Last week I was busy with guests. A friend from Lubango arrived last minute for a bed and breakfast (always nice to see you Minne) and then early Thursday morning I went to the airport to pick up this family who arrived to live in Angola. They spent the day with me and then I transferred them back to the domestic airport where they were heading off to live in Lubango. Rebecca and Ralph are missionary doctors (gynaecologist and oncologist) from Switzerland who have come to offer their services to the Angolan people. Their 4 children arrived in different stages of tiredness...Timon (7), Johanna (5), Nathan (2) and Eloise (4 months). With suitcases, toys, games, paper, everywhere and lots of bouncing and noise, we had a swim and a brief outing together. A very nice family we look forward to meeting again.
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| Johanna, Rebecca, Eloise, Timon, Nathan and Ralph Zachariah bem vindo ao Angola |
Here is another special man from my life....Dr Hobbs, taking a skydive at age 70 in aid of Aplastic Anaemia UK and in memoriam to his late wife, the gracious Mrs Elisabeth Hobbs.
RIP Mrs Hobbs...you were so welcoming and friendly, from the moment you opened the door to our unannounced visit.
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| Dr Hobbs in front |
October 20, today I had some visitors. Joy, a friend from church, braided my hair over almost 5 hours and Monika, Rasa, Rukaya, and Lurdes and another maid popped in to have a chuckle and look-see.
I like it!
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| I had been told it is very painful but actually I enjoyed the feeling |
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| You're next girls'! |
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| Purple with silver highlights |
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| Purple rooster as jeroen calls me |
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Sorry, I Ate Your Chocolate After Hard Out Braiding, Look
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A few more farewells lately. On seeing Jeroen's name by one couple, it was translated as being pronounced 'Heroin'. NOOO!
Back to the hospital yesterday...3 hours of fun with around 30 children making cards. About 10 mums came with their baby's so the 'baby' could also make cards (not unusual in angola..no one wants to miss out). Chaos, hot, and also satisfying to be helping take the children away for a tiny moment from their difficult lives. Photo's another time.
Cats cats cats, we love them. Made me think of
this ...who remembers? Sound up, or down depending on your era!
October 22..fun skyping with Liam and Shani at Uncle Ross' 60th. Congrats Unc
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| Uncle Ross and his black beauty |
and also Aunty Julie who celebrated 60 back on September 27.
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| Aunty Julie going for the big cake! |
And today, we welcome a new baby to the family. Welcome baby William; your namesake would be so proud. Missing you Grandad.
Congrats NZ on your 18 test match Bledisloe win - you played well Wallabies but not enough to beat the Mighty Allblacks.
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| Malakai Fekitoa offloading |
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| Guess who? |
Big boy Hulk and new sister Widow running with Katelyn at Kai-Iwi beach.
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| Don't you wish you were a dog?! |
Grant and Pam had a fab holiday in Fiji.
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| Happy Holidays brother Grant and Pam x |
After my braiding by Nigerian, Joy, in Angola, I had a Chinese girl making a walking massage on my back to ease out my muscles following the extended (!) hair session. Wonderful.
A very good reflection of life in Africa..this one taken by Filipa in Kenya on one of the most dangerous roads. See you for a visit soon Filipa, Andy and boys!
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| Get Saved! |
Angola..from one extreme to another. I loved lunch together with Chavel and Inga at this beautiful sushi restaurant, Luanda Chic. The best I have ever tasted.
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| Amazing selection |
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| The creative sushi chefs at Luanda Chic |
October 25, a super busy but fun time looking after this little guy, Alfie, yesterday. 9 months old and recognises English, Ukraine, Russian and Portuguese.
Also had fun hosting Petra and Joanna, and Boris and Felix.. a full house.
Over the weekend there was a small nurse training reunion in New Plymouth. It has been good to reconnect with dear friends via the dreaded FB.
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| A shoulder-pads and pearls nurses graduation |
October 26, Farewell to this lovely family. All the best Barry, Natalia and baby Alfie. We will miss you!
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| Off to Bermuda! |
At the official farewell, friends Nata, Deli and me.
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| Ukraine, NZ, Brazil |
I found a FB page featuring life in Angola. I will not post it here as some content is extremely disturbing...amazing FB has not deleted the account. But, some photo's are priceless and are a true reflection of life here.
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| Gotcha! |
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| This happens |
Alcohol advertising is highly prevalent, often extremely sexualised and very frequently seen in public.
