Baptista

Yesterday I was trying to put air in my bike tires and my driver was washing the car and he started talking Portuguese to me. I told him I didn't know what he was saying and then he said something else in Portuguese and I told him I still didn't know what he was saying. He came over to me and said do you need help airing the tires up and I just started laughing and said sure. Sometimes I feel really stupid when I can not figure out what they are saying.

Kenny worked late tonight so I kept Baptista until after Jacob's swim lessons so we didn't have to ride the bus. When we got to the car Jacob said to him, "Boa tarde (Good afternoon)" and Baptista said the same thing back and then said, "Tudo bem (is everything good)?" and Jacob said, "sim (yes)". All I could do was smile...I love the fact that he could carry on a conversation with him....it was short but that doesn't matter. I usually have to remind the boys to respond in Portuguese or to say good morning (Bom dia) or good night (boa noite) to the gardener. So it was nice that Jacob started the conversation on his own and was able to finish it. He said in his Portuguese class they can only speak Portuguese now and no English. He said he needed to go to the bathroom and his teacher made him look it up and ask in Portuguese.

Hangers, Calzones & Cilantro

I had my driver take me to a local store that I had been to one other time and they had hangers there for $2.50 for 6 hangers. They were not real good but good enough and cheaper than anything I have found. The maid was so happy that I found some hangers so she could hang up the rest of the clothes. I thought I was going to have to get the driver to get some on the road on the way to get Kenny.

Today I found a recipe for calzones and so I made them for supper and they turned out really good. The boys really liked them, I think they had about 3 pieces each. So far since we moved to Africa every pizza dough I have tried to make has not turned out so good. Jacob said it was not as good as Pizza Hut but pretty good for a home made pizza. I guess I will take that as a compliment.

A friend of mine went to a Chinese vegetable farm that is about 1 1/2 hours away that you can get fruit and veggies really cheap. I asked her if she would get me some Cilantro if they had it because here at the stores you can only get it maybe once a month or so. When I do find it I try and get a bunch and clean it and freeze it. This is what she brought back and it only cost $5. She said that you go down the rows and tell them what you want and they pick it right then. 

Sprayed, Fogged & Tennis

Last night Kenny sprayed our rooms and this morning I sprayed them again even better and then this morning the guys came and sprayed inside and outside the house for mosquito's and bugs and the house still smells like. Then tonight while we were at Jacobs tennis lesson the fogger came around the neighborhood and sprayed for mosquito's so I am thinking I should not have to wear bug spray for at least the next week.

Here is Jared getting ready for the fog to come around. :-)

Here it is...hope it kills all of them.

Jacob learned to serve the ball tonight. He did very good at hitting it but now he just needs to work on making it go in the square on the other side and not hitting the lights. :-) One funny thing happened when he was volleying the ball it hit his coach, Alex, in the head. Jacob thought it was the funniest thing.

Blog reading

I started this blog so I can make it into a book for the boys to have when they get older to help them remember this adventure and also for family and friends to keep up with us. I still find it weird that people think our lives are so interesting to read about day after day. Some days I can see why but others I feel like it was just another day and nothing very interesting happened. On days like this that I don't post anything I often get emails asking why I didn't post anything. I love having everyone follow us on this journey but it is still a little strange seeing people from all over the world reading.

Grocery shopping

I finished up my two days of grocery shopping today. I try to do 2 stores a day because it takes so long to get in and out....and I thought Walmart was bad. Try black Friday every day!!! Yesterday, I went to Kero and Maxi (the one like sams). Kero had a box of individually wrapped pork chops for only $23 and there are probably at least 10-20 in the box. I probably won't have bought them but someone else here has tried them and said they were good. They also had some ribs in a box for about the same price so I got them and will give them a try. I hope they are good....but if they are I can promise you that they will not have them next time I go....that's how it always works. Then I went to Maxi and I had my driver go in with me because you have to push a big cart around and everything is in bulk and it is so heavy and it's just easier with his help. Plus this is the store you have to check out all your stuff and of course sack everything yourself and they give you a receipt and you go to another line to pay and I don't like to leave my cart unattended. So I go pay and he gets in the line at the door so the person can check every single item off your receipt that you bought, they really put the Sam's door person to shame. Anyway, we went to Maxi and I had a lot of stuff to get here and of course they had nothing. It looked like they were closing or something. No produce, no eggs, hardly any meat, no juice for the boys. I was complaining about it and my driver said, "You probably shouldn't come here on Monday's because everyone buys everything on the weekends and they have to fill it back up". I just wished he would have told me that when I told him I needed to go there. Also, I noticed that a lot of the stuff is expiring at the beginning of October....so I will not be going back until after the first week of October because they will probably not have much.

