LAST POSTING ABOUT ANGOLA..... WE ARE NOW IN BEIJING!

I haven't posted any new tales to our Angola blog for a long time, this is for several reasons... First one being that we no longer live there, we are now both working here in Beijing! And Secondly, shortly before we left Angola (June last year) I managed to catch cerebral malaria, which made me disinclined to sit down and write anything.

I caught malaria whilst I was up country in Huambo, helping the Halo Trust with some computer problems they were experiencing, and it took me about 36 hours to both realise that I had malaria and to get to a doctor. I was told that the type of malaria I was suffering from can kill you in as little as 72 hours... So by the time I got to a doctor, I was seriously ill. I have never felt so bad in all my life. I had the lot! High fevers, feeling of such intense cold that my entire body was shaking uncontrollably, hallucinations, aches all over, dizziness, generally feeling like death very slightly warmed up. NEVER get malaria, it is simply awful to suffer from. What a way to die!
Anyhow, as a result of this, and the time it took me to recover completely, I simply didn't have the puff to add to this blog.

Then in June, we left Angola, and after a short time in Europe, we came here to live and work in Beijing. So far I have not started a blog about China, for two reasons... As yet I have seen very little of China, and frankly, Beijing is not really a very interesting place... Unless you love high rise buildings..... It is simply one huge, dusty building site.

Should I find myself moved to say anything about Beijing or China, then I shall start a new blog... But until then.. Nope.

We left Angola with great sadness. It was an extraordinary experience living there. Seeing such suffering and misgovernment and corruption was deeply saddening. But at the same time, it was a supremely encouraging experience.... To see the human spirit in full flower as it is there is astounding! The Angolan people showed us how wonderful the human spirit is. A wonderful people.

So, until I start "Lotty and Tony at large in China" that is it..... I hope people who read this blog will be moved to visit this wonderful and extraordinary country, and perhaps experience for themselves the powerful experience of seeing humanity at its best....And worst.

God bless you Angola!!!!!!