Abundance in the market

Today is a beautiful day here in Soyo.  It is still cool and the sun is shining, sky is blue and although it is humid, it is still quite pleasant.  I went to the market with Jan, one of the other ladies here.  We found fruits, veggies and nuts.  Quite nice....actually.  I wanted to show you how beautiful the veggies look....except for the carrots.  I'm not sure what the issue is with them.....they are always moldy looking and soft.....so I don't buy them and get some from the capital, Luanda, when I can......grate them and freeze them for future use.

Interestingly the woman who was selling the vegetables told me it was ok to take her picture.  Usually this isn't allow as many of the people in the market are from Congo and do not want to be photographed here for fear of being sent home.  Most of the fresh vegetables come from the Congo to Soyo across the river.  The rest is trucked in from the capital, Luanda.  There is not real agriculture here and the soil is very sandy so hard to grow things.


You will note there is a little paper with each of the groups of vegetables and this tells you the price for that group....so the tomatoes on the left are 100 kwanza (about a dollar) for 5 tomatoes.  Same for the smaller green tomatoes and then you see.... five green onions which are sold by the stalk.  Another place they sell preshelled peanuts for a can for $2.50.....about a pound of peanuts....and these we roast in the oven with salt and chili peppers......a good and healthy snack.  I think I need to stock up so I can make my own peanut butter.....

Our garden now has one cucumber, 4 okra, the tomato plants are growing but no fruit yet.  When the plants are large enough we have the upside down planters to use as the rains will soon be upon us.

This about catches you up on what is happening here in Soyo except there are more and more people coming to town...buildings are going up and traffic is becoming an issue.  The roads are one car going each way and although there has been quite a time since the rains stopped and areas of the road paved with some composite material, there are still areas that look like they might wash away when the rains do come in earnest.....  We will see.

Surely am enjoying this cooler weather....and the relative quiet of this place.

Lunch at Nempanzu, Soyo

Today several of the foreign wives got together at the Nempanzu Hotel, Soyo, for lunch.  It rained for the first time in several months today and was overcast and cool....almost too cool to sit out by the pool.  Thankfully it didn't rain during the lunch time.  Our group of women include Chinese from Hong Kong, Danish, Australian, British and American.  The Venezuelan woman couldn't attend as she needed to be at home regarding internet repairs.

The Angolan's are happy that the rains have started early.  I don't know if this will mean that it will rain every day or just occasionally right now.  Hopefully the daily rains will hold off for a few more months since daily rain makes the market very difficult to visit....and food supplies scarce.  Also, our guest bedroom roof leaks and although we have had the months of dry season, no repairs have been made.  Hope the ceiling will hold.....through this rainy season.

The Tee shirt quilt that I'm working on is coming together very nicely.  I have African batik fabric in blues, orange and yellows and with the Tee shirts from Whataburger, Houston, Texas which are bright orange, they blend together nicely.  I'm putting this together differently this time.  Previously I would put the top together and sandwich with the back and batting all together.....then tie each square with embroidery floss....the problem????  Sometimes this would pull through and leave a hole in the Tee shirt that the person wanted to display in the quilt.  This time I'm sandwiching each square....Tee shirt on front, batting and then backing.  Then I'm machine quilting this together to protect the Tee shirt.  After all squares are prepared this way, I will put them together with a lattice of the batik fabric.  I think this will work really well.....we will see.

Ms Kitty is taking to the toilet training better this time.  I had a friend bring out a special insert for the toilet that you open a hole in the middle to larger and larger size and the cat uses it.....thus far no accidents but I've only opened the second out of 5-6 gradually enlarging the hole.  Don't want to go too fast and freak her out......

My house girl is helping me with language study.  She continues to talk to me and I pantomime back but each day I am increasing my vocabulary and this is satisfying for me and her too, I believe.  She is more relaxed each visit and I love the fact she is doing the ironing......

It is enjoyable to get together with friends that also enjoy living here.  Encourages each of us.....

Is this Cabbage?? Recipes for Winged Beans Anyone?

The garden is really doing well!!!  Have some new plants and wonder if anyone knows if it is lettuce or a type of cabbage.  Any help?



The sweet peppers are doing well.....we are giving away lots of spinach and have frozen a large amount for the rainy season when the roads are not passable and food will be difficult to find in the market....