Today I went to Shoprite and Casa De Frisco. I did really good at shoprite and found tons of stuff. I have slowly learned that if you find something you like buy lots of it because you probably will not see it again for a month or longer.

I took a picture of the honey just because I couldn't believe this little jar of honey cost $6.99

These are like roman noodles or so I hope. I will have to try them tomorrow.

Cream of chicken powder soup mix....I sure hope it is good because I have a lot of recipes I could use this on.

Sesame seeds of all the things on my list I didn't think I would be able to find these but I did and I couldn't find Mayo. :-) No ranch for us until I can find mayo...out of the 4 stores not one had any.

These are a 1/4th of the bananas that the gardener brought to me today....I said I would try them one more time and if we don't like them this time I will give them to my neighbor.

Things I couldn't find that were on my list were pepperoni pizza, tortilla chips, ice cream(I found ice cream cones which I have never seen before but nothing to go in them), mayo, juice boxes, jalapeno peppers, and cilantro. Another thing that I finally got accomplished this shopping trip is when I go to get hamburger meat and chicken and I tell them I want 3 kilos but I want 1 kilo on each tray....they never understand and I end up with all 6 lbs on one tray and when I get home I have to divide it up myself. Today I had my driver go in and I explained it to him and he got it right...yeah Baptista!!! Also, he got them to put 4 chicken breast on one tray instead of all 8. It's so nice when he goes in shopping with me because he will go exchange my money while I start shopping and then he comes in and carries the basket for me and helps sack my groceries. It is a lot less stressful having him there for sure. Sometimes I feel a little weird but he doesn't seem to mind. 

So from two days of shopping I hopefully got enough to last us for 2-3 weeks minus the fruits, veggies, bread and lunch meat.  I spent about $700....it makes me sick to my stomach that I spent that much. I feel guilty or something but I truly only got what was on my list. When the boys come home from school and want a snack it is very limited on the amounts here because I don't want to go shopping again. :-) Not only do you have to go to at least 4 different stores to find everything but you have to check the expiration date on everything you buy and also where it is from. Most of the stuff is from South Africa and that is ok....but some things are not so you have to watch were it comes from. Looking at every single item for this information just makes it take that much longer and the smell is not always good and everyone always in your space makes for a long day. I am getting braver though and stand my ground a little more when people try and cut in front of me because they only have 1 item and I have a whole basket full. It is definitely a different culture and I remind myself constantly that I am not in the US. :-)

Things I hate/love about living in Luanda & miss from the USA

Things I hate:
Mosquito's and having to wear bug spray instead of perfume.
Spending $2,000 a month on groceries and never finding what you really need.
Having to go through 3 different lines to check out, pay and have them check your items.
Sleeping under a mosquito net.
Paying $1.00 for 1 hanger.
Having to go to 4 different stores to get everything you need and still not finding everything.
Finding something you like only to not be able to buy it for another month.
Spending $10 for 1lb of hamburger meat and it is not the best thing to eat.
Having to smell the hot dogs and hamburger meat before you cook them to see if it is any good.
Eating stale cereal and chips.
Skimming the bugs off the top of the water when you cook rice because you can not buy it without them. Everyone says it's just extra protein. :-)
Having to show the maid 5 million times how to run the washing machine and dishwasher.
One way streets and having to go 2 miles out of the way to get to where you are going.
No one gets in a hurry every, for any reason....except in the car and they honk non stop.
Not being able to drive myself.
Not being able to go outside after 6pm because the mosquito's are so bad.....and the fogger truck driving by every night to kill mosquito's.
Not being able to speak the language.
The parties across the street.
Exchanging money.
The electricity going off ALL THE TIME. :-)
Riding the bus to school and back to get the kids.(Like...because get to see the kids...Hate...because the driver drives like a bat out of you know what and I get car sick very easily.)

