We are moving to Luanda, Angola (Africa) sometime in the next few months. Jon has accepted a transfer there, so the four of us will be making the move across the Atlantic Ocean as soon as visas and housing and everything else is figured out. The commitment is for 2-3 years, so we should be back in the Houston area probably when Colson is ready to start 1st grade. We, well I, am nervous, scared, and excited. If you know me very well, you know that I am someone that is pretty content in my own little comfort zone, so this is going to be a major 'character building' couple of years. It will be a huge adventure, and we will all get to do some really cool things and see some pretty amazing stuff that we otherwise would never have the opportunity to do or see. So, this blog will be about our adventures in Africa!
A little about Luanda - According to Wikipedia, Luanda is the 'Paris of Africa'. I'm not exactly sure what that means though. Luanda, a Portuguese speaking city, is the capital of Angola, on the south western coast of Africa. About 5 million people live in Luanda, which is around one third of the total number of people who live in the country. Of that 5 million, about 53% live in poverty. The country is recovering from a 27 year long civil war that ended in 2002, and Luanda still does not have the infrastructure to support so many people. From what I understand, there is an abundance of poor people, a minority of very wealthy people, and little to no middle class. Based on information from the Angolan Embassy, only 42% of the people are literate, and the average life expectancy is 48 years old. Luanda is one of the most expensive capitals to stay in (surpassed only recently by Tokyo). The main reason for this is that the local businesses are aware that the foreign companies are covering the expenses for the large population of expats, and they charge accordingly. The weather in Angola is warm and humid, but with little rain. There is basically no rain from June to October, and a "rainy season" in March and April, although average yearly rainfall is only about 12 inches. The average highs are in the 70s and 80s year round, with lows in 60s and 70s. And I thought Houston lacked seasons! We will live in a house on a compound, which is basically like a gated community, in Luanda Sul, the southern part of Luanda. I've heard there are lots of kids for Colson and Connor to play with.
Well, we have a ton to do before this move. This week we are supposed to get several vaccines. Oh. Joy. You can't even enter the country without a yellow fever vaccine apparently. The kids are going to be thrilled....
