American Womens Assoc. Thanksgiving Lunch

Nov. 17,2010 was the American Women's Association Thanksgiving Celebration and Bazaar. The room was decorated with the sights and smells of a down home Thanksgiving. You could smell the turkey waititng to be served. First things first though, we began with shopping. Everything from handwoven baskets, African dolls, embroidery and jewelry. All locally made and  proceeds help to support the local Angolan ladies who made them. After shopping we sat down to a wonderful Thanksgiving feast! Everything from turkey to pumpkin pie and everything in between. Good food and great fellowship! As the celebration was ending the skies decided to open up and send one of the biggest rains I have experienced here in Luanda. I was so amazed at how the streets flood with water everywhere. Thanks to Ricardo, our wonderful driver, I was delivered safe and sound back home. Happy Thanksgiving From Luanda Angola!



International Day

The Luanda International School hosted the annual "International Day" on Saturday, 20 Nov. 2010. It was a sunny day and we got to see a parade of the different nations!  There was also dancing, sign language, fashion modeling, and food!  The best food was either the bacalaua from Portugal, the beans from Brazil, the sausage from South Africa, the meat and onions from Nigeria, the laks and lefse from Norway, the Guiness Stout from Ireland or maybe the pumpkin pie from the USA.  It was fun to experience all the different nationalities that attend the school and to have the opportunity to taste and learn about  their heritage and culture.  It was also interesting to see the grounds of the school for students ages 5-18.

Sangano Praia (Beach)

On the four day weekend to celebrate Angola's 35th anniversary, we traveled to Sangano Beach, a 1.5 hour drive south. It was an overcast day, but that made it all the more pleasent to swim and relax in the balmy breezes off the ocean.  On the drive to the beach we crossed over the Kwanza River and lo and behold we witnessed a macaco (monkey) sitting up in a tree watching the traffic go by.  We met Kjetil Ellingsen and his wife Juliette and children who camped out on the beach the previous night.  The swimming was great and fun to walk on the beach and see the beautiful landscape and fisherman with their catch.