Things I like(don't know that I can say Love):
Being able to exercise every morning.
The rolls from Kero.
Having a maid and gardener (sometimes)
Having a driver that goes into the grocery store with me and pushes my buggy for me.
Having a driver that speaks English.
Getting to experience this different culture and the kids as well.
The school the boys go to.
The community of families in our compound.
The boys being able to go to the park by themselves and I don't have to worry about their safety.
Being together as a family again.
The weather so far. :-)
All the fruit in our back yard.
The vacations to come in Africa.
Eating healthier.
No bills to pay every month.
All the opportunities the boys have to learn new sports and going to school with kids from all over the world.
Not having to pay for gas.

Things I miss from the USA:
Restaurants
Driving myself
Cream of Chicken soup
Sour cream
Pepperoni pizza (Jacob)
Football games
Family and Friends
Being able to go somewhere whenever I want
Fountain drinks
WALMART (never thought I would say it but I did)
Hair dresser
Being able to go grocery shopping at one store for 2 weeks worth of food and only spending $300.
Walking to moms just to visit.
Church

I am sure there are many more things that I can add but I must go get on the bus to ride it to school to pick up all the kids.

Jared swimming & Birthday Party

Jared takes swimming lessons on Friday evening with his friend at our compound and he really likes it.

Friday after his swimming lessons we had a little birthday party at the house. I wasn't going to have any kids over but he begged to have some friends for school so I let him invite a couple of friends over. This was his first party to have by himself and not with Jacob. He was so excited to have his own friends over. :-) We had chicken strips for dinner and then his birthday cake. He picked out the cake before we came here and it was chocolate cake with cherry icing and then it had the candy cake decorations and an army tank transformer. :-) He had so much fun with all his friends and loved all his presents. 

Jared coming home from school and seeing the presents and cake and balloons.

Jared and his cake.

Jared, Nolan and Yael

Colby(in Jacobs class and Nolan's brother), Nico, Nolan, Jared, Yael, Borris and Nico's Sister.

Blowing out the candles

All his buddies

This is Colby and he is the brother of Nolan and he is in Jacob's class.

Lego set

Police remote control car.

Car and truck

PJ's and build a bear clothes

Puzzle

The pirate ship he wanted. We had it sent in our shipment and we were so thankful it got here in time.

Nails, Farm & Tennis Lessons

Wednesday me and other lady decided we would check out the nail studio here and have a pedicure and manicure. Once you got inside the salon it was really nice...felt like you were back home. This seems to be the way everything is here. Anyway,  I got a manicure and pedicure nothing special and it cost me $80 and took me 2 hours. Not sure I will be going back there very often...even though it was really nice.

Jacob went to a local vegetable farm in Vienna on Wednesday with school for a field trip. They all ended up coming home with 2 heads of lettuce and a package of cherry tomatoes. Jacob is really into this unit at school, "What Grows". He tells us all kinds of things about plants and seeds and how to take care of them. I just hope he is learning Math too. :-)

Jacob also started tennis lessons on Wednesday night. We only signed him up for one lesson because we didn't know how he would like it and he loved it. He asked if he could quit soccer so he could just do tennis so we signed him up for lessons 2 days a week Wednesday and Saturday. The tennis teacher asked if Jacob had ever taken lessons before and we told him that this was the first time he has ever play tennis and he wouldn't believe us. We asked why and he said because he is a young Andy Roddick. We will see I guess, but it sure made mom feel good. :-) I told Kenny he probably says that to all the parents...but Kenny said he does have a really good back swing so maybe we have a tennis player on our hands.

Online

Currency movements main factor in deciding
ranking of most expensive cities in the world
A review of Mercer's 2011 Cost of Living Survey

12 July 2011: There are no changes at the top of Mercer’s 2011 ranking of most expensive cities in the world. Luanda in Angola is the world’s most expensive city for the second year running. Tokyo remains in second position and N'Djamena in Chad in third place. 




I just read this online and I definitely believe it.

Terça-feira(Tuesday)

Again today nothing exciting happened. I went to a core strengthening class for your abs and back and it was really good. Then I went to a spa with a friend and had a manicure and pedicure. They did a good job but they took forever. It took about 2 hours and it cost $80. I am not sure I will be doing this very often but it was nice. Then I went to school to watch Jacob in swim class and then we went to the grocery store and finished my grocery shopping. Kenny has a dinner tonight with all the upper management that are in town so he will not be home until after 10pm probably. The boys are really starting to miss him because they have not seen him since Sunday. I think tomorrow he may sleep in and let our driver take him to work and then send him back for me....this way he can see the boys in the morning as well.

