Holy Sacred Cow

Putting Holy Sacred Cow Out to Pasture

2019-12-01T09:00:00.001-05:00

It has been ten years since we accepted job offers in New Delhi and officially started on the path to our overseas life. Asa, started kindergarten that first year abroad and is now a high schooler. Liam began preschool in Delhi and now is in his middle year of middle school.

August 2009, New Delhi, India

If you had asked then how long I'd keep this blog going, I would not have had an answer. But now, I have decided that it should end when the boys are taller than me. And so with both of them hovering around six feet, this blog is retiring. I will continue to post on Instagram (now a renamed and private account @kbelkaro) so please continue to follow our journey (if you wish) on that platform.

It's impossible to articulate the impact of being immersed in three distinctly different international school communities; our host countries, colleagues, and students/classmates, making new friends each year while others move on, memories from each place we have traveled and kind strangers we met along the way have all shaped us in different and immeasurable ways.

We still believe with our whole hearts that this is us, living our best lives and that still, our kids remain happy to be on this adventure. In fact, when recently sat down to tell them that our (brief, and not very exciting) job search for a move in 2020 was over, they replied with "great! we want to stay here." So, cheers to year four in Angola!

And most importantly thank you, for your interest, encouragement, and curiosity over the years. You have kept me writing when I felt there was nothing to write about and mostly importantly, have sustained our valuable friendship through the years. Each summer, time with family and friends in the USA is too short but we are immensely grateful for everyone who has stuck with us across the miles.

With gratitude for all that has been this blog,

Kristen

October 2019, Franschhoek, South Africa

Winter Break in 50 Snaps: Tanzania

2019-03-18T13:28:00.001-04:00

Winter break this year took us to Tanzania. We were drawn to this place initially by our neighbors whose home base is in Arusha, and then by the opportunity to combine safari with diving while exploring the eastern side of the continent. The special bonus was a brief stopover in Nairobi where we had the chance to catch up with a heap of Delhi friends.

This holiday was short on flying time - just about four hours over to Nairobi - and long on road time. Self-drive isn't really a thing in Tanzania like in Namibia and South Africa so we were all passengers this time around and excited to see more of the countryside than if we hopped from one place to the next by airplane. The travel was indeed quite slow with 50km zones set up as speed traps all along main roads and even with cautious driving, police still stopped our car at least a few times. But the scenery was incredible and the glimpses into rural, traditional life were unending with vast amounts of open space, rolling hills, and small villages. The nice thing about not driving and not navigating is having all the time in the world to look out the window.

This map shows the places we visited (and does not count as one of this post's fifty photos):

Our first stops in Nairobi were the giraffe and elephant sanctuaries and after that, we spent the afternoon lounging with Delhi friends who now work at the International School of Kenya. Who doesn't love a giraffe closeup?

The following day, we were off to Arusha via tourist bus. It took about five and a half hours which included the border crossing where all luggage had to be unloaded from the roof, scanned, and reloaded as passengers got their immigration stamps and some (actually just us, the only US citizens on board) obtained the tourist visas required for entry to Tanzania.

Despite the look on his face, Jonah was beyond thrilled to get the front seat for the ride from Nairobi to Arusha:

Once on the road, the bright colors of traditional Maasai cloth were visible everywhere.

Awaiting us when we arrived in Arusha: a cold beer with friends with a view of the garden and Mount Meru in the distance. There were more than a few Kilimanjaro's consumed on this trip. As the t-shirt says, "if you can't climb it, drink it!"

Our hosts in Arusha own a tour company and had been invited to scope out a new lodge. We were invited us to join them and it turned out to be one of the highlights of our vacation. Operated by locals on a remote property with views of Kilimanjaro, this place was really, really special.

At the close of the welcome ceremony:

The men got to give a try to spear throwing:

Jonah gave this his very best effort. And maybe our host forgot to laugh on the inside:

The next morning, we set off for a few days of safari in and around Tarangire, Lake Eyasi, and the Ngorogoro Crater. Each of these locations has something unique to offer - wildlife, the opportunity to interact with members of the Hadzabe and Datoga tribes, beautiful vistas, and even the "rains down in Africa".

This was a new one - hippo floating on his (or her) back:

A safari favorite, dung beetles doing their thing:

Safari days can be long, so it's important to bring along something to read (immense thanks to our library back in the USA for keeping us reading all year round):

But more often, riding around in a safari truck looks like this:

On our last safari day, we got an early start so that we might have the chance to join the Hadzabe on their morning hunt. Shortly into the drive, we got a flat tire though very fortunately near one of the few villages along the road. It was just after 6:00am, but everyone came out to lend a hand.

In the end, missing the hunt turned out to be a a blessing in disguise; when we did arrive, the morning's kill - a baboon - had been butchered and its carcass was on display, drying in the sun (talk to Jonah if you want to see photos).

Later that day, we met up with our friends at a fantastic lodge located within the boundaries of Lake Manyara National Park. The vibe at this place was so terrific that within an hour of arriving, we asked the front desk if we could stay for two nights instead of one (they said yes!).

From the lodge, we took a morning walk and came across a member of Africa's "little five", a leopard tortoise, and watched flamingos from the lake's edge.

After a full week together, we said thank you and farewell to Emmanuel, our delightful and incredibly knowledgable nature guide and driver. Then it was back to Arusha for Christmas and a memorable visit to our friend's childhood village, about an hour outside of town.

The next day, we were back on the road for an eight hour ride southeast to the hilltop town of Lushoto. On our one full day there, we enjoyed a long morning hike through the woods in search of chameleons which ended at a sweet spot for lunch:

After our time in Lushoto, we had another long ride (another eight hours with only one speedy bathroom stop) to Dar es Salaam. We very nearly missed the last boat of the day even after an "Amazing Race" dash through the ferry terminal, each of us carrying both backpacks and daypacks, running in flip fops on slippery concrete floors with ticket takers telling us we only had two minutes to get on board and us responding to all of them "We know!".

Once on the boat and bags stashed, we waited until the door to the deck was opened and nabbed front row seats for the two hour ride over to Zanzibar. It was lovely to breathe in the sea air and contemplate the long travel day that still wasn't quite over.

From our hotel on Paje Beach, this was pretty much our view for the next five days.

While on Zanzibar, we got in two days of diving and it was great fun to test out our skills and find out what we remembered from our course. And for all the effort to get our open water certification, one would think we would also have spent some amount of time learning how to use our GoPro and buying the proper case for it. We didn't do either of those things but did manage to capture a few bits of the action.

On New Year's Day, Liam gets ready for his first Coke since December 31, 2017.

After five days at the beach, we crossed back across the island to Stone Town, the compact old neighborhood of Zanzibar City that offers a blend of Indian, Arabian, and African cultures. Charming, historic, scenic, and blazing hot:

Our hotel reminded us of heritage places we stayed at in India and we were very happy to be able to cool off in the pool:

And that closes the door on this post, just in time to pack for spring break. Just one more trip to plan and that's to get us home in June!

Related to June and summer and being back home, a side note to say that his blog has very recently crossed into its tenth year of existence. What started as a "maybe I'll give this a try" has turned into a long-term pursuit. While the frequency of posts has diminished over the years, the writing and reflecting process has been an important activity, not only for producing the best documentation of our how our family has grown up overseas but also for reflecting back on the incredible opportunities we have been granted by moving abroad. We have much gratitude for all who continue to follow along and support us in this "weird life". Thank you for reading, for asking great questions, for asking for the next blog post, for putting up with our ten-month absence each year, and for welcoming us back into the fold each summer. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

October Break Trip Report: South Africa

2018-12-09T15:34:00.000-05:00

On a Wednesday in early October, Jonah walked into my office, tossed our passports - which had just been returned with renewed visas in them - on my desk and said "So, where do you want to go?". Our week-long October break was just ten days away and nothing had been planned, given the uncertainly about whether we would have passports back in time. We quickly took a glance at flight options and then went home to ask our tweens for their suggestions. Liam's response: "It doesn't matter where we go as long as there is a mall." Okay....... Asa gave it a bit more consideration then said: "I want to stay on a farm."

I'm constantly amazed at how different siblings can be.

The best and easiest option to satisfy everyone's wishes was Cape Town. We ended up with a week of beautiful springtime temperatures and a balance of farm life and city wandering. The farm stay - just two hours outside the city - exceeded expectations with a very warm welcome from our hosts, the five friendly dogs, and a large fireplace in our cottage.

It was a short drive from the farm to Cape Agulhas, where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet and also where one can find a great serving of fish n' chips for lunch:

Heading back toward Cape Town, a stop in Hermanus for lunch where breaching whales were visible from shore:

Our Airbnb in Cape Town was in a great location so we walked (or Uber'd) and ate our way around the city. We also escaped from an escape room, ventured out for a second visit to Robben Island, and drove down to the Cape of Good Hope on a crazy windy day. And, it turns out all Liam really wanted to do in a mall was hang out in computer stores to check out the merchandise on display.

On our last day, we met up with our Table Mountain guide from when we did that hike in January 2015. She was pregnant back then and now has not one but two daughters. It was fun to reconnect with Lauren, meet her family, and get the inside scoop on a farmer's market when we ended up having lunch together.

So that wraps up the overdue trip report from October, and now we are getting sorted and packed up for winter break. Very much looking forward to reunions with old friends, meeting up with new friends, and exploring a new country over the next three weeks. Nairobi and Tanzania - here we come!

Our So-Called Weird Life

2018-11-02T07:46:00.000-04:00

On a recent phone call with a family member, I responded to a question, something like "so what else is going on over there?", with a story about traveling to Europe for a conference. To this, that family member replied, "your life is so weird."

True, there are many aspects of our overseas life that are "strange or extraordinary" and previously unimaginable before we set off for Delhi back in 2010. So while it ~~may be~~ is a weird life, we remain immensely grateful for the opportunity to live it on our own terms. And that family member who told me our life was weird just agreed to meet up with us for a long weekend in Paris this spring so, welcome to the club!

Update on the (Not So) New School Year

2018-10-13T16:00:00.002-04:00

It's the eve of October break and we find ourselves reflecting on the start of our ninth year overseas, a quarter of the way through the second year at our third international school. It can be said with certainly that no matter how smooth or bumpy transitions have been to each new place, the second year is always easier than the first. This year, we arrived back in Luanda on August 1st, and reported to work the very next day. And that day feels like both minutes and forever ago.

Liam's first order of business when we got back and unpacked was building the Death Star.....

.....alongside Jonah putting together stools we brought back from IKEA. Lego for adults!

