A week I want to forget

Last Monday I found out that one of the Angolan employees was in jail. On Sunday apparently a drunken person got in front of his car and got killed. Tuesday morning an expat did not show up to work. When we checked back at the expat housing, he was in deep sleep on his bed. Monday night he was out alone drinking again, in spite of earlier warning that if such behaviour (causing health and safety hazard) was repeated it could result in his dismissal. We could not take that risk again. I hurriedly contacted our Country Manager who was “off rotation” and he agreed with me to demobilize the person immediately. So, Wednesday I had to advise him of our decision. It was hard and my first such case as an expat manager. He was put on a flight on Thursday to return to his home in the U.K. Friday one of the Angolan employees submitted his resignation (which was not much of a loss) and another one came to complain about 3% raise they had received. Friday night when I got to the house, I found out that my ipod was missing from the docking station. It was a Christmas gift from my wife (with lots of my favourite songs which she had downloaded spending enormous amount of time). Some contract workers were apparently working in my room installing the long awaited window curtains. Now I have hardly any music to listen to. It has been a rough week. I needed a break. After work today, I went for a run alone on the street along the coast on Ilha. It was sort of a stress reliever. I suppose things could be worse. In any case, I want to forget this week. The week ahead has to be better.

Back in Luanda again

After a hectic trip for two weeks in the US I am back in Luanda. Oh, what a trip it was! First we went to Washington D.C. to see our daughters and their husband/boy friend, walked around the mall, and ate red-white-and-blue ice cream on a stick (like we did during summer vacations with our daughters when they were a lot younger). Then I surprised our younger daughter in Cleveland, Ohio by visiting her to attend her white-coat ceremony at the Case Western School of Medicine (Yes, she is going to be a doctor). She wasn’t expecting me as I was supposed to return to Luanda just two days prior to the ceremony, but I was able to change my return flight.

I returned to Houston from Cleveland on July 13, Sunday evening and then on the following morning I got on that Houston Express. Quintas greeted us at Luanda airport. Soon after arriving in Luanda on Tuesday morning, I went to the office. Like a miracle, the scenery changed, the people changed. Other than that nothing had really changed in two weeks. I found my room as I had left, office was the same, roads were crowded as usual, and poor people were still trying to sell stuff on the streets to make a living. I too am here to make a living, putting in long days while reminiscing the past two weeks – the greens on my back yard, wife’s cooking, smile on the faces of our daughters, the Reflection Pool in Washington, D.C. mall, and the awesome dinner at Lola’s in Cleveland’s 4th Street with the Shermans.

One week has almost past. I went for the Hash run yesterday "experiencing the sights and smell of Luanda" (as the organizers put it). The run was hard, but I managed. Then at night I Skyped with my wife and daughter at Cleveland last night. Now I am listening to the CDs of my favourite songs that my daughter gave me on my last trip as Father’s Day gift and posting this. For three weeks I am responsible for our Angola operation as the Country Manager just left today. Once he returns, it will be almost my time to return home. I think I am slowly getting used to this routine. I belong to two places - Houston and Luanda - at the same time.

Houston is Hot

June 28 - Temperature was hovering around 100 F, but I was glad to be home for two short weeks. Now, I have been driving myself around without having to wait on Pegado or Miguel to take us somewhere. The golf course from my balcony looks so green without a spec of dust. However I have no time to rest. I shop for grocery for the next “rotation”, buy gifts for the younger daughter whose birthday just passed, eat a greasy hamburger as I shop and even go for a “run” in the heat. I also take our 18-year-old Tigger to the vet. Dr. Resell tells me that Tigger’s time is coming and it would be a decision time for the family. I don’t want to think about that yet. During July 4 weekend we visited Washington, D.C. to see our daughters, their husband/boy friend and our other friends, walk around the National Mall paying tribute to Lincoln at the Memorial. All in all it has been a great week. In another week I return to Luanda where Quintas will be waiting for me at the airport. I will soon be at Ilha – working, running through the dirty sidewalks, saying “Bom Dias” to a different group of friends. The place will grow on me as a 2^nd home away from the Bayou City.