Friggin Frogs!

Paul told me to write about this episode in my blog, sorry "our blog".
Well it goes something like this; On Tuesday evening, just about half past ten, I went to bed after having good night to Paul who was watching tv, just to get tire himself in order to have a good night sleep. He hadn't slept well the last 2 nights, as we often have long endless nights of thunder and lightning, and Fin barks the entire time. Paul usually has interrupted sleep, consoling the dog, while Mom and son sleep through it. Well just as I switched the light off, a frog started croaking, and then a few more of them joined in. Well it felt as if these darn little frogs were under our bed, they were so loud! I then pulled the covers over my head and tried to fall asleep. I usually sleep through anything, but these %*&^# frogs were too loud. I eventually dozed off, and woke up with the loudest croak I have ever heard. Almost as if the King BULL Frog had returned to the choir. Now I've seen these frogs, and they are the tiniest, cutest little frogs, in fact, I pointed it out to Torden the other day in the garden, and commented on them. Now I feel like pointing them out, and stepping on them. Someone said, I should shine a light on them, with a torch or something, and they'll jump away...... So long little frogs... Tonight I'm going to find me the strongest Mag-lite and guess what, I'll be singing in my dreams.....

Things I'm going to miss or Not going to miss.....

Things I'm going to miss about the DRC;

1. The lush, tropical nature, trees, plants and flowers and the birds that sing from morning till night.
1. I'm not going to miss watching the Congolese/Chinese destroy the beauty that is still left in the city. Today we drove past the Golf Course, which you can see from the Boulevard, and there must have been about 5 huge trees that have been hacked to death, some of the trees landed on the border fence of the golf club, and totally destroyed the beauty of the boulevard. Where have all the birds gone, far far away, not ever coming back again.......la la la......

2. The low petty crime rate ( remember I'm going back to SA).
2. I'm not going to miss the aggressiveness of the street children and the corrupt policemen.

3. The hot climate all year round.
3. I'm not going to miss the humidity, it drives one insane, and can lead to a slow suffocation, I'm sure.

4. My Friends, socialising and night clubbing and gin & tonics. I'm going out again this Wednesday with the girls, while the husband stays at home.
4. I'm not going to miss the late nights, sore heads and feet from dancing all night.

5. Our staff at home, the gardener, the maid, the driver, the guards. We are going to miss their smiles when they run to greet us every morning. Especially their attention towards Torden, they love him so much, and treat him so well. Most Congelese are so child-friendly, it's one of the things we noticed right away on arriving here almost 2 years ago.

Friday the 13th!

"To be or not to be" - Afraid, be very afraid.... I'm really not put off by not getting out of bed on Friday the 13th! Man, I was born on that day, so why should I be. Big bad things don't really happen. One year, I did have the electrical garage door, bang down on my car, I was holding the remote, but pressed the wrong button, and couldn't get it up fast enough. Just dinged the top of roof of my car a little. This year, I broke 3 things, and then it stopped. ( a glass, an egg, and Paul stepped on my glass of tonic water, and it broke too)
I had a lovely day last Friday, I organised a Spa Day with a few girlfriends at my home.
The next day was our 11th wedding anniversary! We went out for breakfast, and that evening, a good friend of ours came over, and we had Laurent Perrier champagne ( the best France could ever produce)! He handed us a lovely gift, wrapped in the most gorgeous wrapping, something you never see much up here. I had romantically lit some candles, and proceeded to pose for a photo, when Paul noticed the packaging gong up in flames. Well there goes my idea of not being superstitous, even though this was the day after. We were in fits of laughter, and went out and had a lovely dinner together.

We also ended up at a Bubbles Pool Party, which the Dutch expats, usually arrange, lots of fun, reminded me of those American Movies, where young students are usually joking around the pool, and consuming loads of alcohol. We hid under the palm trees to avoid been thrown in. Anyway Paul was quite sick with bronchitus, so it wouldn't have been good for him at all. Well my poor husband, is now at home with a touch of pneumonia. I am really fortunate ( touch wood), that I have not caught many bugs and illnesses in Kinshasa. I just think, that most of us Moms are tougher!