Returning to familiar surroundings and not needing to figure everything out anew, means that we have had more time and energy to explore a bit further afield. Among the adventures have been a fancy Sunday lunch at a country lodge, a night of camping in the forest for Jonah and two colleagues during which they came across a bull elephant, attending Rosh Hashanah dinner with the Israeli Ambassador leading the prayers, a boat ride to see humpback whales, stocking up on soy sauce and noodles at a Chinese market on the outskirts of the city, and a mechanically challenged deep sea fishing outing for Jonah (and, yes, that Marlin was HUGE!).

Another highlight was getting far out of town on a three-day weekend in mid-September. Our destination was Catanas Point:

Unfortunately, that driving time on the map does not account for the conditions of the roads which were, not good. Our traveling crew - 26 people in total - included these five kids, grades 6, 7, 8, 8, and 9, who talked and snacked incessantly. If you have an opinion on Harry Potter vs. Star Wars, these are your people:

We stopped for a short walk and lunch at some nice waterfalls along the way:

Nine and a half hours after our 6:00am departure, finally on approach to the camping spot:

Beachfront tent sites:

Happily out of the car, setting up tents, and running into the ocean:

So how did we end up at this particular place? A colleague who surfs every weekend met a fellow surfer, Sergio - a Brazilian dentist who has lived in Luanda for several years and runs a clinic in Luanda - out on the waves. Sergio developed this camp as a surfing destination and negotiated his lease on the land by providing dental care to the villages on either side of the property and he is now in the process of building a school for the local kids who do not have access to education.

The facilities at camp included cold showers and a couple of toilets and in true southern Africa style, the braai was in stacked to full capacity around dinnertime. The first night, our host grilled lobsters for all who wanted them and unlike most lobster bakes, multiple servings were available to those who wanted seconds, or thirds:

The next day, most of our group did a three-hour hike along a riverbed to an old dam, up and across the ridge, and back down to camp through the neighboring village. We had to hurry ourselves along to get back to camp before total darkness:

Lots and lots of fossils:

Starting our descent:

Village life at sunset:

That night, the boys asked to sleep under the stars and they were the last to wake up in the morning:

As we have realized over the years, group travel is really great fun and this was a fantastic trip with fantastic people. This year, we look forward to many more adventures around this part of the world. For starters, we have just put the finishing touches on winter break plans - just nine short weeks away. The bigger news is that both boys will go on their first international school trip this year; Liam is headed to Nairobi with the swim team in November where he will have his own cheering section of friends from our Delhi days. In the second semester, Asa and the entire 8th grade will be off to South Africa for a week of safari and cultural exchange. A big step for both kids - and their parents!

But before we get to all of that, it's time to get this break started. Having just gotten our visas renewed (and passports back) about ten days ago, the opportunity to travel outside of Angola was a happy surprise. When asked what they wanted to do with this week, Liam's reply was "go to a mall" and Asa said "stay on a farm". With the details coming together quickly - and both kid requests fitting into the itinerary - our bags are now packed and we head to the airport first thing in the morning.

Thanks for reading along and please follow on Instagram for updates from the road.

Note: Camping photo credits go to Jonah and fellow travelers.

Luanda Lapse

2018-06-10T07:34:00.002-04:00

lapse
/laps/
noun

1. a brief or temporary failure of concentration, memory, or judgement.

2. an interval or passage of time.

When we went to our previous school director, to let him know that we were making progress on our job search and it was looking likely that this gig in Angola would come through, he dismissively waved his hand across his desk and without making eye contact responded with: "Africa, huh? You've got a pretty good chance of getting boiled and eaten if you move there."

Boiled. And. Eaten.

This awkward interchange propelled us further from the place we were and made us feel more confident that Luanda, Angola was the place to be. Fast forward twenty months, and our first school year here has come to a close, three bags are packed and waiting by the door; we are ready for the journey to summer in New England.

Looking back, this lapse in time was most certainly not a lapse in judgement, as our former boss wanted us to believe. It has been a terrific year, exceeding all expectations. Both our school community and host country have been welcoming and inclusive; challenging at times yet supportive; fun and spirited yet always with opportunity for escape to calm and solitude when needed. A reminder that a place we had not heard of and had to search for on a map has become familiar, comfortable, enjoyable, and yet another place to call home.

Recently, I took some time lapse video while en route to the US Embassy to pick up my new passport. Luanda has some beautiful areas and others that are more reflective of the poverty that exists throughout Angola. These stretches of road are in the more upscale neighborhoods:

And as it is with international schools, the end of the year brings many - so many - goodbyes to friends and colleagues who are moving on to new places. In the midst of these farewells, we are grateful that it's not our turn to leave. After back to back transitions the past few years, we are staying put this time around, and happily so.

And before signing off for summer, it must be said that this has been a tremendous year of growth for both boys - new school, new country, new friends, new curriculum, new language. In the last week of school, Liam presented his eight weeks of research on Humor at the Primary Years Programme (PYP) Exhibition, the culminating fifth grade project before leaving elementary school.

An overview of all the Exhibition topics:

Liam recorded his stand-up routine for visitors to view and provide feedback:

And at the middle school final assembly, Asa received two certificates, one for honor roll and the other, an improvement award for math. This kid has really come into his own as a student over the course of this year and while awards are definiately not the most important thing, it was really nice to see his efforts recognized and the pride he felt for meeting his academic goals.

Upon reflecting on the challenges and overall experience this year, I now am able see that we terrifically underestimated how massive this transition would be for Asa and Liam; that in their tweens, it would be navigated on a completely different level than our previous moves. The moment that I grasped what we had asked of our kids - and how well they had managed - was when I stopped by Asa's English classroom on the last day to say "thank you", and was caught off-guard by the lump in my throat. For all the unknowns these kids took on back in August and their resilience and positive spirit and commitment to figuring things out - well, there is no award for that.

The reward (for all of us), is seven weeks in the USA. It is always so, so, so exciting to get on that plane bound for Boston.

What are we most excited about? Spending time with family, reconnecting with friends and our neighbors at the beach. We have about ten meals planned for the first two days, not including ice cream. The boys can't wait to get long overdue haircuts and pick out the sugariest cereals at the grocery store. The adults look forward to driving a car - wherever they want, whenever they want, plus the convenience of paying for things with credit card, and trying a few new microbrews.

In our first week back, we'll head to Washington DC. It has been a while since we visited (all together, anyways) and there are new things to see there and old haunts to revisit. This is what the boys looked like the last time we were there:

Other than that, you'll find us at the beach where our door is always open, visitors are always welcome, and the lobster? Boiled and eaten.

Year one in Angola, year eight on the international school circuit is a wrap!

Spring Break: Roadschooling around Egypt

2018-04-21T18:27:00.001-04:00

It has been a crazy semester here in Luanda between school, work, and various travels. In late January, Jonah went to Nairobi for a week-long workshop. A month after that, Kristen went to Nairobi for a different week-long workshop. The day after she returned, Jonah left for a training in Dubai. Two weeks after he got back, we all set off for spring break in Egypt (we'll get to more on that in just a bit). Within a week of our return to Luanda, Kristen was off to Bangkok for a comprehensive medical check up (all is well). And tomorrow kicks off back-to-back weeks (as in we will be passing through the airport on the same day but won't see each other) of school trip chaperone duty. First up, Kristen will accompany grade 9 and then Jonah will be away with grade 8; both groups are headed to South Africa for camping and hiking.

In the midst of all this, we have escaped to the beach twice, once for an overnight, saw Black Panther, went bowling, checked out a water park not too far from campus, discovered a Lebanese restaurant and a new grocery store option in the city, received our very first piece of snail mail from the USA, visited the pleasantly efficient international clinic for mysterious fevers and malaise (nothing serious), finally got our gas grill up and running, and played lots and lots of Fortnite. It has been so busy that we often forget what month we're in, and then cannot believe that it is so close to the end of the school year, that in just 7 weeks, we'll be flying home for summer. Fastest. School year. Ever.

So before tomorrow's 4:15am alarm, taking a luxuriously lazy day to write about spring break. We chose Egypt because of it's relative proximity, Jonah's lifelong dream to see the pyramids, and a commitment made a few years ago for the family to get scuba certified together, once Liam was old enough. For the first time, we had two weeks off which allowed an ideal amount of time to see the sights and take a PADI Open Water Diver course.

Our travels in Egypt started in Giza, which is just south of Cairo and where the most famous pyramids are found. We stayed at a very modest guest house that had a million dollar view. The rooftop terrace was where we ate breakfast while listening to the call to prayer and had sundowners with a view of the sound and light show.

The neighborhood was full of stables, housing horses and camels that carry people and goods to and from the pyramids. Looking off the other side of the terrace (opposite the pyramids), busy side street where animals spent their off hours.

Since we had arrived Egypt on an overnight flight, we were at the guest house by 7:00am. So the first order of business was breakfast; freshly made falafel and the very best pita bread:

Once all bellies were full, our guide arrived and the tour was quickly underway. Now, let's understand that this post will not attempt to be a lesson in Egyptology - just a few snapshots and basic information that we either recall (less likely) or looked up on Wikipedia (more likely). The amount of information we took in over five days is astounding and to be sure, only a fraction of it retained.

We started out at Memphis, and explored the outdoor sculpture garden and giant statues of Ramses II - one standing up, one lying down. Always the left foot forward, "leading with one's heart".

Moving from one location to another, we saw many trucks like this one. It was clearly harvest time for garlic!

After Memphis, we headed back to Giza to see THE Great Pyramids.

Someone in our group was keen to ride camels, another was indifferent, and two were reluctant.

But when in Egypt......

We could not figure out why the man with our camera was so insistent that we raise up our arms - really raise them up - high! We obliged, having no clue why this was the pose he was looking for.

Until we looked at the pictures and found the ones like this. We had noticed that he picked up a rock but thought he was using it to shield the sun? Anyway, it's a keeper, no?

After the photo extravaganza, Asa was done with the animal riding activity (and to be fair, his camel was quite grumpy and picking fights with the others) and so he walked the rest of the way (which was not far at all) with the camel man.

After all that excitement and a very full day of learning after not much sleep the night before, it was time to retreat to the guest house and watch the sunset with a local brew in hand.

Day two we ventured into Cairo. It's the biggest city on the continent which is probably why it reminded us of Delhi; crowded with people and cars, polluted, and simply put - intense. We visited the Egyptian Museum, the old neighborhoods of the city, and Coptic Hanging Church.

A stroll through the Khan el-Khalili market before lunch of pita and "ful", stewed fava beans seasoned with salt, chili, cumin, and linseed oil, washed it down with minty lemon juice.

