Over this past weekend Bryan and I had plenty of time to rest due to a flu we had picked up. It wasn't terrible but did keep us close to home. Our neighbors checked in on us and made us feel cared for. It was sweet.
I received good news and some not so good....The good is that the woman in charge of the community outreach has returned from overseas. She was gone for 3 weeks which is why we have not met yet and of course now that she is back, she will be very busy catching up. I don't want to harass her but am praying throughout the days for God's timing to meet with her and discuss the options for medical work here. I am so thankful she has come back and will keep you abreast of any discussions or plans.
The not so good news is that when we heard that our shipment had arrived in Soyo.....well not exactly...the letter was sent to 4 and one has arrived, one has a date of arrival and two are still being held in Houston.....awaiting further paperwork.....and guess which group we fit into......right.....the shipment is still in the US.....now this is not a huge problem....we are getting along with the few things we have here.....it is just that I only carried 2 pairs of jeans, two pairs of culottes and one pair of dressy black pants that are beginning to get too big......a wonderful problem.
A great part of being here in the heat with the limits of food is that we don't tend to overeat at all....we make enough for the day and maybe for lunch the next day and keep it simple....there is no fast food and without my pans and the baking supplies in the shipment....can't do baking and that is ok too.....so actually, both Bryan and I are becoming more healthy.....and we love this.
Over the weekend the gardener started his work. He has dug up most of the front and back yard and removed a layer of red dirt. He then had someone go to the jungle and get top soil which is very black looking and apparently things grow well in it. Today he is starting to put if around the garden and even has a few plants in a pan of soil to grow the seedlings. Very exciting, actually!!! We also have green beans from the nurses at Hospice of the East Bay.....and I got winged bean seeds which is a bean that is grown throughout Asia and you can eat the bean, the leaves.....salad!!!.....and it grows rapidly. I brought 1/2 lb of these beans so it will be great and something to share....I also have herbs that I have started in a planter in the kitchen.....the avocado seed that I put in water????? Nothing is happening but I have another one and will put it directly in soil and see if that works better..
It is very hot today and when we went to work with the children at school and do crafts, everyone was very warm...This group had a wide spread of ages, some very young and some up to 2nd grade. We did the coloring, cutting, gluing and the played bingo.....to learn numbers....it was fun and the kids really get into throwing their hands up and saying "Bingo" when they fill their card. The teachers seem to really enjoy getting supplies at the end of the day. It is a worthwhile time even in the heat.
Today is sweeping, washing the floors, laundry and trying to come up with something healthy and good for dinner. Yesterday we made a black bean and sweet potato stew that I got off the internet. Healthy and still enough for tonight. We even shared with our neighbors. That is always fun. Now I need to figure what to do with the bread that we get. The local bakeries are around town and they make the bread there, put it in a brick oven and bake it. It is white flour but still good. The problem is that it is stale in two days....so trying to figure what to do with stale bread.....of course, you say, just don't buy so much at a time.....and that is certainly what we will do in the future.....Any ideas on how to use this?
Monday, February 28, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
going with the flow......
We heard yesterday that our shipment has arrived!!! Now it still has to go thru customs and who knows how long that will be but it is already here......such a shock! We had thought that it wouldn't arrive until April.....
One of my plans when moving here is to have my own chickens for food and eggs although eggs are plentiful right now and not too expensive. Then I began to think about having rabbits too but wonder if I would be able to use them for meat or just name them all and grow a herd/flock/huge number of them.....Anyway, we need to have the garden in first....then will start with those....do plan to get my beans in and a papaya tree as soon as the gardener gets the "black dirt" in from the jungle.....topsoil....that is.....the regular dirt is sandy and bright red.....I'll take a photo.....
Well, we just had a power outage and when it came back on something burned up in the kitchen….I heard it and then Ms. Kitty…my watch cat..... puffed up and was slinking toward the kitchen…so I went with her and thought it was the coffee maker because there was a smoky white substance on the counter behind the appliance and the smell of electrical burn….and was so sad…..but when I checked it out further, it just totally blew the fuse in the transformer, actually exploded it so there was glass inside the fuse space, so I hope the coffee maker is still good…..the light went on so I think it will brew…..I wonder what the power spiked to if the voltage regulator went to 240 and it blew out... Lessons to learn every day......
