The Expat Tag #

Expat mamas Emily from @theexpatmama and Claire from my @mytheoryonblooming  both tagged me to answer few following questions about my Expat experience and to continue the Expat Tag

I am loving the expat community on Instagram and how although we are each in one corner of the globe, we have very similar experiences of cultural shock, homesickness, frustration, and happy moments to share,
Join us in answering the questions, and make sure you follow and tag  @expatmommyangola on Instagram, so that I can read your answers!

 So here we go,

1.Where were you born, where did you grow up and where do you currently live?

I was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon and I currently live in Luanda, Angola.

2. What made you leave your home country?

I got married to my husband who has an established business in Angola.

3. What type of reactions do you get when you meet new people and tell them where you are from?
For the majority of people who i have met and who only know of Lebanon as being in the Middle East, it's always the same question, "Oh how come you are not veiled??can you even go out in your country dressed like that?! "

4. What was the easiest/hardest part in adjusting to your new country?

 I would say the hardest part was adjusting to the way of living and the new lifestyle i was going to have to adapt to being  a stay at home wife/mother. I am trying to think of an easy part in my adjustment for the first year but i can't. Maybe learning the language (Portuguese) was kind of easy for me, but that's definitely it!

5.  images, words or sounds that sum up the expat experience you've had so far.
   The tropical storms and the floods afterwards.
   The blue van taxis , Condongueiros.
   The prices!! Angola is the second most expensive city in the world for expats!
   The beautiful scenic roads outside the city.

6. Your favorite food or drink item in your new country?

My favorite dish has to be Arroz de Marisco. It's a fish and rice stew, similar to Paella, only better! and bananas. Bananas do taste much much better here!

7. What's the one thing you said "yes" to in your new city that you wouldn't say "yes" to back home?
  The adventures in the kitchen, specially when i first started to cook i refused  to deal with raw meat or chicken. We get them in bulk here so i need to litterally have butcher's skills, and am glad to say am a professional at it now :)

8. Are there any cultural norms/phrases in your new country which you cannot stand?

It's not a cultural norm that i cannot stand, because i do respect each ones freedom of living, but after 7 years in this country I still do not understand their funeral processions and how they dance and sing and drink and celebrate at funerals.  

9. What do you enjoy most doing your new country?

We enjoy going to the sandy beaches. About an hour and a half away from the city there are beautiful beaches where we go to spend the day, have a picnic on the sand and enjoy the amazing views.

10. Do you think you will ever move home for good?

I might, but I do not want. It's not that I want to stay in Angola for good as well, but once it's time to leave Angola, I would definitely look for options other than my home country Lebanon to raise my kids . Lebanon is beautiful for vacations and this is where our families are, but unfortunately its continuous political turmoil makes it such a stressful country to live in.
My main concern in living in Angola is the medical care. What i am always afraid of is having an emergency , specially with the kids, that the medics here have no experience in treating.

For now, we are happy and settled where we are , and I guess this is the most important thing when choosing a home.
Follow us on Instagram for more of our journey!