Day three! A short drive south to Dahshur and Saqqara where we visited the Step, Bent, and Red Pyramids:

After three days in the vicinity Cairo, it was time to bid the big city farewell, and catch an afternoon flight to Luxor. Upon arriving at the airport, we found out that there was a three hour delay due to a sandstorm in the region. Well, that slowly evolved into a twenty-two hour stay in the domestic terminal and suffice it to say, there was nothing going on there. On the positive side, we banded together with some delightful fellow travelers (our favorites were two archeologists from Cortez, Colorado), commandeered the "elite" lounge area, pushed chairs together to create makeshift beds, then chatted and dozed off and on through the night.

The following afternoon we finally made it to Luxor and again, were off and running straightaway. Over two days, we saw: Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Tombs of the Nobles, Luxor Temple, Avenue of Sphinxes, and Karnak Temple. No place was too crowded and we enjoyed hiking around the massive burial grounds, climbing into tombs, taking in the artwork carved and painted on the walls. The history and the stories inscribed within these chambers is overwhelming in both scope and complexity of detail. The photos for sure do not do justice.

Our guide's favorite place in Luxor (his hometown) is the less touristed Ramesseum - the memorial temple built for Ramses II, whose statues we saw in Memphis. This might be our favorite place in Luxor too:

Our guide was a true Egyptologist and on the last stop with him - Karnak Temple Complex - when we were just about out of brain space to absorb anything else he had to say, Jonah captured this tutorial on hieroglyphics:

After Cairo, Luxor was a welcome reprieve with its breezy Nile views, quiet roads, and open spaces. This was sundown at our hotel:

And the view the following morning, before heading to the airport:

On Easter Sunday, after a full week of ancient Egypt, we flew from Luxor to Cairo to Sharm el-Sheikh, then drove an hour up the coast of the Sinai Peninsula to the small town of Dahab. The top of this building was our accommodation for the week, a comfortable two bedroom apartment:

View of the Red Sea from the roof:

The next morning, "Team Rosenfield" reported to SCUBA school for what would be the first of four exhausting days. We slept like babies the entire week.

The best part about doing this course in Dahab was that all water skills were done in the Red Sea. We just walked across the street from the dive center and straight into the ocean. Fish and coral were everywhere - talk about instant gratification! Asa and Liam took to diving like a fish to water. No fear. No complaints. They looked so natural 12 meters under the surface. It was really an amazing sight and wonderful to watch them thrive with this challenge.

During lunch break each day, the boys ordered cheeseburgers from across the street and gobbled them up like candy. And then, they rested:

The center brilliantly assigned the boys to their own instructor. Trish is from the USA, has a heap of extended family in Argentina (she even lived in Palermo for a while), and is a former music teacher. Could she have been a more perfect match?

Each afternoon, Asa and Liam asked to taxi home and we insisted that we walk. It was a nice opportunity to process the day and see the non-touristy areas of Dahab.

On Thursday, we passed the final exam and made the Wall of Fame!

With one more day in town, we opted to do two more dives - our first as fully certified divers and not students. For this, we took a short drive south to an area known as Moray Garden.

Post dive lunch on the beach, complete with camels passing through:

Saying goodbye to the sweet pup at the dive center (his bandana says "Security"):

In summary, Egypt was fantastic - the people we met, the scenery, the food, the history, the clean waters of the Red Sea. It was not a lazy vacation but one that required a bit of "push through the burn" on mostly long days. There was so much to learn and we really did try to take it all in and at the very least, come away with a deeper appreciation of history, the innovation of ancient people, and for those whose passion it is to tell their stories.

Winter Break in 40 Clicks: Namibia

2018-02-04T09:15:00.000-05:00

Our first trip out of Angola since arriving was to Namibia. We spent three full weeks making a clockwise loop around the southern half of the country. We were off-line and away from our devices much of the time, but managed to take a good amount of photos, forty of which have been selected for this post.

So what must I say about our time in Namibia that the photos do not? Well for starters, Namibia is easy (for us) to get to, just a two hour and not-very-expensive flight away. English is the official language of Namibia which was handy since we were ready to take a break from (not) speaking Portuguese. It's easy to navigate, with very few - yet very well-marked - roads, some tarred and some gravel. The people we met throughout our travels were lovely, and there are only two and a half million who call this gigantic country home. The small population means scenery that is a never ending spectacle of wide open and uninhabited spaces, big blue skies, and glimpses of uniquely African wildlife. This was not meant to be a safari, but we did see a few zebra, a zillion gemsbok, some baboons, kudu, springbok, and ostriches while on the road. Also, the night sky - impossible to photograph with the cameras we have - was the most incredible we've ever seen.

Fantastic food was to be found everywhere, with plenty of goodies available at grocery stores and even the small gas station markets which sustained us on the longer driving days. And when it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere but in need of a break to stretch our legs, a perfect little oasis would appear offering up a bakery or homey restaurant with - also very importantly - cold drinks and clean bathrooms. Just a wee bit of history: Namibia was very briefly colonized by Germany and evidence of that era can still be found in the cuisine - apple strudel and very good beer aplenty.

And though this trip was for sure an outdoor adventure, it wasn't really that adventurous. I mean, camping is pretty easy when the tents are on top of the truck, a fridge is in the back of the truck, and there is zero chance of rain. Maybe there were even showers at most of the campgrounds. Maybe.

A general map of our route, starting in Windhoek, then to the South Africa border, then north-north-west to Luderitz, Swakopmund, and back to Windhoek.

Setting up our tents:

The Quiver Tree got its name because indigenous San people hollowed out the tubular branches to make quivers for their arrows:

Finding fossils where the desert was once covered by the sea:

Adorable and very informative mesosaurus fossil guide and artist. We bought this painting:

Wanted to say goodbye to the campground hosts and jump on the in-ground trampoline once more but instead found the resident warthogs having their breakfast:

The view overlooking Fish River Canyon and our framily of five:

Near the Orange River, in search of petroglyphs:

Base camp, Orange River. The boys dare each other to swim across to South Africa:

In case you are also looking to catch up with dear friends, either from Delhi or some place else, five days canoeing on the Orange River is a great reunion plan. Nothing to do but paddle, swim, chat, eat, drink, chat some more, and sleep.

Day one on the river, paddling into strong winds:

Arrived at camp in time for a pre-sunset hike:

Five years together in Delhi and in an instant, the two and a half years since they last saw each other - forgotten:

Much less wind on days two and three, leaving plenty of time to swim:

Breakfast at camp:

Christmas stockings:

After saying goodbye to the canoe crew, we were back on the road. Pit stop in the small town of Aus, just across from where we found amazing fish and chips and cheeseburgers:

Exploring the abandoned diamond mining settlement of Kolmanskop which is slowly being buried by the surrounding Namib Desert:

The next day, a very welcome climate change; chilly and foggy morning boat ride out of Ludertiz. On the lookout for penguins, seals, dolphins, and flamingos:

Post boat tour lunch in this sweet restaurant garden where the owner told us that we missed the cast and crew of an upcoming movie titled "Red Sea Diving Resort" by just a few days (Ben Kingsley!):

Up the street from our Luderitz apartment, Asa enjoyed the endless stretch of seaside rocks:

With the landscape constantly changing, one of many photos taken from the back seat. This was as we were heading from Luderitz, toward the big dunes around Sesriem:

On New Years Day, we awoke before dawn to explore Sossusvlei:

Not far from where we were staying, a farmer charges a nominal fee to access a swimming hole on his property. Great fun and much appreciated relief from the heat:

Could not resist this photo op as we headed north:

Last stop of the trip -- Swakopmund. Normally, I would be skeptical of a hotel with an overdone nautical theme, but this place was perfection:

Swakopmund is the hub of activity for adrenaline junkies. We opted for quad-biking (watching Liam at the wheel sure gets the heart rate going), sand boarding, and kayaked up close to a colony of 50,000 seals.

Jonah and his flare for drama, captured on video (you'll either want to crank up the volume or hit mute):

So many seals. And yes, there were smelly. A bonus that it was pup season - lots of furry little ones:

So, I believe that this catches the essence of our trip. We really cannot wait to get back to Windhoek and pick up another camper truck to explore more of Namibia. I can say with certainly that this is the first time we have ever missed a rented vehicle, and this says something that perhaps the photos don't convey. But if the goal was to share only just how much we adored that truck, I would have simply posted the forty (and that's a low estimate) pictures that Jonah took of it.

Until next time, Namibia!

Grown-Up Gap Year, Part One (of one)

2017-12-16T15:41:00.003-05:00

Winter break has officially begun and at the risk of repeating myself, this has been the fastest semester of any school year - ever. Maybe this is because I'm not working, but Jonah feels the same way. So, again maybe it's because I'm not working, and our family pace has shifted in a way that has made time pass faster than the norm. But there were school years before there was a family. In the end, I'm not sure it matters one bit except to say that we are all very much looking forward to a three week holiday, a change of scenery, a travel adventure, a break from the routine.

Before we hop on that plane tomorrow (tomorrow!) - and because it has been a long time since I sat down to write - setting aside time to reflect upon and write about my "grown up gap year" thus far. Truth be told, this post has been put off and put off and put off again because who would want to read it, anyway? But with the clock ticking down the hours until we fly off, I will finish this work in progress knowing that someday (very soon), I'll wonder what I have to show for my hiatus from full-time employment. So I'll just leave this here, if for no other reason than to remind myself what I did with the unexpected opportunity to step away from work for a while.

First, a few things I have not been doing. Not that there is anything wrong with any of these activities, but assumptions are made about how an "expat wife" or (my favorite) "trailing spouse" spends their time.

Sleeping in/napping
Going out to lunch
Learning Portuguese
Sunbathing by the pool
Tennis lessons

For starters, to say that I am not employed would be misleading. I do report for duty as a (paid!) Learning Partner to two grade 5 students every school day, spending about 45 minutes with one student and an hour and a half with the other. I provide academic support within their regular classroom, whether they be working on drafting personal narratives, calculating area and perimeter, or gathering information on the various units of inquiry (peace and conflict, migration, and energy have been the big concepts so far). This hours of this job are pretty sweet - starting around 10:15am and ending at 12:45pm. Our school follows the Primary Years Program (PYP) of the International Baccalaureate (IB). Our previous two schools had only the Diploma Program for grade 11 and 12 students so PYP (and its grade 7-10 companion Middle Years Program - MYP) has been new to all of us this year. An added bonus of this gig is that Liam is in grade 5 (in the one class that I'm not) so I am exposed to some of what he is doing in school and then we can have conversations about it at the dinner table that leave Jonah and Asa totally out of the loop. Anyone interested to see what Liam's class is up to, can click here to access his teacher's blog.

