The sounds of Luanda were here to welcome us home! Coming back from the fairly "quiet" vacation we had in the suburban neighborhoods of California and Utah, the noises of the city are quite noticeable. What we hear from inside our apartment are sounds that are obviously lessened in intensity, but not as much as you would think because the windows and doors aren't sealed well. So the noises of construction, cars honking, braking, accelerating, etc., along with ambulances and police sirens, are the "norm" for our background noise. Let's be real--sometimes I want to cut off my ears (or at least put on some peaceful music to try and dim out the sounds), but it's home and it's what we're growing accustomed to. :)
The weather has been sooooo nice since we've been home! Right before we left in June, it started cooling down, so sadly we didn't get to experience the cooler weather longer. The winter here is in June, July, and August, with it starting to warm up in September. I've been told that we only have about 2 weeks left of winter. It's amazing how the cool breeze helps us not mind our daily walk to work every day nearly as much. Less perspiration, less sun in our eyes, and the smells of piled up trash and urine are less pungent. The skies are grayer as well. Every day we wake up to a thick dark fog that remains for most of the day, becoming lighter in color as the sun comes up, and dispelling only slightly in the afternoons.
Amazingly, after a wonderful break in a 1st world country for 2 months, we feel at peace back in Angola. It's nice to be in our own beds again and inconveniencing only ourselves with our noises and messes. There's something comforting too about being back in the routine of work, school, church, and family activities, with a more productive-less play focus. I returned to work this week, preparing the class schedule and lessons for starting classes next week. As I fluttered around the embassy, I ran into most of my students, one at a time, who each greeted me with a huge smile and hug as they said in their Portuguese accent, "Welcome back teacher! We missed you!" And of course I missed them. Getting "back to the grind" is sometimes a good thing. :)
Despite their jet-lag, the kids jumped on the embassy "bus" and started school the day after we flew in, and Briant went back to work as well. I need to compliment my kids because I'm realizing more and more how adaptable and well adjusted they are with the changes that have occurred in their lives over the past 15 months or so. Rhea, for example, only attended Kindergarten for a month, was then homeschooled the rest of the year, then started 1st grade (only 2 months) in a completely different state and school not knowing anyone, then moved out of the country to Angola (3rd world) where she started school 2.5 months after her classmates and left her mom every day to ride a bus for an hour to school and over an hour home, crying only a handful of times during the year as she begged to stay home with mom. For me, and I think any other mom would agree, that is amazing! Especially at her age. That was three schools (homeschooling and the Waldorf program included) in one year. But I have to say that the challenges for Savannah and Thomas were equal in degree as they left friends and bounced around to different homes and schools as well--they just had a slightly higher level of maturity to deal with the changes. And here they were again, the day after we returned from our trip, jet-lagged and all, eager and ready to start another school year despite the fact that many friends from last year are gone and they would have new teachers. Briant and I are very proud of them and are grateful for the help that Heavenly Father has given them this year. We know that they have been supported and strengthened in their weaknesses as much as we have. We have much to be grateful for!
Despite their jet-lag, the kids jumped on the embassy "bus" and started school the day after we flew in, and Briant went back to work as well. I need to compliment my kids because I'm realizing more and more how adaptable and well adjusted they are with the changes that have occurred in their lives over the past 15 months or so. Rhea, for example, only attended Kindergarten for a month, was then homeschooled the rest of the year, then started 1st grade (only 2 months) in a completely different state and school not knowing anyone, then moved out of the country to Angola (3rd world) where she started school 2.5 months after her classmates and left her mom every day to ride a bus for an hour to school and over an hour home, crying only a handful of times during the year as she begged to stay home with mom. For me, and I think any other mom would agree, that is amazing! Especially at her age. That was three schools (homeschooling and the Waldorf program included) in one year. But I have to say that the challenges for Savannah and Thomas were equal in degree as they left friends and bounced around to different homes and schools as well--they just had a slightly higher level of maturity to deal with the changes. And here they were again, the day after we returned from our trip, jet-lagged and all, eager and ready to start another school year despite the fact that many friends from last year are gone and they would have new teachers. Briant and I are very proud of them and are grateful for the help that Heavenly Father has given them this year. We know that they have been supported and strengthened in their weaknesses as much as we have. We have much to be grateful for!
0 comments: