January 3, a quiet Christmas and NY in Angola.
Check out
this nice site for more bird and animal life in this amazing country.
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| Common dragonfly...picture posted by Angola Ambiente |
January 27, these monster billboards are everywhere.
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| Fidel Castro memorials in Angola |
February 1, We enjoyed a charity evening at the british embassy where I was again photographer for the evening. As I was snapping pics Jeroen called out to me that my ticket in raffle had won! So we came home with a truckload of locally produced cheese and wine. A fun evening.
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| Winners! |
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| Andrew on drinks |
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| The cycling trio |
These girls' get out cycling around the city, and have recently made 120km in one trip. Impressive, Ladies.
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| Elaine and Cynara |
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| End of night frivolities |
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| All the big guys on the steps |
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| A night at the embassy |
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| Huub and Rukaya with other LBW members |
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| Look who I met!- another Kiwi |
I was walking around snapping away when I heard this man mention NZ in a way only kiwis can pronounce..He is from Tairoa and is a teacher at the international school. Hoping to join him for Waitangi Day celebrations this weekend.
Remember Gabriel, the little boy at the orphanage that I used to visit once a week? He is now walking and my friend, Chavel who visits there regularly discovered Gabriel's brother visits him now. Really nice for the little guy.
Out and about at slave museum, art market and with my Bible study friends.
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| Our driver, Domingos, (left) -our faithful and trusted security guard |
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| Lots of street art |
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| Red bug |
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| Pomegranite flowers |
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| The British Slave Ship |
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| Bible study ladies farewelling Jane, 2nd left. The only remaining original group member still here is Loriat, 2nd Right |
Our wonderful Sister Jane is leaving Angola in a couple of weeks so this outing was in her honour. It was hot!
I was rifling through my pencil box and found these two old friends still hanging around together. Nice memories of Liam and Mitchell in Oakura.
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| Two old mates |
February 23, finished a few days of birthday business...50 now and loving it.
Firstly I went with my friends to my favourite place, the salt water pool at Imbondeiros.
Along with champagne, doing the conga (Sandra had remembered my bucket list for turning 50!), drinking champagne and lobster for lunch, I swam and swam. My favourite thing to do here.
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| 50 and fabulous - sash creation by Sandra |
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| Cake made by Chavel-delicioso Cinnamon cake |
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| Lots of fun - L-R Joelle Rukaya Colette Kasia Luza me Chavel Jo Kelley Elaine and photographer Cheryl |
In the last week my very dear Bible study friend, Jane left Angola for good. So I spent a while sewing a farewell gift for her from us all. A tablecloth with proper mitred corners (a first for me) with napkins in the fabric of Angola.
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| Farewell Jane |
On Saturday night we hosted a cheese and wine and everything else evening in combination with our '100th' birthday. Mine was on the Saturday and Jeroen's is in a few weeks. Despite a munted hotpot, two cups broken, a couple of near heart attacks and a fondue that separated, we had a fab time - thanks everyone.
The following pics show we partied till 3.
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| A kiss for Cynara |
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| Allie and Chavel |
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| The three amigos |
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| Whiskey drinkers unite |
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| Alex and Jeroen |
Mates for over 10 years.
And another cake, thanks Sandra and Joelle.
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| Joelle and me...clutching onto my glass that kept disappearing and my glo-sticks |
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| 100 years almost ...and not a zimmer frame in sight! |
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| My 0630 swimming buddy, Chavel (mum of Paco) |
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| The Rowdy Bunch |
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| Cheryl and me...another trooper who looked after me on the night |
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| Chavel Cheryl Elain |
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| Colette on drums (ok, the Esso Barbecues) |
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| We ran a quiz on all things NZ and Holland |
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| Why the bottom lip, Dave? |
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| Kiwi/Dutch and South African/Dutch combo - us with Huub and Rukaya |
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| Apparently Sandra told that this was on my 50th bucket list...not sure it was |
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| The fondue went a little chunky |
...but it tasted good! I was told by Andrew that I wouldn't be receiving a swiss passport any time soon.
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| Colette with Graham....we missed Katie |
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| The Boys, Dave and Jack |
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| Kelley |
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| Here's looking at you kid! |
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| The Ozzies, Mark and Sarah |
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| She'll be right mate |
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| A quiz, won by Adrian |
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| Rukaya and I, old pals |
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| Deli, Rukaya me Colette |
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| Ab Fab Crew |
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| Sarah up to mischief |
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| Looking at my baby pics --apparently I have a teddy-boy hair-do |
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| We had fun |
And ok, the night went on. A bit of dancing, a bit more champagne, a bit more cheese, a bit more blah blah blah and a bit of a swim at 0200 in my dress much to the horror of Elaine and Kelley and the mild amusement of Chavel and Sandra.
