fionawinst

Dear Michelle,

Jeff and I have been in PN for 6 months now and we love it!

There are a lot of young families out here but our kids are grown now. Jeff and I are in our late 40's (physically, teens mentally!) but that doesnt stop us from being included in all the social goings on and I enjoy being around families when I cant be with mine!

The work situation out here depends a lot on your partners visa. A lot of people donate their time to various things. I do arts and crafts at the International School on a Friday (voluntary, I am not a teacher). There are orphanages and a variety of schools that are always looking for help.

We have a book club that meets (at my house) every other Wednesday or so, we swap books and share a glass of wine. Its a good time to catch up. There is a range of nationalities that attend but we all chat in English.
There is a large contingency of French people out here and they have meetings and classes the majority of which are in French but everyone is made welcome.

Socially, its great. There are many pubs and restaurants of many kinds. We all meet up most weekends for bbq's etc and Phil is great for Karaokes! So there is always something happening. I dont remember a weekend when we didnt have anything to do! Phil moves house on Saturday, I am having a bbq at mine on Sunday (14 adults, 13 kids) because I am leaving for Christmas and wont be back until February.

I live in Balmedie and would be delighted to meet up with you if you want to.
We have a couple of friends who know PN and could arrange to all meet up together so you would get a good idea of what happens out here. Let me know what you think and we can make plans. I arrive on the 8th and will be there until the end of January.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Fi

shanku

Dear Fiona,

I have read your reply and helpful to me. My husband and myself are leaving singapore tonite to Pointe Noire, Congo. It would be much appreciate if we could arrange to meet up together so we would get a good idea of what happens out there. Kindly inform us how or where to meet/contact you. If you do not wish to disclose yr email address you may reply me at [email protected].
Looking forward to meet you and other friends.

Regards
Shan

fionawinst

Dear Shan,
Bon Voyage!
I will write to you on your email address and give you any information I can.
I will be glad to meet you but it will have to be this weekend as I return to the UK on Monday evenings flight!
Check your e-mails!
See you soon
Fi

Ferry09

Hi Fiona,

It’s great to hear from you. I would love to meet up when your back, be warned, you’ll probably leave with your ears ringing! If you give me an email we can exchange numbers and arrange a date that’s good for you. Apart from the Christmas week, I’ll be in Aberdeen so I’m flexible - just whenever suits everyone else. My email is [email protected] .

It sounds like your all having a great time out there! I’m sure I’ll get a better idea of how to fill in my time once I get there, at least I know there's plenty to keep me occupied. I have wanted to learn French for a couple of years now, so now I have no excuse.

Oh no, not karaoke! I am tone deaf, however give me a glass of wine and I think I’m the next Leona Lewis! It must be so nice to have friends over for a bbq in the middle of December. It’s a very different way of life compared to back here – thankfully! I’ve heard the food out there is lovely, so as long as I can go out for drink and a nice meal every so often, I’ll be happy.

Phil mentioned there is a golf course in Pointe Noire. As soon as I told Darron he got very excited, so he’ll be calling up Phil for a game when we’re over.

Well I hope you have a safe trip home, and I’ll hopefully see you soon! I can’t wait to hear more about the place.

Thanks again for your help and kindness.

Michelle.

Mitzyboy

Hiya

Nice to see people meeting up .... but please use the pm system for these personal messages, not the information board - Thanks

fionawinst

Sorry Mitzyboy,

Dont know what a PM is and I wasnt aware we shouldnt use the forum for chat!

will e-mail from now on!!!

Fi

Michelle, will be in touch asap, struggling with aol just now due to a storm overhead! mucho rain (but its still warm) lol.

Fi

Mitzyboy

Click on the users screen name and you will see a facility to use the internal email and / or personal message system

fionawinst

Than you Mitzyboy

cristi21us

hello alex.My name is Cristian and i am also go to Congo next month.I am a romanian too.I don't know if u are still in POint noire but i would like to talk with you about life in Congo.PLs,if you see this messaje,send me an email to <snipped - private e-mail addresses discouraged> k you

RhonaDavidson

Hi Melanie,

I too am from Aberdeen as is my husband Stuart and I'm presuming you are still in Pointe Noire. Stuart is on his way, as I speak, for a look see visit to Pointe Noire, we have been living in Atyrau, Kazakhstan for the past 2 years. I am hoping that you can tell me that PN is going to be a good move?

Looking at older posts I see that the shopping can be a bit of a challenge, that I'm now used to. Is there anything I should stock up on to bring with me should Stuart say the move is on?

