Hustling and updates

My view while I workout each morning

This week will be 6 weeks in Angola!  A few updates:

• Our sea shipment has NOT left the US yet.  It was supposed to be on a boat last week but got selected for a "random US custom inspection" we are hoping it will be on a ship May 25th which puts it in Angola June 30th (and then we deal with Angola customs!)  Not really sure what the US wants to look for leaving the US but hopefully it is a quick process.
• I have a resident visa and passport again!  My first visa was a 30 day visa (which is good for 3 years but only allows me to stay 30 days at a time).  Jason has to reapply for his work visa at the end of June and then I have to reapply since my visa is tied to his.  But the good news is we have a window to travel since we both are in possession of passports so we are heading to Cape Town for a long weekend in early June - I am very excited. Cape Town is supposed to be amazing!
• We are crossing our fingers that we are in the last steps of selling the house in Covington!  We got a nice offer but had some inspection hiccups.  Nothing major just a disagreement from HVAC guys on our A/C unit condition but we are past that (nothing was wrong!) and just waiting on the appraisers now.  

We have continued to take in the sights in Luanda.  Headed back to Mussulo beach 2 weeks ago, enjoyed another BBQ with expats last weekend and took in a movie at the local theater.   There are 3 movie theaters in town - we saw a movie in IMAX and it was pretty comparable to the US except for prices - the ticket was $8 and popcorn and 2 bottled drinks cost us $3.50!  The popcorn was so good - you can choose between salty or sweet corn- I went with sweet and it was just like kettle corn.  After the movie we went to a Lebanese restaurant and I found hummus which made my day!

Few random observations/thoughts and photos:

• Angola employs a lot of people to stand around - there is security at every door and in the grocery stores watching the registers. In addition to that there is a huge cleaning staff at every store/building.  We went to the company recreation center  (pool and some outdoor courts) the other day and I kid you not there were 15 cleaning people, I guess it is a way to ensure everyone has a job. And to be fair the rec center was amazingly clean!

Pool at the company recreation center- 40 meters (!) and super clean

• Angolans are hustlers.  Example one: they "sell" parking on every city street - yep city street, no meter, public land but there are guys working every street in town collecting money to park.  Pretty sweet racket.  Example two: you can buy anything under the sun from a street vendor in traffic.  We have heard it is illegal but it happens everywhere - men sells goods like beer, bug spray, sun glasses, cell phones cases, white boards, bug zappers, you name it you can find it.  Women sell fruit, nuts, fish, and bread - typically carrying the load on their head.  The gender lines of street vendors are very clear - women sell food and cleaning supplies (maybe) and men sell drinks and everything else (and randomly limes).  Traffic is never boring here to say the least.
• They have colored toilet paper here -  maybe the weirdest thing yet.  Lime green, red, black (!), yellow, blue, orange, pink- so weird and expensive at that.  Normal toilet paper is just fine even though we were warned to bring our own (we didn't!)

Colored toilet paper

• Food at restaurants is pretty decent - we have not eaten out a whole lot but overall it is good.  We have done a pizza place, a Portuguese skewer type place (amazing), Lebanese, seafood and Brazilian steaks.  Food is better and cheaper then Norway but you run more of risk of getting sick.  We have not yet but we are trying to be careful - it is a normal discussion of how good a place is by how many times you got sick eating there
  

  

  Seafood cataplana

  

  Portuguese skewers - yummy!

  
  

  

  My happy find of the week- cost me $9 but well worth it!  Since then I have found them cheaper which is even better!