You stare at your computer screen and think, “WHAT??” Yes, ladies and gents, I am back for another thrilling, exhilarating, gripping, rousing, breathtaking adventure in the beautiful Angola. I was gone for 6 weeks and feel that more roads have been built, more floors on buildings are going up, and more garbage trucks are roaming the city at the most random hours of the day. I call it improvement. I’m back at Development Workshop for a consultancy that will end nicely right after the elections (September) with a focus on revamping Angonet (www.angonet.org). With that said, I just designed a new email signature, am organizing a workshop on PowerPoint presentations, and need to develop a national questionnaire to determine what development issues are the most in need of some exposure. Oh yeah, and on the side, I’ve started seeking out other fun consultancies. Lovin’ it.
As it happens in Angola, I’ve returned to find some old friends gone, new friends acquired, and the always-surprising white smiles against dark dark skin, red fiery earth, and a kitchen that for some reason is having some trouble staying put and “remodeled.” Think plaster falling from ceiling straight into delicious meat stew.
And so, I am back home with tons of delicious butterfly kisses. It’s winter season here which, gasp, means cooler nights and, tada, less mosquitoes (although the buggers still got me my first week here). I am loaded with a wok pan which I schlepped from NY, a couple lemon/pepper spice tins, a few African panos, my iPod dock, baby wipes, and 70lbs worth of clothes and toiletries (Ellin Lavar’s liquidmotion goes with me wherever I go).
I am so ready for round II.
