never seen before. A man was walking with two small cages. As he got closer you could see that one cage was empty but the other cage contained a mouse or a rat. It was disgusting! I don't want to know why he was selling them, who would buy them, and what they would use them for. Some things are better when they are left unknown. This was definitely a first though, and one for the memory books.
All in all, the beach was a lot of fun and I look forward to going back soon. I need to work on my tan. I took a picture yesterday for my Visa and I pretty much blended into the background. Once I got over the embarrassment, it was pretty funny. Didn't help that I was wearing a white t-shirt too. I sure didn't plan that well!
We played Agosto Tuesday night. It surely was not the game that we were expecting it to be. We ended up losing, by a lot. It was pretty bad. In my opinion, not that I'm and expect analysis or anything, people didn't show up to play. Reggie as the only player with double digits until 6 minutes left in the game. When you play a 48 minute game, that just doesn't make sense. Especially when we have so many good players. The other team had 5 players that had double digits majority of the game. It's very hard to compete with that and win. It was just an off night. We play them again tonight. If we win then there will be a tie breaker on Sunday to determine the winner of the Cup. If we lose, then we take second place. Hopefully, tonight is better, way better, than Tuesday night.
Last night we went to the airport to pick up our delayed bag. We ate popcorn and had a soda, bought off the street, as we waited in traffic on our way to the airport. The popcorn is surprisingly good. I was a little frustrated when we picked up the bag because we have special TSA approved locks that allow TSA to search your bag if needed but keeps your luggage locked so people can't get into it. Well, when the bag arrived, the lock was missing. What's the point of having a special lock it people don't put it back on? There were a few things missing from our luggage which is never fun but at that point there is nothing to do about it. Considering that the entirety of the luggage was basketball shoes to be sold to other players, a few jerseys and pancake mix were small items. One of our friends specifically asked for pancake mix... of course it was taken. I felt horrible! I knew how much we was looking forward to it! Poor guy! I could understand his longing because I often lay in bed dreaming about food that I miss from the States.
We have had the morning off before the game tonight. We watched some of the NBA playoffs last night and have been relaxing (AKA napping) all day. It's our usual pre-game ritual! haha! I will write again tonight, or tomorrow, with the outcome of the game.
Wish us luck tonight! GO LIBOLO!!! FORCA LIBOLO!!!
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