Beyond the schedule of my Learning Partner commitment, I'm on my own.What has been perhaps the best aspect of this gap year is not having to do a thing for myself before everyone heads out the door - no shower, no checking work email, no getting frustrated with anyone because they're not moving fast enough or finding their shoes or filling their water bottles. I am totally relaxed. I wake up, pour whatever is left from the French press into a mug, say goodbye to Jonah, calmly make Liam's lunch (two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches), make sure the boys have something for breakfast, run through the checklist of what is needed for the day, chit chat, and off they go. Since we live on campus, they stroll out the door between 7:30-7:45am and after that, all is quiet until the boys return home - at either 3:00 or 4:00, depending on whether they have an after school activity.

A few or more hours each week are spent volunteering around campus. I contributed to the design of our school's new website (to be launched in January) and really enjoyed collaborating with the team from across the community. An ongoing endeavor has me spending time in the secondary school library updating the series collection. It's a simple task - updating the online catalog, labeling books, and making the bookshelves look pretty - but so satisfying. A third volunteer gig is reading with a class of kindergarten students. My task is simply to listen, to be the audience while they practice their skills. Oh my, they are so tiny and adorable and chatty.

Without work email bombarding my inbox, there is time to actually read books - a luxury usually reserved for vacation. Two incredible resources for finding the next great book - Goodreads and the public library where we spend each summer. If not familiar with Goodreads, it's social media for readers. And thanks to OverDrive, books are magically downloaded to our Kindles in Luanda from our library in small-town Massachusetts.

Listed below are books, podcasts, documentaries I've read/listened to/watched (in chronological order) from July to December. There is a theme connecting several of them (and other media recently consumed), chosen to further my understanding of current events by learning more about American history.

I've also had time to obsess on what to make for dinner. With very limited restaurant options, nearly every meal since we arrived in Luanda has been prepared and consumed in our apartment. One goal of mine was to cultivate and maintain a sourdough starter. The cultivation part seemed to work but using it to make dreamy bakery style boules was a total failure. I was able to follow a recipe down the path of bagel success. Of all the things I have ever created in the kitchen, these seemed to be the most impressive and most appreciated. And yes, cream cheese is available here (Philadelphia brand, in fact) to complete the perfect plate.

Other activities occupying my time include planning upcoming travels, a bit of family tree research on ancestry.com, and participating in sporty activities. Last weekend, the boys and I participated in our school's touch rugby tournament. This video captures some great moments (including one of Asa's tries at about the 3:35 mark) and the fun spirit of this community.

So with the gap year finally documented, the sun is setting on this experience. I have accepted a half-time position starting in January to be the Designated Safeguarding Lead for our school. This is a new role for both me and the school and a terrific opportunity to collaborate with stakeholders throughout the community - students, teachers, administrators, parents - as child protection and other safeguarding policies and protocols are developed, implemented, and shared out through workshops, training, and classroom lessons. This, in addition to continued work as Learning Partner, will keep me plenty busy through the end of the school year.

Before that reality sets in, we will be road-schooling around Southern Namibia for the next three weeks. Blog posts will happen in January with updates via Instagram while we are away.

For those curious about what the holiday season looks like in Luanda, a photo from the Shop Rite entrance. No shortage of Christmas decor here.

And today there was a DJ set up outside the store:

In case that wasn't enough, a few more seconds of Jonah dancing.......

Wishing our family and friends a wonderful holiday and all the very best in the New Year!

5 Day Road Trip in 40 Photos: Angola

2017-11-06T03:30:00.000-05:00

Originally, the plan for October break was to travel to South Africa and explore the area around Johannesburg. But without all of our visas not yet confirmed and therefore all of our passports not yet back in hand (Jonah had his, his three dependents did not), we went to Plan B - a road trip to see some of what Angola has to offer. In the end, we were grateful for the opportunity to see a bit more of our host country and returned home feeling enriched by a rugged travel adventure.

Planning a road trip here has a few additional steps as we do not own a car nor are we licensed to drive in Angola (Jonah plans to start the process once he meets the minimum residency requirement of six months). However, the school has cars we can sign out and drivers we may hire for personal trips. So when it was pretty clear that we would not have our passports in time to book flights to South Africa, we reserved a car and made arrangements with a driver familiar with the area in which we were headed. And at the crack of dawn Monday morning, we were off to see some of the country beyond Luanda and its suburbs.

In typical "new to living in Africa" style, we totally underestimated travel times and how rough the roads would be; such is the interesting part of being a tourist in a country that does not really have a tourism industry. This map shows an misleadingly linear route of our trip:

And for all the hours on bumpy roads and transitions in landscape and climate along the way, it felt as though we must have nearly circumnavigated the country. But Angola is huge. Looking at a map from a broader scope reveals that we barely covered a speck of this place:

For further reference (or just for fun), here is Angola compared to the USA:

Alright already, enough with the maps!

At 6:00am, ready to hit the road in a trusty Ford Ranger:

For most of the six-ish hours to our first stop, the road was like this:

And by early afternoon, we arrived at Kalandula Falls, one of the largest waterfalls in Africa:

After taking in the falls and a picnic lunch, we continued on to Pedras Negras (Black Rocks):

Legend has it that this footprint embedded in the rock is that of Anna Nzinga, a 17th century queen of this region. According to our guide book, she is remembered for her political and diplomatic leadership, and considered a symbol of the fight against oppression.

As the sun got closer to the horizon, we scrambled to the top for a late afternoon view from above:

The village down below is where we camped for the night:

The next morning, we woke up to drizzle and dense fog enshrouding the rocks:

The caretaker of the village church, who sleeps in a tent inside. She kept an eye on us and we shared our meals with her.

As we packed up camp, the kids climbed on the playground in front of the school, which seemed to have not been in session for quite some time:

On the second day of driving, we gained elevation on the road up to a coffee growing region and the town of Cabuta. No pavement and lots of potholes.

Finally, after what felt like a hundred hours in the car, we made it to the farm where we would stay two nights. Here is the reception/dining area:

Lots of space to roam and stretch our legs in cool temperatures:

We had two of these little cottages and there were many others that were vacant. Not many travelers around here.

We woke up to rain the next day, took more walks and a short drive into town:

The health clinic where a nurse is on staff all day. He has been working there for about fifteen years and says that he mostly sees fevers and stomach problems, about 20 patients a day. No fee is charged for his services. No one was there when we dropped by, but when we drove past on our way out of town early the next morning, there were at least twenty people - mostly women and children - lined up outside.

The pharmacy (across the street from the clinic) has a window where customers can chat with the clerk:

All that was for sale inside:

Day four - back on the road! Sometimes, the road was like a dry river bed, descending from the hills back to the river valley:

I regret not taking more photos of the villages we passed - a priority for next time. Most houses were made of mud brick with thatched roofs.

Back at the Kwanza River:

We made a short detour to check out the small town of Muxima. Here, the boys bask in the breeze coming off the river, happy to be out of the car.

This 16th century church overlooks the Kwanza River in the center of town. According to our guide book (and Wikipedia), Muxima was a key stop for slave trafficking and the church played an important role, being the place where slaves were baptized before being deported.

We arrived at our destination - Kwanza Lodge - in the late afternoon, with enough daylight for the boys to swim in the (much anticipated) pool and run around the docks in search of fish and crabs (so many crabs!):

Just before the sun sunk below the horizon, we cut across to the ocean side of the property and enjoyed a chilled, local brew in honor of the last night of our trip:

And rehashed the previous few days while drawing a map in the sand of our sometimes circuitous route:

Sunset over the dining area of Kwanza Lodge:

For the final adventure of the week, a Friday morning safari at Kissama National Park. The entrance is about fifteen minutes from Kwanza Lodge and once inside the park, we drove another 45 minutes to the starting point of the safari.

From this viewpoint, the two hour safari begins:

Piled into this not-so-stealth vehicle, we made our way closer to the river in search of animals:

Kudu!

Giraffe!

Wildebeest!

Sadly no elephants were out and about on this day, but we were happy with what we did see and the two hour ride around the park was totally enjoyable.

Post-safari, we returned to Kwanza Lodge for a late lunch. Some fancy people rolled through the dining area soon after we arrived, and they caught our attention since no one else was there except for the staff and us. Turns out they were there to film a music video.

We heard the song "Amores" about fifty times while watching the artists lip-sync and dance their way around the dock. Will be sure to track down the finished video, which we were told would be released in December. An interesting and unexpected experience to conclude our road trip.

Our first three months in Angola have been full of pleasant surprises and we eagerly look forward to what lies ahead.

A Month in Luanda

2017-11-01T10:34:00.000-04:00

We have safely returned from a five-day road trip during which we saw a few highlights of this region of Angola (more on that in the next post) and are now in the midst of the second of two short school weeks since the break - one due to conferences and the current one has a public holiday followed by a teacher workshop day. With that, it is way past time to get down to writing.

So while I get through sorting the photos of our travel adventure, here's a look at life here from mid-September to mid-October. These pictures provide a good representation of our life in Luanda beyond the work/school day as well as a few "new" getaway spots for when we are itching for a change of scenery.

The three grade 5 classes had a one night campout on the school field in front of our apartment building. We tried not to peek (really!) but did catch glimpses of the action as tents were set up, games were played, and a sunrise yoga session was in progress. Not much sleep was had - by anyone out there - and even though he could see our laundry drying on the balcony from his tent, I think that Liam felt like he was actually away and he had a great time.

An update on George, the star of the last blog post: At what was expected to be his last Wednesday evening on campus, we learned that there had been a paperwork snafu (after months of paperwork being filed on his behalf) and so although everyone hoped that George would be snuggled into his sanctuary home among new chimpanzee friends by now, it seems that we will get to spend a bit more time with him. And very selfishly speaking, we're okay with that.

As the Red Sox clinched the division and then made their post-season appearance, Asa and I watched a lot of baseball (okay, we always watch a lot of baseball), and it was great that the first round of games were scheduled during the day which meant that we could catch them live, even on a school night.

At the end of each month, there is a local art and textile market set up within walking distance of school. This being our first time there, we mostly walked by the stalls and checked out all that was for sale. But then we really liked this giant piece depicting a Luanda street scene that incorporated bits of soda cans and corrugated metal. After chatting with the artist, we decided to buy a smaller version for our apartment which, though very nice, is a bit stark (some may say minimalist?). So goes an overseas move without a shipment.

The Marginal is a walking, biking, jogging path that goes along Avenida 4 de Fevereiro downtown. On a weekend afternoon, we had a school van drop our group at the parking area on the southern end of the path and the kids then rollerbladed and skateboarded (parents strolled) to the opposite end and back. After wheeling around for an hour or so, we all popped into a coffeeshop and had ridiculously good cookies and cream shakes.

Not pictured is a great place for authentic Indian food that colleagues suggested we try. The food was terrific - fist-sized samosas! - and the bonus was outdoor seating with a view of the city's Fortress de São Miguel lit up on the hill across the water. This, on top of a hole-in-the-wall Ethiopian restaurant, and we are feeling pretty great about the dining out options within reach.