My greatest frustration right now is that I can't speak the language. I find that Portuguese is similar to Spanish but not the same.....it does give me a little advantage that I learned Spanish in high school.....back in the dark ages...and interestingly whenever I have studied another language over the years, Spanish has always come back to my memory......we have not found a teacher yet and I think it is because we want to study at 0630 before Bryan goes to the office in the morning.....so what I am doing is whenever I'm in the car, I ask the driver words and put them in my little book....I'm building a vocabulary.....slowly but surely......I just love to talk and not being able to communicate with the local people is a great frustration for me. It is up to me to rectify the situation tho......
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
A wealth of education
Today was a fascinating day. I was part of a group of people that have moved here within the past two weeks. I was the only one that had been here two weeks....most were here a few days. All of the other attendees are employees and all that I met today are rotators.....Also, they were all men....from many different countries.
The purpose of the day was to go over Health, Environment and Safety risks and expectations. So here are highlights of .what I learned:
Health: The primary issue discussed was Malaria concerns. Apparently the nurse here did a survey in the Soyo population in 2008 and found that 10,000-14,000 cases of Malaria were treated. This is in a population of 150,000 in Soyo so approximately 10% of the local population have had malaria. This virulent type known as Falciparum is the strain here and frequently leads to Cerebral Malaria which is deadly. They discussed the symptoms and treatment and concerns that many of the foreigners here choose not to take the prophylaxis that is provided. This is true. I don't understand why they don't. Bryan and I do.
Then there was discussion of Hepatitus B and HIV as well as dehydration concerns here. This is the same anywhere.
Next we learned about the Reptiles in this area from a game warden...seriously.....with the bush hat and looked like a safari guide...which he used to be in South Africa. He went over the main venomous and semi venomous snakes in the area. There are apparently 400 species and only 90 are venomous....good to know, right?..... Here are the main ones he discussed.....Black Forest Cobra, Puff Adder, Black necked spitting Cobra, Jameson's Mamba (green with a yellow tail....not the black one although I believe that one is here too), Eastern Congo Burrowing Asp, Boomslang....a real killer. Then the "semi-toxic": The red Lip Snake, Olive Whip Snake. Then finally the non-venomous: Brown house snake (eats rats), Common egg eater (toothless),Striped black and green snake that eats Geckos, and African Rock Python (which they caught last May and it was only 4 meters (13.1 feet) and they are up to 6 meters (19.8 feet) here in Angola but in Cameroon can be 9 meters (29.6 ft). Any snakes found here are caught and relocated to specific areas designated by the government. This gentleman loves snakes and was adamant that no snakes are to be killed.
Oh, one more thing, if you get the venom in your eyes from the Spitting Cobra (which they have caught here) you must wash your eyes with water, beer, juice or urine for 30 min to get the toxin out. Interesting......right?
The bees here are not more toxic than honey bees, they say, but they continue to pursue anyone who disturbs their hive much longer and that is why people die from the stings.......but they always relocate the hives they find because 70% of crops are pollinated by bees and we know that the food issue here is difficult....even with the bees.
There was someone who came and spoke regarding the land mine problem. I was astonished to find that although they had "cleared" the base area here, in 2010 they still found 42 unexploded ordinances and in the surrounding area 574 unexploded ordinances and 50 anti personal mines......apparently the rain and water movement causes the mines to "walk" from one place to another. So staying on the roads and not walking at the side of the roads or where there is "high water marks" in certain areas is essential.
All of this was so interesting but then the person that talks about environment came and I was really impressed with what is being done to protect the water and wildlife here. Because the base displaced sea turtles, they have helped to relocate many across the river and the ones that continue to come to the base, they protect the eggs and then release the babies. They have done a lot of education in the surrounding community to help keep these endangered species protected. I am hoping that I will have my pass in time to go to the last release of the baby turtles in the next week or so. Otherwise I'll need to wait until next year.
So, don't you think you would have thoroughly enjoyed the day today?
No news on the community outreach meeting yet but tomorrow is another day.
