Time dissapears and looses meaning on this planet called Angola. I have been here nearly 2 months in theory which I am only aware of since I finally checked the calender. In day to day basis I dont have a clue about dates and only follow the days related to the courses and classes I have to give.

With the tune of Robbie Williams's Swing When Your Winning album I am sitting on my own in the teachers office with a bliss of internet connection which is specially rare here. The midday sun is heating the sandy ground behind the window. But since there has been rains now for nearly a month the grass and trees have changed into bright green.
I absolutely love this season of thunderstorms, where storms are often but not constant which brings me to last night: so there I was sleeping in the middle of strangest night mares when suddenly BANG ( like a bomb explosion on my roof); I jumped up from the dreamland with me heart nearly flying out through my throat. The lightening had once again bolted in front of me little house (it seems to have some special love for that place). Seriously not a pleasent way to wake up at 02.32 ( yes I checked the time). I lit the candle and fell in and out of sleepy somber until the morning lights. There are no storms like the storms here - beautiful!

I have 97% fallen into the natural rhythm of Huambo once again. The last 3 % represent all the changes - like people and development of construction in the city which causes occasional confusion. I have managed to avert any more chances of malaria until now (spittin 3 times over the shoulder and knocking 3 times on the wood)

There are some really nice new people working for different NGOs here Ive met since I got back and it was grand to see the few old faces who have stayed ( gives a little sense of stability). And the city is flooding of whites ( mostly portuguese and brasilians doing one business or another). It feels like during the 6 months I was in Europe Huambo became the center of the universe. One mate explained that most of them are portuguese returning or re-appearing in the area that used to be sort of like the portugues capital in Angola during the years of colonisation.

So naturally service is becoming one of the real profitable businesses in Huambo with all the restaurants and cafes that are needed to cater all the new/old population.
well the truth is I mostly ever seen them sitting in cafes hence the conclusion.

When it comes to work I have fallen out of track a bit lately. The fact that weekly lesson plans have been in constant chaos hasnt helped. But my project for the coming November month is to get everything in good track and organisation once again and not let it fall it out again :)
We have planned to go for an investigation period in Benguela (province by the ocean with nicest beaches) where the goal is to produce a film about the life of the female students in one of our training schools and find out what the other local NGOs are up to and naturally go to the ocean side and rrrrrelax.
As soon as we get back the life gets very busy - we need to start working on the 1st of December HIV/AIDS campaign and at the same time finalizing the courses and grades for the 2007 and 2008 team before the christmas holidays and exams of major subjects kick in.

I think the only issue I find myself struggling here quite often is the diet. The school food is sonsisting of 3-4 stable incredients: BEANS, TUNA, very rarely chicken accompanied with funj (maize flower porridge), rice or on more rare occasions pasta. Greens are seen as often as once or twice a month. Since we dont av our own kitchen to cook in or a fridge storing and preparing own greens is rather complicated. And MILK - god I miss real milk. It is possible to buy powdered milk here but seriously oit doesnt even come close to the real thing!!! and CHEESE - gosh I miss good and proper cheese!!! so that was the complaining bit.

other than that Im as happy as Larry ( however happy he is - like E.Izzard used to say)
oh and I must not forget - great farewell to a great colleague - a Spanish woman called Ester who worked with us here in the project for last 6 weeks and was a great laugh and a great mate but had to move on to another area called Cabinda to start another project period there.