Next to one of the big grocery stores we go to is a barber shop (and beyond that, a mall that we have not been to) where the boys and Jonah have gotten pretty good haircuts for just under $9.

Before:

During:

After:

In the school gym on a Saturday afternoon, Liam taught himself (very quickly!) how to do a wall flip:

In early October, we attended perhaps the most lively and most delicious International Day to date (maybe that had to do with the free booze at just about every booth?). We started at the India table where chicken tikka and jalebi (and mehndi) were being served:

Venezuela had their own DJ:

The menu at table USA:

Canada brought the flag, floor hockey, and a moose hat to the basketball court:

On the first Saturday of October break, we took our first trip to Mussulo, a spit of land not far from and running parallel to the coast. This was the scene at the boat taxi launch, just about 15 minutes from campus:

Across the water, on approach to the restaurant (owned by the family of a student at our school) - a little piece of paradise:

Heading back to the mainland after a full day:

We had the following day to get ourselves organized, prep camping gear and food, and pack up for our road trip. Enough of the city and its suburbs - rural Angola, here we come!

Meet George

2017-09-15T10:58:00.003-04:00

On Wednesday evenings, our super-sporty colleagues engage in a touch rugby match which we have the option to watch from the comfort of our apartment balcony. A couple of weeks ago, Asa peeked through the drawn curtains to check out the action down on the field and slowly said with disbelief, "There is a monkey out there. And it's wearing a diaper."

Jonah's reply was something like, "Oh yeah. There is a woman who works in the admin building who fosters chimpanzees." Wait, what?? Why he did not think to share this information sooner remains a mystery. Anyway, it turns out that our colleague has a son in the high school who happens to be a talented rugger, and she comes to watch the matches on Wednesday and, as one would do, brings along the nine month old chimpanzee temporarily living under her care.

So the following week, we tromped on down to the field for a quick meet and greet during the last minutes of the game. This is how it felt when when we got our first close look at George:

And then this past week, we paused dinner to get our George fix and this time, took a few photos and short videos. The first thing George does when he sees us coming is run up to and embrace Asa, then Liam, around their lower legs giving their shins a good, long sniff. George must recognize the boys as his potential playmates because he does not even bother to greet the approaching adults.

Asa lowers himself to the grass to let George have a closer inspection:

George enjoying a swing with his "mum":

An orange cone provides entertainment:

It was getting close to bedtime and sleepy George got his a bottle of milk which made him even more tired. Awwww.......

Post-milk - so tired but so wanting to still play:

So why is George in foster care?

He was rescued after illegal hunting for the bushmeat industry claimed the life of his mother. Since meeting George, I have been doing a bit of research to learn more his circumstances and found this quick bit about chimpanzees - which includes the main threats to their population - on the WWF website:

'Bushmeat' has always been a primary source of dietary protein in Central and West African countries. However in recent years, hunting for bushmeat, once a subsistence activity, has become heavily commercialized and much of the meat goes to urban residents who can afford to pay premium prices for it.

The effect of the bushmeat trade on chimp populations has yet to be evaluated, but a study in Congo showed that offtake was 5-7%, surpassing annual population increase. In addition, apes are often injured or killed in snares set for other animals. Infant chimpanzees are frequently taken alive and sold in the cities as pets.

Many conservationists believe that the bushmeat trade is now the greatest threat to forest biodiversity in West and Central Africa.

George is currently awaiting paperwork to leave Angola and if all goes according to plan, he will be moved to the Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Centre in Congo, a sanctuary established by the Jane Goodall Institute. The hope is that he will be on the way to his forever home next month.

In mentioning George and touching upon the topic of chimpanzee conservation, I can't help but give a shoutout to our brilliant friend and neighbor back in Maine who is the Executive Director of the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center (GRACE), a organization whose mission is "to provide the best facilities and care for rescued Grauer’s gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo while working alongside local communities to ensure gorilla survival in the wild." Someday Sonya, we will find a way to meet up on a future work trip of yours and fulfill our wish to see your leadership at GRACE first-hand.

Back here in Luanda, I'll do my best to share updates on George and his upcoming transition. Looking forward to Wednesday already......

Saying Yes to the Nets

2017-09-08T09:49:00.000-04:00

It has been a quiet week here on the Luanda homefront. After-school activities started up, there was an open house program one evening for primary grade families, and I visited our nearby pharmacy for the first time. It was very well stocked with super helpful clerks. I continue to marvel at how communicating either in English or very basic (somewhat mangled) Spanish almost always works here, where Portuguese is the official language. In contrast, these language "skills" were rarely of use to me in Argentina. Anyway, back at the pharmacy, I was successful in my mission to buy a small jar of (very expensive) Vick's VapoRub to treat Asa's head cold (he's now feeling much better now, thank you).

Heading into the weekend, we have plans to participate in the all school Jogathon to raise funds and collect shoes for a local orphanage. Then a couple of social gatherings, one being dinner with another new-to-Angola family we know from Argentina. They live on one of the oil company compounds and it will be nice to check out that scene and hear about their impressions of the school and life here. No beach trips planned as we wait for Jonah's employment visa to be processed. Although the boys and I have extensions to our "ordinary" visas and could venture out on our own, Jonah is confined to the neighborhood around school. The reason for this is that trips further afield will encounter at least one police checkpoint, and maybe two or three if going as far as the beaches. So far, these stops have been no big deal and only the driver has had to show papers and sometimes just an exchange of greetings gets us through. But, we have been told that being caught off campus without proper and valid paperwork (basically a notarized copy of passports and visas) can cost a good chunk of cash and create a big, unnecessary headache for the school.

So in this lull of activity, I thought I'd share a bit about malaria prevention and how we found ourselves saying "yes" to the nets.....

Three years ago, when we began the recruitment process to leave India, a school located in eastern Africa contacted us about positions they had that were a match for us. We had several concerns about the school, its location, security in the surrounding city, but I also clearly remember being most adamant that we were not moving to a malaria-endemic place where we would have to sleep under mosquito nets.

Well, never say never.

Flash forward to our prep for Angola, where malaria is prevalent. We asked some future colleagues what their stance was on the "Nets vs. No Nets" issue and found out that most do not have nets. Still uncertain about what to do, feeling that taking unnecessary risk was, well, simply unnecessary, we I decided to proceed with caution and ordered three EVEN Naturals brand rectangular nets. The key features of this particular product being an opening on each side and a box shape (as opposed to cone) so that the material doesn't sag and come into contact with the people sleeping underneath. AND only twenty bucks on Amazon.

With some help from the school's maintenance department, hooks were installed and voila - mosquito nets in place:

And I will say that I love, love having these nets. There are a lot of mosquitoes here and while we try to keep them out of the apartment, it's not a winnable battle. So it gives us peace of mind knowing that we won't get bitten while we sleep, and the added bonus is no bugs buzzing around our heads during the night - whether they carry malaria or not. In fact, I'm so enamored that I am considering another set for our beach house. There is something breezy yet cozy about having a canopy over the bed. I am so glad we said "yes"!

Out and About

2017-08-31T10:19:00.002-04:00

For as long as we knew we were moving to Angola and told people we were moving to Angola, we got many questions about what it would be like - where would we live? isn't it super expensive there? what would we eat? would it be safe? what's there to do there? And while we had some vague answers, we really truly had no idea what we were talking about. So what is life like for us here in Luanda?

First, a bit about cost of living. Back in June, Luanda was called out for being the most expensive city in the world. So how much do things actually cost here? First, it's important to be aware that there are two currency exchanges in Angola. Some background as to why is written in this article but what it looks like today is that there is the official rate, which is about 165 Kwanzas to the dollar and the other - unofficial, not legal - rate which offers about 365 to the dollar. That difference is no joke. The first rate is what you would get if you changed dollars in a bank or paid for something with a credit card (which is not a thing here) and the second is what you would get if you changed dollars say, on the street or in a parking lot. Just laying out some of the available options.

To give a sense of what everyday items cost, here is the receipt from a recent trip to the grocery store where I bought a totally uninteresting collection of staple products:

And so converting this at the more favorable rate, which those with access to US dollars might do, here is the receipt translated, with prices converted to USD:

Two heads of garlic - 89 cents
Bottle of olive oil - $2.78
Bananas (big bunch) - 57 cents
2 cans black beans - $1.50
Crackers - $1.03
15 plastic hangers (finally all my clothes are unpacked!) - $4.17
Slightly less fancy crackers - 97 cents
Laundry detergent - $8.33
15 eggs - $2.78
Vanilla extract - 83 cents
Corn flour - $1.86
Cilantro - $1.19
3 boxes of milk (still with the boxed milk) - $3.92
Peanut butter (the first non-Skippy that earned Liam's approval) - $5.56
"Ramen" noodles (6 packages) - $1.50
2 packs of (really good) cheddar cheese - $6.67
Big bag (so many!) yellow onions - $3.33
TOTAL: $47.87

At this point it seems that our food budget - even with two tweenage boys who eat nonstop - should stay within reason, barring any unexpected currency fluctuations. And surprisingly, the quality of grocery stores (there are a few to choose from, all within walking distance - or a short shuttle ride - from school) and what we are able to get here is very good. The impossible-to-buy product (thus far) is sour cream (but lots of plain yogurt available to substitute), and the most elusive item on our typical shopping list is limes (a gin and tonic with lemon is just as fine). Of our three overseas posts, grocery stores in Luanda are the most similar to those in the USA. Serendipitous for a place with very limited restaurant options and our new normal, preparing just about every meal at home.

This past weekend, after groceries were purchased and put away, it was time for other, more fun, activities. We attended an all-faculty Brazilian lunch feast hosted by two colleagues and later had burgers for dinner with another family on their balcony. And after a mostly campus-bound Saturday, we escaped to Cabo Ledo, aka "Surfers Beach" on Sunday. A colleague loaned us two foam surfboards (which turned out to be more for show than actual use) and we packed those in the van for the nearly two hour drive south. This particular beach has not been developed at all - not one restaurant or shop - and so we enjoyed a few quiet hours playing in the (still chilly) waves, watching real surfers surf, climbing on big rocks, and lazing in the sun.

Jonah took this video on the ride home. This one is twenty seconds of the dusty countryside. In the distance, is the edge of Kissama National Park. I was certain that if I looked long enough, a giraffe would pop up over the trees. No such luck.

Approaching the Kwanza River bridge:

Entering the sprawl of Luanda. The flags of MPLA, the expected winning party of last week's election, are still flying everywhere.