The purpose of the day was to go over Health, Environment and Safety risks and expectations. So here are highlights of .what I learned:
Health: The primary issue discussed was Malaria concerns. Apparently the nurse here did a survey in the Soyo population in 2008 and found that 10,000-14,000 cases of Malaria were treated. This is in a population of 150,000 in Soyo so approximately 10% of the local population have had malaria. This virulent type known as Falciparum is the strain here and frequently leads to Cerebral Malaria which is deadly. They discussed the symptoms and treatment and concerns that many of the foreigners here choose not to take the prophylaxis that is provided. This is true. I don't understand why they don't. Bryan and I do.
Then there was discussion of Hepatitus B and HIV as well as dehydration concerns here. This is the same anywhere.
Next we learned about the Reptiles in this area from a game warden...seriously.....with the bush hat and looked like a safari guide...which he used to be in South Africa. He went over the main venomous and semi venomous snakes in the area. There are apparently 400 species and only 90 are venomous....good to know, right?..... Here are the main ones he discussed.....Black Forest Cobra, Puff Adder, Black necked spitting Cobra, Jameson's Mamba (green with a yellow tail....not the black one although I believe that one is here too), Eastern Congo Burrowing Asp, Boomslang....a real killer. Then the "semi-toxic": The red Lip Snake, Olive Whip Snake. Then finally the non-venomous: Brown house snake (eats rats), Common egg eater (toothless),Striped black and green snake that eats Geckos, and African Rock Python (which they caught last May and it was only 4 meters (13.1 feet) and they are up to 6 meters (19.8 feet) here in Angola but in Cameroon can be 9 meters (29.6 ft). Any snakes found here are caught and relocated to specific areas designated by the government. This gentleman loves snakes and was adamant that no snakes are to be killed.
Oh, one more thing, if you get the venom in your eyes from the Spitting Cobra (which they have caught here) you must wash your eyes with water, beer, juice or urine for 30 min to get the toxin out. Interesting......right?
The bees here are not more toxic than honey bees, they say, but they continue to pursue anyone who disturbs their hive much longer and that is why people die from the stings.......but they always relocate the hives they find because 70% of crops are pollinated by bees and we know that the food issue here is difficult....even with the bees.
There was someone who came and spoke regarding the land mine problem. I was astonished to find that although they had "cleared" the base area here, in 2010 they still found 42 unexploded ordinances and in the surrounding area 574 unexploded ordinances and 50 anti personal mines......apparently the rain and water movement causes the mines to "walk" from one place to another. So staying on the roads and not walking at the side of the roads or where there is "high water marks" in certain areas is essential.
All of this was so interesting but then the person that talks about environment came and I was really impressed with what is being done to protect the water and wildlife here. Because the base displaced sea turtles, they have helped to relocate many across the river and the ones that continue to come to the base, they protect the eggs and then release the babies. They have done a lot of education in the surrounding community to help keep these endangered species protected. I am hoping that I will have my pass in time to go to the last release of the baby turtles in the next week or so. Otherwise I'll need to wait until next year.
So, don't you think you would have thoroughly enjoyed the day today?
No news on the community outreach meeting yet but tomorrow is another day.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
learning patience.....and enjoying it here
To travel anywhere in this town you need to carry with you a copy of your passport. Yesterday I received a notarized copy in full color. This must be with me anytime I leave the house. The passport itself is kept in a safe place. For all the travels I have enjoyed, this is the first time I have needed to carry a copy of the passport. Interesting….
I would love to take pictures of the people here but this is also something that cannot be done. I don’t know if it is because so many come across the river from the democratic republic of Congo or if it has some other meaning but I can take pictures of the fish in the market but not the woman selling them. Now in the schools where we volunteer, the kids love the pictures and we show them after taking them. So hopefully the next generation will allow photos…..but I won’t be here…..
Today we are going to a school that is much closer to our homes. This is also a Catholic school and we will teach crafts. Thankfully the woman leading this effort, Mary Ann, is a retired 1st grade teacher so very capable of making a plan that will help develop something new in these kids. We are also going much later today so it will be much hotter. I’ll let you know when we return…….
Back home and it was like a sauna in the classroom. The kids were great and the craft was making a kite….coloring, cutting out, gluing and adding the tails…..took the full hour. Some have such difficulty using the scissors. They love the result though. And the drivers have so much fun helping the children.
Afterwards I went shopping for fruit and veggies with one of the ladies. Found a squash, some type of melon, coconut milk, and lasagna noodles….. Don’t even want to think of the cost. At least we found these. It is enjoyable getting to know the women here and learning from them as they have been here longer and know the ways to make things work best.