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| What on earth?! |
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| Hey, you're only 50 once |
Que horror!
Yes, that is me smoking for the first time in 20 years. I had one (led astray by the lovely other Patsy, Joelle) and think I will have another on my 60th.
And the next day, I decided it was time to clean up the hotpot that still had scrapings of fondue on it....
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| The hotpot broke |
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| A Rosemary bouquest from dear Rasa in France |
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| A Dutchie |
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| and A Kiwi |
And still eating cake on Monday with Luza, another Columbiana Especial.
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| Luza and I, waiting for Rasa (a LONG time) at Café Delicias de Paris |
Another very cool dragonfly pic posted on Angola Ambiente
April 23, we have been back to NZ and now resettled in Luanda. What a great exciting time...witnessing the marriage of Liam with Shani, celebrating at a family reunion for our next '100th birthday', attending Adele's final overseas concert and lots of walks, cycles, and fun with family friends and dogs.
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| A Kiss with The Bride |
Liam and Shani were blessed to be married by their childrens pastor, Uncle Stuart. So wonderful to see him and his wife, Janet, again.
Goofing around at the wedding before the official photo's.
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| A walk in the beach |
Beautiful autumn weather for a walk on Kai Iwi beach with Wade, Sue, KT, Hulk and Widow.
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| A 100th |
Another cake! Many thanks to our creative baker, Sis Sue.
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| Reconnecting with old friends |
A chance entounter led to a reunion with dear friends, Joy-Ann and Roel Waayman, parents of Jorge who was Liams best friend as a baby/young boy. Lovely facial also recieved from this now certified beauty therpaist. Nice to remember old times including teaching JA to drive.
We had the wonderful pleasure to attend Adele's concert in Auckland with Wade and KT. Thanks for spoiling us Wade and Sue.
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| A bit wet |
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| Adele concert |
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| Back to Lalaland |
This is Lurdes, our maid. My old friend, Jaa, sent it to me as its a few years old. Jaas favourite passtime was baking cakes and Lurdes favourite passtime was eating them!
May 11. Check out this https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/26/world/africa/angola-land-mines.html?_r=1 article on the ever present legacy of landmines laid by Cuba and Sotuh Africa in Angola. Every day i witness many people disabled by landmines.
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| A generation of loss |
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| Mining campaigns in Angola |
And for this of us with too much time on our hands, this is what we do...
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| Bored |
And sometimes i can be productive. Over the weekend i made quark, a soft fresh cheese, from buttermilk..
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| Quark cheese |
Then i turned it into Jeroen's favourite dessert, Quark taart. Much like a cheesecake quark has a biscuit base however the filling is much lighter and fresher tasting. A hit!
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| Quark taart |
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| A piece of tart |
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| Low on NZ Food Aid Kit |
Oh dear, supplies of Mam's famous pickle, tart plum jam and manuka honey all on the low-down.
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| Art man |
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| Joaquina |
This is the Angola daughter of our friends, Joanna and Minne...she had a recent trip to Holland and froze! She told Jeroen she was going to Holland to eat all the dutch cheese.
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| Off to a wedding
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I had a few problems getting blog updated lately so here are a few more pics of our home trip. This is the mob we met on the road to Liam and Shani's wedding.
And we waited and waited
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| Selfie while waiting for cows |
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| Mam and Me...off on Safari |
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| When I was just a little girl, I asked my mother... |
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| What weta? |
And recently, a trip to Kuwait....
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| Fruit and vegetables at the bazaar |
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| Tea time |
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| Ramadan is coming...special outfits to buy |
This stall had a variety of fresh dates that we sampled...my favourite was the local Kuwait date...fresh and creamy. And Cheap as chips! 1 dinar for half a kilo...$3nzd.
The last four years in Angola have been spent scouring shops for produce...here there is every thing imagainable and no hunting through the items to dismiss 70% ...its all fresh.
Next, we came upon this intriguing art show exhibited in one if the hundreds of shopping malls.
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| Creative Kuwait |
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| Face On a Tyre |
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| Admirers |
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| Cleaning the lake |
Outside this mall is a lake which was being broom swept by these two chaps. Temperature of less than 50 degrees and legally they can work outdoors. With temperatures reaching 60 degrees peak summer in some places of Kuwait, we discovered that shopping malls are the place to go for exercise. Up and down stairs, marching around the spawling complex, it seems expats will be found making the most of the air conditining and space.
Supermarkets or Souks are well stocked, well presented and happy places. Except the chicken killing ward we unintentionally encountered...everything Halal.
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| A NZ Beef and Lamb expo! |
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| Kuwait flowers |
Out and about at slave museum, art market and with my Bible study friends.
And another cake, thanks Sandra and Joelle.