We are in our very, very early 50's & have no children travelling with us. Are there many "mature" expats in PN, many of the questions are geared round schools & toddlers?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Rhona.

fionawinst

Dear Rhona,

My name is Fiona Winstanley and I am married to Jeff who works with Mels husband out here in PN. I am from Oban and Jeff is from Barnsley (I have forgiven him)
We are two of the more 'mature' people out here but I am talking about our ages! Jeff and I are in our late forties now and our children are grown up and doing their own things.
We socialise with a very mixed group of nationalities but predominantly we all speak English. There are two more 'mature' couples out here one is Australian and the other (more recently arrived) are American.
I think it is fair to say that life out here is what you make of it. We have a great social (exhausting) life. We do find that people make the extra effort to get together, perhaps its because we are all so far away from home and families.
Things are different here but settling in depends on your ability to adapt. If you dont mind working out how to cope with a foreign custard powder....different taste, consistency etc then you can cope. If its tough to live without Tetley t bags then it might be a different matter. Apart from that its actually a nice place to be. The accommodation here is generally very good and there are many nice bars/restaurants but there are no libraries, cinemas etc.
Hope some of this is of use to you, if you have any questions, let me know and we will get you some answers.
Till the next time.
Fiona

RhonaDavidson

Hi Fiona,

Thanks for your reply, much appreciated.
Stuart has been in regular contact since he arrived in PN last Friday, it sounds like things are moving fast & we will be there sooner than I can pack!!

Having been in Kazakhstan for a while now I have had to get used to foreign foods, unrecognisable foods etc so I hope I'm up for the PN challenge.

There has been very little to do here through the day, other than food shopping mostly & that's fine but I need to feel safe at home. That has to be my biggest question, do you feel safe through the day in your own home?

I am also so glad to hear there is a group of people that do speak English as my Primary School French just doesn't cut it!! I must practice.

Rhona.

Melpawlik

Hi Rhona

I definetely feel safe in my house day or night. It is quite safe to go out walking during the day on your own. Although a lot of people go out in pairs or groups but the local people are very friendly.

My French is really bad as well. I was taking lessons but have given up, i am planning on finding a new teacher but i have been here 3 years and have coped so far.

We were at Fi's on Saturday night and i was speaking with Joyce and Mark, i think Joyce is going to pass on my e-mail address.

Hopefully see you soon

Melanie

fionawinst

Dear Rhona,

Jeff and Phils company are really big on security, much more than a lot of other companies out here. Some people laugh at how strict our security is because as safe places go, this feels great. We all feel happy to walk on the streets, down at the beach, shopping, going to restaurants etc. The most important thing as far as we are all concerned is that we use our common sense and I think it is fair to say that that goes for anywhere in the world!
We all have guards on our houses, I am told its something to do with insurance for expats but dont quote me on that! I dont mind, the safer I feel the more I enjoy it.
I dont suppose it matters where in the world we are there are always opportunists. We just have to be aware.
Hope this helps put your mind at ease. Look forward to meeting you soon.
Fiona

Lucho

Hello, everyone. Thank you for sharing your experiences in Pointe Noire so far, I have read the entire thread and just registered to add a few questions.

A little bit about me: I'm Italian / Argentinian and have been moving around the world for the last 8 years. I'm currently in the US, but am considering an offer in Pointe Noire, with an oilfield services company. I have not visited Congo before, although I have lived in West Africa (Nigeria) and am familiar with several countries in the region, including Angola, Togo, Benin and Ghana. I'm 33 and single.

While researching cost of living in Pointe Noire, I came across a few studies and some information, although the "juicy data" is behind pricy suscriptions. A few things with which I could appreciate your help:

1) Groceries are really expensive and do impact cost of living significantly. Are local groceries also overpriced or is it only imported food that drives these costs? I understand there could be concerns about health standards with local groceries, but would like to know whether groceries such as: fish,seafood, meat, produce, eggs, etc. could be bought from local sources at cheaper rates.

2) Housing does not seem particularly expensive in comparison to housing in expensive cities in the region such as Lagos or Luanda. Is this really the case for you? Or is it more a case of average rent being low, but expat-type accommodations are still expensive and the "experts" got it wrong? Could you provide examples and numbers? Where is a nice area to live?

3) About cars: Are costs reasonable when compared to Europe or how much would you say the extra costs could be? Is it standard for expats to drive 4x4s or are small sedans the norm?

4) Health: I understand good healthcare is probably expensive. Are there any reputable organizations providing health plans in Pointe Noire? Do you know costs of healthcare?

5) Air travel: Is it feasible to, for eg., fly to South Africa for a weekend at a decent cost (eg: 250 GBP) or are regional flights quite expensive as is the norm in the region? How about flights to Europe? What would be a reasonable rate, assuming planning in advance and avoiding critical dates such as Christmas.

6) Salaries: What would you say would be a reasonable salary for a Country Manager (small office: 1 - 5 people) / Business Development Manager for an Oilfield Services Company? I'll be negotiating this soon and would appreciate any information I can get.

Thanks in advance for your help.

If there's anything I can do for you, let me know. I may be there sometime in the second half of 2010 and would love to meet other expats.

Lucho.