Still waiting to hear back from the woman re: community outreach…. One thing I am learning….and apparently not totally absorbed yet is patience……but there are things to do to keep busy and help out. This is so much slower of a pace here than in California. I always seemed to be racing around there…so in some ways this is very relaxing…..and good for a while…..Just hope the medical work can start soon.
Monday, February 21, 2011
getting settled
Over the past few days things are getting more settled. Many of our bags were sent DHL from the capital Thursday and Friday the last ones arrived. It is odd that things we were certain we had sent are not in the bags but all in all, we are very content to have our clothing and food items. In fact, our cupboards are so full that I don't know where we will put the things that come in the shipment. But we will worry about that when the shipment arrives is April or May.
Over the weekend we had two social events that helped us feel more a part of the community. First, our neighbors from Trinidad came for dinner. The wife, Laurie has come several times with food that she had cooked. We asked them to come and on Saturday night we had Thai Green Curry and it was really good. These neighbors are so sweet and we plan to spend many other days doing things together. And the best part is that they are Christians and we have our beliefs in common too. That gives an even stronger bond together.
Sunday there was a party in the afternoon to welcome the new people....that would be us.... and give time for the people that have been here for some time a chance to get together. Interestingly with the food issues, there was plenty of food brought by everyone...and plenty to share. It was good to meet everyone and now just to learn all their names.
When we came home we had planned to call our kids and talk to them via Skype but the phone was not working and when the phone goes, so does the internet and there is no way to explain why we didn't keep the appointment. A frustration but reality of this life so we must be able to deal with it.
It is funny....the food issues, the loss of electricity many times some days, the loss of phone and internet off and on......makes us much more thankful for those things that prior to moving her we took for granted. I find that my attitude is much more thankful for everything we have.
Saturday, prior to our dinner guests coming, we went to the market to buy what we could find. It was a really good day....cabbage, avocados, cucumber, onions, garlic, and the big find....bell peppers. Now they are all ridiculously expensive....but available and that is great. We went to a store by the airport.....no...not like a major airport....more like Burbank in the 70's......but found vinegar in that store for $4.50/bottle....a real find because now I can clean the vegetables and not have to peel everything. Very exciting.
Today.....well, some of the women go to the local schools to teach crafts to the children. Today I went with them and helped the children color a flower in a pot. The flower was precut but there was a place for them to cut the petals a little. then glue it to the pot and stem on a paper. You have to realize that many of these children have never held scissors nor have they colored pictures so it is all new to them. Afterwards we had dried beans and played bingo.....which was also a challenge because you say 5 and they see 15 so want to put one bean on that 5 and if you say 1 then they wanted to put a bean on every one on the page. All the supplies are left with the teacher to be able to continue playing the game for learning numbers. The kids loved it and so did we..
Now I'm back home and feeling such joy in having the time with these kids today. I do so enjoy it here and am so thankful we were finally able to come. Of course, I am waiting expectantly to talk to the community outreach woman this week re: working in the medical field. But just having things to do, getting to know the other people here.....and getting to practice the few words of Portuguese that I have acquired and learning from the children.....what delight.
Ms Kitty? Well she finally broke me down and I stopped giving her rice with her food....just the dry food and sardines with it to help stretch it. She is now more content and playful. And....she has been doing well with her training to use the toilet.....seriously!!! When she is all trained, I'll attach a photo....
Over the weekend we had two social events that helped us feel more a part of the community. First, our neighbors from Trinidad came for dinner. The wife, Laurie has come several times with food that she had cooked. We asked them to come and on Saturday night we had Thai Green Curry and it was really good. These neighbors are so sweet and we plan to spend many other days doing things together. And the best part is that they are Christians and we have our beliefs in common too. That gives an even stronger bond together.
Sunday there was a party in the afternoon to welcome the new people....that would be us.... and give time for the people that have been here for some time a chance to get together. Interestingly with the food issues, there was plenty of food brought by everyone...and plenty to share. It was good to meet everyone and now just to learn all their names.
When we came home we had planned to call our kids and talk to them via Skype but the phone was not working and when the phone goes, so does the internet and there is no way to explain why we didn't keep the appointment. A frustration but reality of this life so we must be able to deal with it.
