Got to wait 4 hours but bless the lounge

Moving in the right direction is all that matters now. 

Ready for a break and great year ahead.   

Sunday half day before heading home Tuesday

Took a nice walk, sat on the beech and had a caipirinha. 

I'm more than ready to head home Tuesday.  Counting down this last week for sure. 

Local Cuisine

Most of the influences are from Portugal but there are some local cuisines that I have tried.  One staple everyone eats is Funje. It's a traditional Angolan food with dried cassava ( yucca type plant) flour and water. 

They serve more local dishes every Friday at the staff house lunch. Tastes kind of like grits or pourage. It's pretty starchy and not so much nutritional value. 

Also calulu which is a fish stew made from dry and fresh fish, okra, jumboa or spinach stew in Palm oil.  Lots of Palm oil here which is not so good for us. 

I have also seen women on the streets grilling bananas and they serve cooked or fried bananas and plantains at the staff house. 

Pandora

I have tried pandora and netflix many times while here and even through different VPN's with no success.  

I did connect to pandora once in Malingo.  And now for some reason I can get pandora in my office.   

It's the little things. I was getting tired of my playlists.  

Christmas Day

I guess it's all perfect that I don't even celebrate Christmas. Gonna miss the Chinese food this year. But worked and took a walk on the marginal. Tons of kids around. I got some sun and hung out on a bench for a while. Groups of kids sat with me and crowded around and took pictures. Maybe they have not seen a white person tanning in the sun before. I think they were making fun of me in one way or the other.  

Then relaxed with my super bock on the usual hotel roof deck. Relaxing place. 

Christmas Eve

Just another work day for me, and tomorrow and the weekend.... 

No plans but a staff house dinner.  A Angolan colleague invited me to lunch down the block at Andy's, an Indian resteraunt. They have a clothing store next door and no one I know ever has seen anyone go there so it's a suspected laundry of sorts if you get that. Figure it out. 

Food was not bad. 

Got a bottle of Portugal tawny for dinner and joining the other misfits that have no where to go. The few of us here are not part of the resident expat community to the south. It's a good drive down there too. 

I had someone email me from Cabinda and said he did not even know anyone rotated out of Luanda. I like to be special so fine by me. I have my routines and just fine with it all. 

Office life

Back in Luanda office. Got a new desk and they took away some old furniture. That is big progress. 

Quiet in the office on weekends so most of the day is on the computer.  Get to watch the usual weekly crash outside though. They are building the infrastructure here but many roads don't have lights so people just go and it works most of the time. 

Long days

Up early and to bed early. Not much time or energy for much else. Usually try to get a little work out in, eat, watch TV and off to bed.  Malongo is very different than Luanda.  Pros and cons to both. 

Holiday season

Malongo camp is getting in the spirit with Christmas decoration around. 

I did manage to find some candles too. 

Lots of neighbors coming over as well for the evening meal.  They don't bother much. 

Yes, all huge bats. 

Malongo camp. 

We have a great clinic here as well. Pretty busy helping people. 

Cabinda travels

From the staff house yard to Cabinda province where Malongo camp is.  

Travels went smooth enough and worked through the standard mishaps and logistics, got a room and to the clinic.  

Pouring rain- we could solve the CA drought with 2 hours of this. Other than that mass huge bats all over and some other random jungle creatures.  

The yard at staff house. 

New room for a few days. When you come to visit you never know whose or what room you may get.  Some have shard bathrooms but all in all they will do.  Staff house room is much larger.  

The company makes good efforts to provide.  It's truly a nonstop life here.  

Feliz Natal

Christmas decorations everywhere.  I like this tree made out of plastic water bottles the best.  Good use of recycleable waste.  

Rec Center event.

Our business here is called CABGOC- Cabinda Gulf Oil Company. We have a very nice recreation center for employees here. Mostly nationals utilize it.  

We had our last big Health and Medical event of the year for HIV awareness. The team did a great job. 

Office and Luanda Health and Medical party

Our office is slowly coming together even though it is far from the normal Company office.  Today appeared a suiting picture on my wall for those that know me. 

We had a Luanda clinic holiday party at some club resteraunt today. Very festive. Dancing and music are critical at every party.  Can't really say no. Good food and education on local life here.  

Training and Events

Our medical clinics have some great resources and have the ability to manage most any condition. I helped out with a random unannounced drill the other day and got to be a potential Ebola case. 

Staff handled me well and asked the right questions.  

I feel better already.  

Gonna help with one of our last HIV events this Saturday.  We have some great resources and partnerships here. This one will be at our employee and family rec center in Luanda. 

Much entertainment to come I'm sure.  Tomorrow we are going to have an office gift exchange. See what I end up with and hope someone likes my Cali gifts.  

Visa

I began my paperwork at the end of May, was rejected, resubmitted on Sept 4 and finally approved today. A few more steps but glad to move forward. I look forward to being able to be more effective and contribute to the workforce and Angolan health systems. 

Holiday Party

The Company put on a great holiday party for employees and their families last night and did a great job. They treat the employees well and the local Angolan service was great.  

It is our 60 year anniversary here in Angola and the partnership is still strong. 

I got my favorite too- sushi.  Jumbo shrimp and lobster tails were pretty good too.  

The entertainment was Yola- I guess she is a big deal here and for sure had some pipes. I even got one dance in with a colleague but after a 12 hour day and working Sunday, I was spent. All in all it was very nice and I was able to get home by 12:30.  Which is when the real party starts and dancing all night. Next time. 

Local Working Experience

As previously noted, I am getting the more city working experience here. I feel so fortunate to work side by side with the locals and get the city street experience. 

Chicala Views below 

Our office views below

There are people selling about anything and everything on some streets. I have seen guys selling toilet seats and watches; coat hangers and hats; toilet paper and cell phone covers; flashlights and shoes.  Much more. I have heard most of it is legitimate and they buy the stuff and re-sell or represent stores and bring the product to the streets and traffic to sell. 

This guy can outfit your entire bathroom. 

A colleague told me many have some side business here.  And everything is a negotiation or barter.  

Most of the women seem to sell fruit or other items they can carry on their head. This baby was asleep through it all. 

I have bought a banana and orange from some of the fruit women but

I really am not sure about walking around with a basket of fish on your head all day in the sun. 

These women seem to be heading to a Tupperware party.