The winged beans are finally growing well and I am looking for recipes.  I find that they do not do well in the refrigerator...they darken and shrink.  Any help with recipes?

Finally went to the market yesterday.  Bought 4 boxes of cereal for Bryan's breakfast, 6 liters of milk, one bottle of Clorox for cleaning and that cost $68.00.  Incredible!  I had forgotten how expensive things are. Then we went to the local Congolese market and bought 6 sweet peppers, 5 tomatoes and 3 huge green onions for $5.00....Incredible too, right?  Look at these huge green onions....I put the paring knife next to it to show the size.....so we are using the bulb of the onion and have frozen the green portion for the rainy season.....

The English classes are doing well.  The drivers seem to be enjoying the classes.  Today we had 5 students.  The difficulty is that we have to continue to work on the same lessons since there are different students that come each day.  The other issue is the vast differences in language ability.  We have discussed the possibility of have two levels of classes but the problem is that we don't know when the drivers have time to come to the classes and when they won't be able to attend.  But their desire to learn is apparent and so these issues are insignificant.

Jan and Cindy helping with a worksheet

It is amazing that we have been living here for nearly 8 months already.  The place seems so much more like home.  Having our household goods and being able to work on the quilts for the children makes the days so much more enjoyable and productive.

We are looking to take a short R&R to South Africa in September.....we want to see the animals of Africa.  Then in November we are taking a trip to Indonesia for the graduation of the second phase of trainees in Kalimantan.  This will be wonderful......we lived in Indonesia during the 1970's and early 1980's....revisited in early 2000 and now will go again.  Then we will stop in Thailand for another quick shopping visit and time with friends.  It will be so enjoyable.

What am I learning?  Attitude is important to successful living here or anywhere.  Familiarity breeds contentment for me.

Bandido????

Oh my, never a dull moment here in Soyo.....I must say......

We are continuing to put things away in the house and work each weekend together doing this.  Sadly Bryan has to do most of it since I am still in my cast and therefore limited in walking and standing.

We worked outside and while Bryan was going through boxes and putting gardening things away I took the orchids off the ladder where they have been since we returned from Thailand in early June and put them into planters.  I read online that you can either use coconut chips or charcoal.....and I had charcoal from the market and strips of coconut husk that they had been in on the ladder.  Several of the plants do not look great but I soaked each one and moved it into the planters.  Several of the planters have up to 6 small plants in them.....I have no way of making the chips but wrapped them in the husks.  We will see what happens now.  Oh, I also fertilized them.....Now the waiting....

While we were outside a man came and asked Bryan for money for paint.  We thought he was helping the man that was repairing something in the house and we had already paid for those supplies.  We couldn't speak to him since we are so limited in Portuguese and his English is worse.....so finally Bryan gave him the money and he left.  When the man came to finish his work in the house we asked him why he needed more money for paint?  He said he had paint which was in his hand to patch the wall and had not sent anyone to the house......then he said, "He must have been a Bandido".....even I could get the gist of that.. He continued to try to say things to us but we couldn't understand so I got out my computer and we tried to communicate on Google Translate.  It was comical and also scary to think we might have let someone into our home that was a robber.....we didn't know what to do about it either.

Today there was a knock on the door and Bryan answered it and there was our "Bandido" with the 8 wooden blocks to raise the sofas up to a better height.....all painted a very nice black color.  What a relief!!!  We felt less stupid....that's for sure!!!  Gotta love it here!!!!

Working with Restrictions......

So with the decrease in function right now I have hired a sweet girl to help around the house.  She is 16 years old and goes to school in the evenings, she says.  She is trying to finish 6th grade.  I admire her continuing to go.  Her school is from 6-8PM each day.  She seems to be mixed in her feelings about it...  I have no idea how she is doing as our language barrier is profound.  She is coming to help two days a week.....cleaning and doing ironing.  It is really quite nice to have someone around the house during the day and she is cheerful.

Being laid up with the cast for immobilizing my knee is becoming tedious.  The pain is much improved but the immobility is tiresome.  I only have until the 19th to get this off and I will be so happy.....don't know what restrictions will continue but at least I will be more mobile.