It is funny....the food issues, the loss of electricity many times some days, the loss of phone and internet off and on......makes us much more thankful for those things that prior to moving her we took for granted. I find that my attitude is much more thankful for everything we have.
Saturday, prior to our dinner guests coming, we went to the market to buy what we could find. It was a really good day....cabbage, avocados, cucumber, onions, garlic, and the big find....bell peppers. Now they are all ridiculously expensive....but available and that is great. We went to a store by the airport.....no...not like a major airport....more like Burbank in the 70's......but found vinegar in that store for $4.50/bottle....a real find because now I can clean the vegetables and not have to peel everything. Very exciting.
Today.....well, some of the women go to the local schools to teach crafts to the children. Today I went with them and helped the children color a flower in a pot. The flower was precut but there was a place for them to cut the petals a little. then glue it to the pot and stem on a paper. You have to realize that many of these children have never held scissors nor have they colored pictures so it is all new to them. Afterwards we had dried beans and played bingo.....which was also a challenge because you say 5 and they see 15 so want to put one bean on that 5 and if you say 1 then they wanted to put a bean on every one on the page. All the supplies are left with the teacher to be able to continue playing the game for learning numbers. The kids loved it and so did we..
Now I'm back home and feeling such joy in having the time with these kids today. I do so enjoy it here and am so thankful we were finally able to come. Of course, I am waiting expectantly to talk to the community outreach woman this week re: working in the medical field. But just having things to do, getting to know the other people here.....and getting to practice the few words of Portuguese that I have acquired and learning from the children.....what delight.
Ms Kitty? Well she finally broke me down and I stopped giving her rice with her food....just the dry food and sardines with it to help stretch it. She is now more content and playful. And....she has been doing well with her training to use the toilet.....seriously!!! When she is all trained, I'll attach a photo....
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
baby steps forward...
Yesterday was Valentines day.....one of our neighbors brought a packet of heart shaped candy, cookies and cupcakes to help us celebrate. The people here are very encouraging and kind.
Bryan was late coming home from work because he was trying to find flowers for Valentines day. There are none......he did find plastic roses but figured they would not get the smile he wanted to see.....then he found a little box with a styrofoam heart that said "Love" and a demitasse cup with hearts on it. The problem was that several times during the day the power went off and the final time the phones and internet didn't come back on.....I couldn't call him nor could he call me....and he didn't get home until nearly 8pm. Usually he is home by 6-6:30.....so I had gone ahead an eaten...thinking he might have needed to meet with staff or something. Here he had been out bringing me a gift. He is so very sweet and thoughtful.
Bryan did meet with the gentleman that manages the community outreach program. He met yesterday and they discussed the needs. Now this gentleman is on his time off but the woman I will work directly with will be back next Monday and she is overseeing only the medical portion of the community outreach, I believe. Seems that the local government wants assistance with immunizations, malaria prevention, and to treat intestinal issues that cause many severe health problems. Bryan told him that I have worked in those type of areas previously. That is what I had done from 1971-1975 in VietNam. First I worked at a children's hospital where I held clinics at the hospital grounds with other nurses and could go to the main hospital to obtain advice from the doctor on cases that I was confused with. Then I began holding clinics with one Vietnamese nurse out in refugee clinics and sent patients that needed further treatment back to the hospital. This lasted 1971-1973. At the end of 1973 until I was evacuated in 1975, I worked at a leprosy hospital outside the town of Pleiku where there was no doctor available and no car most days to get the patients to a hospital in town until after 4pm....It is interesting that it seems the time at the children's hospital was a preparation for the time in Pleiku. I am confident that I am able to meet the needs here if given a chance. I also believe that meeting these needs first allows to develop credibility with the local staff and community to then progress to the hospice project in the future. It is difficult to continue to wait for people to be in the office to get things started, but it will be worth the wait in the end. Just baby steps to the goal.....
Last night we had such a huge thunderstorm that we have lots of standing water in the back yard....so now we are part of the mosquito problem and even though he soil here is sandy, it is still standing on the top of the ground so you know how hard it rained.
I finally gave in and added a little of the remaining dry cat food into Ms Kitty's fish and rice and she ate...I believe she is more content and nicer today....she can be a wild thing....