Au Revoir!

News is out and it's official, we are leaving Kinshasa at the end of April Not the best news, but news anyway. It's been a great journey, and although I must say, in beginning I thought I'd never be able to feel at home here. I'm happy to say, with persistent good thoughts it became a reality. I am extremely sad to be leaving. My life is an absolute joy at present, there are always good and bad days, and that is if you live in any city in the world. What better life could I possibly want than where I am right now. We all have different desires, so what some may think is not desirable, makes me content. I love the French word " content" which means happy. There is a definite similarity in that being content, you are automatically happy. The wonderful friend's we've made as a family, my girlfriend's, the activities, social clubs, sport and relaxed home life, the gardener, our excellent driver, the weather ( I love the fact we are able to swim all year round, in the outdoors)


Our beautiful colonial home, and everyone that visits us, mentions this fact, is being demolished to accommodate a high rise building of apartments. Unfortunately, with rentals being in the region of $9000 - $12000 a month for a home in the central area of Gombe, most expats cannot afford a freestanding home, and stay mostly in compounds. Pity that they are tearing down the city, and taking out all the beautifully lined avenue of trees, to make way for a new 4 laned main road.

So for us, it's back to normal life in Cape Town with no more chances of catching malaria, amoeba, typhoid, bronchitus, and any other disease. One of my selections for returning would be to be able to go to the cinema, shopping mall, eat healthy fresh food, "Kahui" here we come......

Today's Visit!

Marianne picked me up this morning after yoga at 9:15am and I was late, so caught her playing with Fin in the garden. I mean who wouldn't want to play with our lively dog in a beautiful garden on a warm sunny morning. It took us about 45minutes to get to Binza, and we side-tracked onto a dirt road. The weather was much cooler out there, it clouded over and eventually it started to rain. We went through a white barrier with a guard who greeted us, and drove through to the last building, which looked nicely painted and fairly new. I was told that a South African company operating in the DRC donated the money for the construction of this building. The orphanage houses about 60 children in different sections of the huge property run by an Italian man. He has been here in the Congo, with the children for over 30 years. Marianne, herself has been coming here for 5 years.
The first section we visited, was with the handicapped children, which Marianne feels need more attention than most. some of them don't get to leave their beds. We handed out a few construction toys to the children on the stoep, and helped them try to build it. I expected the worst in conditions, but was fairly surprised at the good, clean and livable place, these children call home. What I was not expecting was a little fight that went on between 3 little boys, and they managed to clunk Marianne on the head with a wooden toy in the battle. These children, yearn for attention, and just need to be given a short time of your love and affection. Upon entering the interior of the home, we both picked up two toddlers out their beds, and at once smelled the urine stains in the beds all around. I played with the blind boy, who clung to my arm, and just wanted to touch my skin. He also loved it when I clapped his hands. I'm not sure what I was feeling at this stage, my heart told me to not to feel pity, and just enjoy the moment, and I went with this lovely feeling. It wasn't that I wanted to feel self-worth, just love. I am happy for feeling this, and I really expected to be bawling my eyes out at the sight or thought of even visiting the orphanage. I never did, instead I enjoyed every minute, and would do it all again soon. We went onto visit the other little building, where lots of little ones between the ages of 18months - 3years, were grabbing onto my legs and calling me "mondele" which means "white person" in Lingala ( local Congolese language). I laughed at the thought of this, and then they were touching my hair as I bent down. I realised, after playing with them for over an hour, that besides basic needs, these children are in need of just someone to show them affection and attention for a few minutes, if not longer. It makes me think of just how much my own child needs.
I now sit and wonder what will become of them, if they are deprived at such an early age, how will they ever know how to love and live.