Happy Peace Day, Or Not

            April 4, 2002 marked the end of a civil war in Angola. After a long twenty-seven years of fighting, peace was finally restored to the country. April 4^th is now celebrated every year and known as Peace Day. I was looking forward to celebrating my first Peace Day this year, especially considering the holiday landed on a Friday making for a long weekend for us. However, the celebration came with a very ironic twist that no one could have predicted.

            Adam and I made plans to go out to dinner on Thursday night to celebrate. He didn’t have to wake up at six o'clock in the morning, so we thought what better way to celebrate Peace Day than to sit by the ocean, grab a pizza, drink a few beers, and watch the sun sink into the ocean. The evening was absolutely perfect, or so we thought.

            We left the restaurant and headed towards our car that was parked in a spot right out front of the restaurant entrance. As we got closer to the car, something just didn't feel right. It didn't take me long to realize that in fact, nothing was right about the situation. Our reusable grocery sacks that we kept under the seat in the back were strung out on the street. Knowing that reusable grocery sacks haven’t made their to Angola yet and that the sacks on the street were definitely the ones I brought from the States, I became extremely confused as to how they went from being inside our car to now being on the street. I looked at the car and noticed that our driver side window had been completely shattered. Glass was all over the street, the seat, the floorboards, and every other space you can imagine. I looked into the car and noticed that our glove box was open, but completely empty. The only thing I could think about was our passports. My heart sank into my stomach as my mind filled with images of us being stuck in Luanda without passports. We had plans to leave at the end of the month, and there was a now a very real possibility that our trip home wasn't going to happen as we had originally planned. 

            I immediately ran over to the passenger side of the car, opened the door, and started sorting through the glass and documents that covered my seat and floorboard. I found our passports, our car documents, and Adam’s driver’s license all still inside of the car. All luck wasn't completely lost that night because the important things were still there. We sorted through the rest of the car and found that Adam’s iPod, our USB cord, and my Ray Ban sunglasses, which had all been out of view and in our middle console, had been taken.

            We cleaned the glass off of the seats, put all of the documents in our glove compartment, and headed home. As we pulled out of our parking space, I noticed that the car window of the vehicle next to us had also been shattered. I guess the thieves managed a two for one special that night. We spent nearly the entire drive home in silence because we were both in complete shock at how the selfish actions of others turned such a peaceful evening into a disaster.

            We had plans to spend Friday at the beach playing paddleball and swimming; however, those plans went out the window, literally, the previous night. Since it was a holiday, we had to wait until Saturday to have the window fixed. We spent what should have been a wonderful Peace Day at the beach hanging out at home, catching up on laundry, and playing monopoly. Luckily we were able to get the window fixed on Saturday just in time to head to the beach, watch the sunset, and remember that the little things in life, not the material things, are what actually matter. And to the thieves that stole our material things, I hope our iPod, sunglasses, and USB cord were the only things missing in your lives.

Lions and Tigers and Bears! Oh My!

            Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Dorothy realized very quickly during her journey following the yellow brick road that other creatures exist outside of her Kansas home besides her beloved Toto. I had a very similar experience during my move to Africa. I grew up surrounded by birds, rabbits, squirrels, dogs, cats, and cows. But it wasn’t until I followed my yellow brick road to Luanda that I realized I was no longer sharing my yard with those same animals, and instead was sharing my world with some very different creatures. Or rather, they were sharing their world with me.

            After settling in to my new home, I decided to go to work with Adam one day to check out the factory. As we turned onto the road that runs in front of the factory, I couldn’t believe my eyes. There were pigs and piglets running around on the street feasting on the trash that people had thrown out. Adam, having lived in Luanda for five years, wasn’t nearly as fascinated by this as I was and considered it to be just a normal part of his day. And yes, I realize that we have pigs in Kansas, but how many times have you driven down 2^nd street in Atchison and had to slow down to let pigs cross the road? Almost every morning that I go to the factory with Adam, the little pigs are there to greet me. I guess those little piggies may never make it to the market.

            On another occasion, we were driving down the road when I spotted a couple of goats climbing a mountain composed of dirt and trash. And once again, I do realize that we have goats in the States but they don’t usually roam freely and instead are kept on farms. Apparently Africans have a little more faith in their goats than we do in the States because they allow them to stroll from one dirt pile to the next, no strings attached.

            The Mariginal and Ilha have also afforded me some very unique experiences. Adam and I enjoy walking along the Mariginal in the evenings. During our first stroll, I noticed that the water was extremely calm with the exception of a few large waves that seemed to come out of nowhere. It wasn’t until I stopped and took a closer look that I realized those waves weren’t waves at all. They were actually entire schools of fish jumping out of the water at the same time as if they were practicing their synchronized swimming routine. It was an absolutely incredible sight to see, but it wasn’t the only incredible thing that we would get to witness that night. We watched as those same schools of fish became dinner for many of the coastal birds. The birds hovered over the schools of fish before diving straight down and often coming up with their prey secured tightly in their beaks. Dinner is served.

            And as if the schools of fish and birds weren’t shocking enough, we have had several other run-ins with Earth’s beautiful creatures. Adam and I often spend afternoons soaking up the sun's rays and cooling off in the deep blue sea. We usually share the beach with people who enjoy family outings on the Ilha. And what’s a family day at the beach without the family dog? One afternoon I was watching as a local Angolan walked his dog on the beach in front of us. I couldn’t help but notice the dog’s incredible vertical when it jumped up next to its owner. I pulled my shades down and took a closer look. The man wasn’t walking his dog on the beach, but instead was walking his pet monkey. Only in Africa. 

            The journey down my yellow brick road has certainly led me to some very unique experiences. I may miss the rabbits and squirrels back home in Kansas, but I love the new animals that I am becoming more familiar with in my new environment. Pigs and goats and monkeys, oh my!