A lone baobab:

Ride along with us in this one minute video Jonah took from front (passenger) seat:

So that was last weekend and a bit about what life is like for us here. It's hard to believe that nearly three weeks of school is behind us already. Time has passed quickly and the boys come home happy every day. Next week, after school activities start up; Liam chose skateboarding and the elementary school musical. The latter choice was made under a slight amount of duress but he has been assured that his backflip skills can be worked into the show, fittingly titled "The Circus". Asa will continue with soccer and add Ultimate (frisbee). We are all enjoying new routines, ready to usher in September and wrap up our first month in Angola!

Angola, Week One

2017-08-16T04:20:00.000-04:00

Looking back to the post written one week into our time in India, I could pretty much rewrite those exact sentiments again today. It has been a smooth landing here so far, jet lag is still a thing, and our boys still ask billions of questions.

Of course a few things are different this time around. For one, the kids are seven years older than they were when we arrived in New Delhi (Jonah and I, however, have not aged one minute). This, along with perspective gained from a heap of travel experience, has allowed them to anticipate the challenges and potential rewards of another transition, determine their own hopes for - while managing expectations about - this post. As we begin our eighth year overseas - third country, third continent - our boys continue to demonstrate resilience, curiosity, and an adventurous spirit.

A more tangible difference from our previous moves is that this time around we had no shipment either by air or by sea. All that we were bringing along was to be packed in suitcases. So, we sorted, donated, debated, and prioritized. Working in our favor was a fully furnished apartment and only needing clothes for one (warm) season. Jonah brought six overstuffed duffel bags and the kids and I just four. And somewhere in all that was our camping gear, one big bundle of Lego, a 128 ounce jug of Frank's Red Hot, and my cherished Descoware dutch oven.

So, first up was an Emirates flight from New York City to Dubai (12+ hours). Below is the lineup of our baggage the night before takeoff from JFK. We had the four big duffels and one small bag to check (because it contained lots of cheese and corn tortillas), plus three backpacks and a tote full of snacks to carry on board.

On our second flight, the map showing our route from Dubai to Luanda (about 8 hours):

A few highlights from our first week on the ground: Settling into our apartment, unpacking all those bags, watching our boys race around barefoot with the pack of faculty kids, venturing out to nearby grocery stores to stock up the pantry, Asa's birthday (12!), and the first day of school.

The view from our balcony: residence playground, school soccer pitch and swimming pool:

The faculty pool which so far, we have had all to ourselves. In the background is faculty housing. Our place is on the left - three bedroom units for teachers with families. The taller building contains two bedroom apartments for singles and couples:

To celebrate Asa's birthday, we checked out "the best" pizza place nearby and returned home for cake. Since there is no public transportation, Uber, or local taxi service in Luanda, the school provides a (free) shuttle service, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. This got us to and from dinner and the pizza was indeed pretty good. I forgot to take pictures that night so here is one from the celebration with cousins a few days before we left the USA:

On our first Saturday, we traveled with another newbie family to Sangano Beach, about an hour and twenty minute drive to the south. The views out the window, particularly as we drove through the city's outskirts, were reminiscent of the views in India: sidewalk vendors, women carrying huge bundles on their heads, street dogs (though not as many), informal settlements called musseques with trash spilled down the hillsides behind them, dust, hardship. Luanda is relatively small, with less sprawl and a much lower population than Delhi (something like 6 million compared to 26 million) so we quickly felt away from the city, bumping along the rural highway that stretches along the coast toward Namibia.

Once at Sangano, we were rewarded with big, chilly waves and a nearly private beach to explore.

After a few hours of beach time and a picnic lunch, we hopped back in the van and made our way home.

On Sunday we were back on the shuttle, this time headed to nearby Shop Rite, a gigantic grocery store. And while we had read that Luanda is the most expensive city in the world, we found prices to be totally within reason and the availability of products better than what we had at our previous posts.

So, after a very nice weekend and with all of us mostly over jet lag, it was time for the school year to begin!

Here is "Mr. Jonah" on his first day as a school administrator:

"Taking a breath before the first day" photo:

And on the first day of my "grown up gap year" - more on this later - I accomplished this:

All in all, a very good start to the new school year to cap of our first week in Angola. So much about our surroundings - both school community and city - remind us of what we enjoyed and found most interesting about India. And for this, the four of us are feeling positive about what this chapter in our overseas life has in store. In the meantime, thank you for following along and as always, your questions and comments are welcome and truly appreciated.

Prep for a Blind Date

2017-08-01T16:27:00.001-04:00

If you read our last post, you know that we recently packed up all our belongings and said goodbye to Argentina. So, now what? Well, back in the first week of November, Jonah was offered the position of Deputy Principal of the secondary (middle and high) division at Luanda International School in Angola. And so, for the third time in seven years, we are preparing to live in a country that we have never visited.

So how do we get ready for such a blind date, one that comes with a two-year commitment?

First, we looked at a map. Even though we have a wooden puzzle of Africa that we got in Cape Town four years ago - each country a chunky piece of the continent - we did not know where Angola was nor that a) it is not landlocked and b) it's actually quite easy to find, right above Namibia, a country we have thought about visiting.

Next, onto Google Earth which provided views of the school, the city of Luanda, and Angola's Atlantic coast, which we later found out offers nice beaches and good surf.

After getting our bearings, we researched what life would be like for us in Angola by checking out Angola's digital footprint; scouring the internet in search for blogs, news articles (Jonah recently stumbled upon this one), and Facebook groups that provide a "street view" of the expat experience in Luanda. In addition, the school put us in contact with current members of the community and we peppered them with questions about everything from malaria prevention to the quality of local pizza.

We watched and can recommend two videos, linked below. The first is short and sweet and chock full of interesting tidbits (and part of a series if for those keen to learn about other countries) and the second video is a recent documentary about the attempt by two men - one a former teacher at LIS - to kayak the Kwanza River from its source to the Atlantic Ocean.

Then the fun stuff; planning travel around our host country. The reality is that after three decades of civil war, the tourism infrastructure is in its infancy, but we found one recently published guide book and identified a few intriguing sites to see:

While not specific to Angola, this books provides an overview of the history of the region - valuable context for understanding current events:

As a family, we are very excited and hopeful about this blind date.

We had our first love.

We had our rebound.

What's next?

******************************************************************************
To all of our family, friends, and super-fans: A quick note to say that I aspire to draft more frequent blog posts from Angola, while continuing to share snapshots via Instagram (@holysacredcow). You may also "like" our (new!) Holy Sacred Cow page on Facebook. I'm not exactly sure what will happen on this page, except that new posts will appear there first.

As always, your comments, questions, feedback, and interest in following our adventures are most welcome and appreciated. Thank you for your continued support!

Notes on the Rebound

2017-05-26T17:06:00.002-04:00

In three weeks, we are going to break up with Argentina and the best way to describe our nearly two years here is that it has been a rebound relationship. Let's face it, we left India while we still loved India. But the timing was not right for us to settle down and stay with India forever. There were other fish in the sea and we believed that it was important for our family to scope out those fish, see what else we might catch. And besides, India was never going to quit smoking.

So then we fell into the arms of Argentina. Upon arrival, we had hopes that this would be a three to five year thing, and we felt ready for that level of commitment. But it was clear within our first few weeks together that this was not going last long term and so admittedly, we were reluctant to give our new host country a fair chance. It is possible that we were simply not capable of anything more - no matter where we had landed - still heartbroken about leaving India. Would we have made it work with Vietnam? Settled down for a longer stay in Morocco? Who knows. For now, with our relationship with Argentina coming to an end, we are mindful about staying focused on this country's wonderful qualities, embracing all that we will miss.

Clean Air.
Big, blue skies and cool breezes year round. Argentina has this over India a million times over. They don't call this city Buenos Aires for nothin'.

Stunning Views.
Patagonia -- enough said.

Seasons.
Walking to school through crunchy leaves covering the sidewalks is delightful. Reminiscent of home yet so, so strange to have fall in May and June. And the 8:00am sunrise throughout the beginning and end of the school year? That messed with our New England hard-wiring - big time. But that's for a different list.

Spanish.
Our kids have had 90 minutes of Spanish instruction every school day plus daily language immersion around school, the neighborhood, throughout our travels, and when translating for their thickheaded parents. This lifelong - and possibly life changing - skill is a true gift.

Carne, helado, y malbec.
Best you'll find anywhere in the world. We will miss the smell of grilled meat wafting through the neighborhood on Sunday afternoons but hope to carry forth rituals associated with the weekly asado.

Passion for Fútbol.
Living in a soccer-obsessed country - which is more interesting and easier to follow than cricket (another point over India) - has made a lasting impression. From the team loyalty (ask anyone who their "equipo" is and there will be an impassioned answer), fervor when watching games (with the windows open we hear cheers throughout the neighborhood when goals are scored), and conversations started by whatever jersey Asa is wearing while out and about - Boca Juniors, Peru, Colombia - this game and its superfans are everywhere.

Public Transportation.
Train, bus, subway - we have taken advantage of it all. Clean, safe, super cheap, and reliable.

So, it's not you Argentina - it's us. You were mostly kind, a bit challenging some of the time and overall, a pretty good distraction for our broken hearts -- all qualities of a proper rebound. We have learned a few things about you that will stay with us always, and even more about ourselves which will give us the needed strength for our onward journey. Gracias para todo.

This song, while not from or about Argentina, will forever remind us of our time here and the title, which translates to "The Heart Hurts", is fitting. And come on, who doesn't need more Enrique in their day?

Long Break, Part II: Colombia

2017-04-27T19:20:00.002-04:00

Tell people you are going to spend three weeks in Colombia and you can expect to receive some blank stares, followed by awkward pauses, and then this first question: "Is it safe there"?

Unlike other places we have traveled, Colombia was a bit off the path and while we did talk with a few friends and colleagues who have been there in recent years, none had traveled there with kids. But after hearing several positive trip reports, we decided Colombia was worth a go. In the end, this destination offered a wonderful (and affordable) combination of culture, climate, cuisine and kindness.

The first good omen for this trip was discovering that Colombia also runs on Dunkin':

Our first stop was Bogotá, which sits at 8,700 feet above sea level and is known for "eternal spring" like temperatures and rainfall. On the first chilly day there, we did a great free walking tour and spent some time at the Gold Museum:

At Museo Botero, we particularly enjoyed the work of Colombia native Fernando Botero:

After a full morning of touring, it was time to try ajiaco, the comfort food in Bogotá:

The following day, we escaped the rain by visiting the underground Salt Cathedral located about an hour outside of the city:

After a few days in bustling Bogota, we traveled by plane, bus, and taxi to get to the small town of Salento, situated among mountains and coffee plantations. There, we stayed at a lovely home stay that was also a working dairy farm.

Farm puppies!

No taxis to be found in this town. Instead, one can hitch a ride on a shared "wheely". Note: no children actually rode on the back of a moving vehicle during this trip.