This morning when I went into the guest bedroom I noticed a funny smell and so I turned the AC on and opened the door thinking it would air out a little. When I came home from the grocery store this evening the entire house smelled like it. I shut the door back and it kind of went away. I called a friend of mine and asked if her husband could come over to smell the odor to make sure it wasn't anything to worry about and he didn't think it was. I will just have to call the maintenance people tomorrow and have them come out and see what it is. By the way, they still have not come back to fix the leaking ceiling. :-) Gotta love it.

These are some good finds I found today. This apple juice is so good. I don't know what it is but the boys and Kenny and I just love it. The boys would drink 3 jugs a day if I would let them.

Jacob found this Italian dressing today at the grocery store and it was only a couple of dollars and it taste good too.

Whipping Cream....YEAH!!! Pepa I guess I will have to use your recipe for ice cream while I live in Africa. :-) Maybe I can get a few cans of milnot back with me in December. :-)

Monday

Not much happen today. I went to the Boot Camp class this morning and then I went to town with 3 other ladies and ate lunch at Lookal. I didn't get a picture but looking from the road I would have never went to eat there. Once you get past the tin wall it was a very nice restaurant and was right on the beach. The other ladies say they have dancing there in the evenings. I had a chicken dinner that came with 3 chicken breast with a fruit sauce on top...it was very good. It also came with fried bananas and french fries. It was a little more expensive...it cost me $47 for lunch. Two of the ladies are Portuguese and so it was nice to have them there helping me and the other lady. We had a fruity drink kind of slushy and it was very good as well. I only ate 2 of the chicken breast so I gave the left overs to my driver and he said it was very good. We were telling the two Portuguese ladies that in the states $47 would buy all of us lunch and have money left over and they could not believe it. 

I road the bus with another new mom that just came here a couple of weeks ago so she could see what to do tomorrow on her first day alone on the bus. She was very thankful for the help. That is one thing I don't think our companies wives do very well here is helping when new people arrive by showing them around and stuff. 

The boys both had a good day at school today. Jacob had swimming and PE today so he is always tired on Monday's. Jared said he just played all day as always. :-) The have been over at the park playing for about an hour now. I am so glad they like it here and are enjoying themselves. 

Kenny is having to work late tonight because they have auditors in town and then tomorrow night they are having a big dinner with some upper management that will be in town. I was invited but because it is a school night and would be late when we got home I don't want to have someone having to babysit so I will stay home. 

Birthday Party, Church & Chez Wou

After soccer the boys went to a birthday party of a boy that Jacob goes to school with and lives in our compound. They had a pool party and they had some pool games and lots of food for the boys. After the party we headed to church because Jacob started his 1st communion lessons this weekend. Father still insisted on Jared going to the classes as well so we went ahead and let him go to the class with Jacob but I am not sure we will let him go through first communion just yet. :-) It was Father and our two boys in the class this week. He showed them around the church and talked to them about what confession is and what the Body of Christ is. After class I asked Jared what he learned today and he said, "I learned the same thing bubba did"...so I asked him what bubba learned and he said, "I don't know ask bubba". :-)

After church we went and ate at a Chinese place on the island called Chez Wou. It was very good even thought it tasted a lot different than the Chinese we are used to eating. The boys both loved it and Baptista even ate with us this time. He said this was his 4th time in his life to eat Chinese food and he said it was pretty good. He said that when the Chinese restaurants first open in Luanda that no one would eat there because they didn't think the food they were serving was good. He said but now everyone likes it. We ended up with about 4 little boxes of left overs and Baptista said he would take them so we let him  have them. For 5 of us to eat it was only about $125 which was much better than the steak house. It cost $225 for 2 of us.

First soccer tournament at LIS

Yesterday, Jacob participated in his first soccer tournament in Luanda. Here at the school they have one soccer tournament a month and if you want to sign your child up you can. Once they have everyone signed up they divide the kids into teams of 9 and then they just tell us what color shirt to wear. Jacob was on the Portugal team. We had to be there at 7:30am and it ended with some dads playing a game of soccer at noon. Jacob play 4 games...they won the first one 6-0, tide the second one 0-0, lost the third one 0-1, and lost the last one 2-4.

Getting ready for the games to start.

Portugal team

Jared being silly

Waiting for the games to start.

Go Jacob Go....watch for the tongue.