Return to Normalcy

No more parties, predictions, or anxiety. Election season is officially over. With over 70% of the vote, the ruling MPLA enjoyed an expected landslide victory. Voting day was remarkably uneventful and Luanda was eerily tranquil. The ubiquitous blue and white condugeiros (shared taxi vans) were nowhere to be seen on this national holiday as Angolans walked calmly to their neighborhood polling stations. There were no reports of violence or political protests, not even when the unofficial results were announced over the weekend. As the last of the campaign flags and banners wither away, things are getting back to normal around here. I'm happily back in my office, which I was kicked out of last week becaus the building was a polling site. I should have known something was up when they shut off the power in the room. A few hours later, a man from the dean's office informed me that I had to be "out in 5 minutes." Ok, so it takes a month to get a new box of chalk, but now you need me out in 5 minutes? Sure.
Classes resume next week, and I can't wait. This past month has not been easy. Teaching gives me a sense of purpose. When I am in the classroom, I am in control and I forget about the every day stresses and confusion here. I know what's going on and I can plan for the next day and the day after that. Everything else here is so unpredictable. I miss my students and the crazy things they say that make me laugh. Unfortunately, now the semester will be very short - only 3 months - so we have a lot of work to do.

Here is a story from BBC news about the election:
Angola: Promises Temper Election Victory

This is the new waterfront in Luanda, the marginal. I'm sure the grass and trees were imported as I have never seen either growing naturally anywhere else in the city. Coincidentally, this major construction project was finished and innaugurated by the president 3 days before the election. 

However....

most of the city still looks like this