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| Family Mota |
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| Don't mess with Avo |
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| New type of Jolly Jumper |
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| Creative Angolano |
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| Time for walkies |
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| Cost of using the toilets |
If you want to use the bathroom for vomiting, diarrhoea, etc you need to pay!
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| African superhero |
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| The most entrepreneurial culture on earth |
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| Dona da casa |
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| Not such fun but authentic Angola...40 years since Independence |
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| This happens too! |
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| Believe it or not! |
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| oops! |
Translated: So even a poor, to worsen the misfortune of another.
October 29, More funnies from Angola.
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| At least the child has airbags |
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| Aiming high |
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| A bucket-farian |
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| Grocery day |
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| Often seen |
The innocence of children, making anything work...we have often seen children riding bikes with no tyres, brakes or seat...and sometimes minus all three!
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| Look, I'm on tv |
..and innocence lost.
Cars are seen in all states here...no WOF testing, no road rules observed and no limit to the imagination in use for vehicles. I still haven't got a pic of the taxi with clear duct tape as windows.
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| Just room for the driver |
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| These AC units are seen everywhere |
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| Protection from the ever present motorbike-ride-squeezers |
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| Often there's no pre-planning..just do |
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| We can move it, move it... |
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| Clever Angolanos |
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| Not so clever Angolanos |
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| Hungry people |
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| These guards are at every supermarket or store |
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| Mid-day rest for the fruit seller |
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| Quiet reflection and thanksgiving |
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| Desperate times |
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| These colourful clothes for men are very common here--this is a particularly snazzy suit |
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| I never saw this but you can expect the unexpected in Angola |
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| Getting slingshot! |
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| After being slingshot |
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| Does my bum look big in this? |
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| Queuing for a very long time |
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| Angolanos love their rip-offs |
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| Dumb move! |
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| Big Mama's knickers |
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| All dressed up with nowhere to go |
This is a common sight and makes me sad...a lot of men, who dress up and go to sit on the Marginal with no work to go to and no prospects. It is a hard lot and demoralising for many people who do not have even basic education.
But these guys manage to make a living. Always, it is men sitting on street corners with colourful nail polishes and manicure tools to give a passing customer a polish up. With super high cross infection risk I won't be frequenting these salons but they're nice to see.
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| Street manicurist |
November 19 and its been a busy few weeks. Hospital, study and usual difficult-to-do-all-things days. The crazy season has begun...and I don't mean countdown to Christmas. A lot of people get an extra pay (or no pay) so there is increasing stress on the streets. Yesterday a fight broke over my potential custom. Sandra and I had walked around the shop, seeing different staff along the way (there are normally 20 plus floor staff in each store depending on size). I decided to ask the price of an item from the closest staff member and suddenly we were set upon by two other staff members who we had walked past. It seems because we had walked past them, they were fighting over who would get the sale. And that didn't include the person who I asked for help. Outta there quick smart.
Look who came to visit our neighbours at TA!
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| Entrance letter to Hogwarts has been delivered! |
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| The Unbraided |
Whew, what a mission to get the braids out. After the unbearable burning sensation on my scalp (I heard likely due to the chemical processing in the artificial hair extensions) I began unbraiding one evening. Jeroen kindly asked if I was sure I wanted to begin at 8.30pm and I advised him I had it on authority that it would only take and hour. 3 hours later I had only got through 1/3 so early next morning, I began again. By 9am I phoned an African friend as I needed to leave the house and the unbraiding was only 75% completed....so, I put a scarf on (now I wonder what may be hiding under all the colourful scarves I see the women wear here) and headed off to Loriat and Jane who took the rest out in half an hour. Hint: if you ever need to remove braids, soak hair in olive oil, cut extensions as near to natural hair as possible and use a bobby pin or toothpick to separate a single braid.
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| Local papelaria |
I visit the children's hospital when I can, usually once a week...I am delighted to have found a nearby office supplies store. And here are some creations!
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| Sete cores do arco-iris |
Our project this week is to learn the seven colours of the rainbow (sete cores do arco-iris). The children decorated their pictures how they wished however a lot of them are not used to free expression so purely copied my example. We identified the colours, used glittered mosaic pieces to decorate the rainbow and then embellished with name, date and drawings.
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| Two proud artists |
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| This was the most creative..check out the stylised handwriting |
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| The boys and girls equally love colour, flowers, and especially the paper cutters |
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| Estudantes |
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| A rest in a hammock, outside the supermarket |
There is a very large Asian population in Angola and this creative group strung hammocks between trees for their noon siesta.