Today we received one more bag.....it had shoes, cooking utensils, bags for the market that my friends at Hospice of the East Bay gave me as a farewell gift, and other household things. Still awaiting the clothing for me and the rest of the food items and TV. It is just like Christmas when we get a bag one at a time.....where if they had all come at once, it would have been a burden to put everything away....this way it is a treat!
Monday, February 14, 2011
learning to adjust
Haven't written for several days because not much has been happening here. I'm continuing to wait to meet with the community outreach representative about medical work possibilities. She is a very busy woman and has been out of the office.
Over the weekend Bryan and I went to the open market. Some interesting moments. First we were changing money and found that if the dollars have any writing on it or is torn in even the smallest place, it is not acceptable. Interestingly the kwanza that we receive are well used.....but the dollars must be new....
The market is open with wares either in small shops or on plastic on the ground. With this being the rainy season the mud was incredible in the center of the road. I'm not sure cars can navigate that area. There was a path on the sides to walk. We went to find indoor slippers for Bryan....the stone tiles in the house are causing his legs to ache.....found ONE pair....that fit....a great find....then bought basins to start my seedlings in. Finally,we made the best find of the day....avaocdo and corn on the cob and large cucumbers!!! I bought only one avocado......because they were soft and I was afraid spoiled inside.....but I was wrong and it was marvelous tasting and to see a green produce on the table was really nice. The corn on the other hand was wild corn so even though I boiled it for some time, it was tough but tasty. I'm going to microwave it until soft to keep some of the vitamins that I'd lose if I boiled it forever.....As we ate our dinner we reflected on how much we are thankful for food.....and that we will be just fine here with what we can hunt and gather......
Bryan and I are finding that the isolation here is developing a stronger relationship between us. This is so wonderful. So many years Bryan has been traveling for his work and gone for extended periods. You make a life for yourself and the kids and sadly, he was rather excluded from it due to the schedule. Now we are here alone and drawing closer, sharing the responsibilities of the house.....like I see our kids do.....and enjoying the new relationship.
This week I wait and pray that the meeting will take place to see what opportunities are available. Also, we are starting language study.....hopefully at 0630 before Bryan goes to the office. It is so imperative to learn to communicate with the nationals.....something we have always focused on wherever we have lived. Bryan has a great aptitude for language so I will need to work hard to keep up.....love the challenge...
Ms Kitty update.....she is struggling with having to eat fish..... so funny.....she is accustomed to eating dry American cat food but our bag of food is still in the suitcases that are awaiting room on the flight to get here so I started her on fish thinking she would love it. She isn't a happy camper.....but is learning....like all of us...to adjust.....
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Challenges......not so bad actually....
I am finding it challenging to sleep at night. Up mostly from 2AM-5:30AM and finally go to sleep. Last night there was a huge electrical storm and I think the lightening and thunder was what awakened me....it went on for hours.....Anyway, I hope this insomnia changes soon.
One of the nicest things about being here is Bryan can come home for lunch most days. It is great, after all the time we have been apart to have all this time together. The challenge? What to have for lunch that isn't tuna every day. I'm not complaining but want to have variety in the diet.....
Went to the store to see what is there.....found canned green beans ($4 50/can) and bought 4....wanted to buy them all but that isn't kind....we are going to try a canned local vegetarian hot curry for dinner.....also bought baby corn in the can for when we can make Thai curry.....all together with a few other items, $64. Crazy but at least we will have variety.....
As we were on the road I remembered that I need to keep my camera with me at all times. Soyo is simple but lovely in many ways. We are on the Congo River and see this as we drive along. The women dress colorfully and carry their babies tied to their backs....very picturesque....I'm going to get pictures onto this blog soon.......
As we were coming back home we got a call that 2 of our bags that were left in the capital are here. This is so exciting!! I'm writing this before I open the crates and put things away. Only 13 more to go....
I would imagine that this all sounds tedious and not exciting at all but this is also part of moving to a new place. I wait daily and pray throughout the day that soon I will be able to meet with the woman that manages the community outreach and find out where I can work. While I'm waiting I'm beginning to get serious about learning Portuguese.....You know how I love to talk.....and to struggle through the language is not fun....I find so much amusing and want to share it and make people smile.
