Natalie Anne Volpe: Kinshasa, DRCongo--2008

4th of May 2008 I’m allergic to blogs and a terrible writer, so no one will probably ever read this. Yet I still think that it should be an interesting thing to keep…at least for awhile. You just never seem to know what is going to happen next here, and amazingly enough, I feel happy. There is no other place quite like Africa and I’m sure that the experiences I will have in this country will be more than enough to always give it a special place no matter wherever else I may go afterwards. Begin: Well it’s my first day here, to skip all the boring details of how we awoke and made it to the airport by 7:30…..and all the things you generally have to do at an airport to get to your destination. Oh yes, can’t forget: my first funny sight of the day was when my dad took off running (carrying my huge piano case and stand on top of it) through the airport ahead of us, obviously a little more than concerned that we would be late and miss our plane. We were fine….my dad was quite annoyed though that we hadn’t followed his example and only leisurely strolled and so were ages behind him while he stood huffing and puffing waiting in the line. Anyways, so we arrived….the flight was only about four hours, time for one and a half movies and a meal though…and then we stepped out into what was pleasantly not as hot and not as crowded as I had been expecting. After rushing to not be the last ones off the plane and draw too much attention to ourselves, they (but of course) pulled us aside as soon as we came in, so we were still the last passengers (apparently they do this to everyone though when it’s their first time in the country). Thankfully though there were people there to meet us so we didn’t have to worry about the way we were being badgered to give people our bags and give them all money too for all their efforts….the drive back was hotter though, even though there was a nice breeze to somewhat make up for it. I’ve never heard so much French being spoken for a long while…especially by my mom who never usually talks very long in French. The one French lady (memeli…oh goodness I keep forgetting her name, it’s really really bad when she’s so sweet) who came to pick us up is very nice, very French, with the accent and everything…but I don’t think I’ll have any problems getting along with her. I shall definitely pick up some more French here….it’s what everyone speaks most of the time, so you can’t help it. It’s sort of refreshing really, having to tune in so closely again to what everyone is saying, except that I constantly would have to be asking questions to really understand….it’s sort of like being a baby…..at least you’re so unsure of what is the right way to say or do anything, and there’s so much to learn. Oh yes, major event of the day: their wall got smashed into again. Like I said you never know what is going to happen next here….we were all just sitting at lunch, it was just maybe a couple hours after we arrived when, with a loud bang then the sound of people yelling, and an angry oh no not again (by Mylene ), we all rushed outside to see a large crack in the wall (the impact pushed the pillar over a bit of the rest of the wall too apparently so the gate won’t shut now either) people shouting and walking away and a rather bashed Mercedes. Apparently this is the third time their wall has been hit, one of the times the driver actually died right on their property, with someone flying over their wall; and the last time, a whole part of the wall was smashed as the car drove right through. Thankfully this time nobody died, and only one person was really hurt, (even though he’s apparently in a coma, and another girl banged her head badly) but after having just fixed the other part of their wall, having a huge fracture running through it again was not too pleasing a sight for the other folks living here. And for the poor owner of the Mercedes of course. Everyone handled it pretty well though, I guess it’s not like it’s the first time….and with things like this what can you do. Anyways, back to the good old monotony of washing out laundry by hand, rearranging my room and making sure all the plugs work and everything fits…..and I actually rather like my room. I’m adding photos to this account….drawings too I suppose once I start doing them….i intend to start painting (once I get my easel and things…I am regretting now having to leave that behind for now but I suppose there wasn’t much else I could do). Oh yes my room, well besides the thing that it is my own room (at least for now until everyone gets back….there were only two people left at the house when we arrived, everyone else only gets back next month) I’ve got a big double bed (just and all for me!), pretty wicker cupboards….they organized me a desk and of course I’ve got the piano in there…..oh yes and the bed has the prettiest mosquito netting, just the standard stuff, but it’s like a whole drapery over my bed…. And speaking of mosquitoes while I’m sitting here now in the dark (it gets dark quite early here) writing this out, I’m getting bitten and so I must go….and see what we’re eating tonight. (and oh yes, the food isn’t so terrible yet, it’s very expensive apparently and they don’t have a lot of it, but we haven’t been eating cassava and pounded yams yet…..decent French bread, avocados and eggs for lunch…..so I don’t think we’ll be doing too badly….i won’t starve at least heh) And well that’s all for now…. I want to love this place….it’s going to be my home, at least for quite awhile, and I want to make the very best I possibly can with it….. It’s amazing what being out here in what feels like nowhere from everything you know can do to you….and I only want the positive side of things. As I know at least a few people would put it, if nothing else, things like this are good for you…..the famous ‘it builds character’. But as I see it, there are still quite a few more good things. So so long for a day in the life of a crazy kook who’s trying not to be a gypsy….once I have a standard day settled as of yet.