My most consistent weekly activity is meeting with my Bible study group. I am currently leading us through The Book of Doctor Luke. Always uplifting and blessed time with these lovely ladies.
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Pre-study snack with 'Jane-juice' and fresh sweetcorn, papaya and pineapple
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| My beloved Sister's |
Jane-Juice is a combination of beetroot, carrot and pineapple with ginger...delish!
Last week we took a four day trip to stay with our Dutch friends in Lubango. We took a full day trek in 2 4WD's in outback Angola. Here, we visited a Dutch potato farmer, Raime, and then an onion farm.
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| Wanna-be famers Jeroen and Minne |
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| The Potato sorting girls' |
Monthly earnings here are good...around 35,000 kwanzas...on the unofficial market rate this is under a 100 dollars a month.
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| Mum and baby. |
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| Petra loves the dogs |
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| Resourceful Raime is fixing the potato harvester |
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| A View From The Potato Bin |
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| View from Raime's home being built in Chibia |
Raime told us that one day he looked out the window to see a leopard come down from the nearby mountain to take a drink. Wonderful to hear anecdotal evidence that the carnivorous animals are returning to Angola after their war-time near-extinction.
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| Three Lucky Puppies adopted by Raime |
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| Car cemetery |
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| Cause of car cemeteries |
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| A visit with Joaquina to the Humpata markets |
With Joanna and her Angola adopted daughter, Joaquina, we visited the markets at Humpata. There was a huge variety of fresh produce and the fight to gain our custom was on as soon as our car pulled up. Joaquina negotiated lots of deals for us and we happily came home with 40 kg fruit and veggies- in our suitcases! Lots of colourful characters there.
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| This is the National fabric of Angola |
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| Needing a tow out of the ditch |
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| Machete in hand on the left, these chaps welcomed us at the building site of Joanna's house |
Homes and buildings take often years to build here in Angola. Joanna and Minne have had the foundation built for 2 years. Waiting for paperwork and more money for the next stage.
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| Ready for packing into our suitcases |
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| Heading in the Namibe direction of Angola |
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| View of Lubango from up near the Cristo Rei |
The Serra de Leba is listed on the
'Dangerous Roads' website. Check it out for more stunning photo's. If ever we pass over this road I will be the passenger with a duvet over my head.
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| Waterfall at Serra de Leba |
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| Minne chatting to the self-appointed tour guide |
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| Engineered by a Portuguese woman |
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| Stunning cliff face at Serra de Leba |
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| Road to Tundavala |
Tundavala is a viewpoint in the rim of the great granite rich escarpment located 18 km from Lubango. The road to get there is 25km long and this section, roughly 10 kms long is built from intricate cobblestone-type granite blocks....a glittering highway.
The escarpment marks the western limit of Bié Plateau. The altitude at the rim exceeds 2200 m, while the plain below is approximately 1200 m lower, which creates a rather impressive view, encompassing a distance of tens of kilometers. We heard that during the war Cubans gave the choice to locals to confess their sins or be thrown from the edge.
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| Coloured glass chapel on road up |
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| Known locally as Flintstone city |
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| Close enough to the edge |
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| Light breaking through over Tunavala |
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| Joanna and Minne, our tour guides |
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| Clutching on! |
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| An opportunity for roadside selling |
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| As Madres walking home before the rain |
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| Heading home |
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| Making her way up at a good pace |
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| A favourite shot...Galinha na hora |
This broken down, exhaust on the ground, unattended van promises chicken on the hour! Not so. And so ends our tour of Lubango and surrounds.
Bye, Bye Monika and Raj...we will miss you here in Luanda. Bestest on your new life in Jakarta.
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| Another farewell icecream at Be Delicious, our go-to favourite Italian ice-cream shop across the road. |
November 30, back to the hospital fazer as borboletas! (to make butterflies).
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| A small number who came today |
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| Boys' here love all colours |
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Mums get in on the action, always
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| Even babies are capable of making them! |
Such a nice way to spend time..to create and watch creativity...Looking forward to returning....after our trip to Kenya. We're heading off on Friday. Watch this space.
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| David and Alex with some future Angola cyclists |
Cars are seen in all states here...no WOF testing, no road rules observed and no limit to the imagination in use for vehicles. I still haven't got a pic of the taxi with clear duct tape as windows. 
