I always look forward to spending a weekend in Luanda. There are expats (including a New Mexican!) and educated Angolans to hang out with, bars and clubs to go to, girls to flirt with, restaurants, beach, people who don’t stare at me. I had heard that Luanda nightlife was supposed to be pretty outstanding. One of my former bosses said it was the best nightlife he had ever seen, which seemed a little strange considering the country was in the middle of a brutal civil war. My impression so far is that it is certainly a lively scene, but I haven’t been blown away.
My last night out went like this: We started at a chill place with good live music, probably the best thing about the Luanda nightlife. For $10, you can see some of the country’s best musicians – and there is some great music here – a couple nights a week. Next we decided to go to Luanda’s most famous nightclub. Cover is like $25, but I’d never been there and wanted to check it out. We were quickly humbled by the woman at the door who said the place was crowded and they were only letting the important people in, which seemed to be everyone who showed up except us. There are few third world countries where being a Western foreigner buys you less respect. People really don’t give a shit, especially in Luanda. Our old white pickups and SUVs with NGO stickers on the sides aren’t so impressive in a city full shiny new black SUVs bought with oil and diamond money.
We gave up and headed to a much cheesier backup club. They asked for our invitations. As we huddled to reflect on what losers we were and try to think of some dive bar where somebody might take pity on us and let us in, the bouncers waved us in. Turns out the place was completely empty. After a couple hours, the place got pretty full, but it definitely didn’t approach the best nightlife I’d ever seen.
When we left, we were immediately besieged by a bunch of street kids. They chased after us as we got into the car, hoping to get a tip for “looking after” the car. As I had already agreed to pay an official guard to watch the car, I didn’t give the kids anything. They began yelling and insisting that we give them something. The guard was of course of absolutely no help when I actually had a need for security. He disappeared as soon as he got his tip. There must have been at least 8 of them and they were getting more and more aggressive. They started banging on the windows and yelling that they were going to break the windows or puncture the tires. Since other cars were blocking my exit, there was no escaping their little fists of fury. By this time, any sympathy I had for them as street children had evaporated, and there was no way I was giving the little fuckers a kwanza, although I was getting nervous that a window was going to shatter at any moment. Finally, somebody moved their car, and I drove off, with a couple of them hanging on to the car for a few seconds.
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5 comments:
I enjoy reading your blogs, but the tone is very bothersome. You think you are entitled to respect in Angola because you are an expat? The fancy club has every right to reject you, just as fancy clubs in your country reject immigrants who don't meet the standard. You are American, but still human.
Meanwhile, the incident with the children was so sad. These kids have nothing, including no education, and you are stamping your Western standards of respect smack down on their poor, frail skulls. How colonial! Give them a buck and go back home.
I agree with the previous post. While I enjoy reading your blog, it seems to me that something has gone dreadfully wrong with humanitarian efforts when aid workers callously disregard children in need in an effort to find the best nightlife!
the situation these children are in IS sad, but - as I'm sure you both realise - giving them a buck is not going to solve Africa's problems.
First of all, I suggest people read my blog with a grain of salt. I'm a sarcastic smartass who doesn't like political correctness.
I never said the club didn't have a right to reject me. It was just annoying to me that they did. But if they don't need my business, more power to them. I was simply pointing out a fact that being a white foreigner doesn't get me places here. I wasn't suggesting it should be otherwise.
I've seen lots of street children. I know it's sad. But, as stated in the previous comment, giving them a dollar would help nothing and would just get the next person mobbed by twice as many. And I sure as hell am not going to give them money when they're threatening to break my windows.
The person who lives here and can't make light of some sad situations won't last long. Lighten up a bit.
"little fists of fury." damn nate, this was a really funny post. granted i don't get as mobbed since everyone thinks i'm just a sketchy chinese guy trying to leak their country of diamonds and precious hardwoods, but i def. feel you on this. there's nothing like being squeezed out of some money by some ego-tripping extortionists that are 1/2 your size.
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