The van Dijks Go On Leave: June, 2014

1 June, impressions of this last week-two male staff on their roller-skates (not in-line, the old-fashioned type) zapping between chores around the supermarket. An Angola boy who came to me with perfect English -'Madame, please would you buy me a can of sprite?'. So, well impressed, I did. Only he was nowhere to be found when leaving the supermarket...I think he wanted to practice his English. A trip to the cinema! I was impressed with the leg-room and comfortable, spacious cinema where we watched 'Swelter' with NZ's own Grant Bowler (aka Wolf, Outrageous Fortune).
Yesterday we took a trip to Talatona (Luanda South) for some shopping and a quest to find the amusement park.
The amusement park I had in mind (and had been searching for since I first saw it after we arrived last year) is a bit different to what you imagine. It's got the ferris wheel and merry-go-round rides however the park is not open for the public. When I saw them (one in Talatona and another near church) they were relics covered in dust, weeds, and inhabited by locals who had built musseques in and around the rides. Sadly, I discovered that they have been demolished! So no clear photo's just the following couple taken from the car and one from the internet.

Not open for business

Photo from Cadu Lemos 2009

Out and about.

Minding his own business

Endless blue sky

Road pedestrian crossing

Fancy a coffee? This is near where we live.

3 June, time to gather for an apartment combined dinner...nice evening with many International foods. We sat outside in the pool/BBQ area.

Monika and Raj (garden safari member)

Monica, Diane and Nick (Mojo's parents)

Jaa and Chris (Mali's parents)

Jeroen having a chat with our neighbour, Margaret

Jan, Nick and Sandra

Sandra and I (swimming buddies)

6 June, out to the fish restaurant with Jeroen's colleagues. My first time to eat a whole fish off the bone. I didn't try the eyeballs but they're said to be a delicacy. I discovered it is an insult to the chef if you turn the fish over to eat the other side - learned after I had turned the fish to eat the other side. No disgrace though as it's an old tradition and little kept nowadays. Flies everywhere and in a little shack however the fish and condiments were delectable. Followed by icecream, the go-to place on Friday's it seems.

BP team plus one

Selling lemons, live chickens and fruit

Business in the shade

Washing day

Angolans on the go

This morning I visited a friend from church in her new home. She is happy to have a backyard for her children (a gated,barb-wired courtyard with a couple of bushes). With a couple of bedrooms and an outside kitchen and sometimes running water and electricity, she is feeling very blessed as it's away from the open sewer pipes of her last home. A tough newly single mum to three young children as her husband decided he wanted to marry someone else.

10 June, down with the stomach bug again. Thankfully not as bad as last time but quite wiped out. Missing some things from home: My boy. My parents. My dog. My friends. Feijoas. Crisp cool air in the early morning. Tui's singing. The Tasman and black sand.

12 June, Lots of reported of crime in the city lately. The following is an official response via the Angola Press:
Tue, 10 Jun 2014 10:00 - Updated Tue, 10 Jun 2014 09:59

Police deny releasing of prisoners from Luanda jails

Luanda - The General Command of the National Police denied on Monday here the releasing of an elevated number of prisoners from the jails of Luanda.

According to a press note that reached Angop on Monday, the Police learnt that false news have been released by some media organs and social networks, which only aims to create panic and intranquillity in the society.
The Police appeal to all citizens for serenity, surveillance and collaboration, as well as denounce the wrongdoers and everyone that contribute to the creation of an atmosphere of insecurity.

Some more pictures of out and about.

Check out the cargo on the fifth vehicle from front...at least 20 people on board

I always enjoy the free-hand art advertising

The demise of Rua Club Maritimo Africano

13 June, No mystery of the dumpling day. A group of women gathered to learn how to make Asian dumplings (pot-stickers) in our recreation room of Torres Atlantico where we live. Jaa showed us how to make the dough, roll and fill with our own fillings then cook. Served with a delish tangy soy lime dipping sauce we had a yum tea.

Rolling the dough

Jade showing me how to crimp edges..you need sunglasses on your head to do this...and I need two pair of glasses!

Sarah and I admiring our cooked ones

Sarah and Jaa

Spicy ginger garlic chilli and bacon (I had no pork but it worked well) dumplings

18 June, Luanda is finally getting public toilets! These have sprung up all over the place...here I am checking out whether it's vacant...through the window!

Does this symbol mean a man can use it for number twos? Or is it for women only?

The graphics are graphic

Across the road from the icecream shop

Back to Mama Muxima orphanage today. Wonderful to finally feel useful in teaching English alongside long term 'teacher' Silvia. It was her last day today as she is leaving Luanda.

Happy learners

A tear or two but always alert to the camera!

The girls in the light green uniform are Nuns-in-training

19 June, One year in Angola! A funny little picture to make you squirm of the local hamburger vendors. I will get a photo with it set up one day.

I can't think of a suitable title for this one...

Alas my cucumber (singular) doesn't like the wind and the sparse sunshine we get on our balcony so time to focus on planty-plants not vegetable plants. It was a nice experiment.

21 June, time to visit the vet with Jaa and Mali who was diagnosed and treated for tick fever (no evidence of a tick mind).

Some seriously cool dogs.

All well trained and behaved dogs and owners...except one who everyone is looking at.

Mali's big doggy adventure

A basketful of puppies

Mr Sad-Eyes

Hulk's African cousin

And on the way home, an often seen sight in Africa, the street cleaners going to and from their work.
These are very smart workers.

It's off to work we go

27 June, sun rising in Africa. A bit of an overcast morning. Out at the Ihla on my bike.

Luanda Bay from the Ilha

Repairing the nets

Today we are supposed to get a team in to look at the air conditioning again. I didn't think there was anything wrong with it when they looked at it last week. The maintenance manager told me the team were coming this morning. And now a knock on my door to say that someone had left something behind in the car, to find the car had been towed away by the Police for being parked illegally. I saw one morning 10 tow-trucks on one road towing cars away.
We are off to Namibia (country bordering on South of Angola) on Sunday for a week so catch you when we're back.

28 June, a boating trip with our Portuguese teacher Filipa and her husband and two boys. A really lovely day.
Not much fishing. Ok, none. Just time to get the lines set up and then I was vomiting over the side and Filipa was hovering and retching over the other side. So, a quiet trip back to the little island for some time to rest in the sun.