It was a long and winding road to this vista, one of only two places in the world to see wax palms:

After taking in the views, our driver took us to a nearby home to visit a hummingbird paradise and warm up with a cuppa aguapanela (sugar cane tea) con queso:

A couple of days later, we traveled in a different direction from town to see the second, this one easier to access, wax palm location in the Cocora Valley:

A crowded wheely headed back to town:

Jonah got to hang off the back of our ride, where he made a friend:

Another side trip from Salento, touring a coffee farm and learning about how the beans are grown and processed:

On our last full day at the farm, our lovely hosts offered to take us on horseback to a see a small waterfall. The original plan was that the boys would ride along with the farm manager, and - because I really don't like riding horses - Jonah and I would walk up the trail and meet them at the falls. While saddling up, Asa's horse got jumpy so Asa changed his mind and asked to walk. Then it was Jonah and Liam on horseback while Asa and I walked.

After nearly an hour of tromping along in borrowed muck boots that didn't quite fit - and without socks - Asa had several blisters so arrived at the waterfall with one boot off, and one boot on:

To get us back down to the farm, our guide put both boys on one horse, gave me his horse (ugh!) and off we went.

That is me, not happy, heart racing and palms sweating:

This story ends with me falling off that dang horse. It veered to the side of a downward sloping section of the muddy trail, where tree branches were in line to knock my head off. I landed with a thud, yelping on the way down like Cam from Modern Family. Everyone was ahead of me so no one saw it all unfold, just heard me yelling nonsense and finally, "I'm okay! Just lying on the ground. Nothing to see here." And that - which happened to take place on a Friday that was also the 13th - will go down in history as my absolute, for certain, very last time on horseback. Borrowing a phrase from a dear friend, I am now "unavailable forever" for this activity.

The next day, we had a long journey from Salento to Medellin. Asa woke up with a stomach bug so we changed plans to take a later bus, then got on board for a very long and very mountainous ride. For the only person in our family who gets car sick to also have an upset stomach was just bad luck, but Asa made it through the day remarkably well and in remarkably good spirits.

View from hotel room in Medellin:

After a good night's rest, the next day was spent at Parque Explora, Medellin's fantastic interactive science museum:

This is the kid who insists that he won't take up acting.....

On the second day in Medellin we went on a walking food tour, where we had (among other things) perhaps the best empanadas ever, some tasty exotic fruit juices, and a local brew:

After about ten days of chilly temperatures, city touring and a farm stay, we flew north to Cartagena and from there, took a long drive east along the Caribbean coast to beach paradise. This place is a top contender among our favorite hotel stays of all time.

Catching toads before dinner:

After our time at the beach, it was a five-hour bus ride back to Cartagena, where we had two days to explore the walled Old Town section of the city. What we found there was a festive Caribbean vibe, beautiful colors, vibrant music playing in the streets at all hours, and brilliant blue skies. We passed the time simply walking, eating and steering away from large groups of cruise ship passengers.

With our time in Cartagena coming to a close, it was time to say "thank you and goodbye" to Colombia. Next up, the final destination of this trip - Panama City.....

Long Break, Part I: Family Invasion & Bariloche

2017-03-22T13:47:00.001-04:00

There is something truly special about having family and friends visit our world abroad and given the distances in between, we have been lucky to have had Jonah's parents spend time with us in India (and Nepal), and my sister take time off for a mad dash to Delhi. Being together in our space helps everyone connect the dots between our life in far off places and the experiences we wish to share when we are together in the USA. We have much - so much - gratitude for each and every visitor, and this year we got a double dose with grandparents and cousins making their first trip to our overseas home.

The grandparents from Florida arrived first, and we had a few days to explore Buenos Aires before everything shut down for the Christmas holiday.

Lunch on their first day in Argentina, at Pan et Vin in Palermo:

Followed by ice cream, por supeusto:

Last stop of our city center walking tour, in front of Casa Rosada:

Second walking tour in the gritty, colorful neighborhood of La Boca:

A statue of fútbol celebrity Carlos Tevez, whose kids attended our school until he was recently signed to a team in Shanghai for a gazillion dollars:

Also, wearing a "Vote for Pedro" t-shirt in Argentina starts interesting conversations.

Outside La Bombonera, home of the Boca Juniors:

Closer to home, a wander through our favorite wine shop in Martinez:

Christmas Day cribbage with the master:

On the day after Christmas, the six of us flew to Barlioche and checked into the house we rented through Airbnb.

We had the following day to get the fridge stocked and take the scenic drive along Circuito Chico before the rest of our crew arrived:

They really had no idea what this thing was:

Once everyone was settled into the nest, we enjoyed a full week of perfect weather for outdoor activities, big meals, and plenty of lounging around time.

The best seat in the house, perfect for four cousins (and their devices):

A contemplative space:

Kitchen with a dreamy view:

Hanging out in the back yard:

Am I getting shorter?

Cousins, ages 11, 8, 10 & 10:

Sisters and their offspring:

Crazy kids, frigid water, no fear:

Stop along the road for another cool dip:

Swimming again in glacial waters:

Just so happy the kids can swim on their own while we rest in the shade:

Three generations spend a day white water rafting:

Katie - "la princesa" - was kidnapped by the photographer for a little while:

On New Years Eve Day, we took a boat ride to Puerto Blest, very near the border with Chile:

A short hike to check out some waterfalls:

Sisters!

Last supper in Patagonia, complete with lamb roasting on the open fire:

Back in Buenos Aires, just one more day all together and we spent it north of the city, taking a boat ride out to El Gato Blanco for lunch on the Tigre Delta:

For my nieces, this visit was momentous as it was their very first journey outside the USA on their spanking new passports. They were rock stars. They jumped right into the entire adventure, and I'm fairly certain that these girlie-whirlies have been bitten by the travel bug. We look forward to many more adventures together, and so how about meeting up somewhere in Africa in, say.....2019?

October Break in and Around Cusco, Peru

2016-12-01T14:37:00.000-05:00

For the week off in October, our destination was Peru and the goal was the check Machu Picchu off our travel bucket list. After initially trying to squeeze in a few destinations around the country, we eventually decided to spend the full week based in Cusco, once the capital of the Incan Empire and now the tourist gateway to Machu Picchu. Our journey to Machu Picchu was scheduled for the end of the week, leaving us with plenty of time for exploring and eating and even some learning in and around Cusco.

Our first day was dedicated to acclimatizing to lower oxygen levels at 11,000 feet elevation by (slowly) walking around the San Blas neighborhood:

On many of the terracotta rooftops, a pair of ceramic bulls for good luck:

The view from our hotel room:

It was a nice (slow) hike up the hill behind our hotel, to the ridge and beyond to visit the ruins at Sachsayhuaman (pronounced kind of like "Sexy Woman"), plus a big cross and Cristo Blanco:

Liam on his invisible hovercraft:

Cusco's main square, Plaza de Armas, down below:

Wanderings, markets, and museums:

In the creepy catacombs below the San Francisco Monastery:

Hamming it up at the Pisac Market. And Liam says he won't he a theater kid - ha!

A few of the things we ate (and one we did not)....

Coca tea to prevent altitude sickness? Check.

Alpaca? Check. And delicious.

Fresh fruit smoothie at the market? Check. Check. Check.

Inca Cola? Check. Tastes like bubble gum. Only needed to try it once.

Pineapple slices purchased from a vendor on the sidewalk? Check. A stranger taking a photo of this? Also check.

Steamed corn and cheese? Check. A perfect street food snack.

Sketchy fermented corn beer in a plastic bag? Yep.

Cuy (aka guinea pig)? Pass.

Day tripping through the Sacred Valley. Inca ruins, glacier views, and salt mines:

Circular terraces at Moray, possibly designed to create micro-climates to enable cultivation of a variety of crops in one place:

Super cool salt mines at Maras:

An attempt at staging what a typical family scene might have looked like in this Ollantaytambo ruin - tucking one kid into bed while the other (unbeknownst to the others) uses a urinal:

At the Ollantaytambo train station, it was "all aboard" to Agua Calientes, the launching pad for Machu Picchu:

Trying on silly hats after dinner:

After much advance research, the vision for our day at Machu Picchu was that we would get there before the hordes of pesky day-trippers arrived from further afield. Our plan was to have breakfast at 4:30am, meet our guide at 5:00am, be at the front of the line for the shuttle that brings visitors to the top of the hill, and then enjoy the early morning hours with the place nearly to ourselves. Also sunshine. Lots of sunshine.

What actually happened:
We awoke just after midnight to thunder and torrential rain which lasted well past 4:30am. When we finally did going, the rain has nearly ended and after some trouble connecting with our guide, we made our way to the bus stop where the line was so, so long.

So much for worrying about those day-trippers coming from Cusco - there were plenty of people already well ahead of us! Anyway, we boarded a bus around 6:45am for the twenty minute ride up to the entrance of the site. After a short time walking around the impressive stone walls and learning about the history surrounding us and some fascinating information about astronomical alignments in the architectural design, our guide decided he was off the clock and disappeared à la Keyser Söze - which was fine by us. We enjoyed a few more hours exploring on our own, people watching, cloud watching, and imagining what this place was like during the height of the Inca Empire (around 1450).

So.Many.People.

When it came time to head back down, the line for the shuttle was nearly a mile long. We waited in it for a while and then while on a stroll to distract a bored Liam, Kristen saw this sign near the bus loading area.

We jumped at the chance to walk - straight down mostly organized stone steps with some muddy spots - to the bottom of the hill and then along a country road back to town. This allowed plenty of time to stuff ourselves with pizza before the six hour train ride back for our final night in Cusco.

Hello Again

2016-06-08T07:47:00.004-04:00

Taxi is booked, bags are nearly packed, travel documents in order, and we are ready. to roll on. outtahere. This year, more than any other since moving abroad, we are just so eager to get home, to America (now necessarily referred to as North America). Which is a bit curious since life in Argentina is more similar to life the USA than life in India was, so one would think it's no big deal to live here and visit America from time to time. Same same but different -- right?? But, it has been one heck of a transition and we want - nay, need - to be in our house by the beach and need time to connect with family and friends. Yes, we chose to live far away but somehow we miscalculated when setting expectations of how smooth - maybe possibly even easy - the adjustment to life in Argentina would be after life in India. Recalibrating those expectations will be the work of summer vacation and for sure, year two will be better in many ways.

Aside from that work, summer will be devoted to reconnecting with our people - friends, family, and former colleagues. An article recently posted to The Culture Blend blog describes these people as "Lifers" which really hit the mark regarding how important these individuals are to us. Even though we made the choice to move away and live in far off places, it's the return - the "hello again" - that we look forward to so, so much.