I have three quilts that I am working on and must complete before the end of the year.  One is a T shirt quilt for Tarek, my daughter in law, Sophie's brother.....then a sofa quilt for Justin and Sophie and a quilt for our daughter, Amanda.  Currently I can't stand long enough to work on them and feel the pressure of wanting to get this goal met by the end of the year.

Our garden is producing so much Spinach that not only am I freezing lots of it, I am also happily able to share lots with others here.  Today I'm going to try an Okra curry because we have the huge Okra here and I don't want to let them spoil.  I have given those away until now but have enough at one time to be able to make something for Bryan and me.  The peppers are growing and look great.  The only sad part is that the Papaya tree is a male.......who knew.....and so does not produce fruit.  The gardener has planted some of the seeds from the ones I carried in from Thailand.  Should be great!!!

I am missing the English classes for the drivers.  Thankfully there are other women here that are standing in the gap and continuing the classes.  I will end up missing 4 in total and that is sad......

We have a new couple from Texas, Mary and John, that have moved in a few houses from us.  Both are very sweet and reaching out in my time of decreased mobility.  She brought dinner last night and is going to tonight too.  Last night was fish and coleslaw and delightful.  She has also sent muffins, brownies, 'almost Red Lobster' biscuits.....very sweet.  She is returning to the USA for a few weeks and is offering to bring back some spices that we are missing.  I'm so thankful for her.

We had several days when Ms Kitty did not have enough dry food.  I made her fresh chicken..... then cooked it....offered her sardines.....bacon......she turned up her nose to it all.  Finally we got the dry food from Luanda but she is fussy about it and taking her time adjusting.......so last night after dinner she got up on the table and stole a muffin from Mary......didn't eat but took a few tastes.....but it is like she is back to her roots on the streets of Bakersfield......and rummaging for any food she can find.  We will bite the bullet and bring her back cat food from Costco when we have home leave.  It will be expensive but hopefully then she will settle....altho she might be all settled before we go home and have adjusted to this cat food.  We will see.

I have the new 'system' for training Ms Kitty to use the toilet.  I am delaying until she adjusts to the new food and until I can give up one bathroom for her to use the toilet exclusively......until she is trained.  Shouldn't take too long.....I hope.

So what am I learning this week?  I am thoroughly enjoying the helper here in the house.  She needs training but this is new for her and she is so cheerful......I enjoy reading and having time here as I wait for the cast to come off.....and will be very happy to be out and about again in a little more than a week......so life is quite good!!!!

Storage, Snakes, and a Cast

 Last week I wrote about finally getting our shipment and wondering where to put everything.  I said I would post pictures and here are a couple:

As you can see, the containers were not full but even so it was a lot of boxes.....191 in total.  The workers were very careful and everything came through without breakage.  Of course we got things we had not expected......the box would say....."storage" but came to Soyo.....  We are just leaving those things in the boxes for when we move again.  I know that we shouldn't be surprised.



You will also note that the wooden boxes that are being opened are poorly packed.  We believe that was when customs looked through our shipment in Houston, this is when the packing back into the wooden crates was poorly done.  It is what it is and we are glad that we have put pretty much everything away here.  Just need to get some personal pictures on the walls.

I had mentioned that Ms Kitty was so happy to get her kitty condo back......doesn't she look like she is smiling?








I went to see our wildlife group last week to see what new critters they have rescued.  They had a new whip snake and it was whipping itself around as Warren was holding it.  It is not poisonous....and had been injured because they found it on the base where they were cutting back long grass.  They had a python but had already returned it to the wild in a new location away from the population.

It is interesting with the frequent visits to the wildlife people and the education that Warren or Tim give with each snake they have caught as well as their obvious comfort being around these creatures, I am finding my interest is growing and my aversion is lessening.  These snakes have soft skin and are quite amazing how they defend themselves but also relax once they realize there is no danger.....amazing.....

James and me

I had been trying to get better into good health.  Remember several weeks ago I reported that I had fallen outside of the company bus and bruised my knee....well.....several weeks later the swelling was somewhat diminished but there was a rather large knot on the outside of the knee and so I thought walking would help.....get it moving.....so I started walking with a friend but this just aggravated the pain and swelling so I went to the Kwanda base clinic and met with the medic, James, and Dr. Nicolas.  They too saw the swelling and had an Xray taken.....this is why I am in the baggy pants.....no hospital gowns.....so I'm keeping my clothing on.   The Xray showed no break......thank God.....and the decision was that I probably had injured the ligaments and needed to have the area immobilized......or I could fly to the capital where they have a MRI machine.....and then they could immobilize it there and send me back.......hmmmmm....the result was the knee needed to be immobilized so I skipped the trip to the capital and the overnight that would be necessary and asked for the cast here.

