Written April 29, 2007
From my room in Luanda, absolutely exhausted, I cannot resist but to write you about how it came about that I have brie cheese. As a matter of fact in the little white bar fridge, that sits on the floor in my room in Africa, I have also have blue cheese and herb cream cheese. Are you confused? Yes I expect so but I can tell you that your sentiment does not come close to the bewilderment I experienced at the South African grocery store this evening. When Roshni and Vinci (another colleague) said we were going to buy an iron and some brown bread from a South African place I was thinking along the lines of a canteen. No way! In a bright lit medium sized grocery store I found firm, bright red peppers, an incredible selection of Italian oils, sauces, pastas and vinegars, pita bread (which of course I had to buy), more cheese than I have ever seen in Shanghai, cosmetics and toiletries, chocolates (even After Eights!) not to mention a wide variety of international frozen meals...hey I even saw wasabi and seaweed sheets to make sushi. Oh but forget the yogurt...$3 each for the little ones. Now let me remind all of you that I am in Angola, in Africa, the country that in the year 2000 UNICEF declared the worst place in the world for a child to be born. I saw the other side of the coin this evening.
As we drove through another neighbourhood with Portuguese style houses and a few modern apartment buildings, I came to realize that this place is wonderful and that although my hotel is 1000 meters from the beach it for sure a less developed area of the city. These days I have been perplexed as to who was owning all of the Nissan X-trails, Prados and Mercedes...now I know it is the people that live those nice houses, that shop at the South African grocery store. Oh did I tell you that the imported foods are cheaper here than in Shanghai - you can imagine my delight.
So why am I feeling so confused? Before coming to Angola I watched a few movies,staged in Africa, namely Blood Diamond and the Last King of Scotland, that honestly had me a little scared. Now it has been said, by more than one person, that Angola, especially the capital city of Luanda, is not the typical African experience...and although I was craving a rough and tough stint, this place is not that difficult and I am very happy here.
Why might you asked is so much emotion coming from brie cheese..well it is not the cheese. Rather it is the sun, the water, the stars that shine brilliantly, the special getaways and most of all my newest love....the children. My goodness, Angolan children are so beautiful. Their HUGE black eyes, smooth chocolate skin, the little girls florecent coloured beads that decorate their braids. And they are friendly. Actually everyone is friendly here. There is no honking in traffic. People are courteous and smile all the time; the men do not whistle or cat call. Service is great and one feels very welcome.
One of the most unforgettable beauties of this country, and others on the continent is the land. The land is red not black...actually more of a terracotta colour like the beautiful homes in Italy. I think the red is a symbol of warmth and passion. Maybe I can bring home a jar of the red soil.
Oh and great posture..yes I am referring to the straight backs, the way the women stand up straight...so they do not drop the enormous loads they carry on their heads, often in addition to the little angel they have strapped onto their backs. When I first arrived I saw a couple of women balancing carton crates of eggs...now that is talent! Today the head loads varied from buckets of fish to big bundles of unidentifiable goods.
This evening I was in Miami, or was it San Francisco; maybe the Caribbean. After shopping, which included the acquisition of an iron (regular Molly Maid now), my crew and I went to grab a bite to eat. Transformed to another world upon entering the place, I thought that this is a country I would like to spend more time in. The restaurant was right on the water, almost like a dock, with wood floors and lots of white umbrellas. Spectacular was a view over the water facing a brightly lit city including colonial buildings and boats. What a rush to be in such a place...too many times I say to myself "wow, Luanda is amazing".
Last night I was at another great restaurant with my newest friend, Alvaro, a native Angolan who moved to Portugal with his parents many years ago, to escape the political stuggles possessing the country. Alvaro is one of the most ambitious business people I have ever met. This assessment comes from learning about his various ventures and a most reliable reference, Katia's mother who works with him. Alvaro loves his homeland and is more than passionate about helping it grow.
Then here comes another motivation to do a good job in the office. Angolan diamond and oil industries are going to explode over the next five years...but what about all my new little angels, the 57% of the population that is under the age of 18?...yes the youngest population in the world. The profits earned are not going directly into the pockets of the poor...so hopefully UNICEF and other agencies doing similar work will generate enough funds from the private sector to provde a safety net or alternative.
The rooster has the 4am slot still booked. By 5am a cacophany of chirping birds has me with hope...luckily absolute exhuastion these days keeps my eyes shut until 6:30am. But then I have to get up because by 7:30am one of the five office drivers comes to pick me up. Now if any of you are going to come to Angola and drive in a UN vehicle, my advise to you is pretend it is after Labor Day and you cannot wear white anymore...how do the vehicles, the big white Prados get so dirty? You are probably thinking that now "Cara has lost her mind, what is she writing about?" these are just the small details of my life these days when I have a room in Africa.
It is getting to hard to keep my eyes focused. I am tired but before I go I want to make sure that the message of this email is saying what a beautiful place Angola is, first and foremost because of its people...and did I mention how beautiful the children are? What angels!
good night, tomorrow I will write about what learnt today: diamonds and oil industries in Angola...and how the Chinese are taking over everywhere. Oh one more thing...even the manager of this hotel is Chinese...just unbelievable!
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