Excerpted from “Hello Again” — The Unanticipated Bright Side of Perpetual Goodbyes
If you’re living far from home, you’ve noticed it. You started this whole thing with a massive (if not universal) round of “goodbyes.” Before you were culture shocked. Before you were homesick. Before you ever felt the sting of being a bumbling foreigner, “Goodbye” was the hurdle you had to jump.

“LIFERS”
They are people that we have done life with and connected with on some deep, deep, almost inexplicable level and forged a relationship that will absolutely, unquestionably be life long. They are friends that will always be friends regardless of petty little things like time or geography. Some are family members and we’ve never not known them, some we have grown up with and others we’ve actually spent a remarkably small amount of time with. They are all different but the single uniting feature is that, at some point, it has been hard...really hard...to say goodbye.

Lifers pick up where they left off
There is some kind of wormhole that Lifers step through when they say “hello again”. It’s like the elapsed time since they last said goodbye never happened...only it did because you’ve still got those memories and you’ve all grown older but it feels like all of that took place in moments and not years. Catching up on what you’ve missed and reminiscing about your past times together are like red and blue play-dough that get all smashed together in a bluey-red, swirly ball.
It’s weird. But wonderful.

The Lifer connection is not strained by poor communication
There is a security between Lifers that is nether contingent nor fragile. “Hello again’s” are not made awkward by guilt. There is no sense of “I thought we were good friends but you never...” There is only, “wow, it’s good to be back together.”
It’s unnatural. But refreshing.

Lifers laugh at things that are not funny to anyone else in the world
I mean gut laughing. The kind that hurts your ears. Over simple, ridiculous things. Shared moments that you think are hysterical but the entire population of the universe (with the sole exception of your Lifers) would not.
It makes no sense. But man it’s funny.

Lifers repeat themselves
When Lifers say “hello again” we have a limited amount of time and the clock starts ticking from the first hug. We also have a limited number of stories to remember because our times together are always short and sweet. So we choose our favorites and we relive them...the exact same stories we relived the last time we saw each other and the same stories that will relive again...every single time.
It’s redundant. But it never gets old.

Lifers are worth investment
If your Lifers are like ours they are everywhere — literally spread out across the globe. Opportunities for reconnection are rare. So when they come...pounce on them. Every Hello Again costs time and it costs money but the return on that investment is impossible to put a tag on.
It’s expensive. But so very worth it.

We are ready to travel through the wormhole, and beyond excited for many, many Hello Again's this summer. And for the musically inclined, this Neil Diamond "Hello Again" treasure to close the blog this school year:

Runaway to Uruguay

2016-06-07T10:08:00.001-04:00

On a regular weekend back in April, we made a quick (somewhat clandestine) getaway across the Rio de la Plata to the charming town of Colonia, Uruguay. Not since our family traveled to Nova Scotia in 2007 have we crossed an international border by boat. No stamp in our passport, so you'll have to take our word for it.

The first highlight - and surprise - was the amount of products for sale in the ship's duty free shop. Daim! Pepperidge Farm Goldfish! What more could we need?

This was the guesthouse where we stayed. Perfection! A lemon farm with acres to explore, lots of friendly dogs, and big cozy common rooms with grand fireplaces. The weather was the only letdown of the weekend but it gave us more time by the fire with the dogs and our books and a set of dominoes.

The door on the boys' room was taken from a local prison. Liam is checking out the slot through which he will get his meals:

On a nicer day, this pool would be the place to be:

At our dinner spot the first night, where we had our first taste of Uruguayan wine:

Our guesthouse was a short walk through rolling countryside to the beach. I'm not sure why but this is the only photo taken on that outing.

And we actually didn't take any photos of Colonia itself due to the pouring rain. So, we must return to stroll through the cobblestone streets on a sunny day.

Stroll Through the Camera Roll

2016-05-29T09:25:00.000-04:00

While we choose to be out of sync with the rest of the world by choosing to living overseas and in this time around, in the southern hemisphere (where the time zone is close but the seasons flipped), there are occasions when our choices result in little heartaches when missing out on certain holidays, milestones throughout the year. Memorial Day weekend looks to have been a beauty with summery, beachy, boat-riding photos filling up social media. And here, it was a chilly washout as winter descends. Ick. It's a tough way to end the school year.

So with the posts about winter/summer break finally finished, and just two weeks left in the school year, it's time dig out our summer clothes and get packing for the USA and while doing that, look back at whatever it was that kept us busy this semester.

End of vacation shenanigans. We have clothespins because it is rare for households to have dryers here. So we dry laundry on a line outside, and sometimes attach clothespins to our head:

When school resumed on February 1st, it was still summery. A weekend stop at our favorite burger joint, just a few blocks from our house. They have fantastic milkshakes too.

We had a four-day weekend in late March (over Easter) and enjoyed a staycation downtown. Only 14 miles from our house but it felt like we were on a bigger trip. Below is the view from our hotel (right across the street from Teatro Colón), a closer look at the BA in front of the obelisk, and the boys in small outdoor part of the rooftop pool.

In early April, our school hosted the basketball tournament for our league. It provided a much appreciated break in the routine and Asa particularly enjoyed watching every game with front row seats. He even threw the ball around with the varsity team (who by the end of the week had celebrity status in our house) between games.

On the last night of Passover, we celebrated a friend's birthday at Mishiguene, a fabulous place for classy Jewish fare. The chef-owner visited our table and so we asked where he got matzo. He admitted the options were few and far from our side of the city so he sold us a box from his pantry.

Walking around downtown, we came across Gandhi at a gallery outside the Institute of Psychophysical Rehabilitation, which only when writing this am realizing his named is misspelled?!?

This critter was outside our front door a few weeks ago (we did not let him in):

Asa is part of a school service group which raised funds to donate to a local animal rescue group. Every Saturday, shelter volunteers bring several of nearly 300 dogs and cats available for adoption to a busy street corner in Olivos (one town closer to the city than school). These pups were so sweet and we could have taken two or three of them home with us. While adding to our house right before we take off for six weeks is not an option, a dog might very well be in our near future!

Liam puts the final touches on his country report presentation poster. Can you guess why he chose Denmark?

Asa was selected to escort the US flag in this week's Argentine Revolution Day assembly. We hear that this is a big deal - both the holiday and being part of the flag group. He was proud to have the opportunity but a bit unsure about the loaner sweatshirt which he said felt five sizes too small. This snap was taken right after he smiled and mouthed to me, "I can't breathe!" right before the music started:

Two more weeks of school and we fly overnight to the US on that last day. In the meantime, obsessively checking the weather for the places we will be (California, Massachusetts, Maine, Florida) and adding things to the "to pack" and "to buy in America" lists. So excited to catch up with friends and family and nest in our little house by the beach - under the same sun in the same season - for a while.

Long Break, Part V: Salta & Jujuy

2016-05-20T19:34:00.004-04:00

Three weeks from tonight, Year One in Argentina will be done and we'll be at the airport, packed and ready for summer in the USA. Which means, it's time to finally put our long break behind us with this fifth and final post about our travels during the six weeks we had off in December-January.

After three weeks in Patagonia, a few days at home to unpack our cold weather clothes and pack for the desert, we flew off to the northwest corner of Argentina. We arrived in Salta, picked up a rental car and drove a couple of hours north to Tilcara. We stayed at adorable bed and breakfast in this small town; a great base for exploring Jujuy (pronounced "WHO-hooey", which is fun to say) Province.

Hill of Seven Colors, Purmamarca:

After a short, hot hike, it was a long, steep, and winding road to the salt flats:

Asa battles car sickness - and wins!

Quick stop at the top:

On level ground again, Salinas Grades straight ahead:

Yep, that's a big, salty flat:

The market in downtown Purmamarca:

Back in Tilcara, walking back up the hill to the B&B:

On the recommendation of the B&B host, we made the long and bumpy drive off the main road in Humahuaca to see the impressive Serranias del Hornocal. It was real chilly out there but so worth it!

Jonah at the Tropic of Capricorn:

With our time in Jujuy over, we returned to the lush, lower elevation of Salta:

We spent one day white water rafting - an exciting first for the boys. While no photos were taken, the highlight was probably having the 13 year old black lab mascot of the river camp ride along with us. That dog knew every rapid on that river and moved himself around the raft accordingly.

And on our last day before flying back to Buenos Aires, our guesthouse arranged for us to go horseback riding with a local gaucho. This is an activity I do not enjoy so I was grateful that the kids were not enthralled. It was a bit of a thrill and the scenery was beautiful, but they would rather run alongside the horse than sit on top of it.

So it took nearly four months to blog about six weeks. Eeesh. The number of photos to choose from really slows me down but setting aside time to go through them all and look back on experiences had while on the road is a welcome reprieve during this final stretch of the school year. The final stretch!

Long Break, Part IV: Return to El Chaltén

2016-05-01T13:39:00.001-04:00

It has been many, many years since we traveled without pre-booking lodging, mapping out all transportation logistics between two points. But after our time in Chile, and a planned meetup with Delhi friends (who now work in Lima) on our las night in Puerto Natales, we had a few days of unstructured time before our flight back north. We debated about what to do for only a short time and then decided to return to El Chaltén to complete some unfinished hiking. It was a bit of gamble given the washout weather we had there the first time around. But we got lucky. Even though it had been less than two weeks since we were there, the unsettled weather had cleared out and second time around proved to be the charm. And even though it was peak season, we booked rooms at a modest hotel which ended up being one of the highlights of the trip; super nice and helpful people working the front desk and a great breakfast included. That is all we need!

We started with the longest hike on the first day back in town, the Laguna Torre trail which is 20km round trip, and takes about 8 hours to complete. A bit of an uphill at the start but mostly flat after that with a nice place to rest and picnic lakeside while taking in the view of a glacier on the other side. This was the longest hike we have done and the boys did great. Zero complaints all day!

Such a treat to be able to drink straight from the river and refill water bottles along the way.

Winding our way back toward town. The boys were way ahead of us, dots in the distance!

We had fair weather the second day and started with a short hike up behind the visitor center and got a nice look at town below.

A cute couple enjoying the morning and sharing mate. They looked so content, Jonah asked to take their photo:

For our third and final hike, we headed to the north side of town to get on the Lago Capri trail. It rained for part of the day so not many photos - except for the start, the finish and the rainbow after the storm passed.

Boys on a rock:

This was me, sort of mad at the boys after they had hid on the side of the trail until we walked past. When Jonah and I got to the end and asked the rangers if they had seen any boys, we might have been worried. We backtracked a bit, only to find our giggling pranksters running toward us. #funnynotfunny

Asa warming up with a cup of mate. It's an acquired taste that we have not yet acquired.

Bussing it to the airport and bidding farewell to Patagonia. Three weeks on the road comes to an end.