Now this clinic is basics only and they did have 4 rolls of casting material that I saw.....it took 3 to cast my knee and 1/2 way up my thigh......  I couldn't help myself and asked the doctor if I could have a pink, blue, or green cast.  He just looked at me.....and I smiled.....then he laughed.  James picked up some Mercurochrome and offered to splash some on the cast for color......we were all having fun then....but how to get home?  My knee is in a functional position but can't fit behind a seat in the car.....my legs are too long.....so I had to put my left foot through the front seats and the driver had to drive around it......and try to get the emergency brake off without touching my foot......his need, not mine.  Bryan went to our friend's home that has the hospice donations stored there and they got me a walker.....and I can get up and around the house somewhat......and I must say the pain in my knee is much less.....but 2 weeks????  14 days???  366 hours.....wow.....  Bryan is helping me...cooking for me...serving me.....and washing my hair.  I am a lucky woman to have such a sweet husband!!!

Where does it all go?

Well, we got our shipment......it came one day after we expected it this time but it came....and it is interesting.....two....yes......two 20 foot containers.....but neither was more than 3/4 full....and more than 50 boxes were for donation to the hoped for hospice.....so that put us down to 141 boxes of things for the house.....hmmmmm

This house is probably only 1200 square feet.....and had all the furniture and household items needed to live.....we were just bringing things to make it home......pictures, seasonal decor, a few small Jim Thompson carpets and pillows, our bed, bins of cloth for quilting and all the paraphernalia that goes with that, kitchen items, household items like toilet paper and paper towels, patio table and chairs, gas barbecue, huge umbrella for it, golf clubs....for someday if they put in a golf course...hehehehehehehe ......and Bryan is really smart and put in cabinets for the bathrooms and kitchen and two tall bookshelves.....which has made a huge difference because we somehow brought boxes and boxes of books......we planned for two of the garage type storage shelves for one bedroom that is now the store room......but only one arrived.....along with baby pictures of the kids, Bryan and me, family heirloom photos, keepsakes from Vietnam days, antique wall hangings from Laos.....loads of winter items.....but this is the norm for those of us who have moved......we get things we didn't want and are missing a huge number of Bryan's tools and cement nails and the like.....and the tomato plants......sigh.......but we are content that nothing was broken and no problems with customs.

Now the past 3 days we have been trying to find places for all the things......and have done pretty well.  The 'store room' is bursting at the seams but organized and once they take the furniture we disassembled to put our bed in and make the other bedroom into a store room, it will be better organized.  I also brought loads of clothing.....of different sizes.....to get me through the change that the limits of food is thankfully bringing on......so that is great but once again a storage issue......and what to do as I move down in size?  I've seen no one nearly my size here......well, men are tall enough but the girth isn't the same......so guess I'll donate and they can cut them into two items.......hehehehehehe

Ms Kitty has been skittish with all the moving.....she loved the smells....and when her kitty condo was opened....she jumped up on it, dug in her claws and sniffed it then rubbed her face on the carpet and sniffed it again......I think this is remembering other places and our daughter, Amanda's, cat, Willow.  It was cute....and she is now happily sleeping on the condo most of the time and we have it near a window so she keeps tabs on the birds and many lizards outside.....as well as the gardener.....

Bryan is amazing......and it used to bug me but not now.....when the shipment arrives, he wants it all in its place and all boxes out in 72 hours or less.......usually this includes putting pictures on the walls....but thankfully none of the paintings arrived here....so where we could hardly move in the house without bumping into boxes on Friday......we are nearly box free outside of the store room on Monday....and this is great!!!!!  After I ran out of steam last night, Bryan even swept the house......pretty cool.....

I don't have pictures today but will have on the next entry....I just wanted to catch up on the blogging since it has been nearly a week again.

So what am I learning......again??????  Putting pictures of the family up makes a place more like home.  Extra things will come when you didn't plan for it.....and I'm thankful for all that did make it here......it really does seem a little less like camping and more like living here.....