One of the nicest things about being here is Bryan can come home for lunch most days. It is great, after all the time we have been apart to have all this time together. The challenge? What to have for lunch that isn't tuna every day. I'm not complaining but want to have variety in the diet.....
Went to the store to see what is there.....found canned green beans ($4 50/can) and bought 4....wanted to buy them all but that isn't kind....we are going to try a canned local vegetarian hot curry for dinner.....also bought baby corn in the can for when we can make Thai curry.....all together with a few other items, $64. Crazy but at least we will have variety.....
As we were on the road I remembered that I need to keep my camera with me at all times. Soyo is simple but lovely in many ways. We are on the Congo River and see this as we drive along. The women dress colorfully and carry their babies tied to their backs....very picturesque....I'm going to get pictures onto this blog soon.......
As we were coming back home we got a call that 2 of our bags that were left in the capital are here. This is so exciting!! I'm writing this before I open the crates and put things away. Only 13 more to go....
I would imagine that this all sounds tedious and not exciting at all but this is also part of moving to a new place. I wait daily and pray throughout the day that soon I will be able to meet with the woman that manages the community outreach and find out where I can work. While I'm waiting I'm beginning to get serious about learning Portuguese.....You know how I love to talk.....and to struggle through the language is not fun....I find so much amusing and want to share it and make people smile.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Settling in
Well, we have arrived at our home in Soyo on Saturday 2/5/10. Everything is ok here. Miss Kitty made the trip amazingly well…..even came right out of the cat carrier when we got home and began exploring the house. She is a bit jumpy, but with all the new sights and smells, it isn’t surprising.
We had brought 17 bags plus the cat and only could bring two bags, the ice chest and cat on the flight to Soyo because the plane is a very small propeller type and our bags are very heavy. The food was all still frozen even after all the time and that was great. We were told the remainder of the bags to be delivered Monday. Since it is now Wednesday, I'm not exactly sure which Monday they were meaning. Thankfully we moved things around and have a few cooler clothes here in these first bags.
When we left Houston they had an ice storm and it was below freezing….and here it is much warmer which I like…..humid but not overwhelmingly so.....and so good from the skin......
On the Saturday, the day we arrived, we went to the markets to see what was available. I had forgotten how limited the resources are. In the first store there were a few cleaning supplies, rice and juice....no meat or vegetables. The second was much improved and we were able to buy some canned goods.There was something in the frozen section that looked like liver....for $40.00/kg. Thankfully we don't eat liver.....It is very difficult to find food now because with the rainy season, the road to the capital is washed out so the regular shipments of food cannot come through and most of the vegetables we saw in the open market were moldy. I'm not sure when the rainy season ends but then we should be getting more fresh items.
I believe that there are about a dozen foreign families living near us. One Australian couple came by after work to welcome us. I asked them what they eat most nights......and the immediate response was , "rice and beans"......those are both here in plenty supply......Now we have canned chili for tonight but only a few cans here...and the 20 pkgs of dried beans that I brought from the US.......are on the way....in the elusive bags "arriving Monday". Guess I didn't need to bring beans....
I do believe I'm the only fat person here and that must have something to do with the food issue.....so this will work well for Bryan and me to lose weight......'rice and beans'.......our new best friends.....
Ms Kitty is less and less skittish....but yesterday when the workers came to put the lights back into the ceiling where they had fallen out.....another story......Ms Kitty started walking into the room, saw the three men.....rose up on her hind legs and stood like a Meerkat.....then slowly lowered her front feet to the ground and backed out of the room.....weirdest thing I've ever seen.....this standing on her back legs in the middle of the room, the bed,
wherever.....she is interesting and fits in here well....
It has been very interesting leaving home this time. I’m not sure why but I found myself much more teary and more emotional. Perhaps it is the stress of the past days before we left……getting the packing done and racing here and there. Perhaps it is because this is the first time since the 70’s that I have moved without one or more of the kids with me. I don’t know. Even thinking about it causes me to tear up. I know that since I was unable to sleep on the plane, that adds to the emotion…..but I want to say that I am so thankful that this move has finally happened and we are settling in here.
I am looking forward to meeting with the woman who is in charge of community outreach and finding what the options are to be involved.....and more than that, seeing how God is going to open a place of service here. I must say it is very exciting just thinking about the possibilities.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
First day blogging......
So I have been thinking about blogging since it was recommended to me by my daughter in law, Sophie, my pastor, Steve, and others. I'm not sure how interesting it will be but it will record what happens in the realization of a dream that I have had for more than 2 years and that is to live In Angola and provide medical care in the area of Hospice. I'm not sure how this will take form here but am praying that the dream will be a reality.
First let me review the past that has brought me here. My husband was working as a rotator in another area of Angola. This means that he worked 28 days in Angola and then came home for 28 days. This he did for 3 years. I had been working in hospice in the East Bay of California and realized that if I had learned only one thing......it was that life is precious and short. None of us knows how long our life will be so we must make the most of it. Living apart was not what either of us wanted to do.
In September 2008 the opportunity came for my friend, Faye Higashi, and me to come to Cabinda, Angola and meet with community and health officials to see the possibility of starting hospice in Angola. We had two weeks there meeting with the Evangelical Church of Angola, the local hospital, many local clinics, and the Ministry of Health to see their responses to the idea. The idea of end of life care and palliative care was a new one here. The head doctor at the local hospital put it this way, "We have been knocking on the door of the Ministry of Health asking for help with all the patients that are abandoned at the hospital at end of life and here you come wanting to start this program. Yes, please come". Apparently what frequently occurs is that families come to the end of their resources.....emotional and financial...while caring for a dying family member and bring their family member to the hospital and leave them there. It is usual for the family to provide food at the hospital and pay for the medications and stay with their loved one during the hospitalization. When they are abandoned there, the hospital must absorb all of this and it adds pressure to their limited resources.
After the two weeks of meetings and fact finding, we presented a proposal for the project. No response came. But the dream would not die in me....
My husband was then offered a position to come as a resident in Soyo. This was very exciting because living here could allow the realization of the hospice program.
Finally, last Saturday 2/5/11, after nearly 27 months of waiting, I arrived here.
I have lived in many countries in South East Asia for most of my adult life. I must say that this is the first time I have felt a "call" to come to a place. The other places, where I loved living and was able to make a difference, did not have a recognized call there.....but perhaps it was because I wasn't listening or because God uses whatever means to get us where He wants us to be. It is quite amazing to me though to feel a hearts pull and then have to wait such a long time to realize the dream.....I'm just glad that I'm here.
First let me review the past that has brought me here. My husband was working as a rotator in another area of Angola. This means that he worked 28 days in Angola and then came home for 28 days. This he did for 3 years. I had been working in hospice in the East Bay of California and realized that if I had learned only one thing......it was that life is precious and short. None of us knows how long our life will be so we must make the most of it. Living apart was not what either of us wanted to do.
In September 2008 the opportunity came for my friend, Faye Higashi, and me to come to Cabinda, Angola and meet with community and health officials to see the possibility of starting hospice in Angola. We had two weeks there meeting with the Evangelical Church of Angola, the local hospital, many local clinics, and the Ministry of Health to see their responses to the idea. The idea of end of life care and palliative care was a new one here. The head doctor at the local hospital put it this way, "We have been knocking on the door of the Ministry of Health asking for help with all the patients that are abandoned at the hospital at end of life and here you come wanting to start this program. Yes, please come". Apparently what frequently occurs is that families come to the end of their resources.....emotional and financial...while caring for a dying family member and bring their family member to the hospital and leave them there. It is usual for the family to provide food at the hospital and pay for the medications and stay with their loved one during the hospitalization. When they are abandoned there, the hospital must absorb all of this and it adds pressure to their limited resources.
After the two weeks of meetings and fact finding, we presented a proposal for the project. No response came. But the dream would not die in me....
My husband was then offered a position to come as a resident in Soyo. This was very exciting because living here could allow the realization of the hospice program.
Finally, last Saturday 2/5/11, after nearly 27 months of waiting, I arrived here.
I have lived in many countries in South East Asia for most of my adult life. I must say that this is the first time I have felt a "call" to come to a place. The other places, where I loved living and was able to make a difference, did not have a recognized call there.....but perhaps it was because I wasn't listening or because God uses whatever means to get us where He wants us to be. It is quite amazing to me though to feel a hearts pull and then have to wait such a long time to realize the dream.....I'm just glad that I'm here.
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