Kinshasa

Questions are fun! Thanks Lana for asking these questions, they are good ones! Time to get a small glimpse ( a very small) into what life is like in Kinshasa.

1. Are people friendly?
- I am not sure if I am the one to answer this questions properly but I will try. Yes, for the most part people are friendly ( I am going to answer this trying to separate from the fact that I have been called horrible and told that I am not wanted here). It is so hard not speaking the language because you can't get to know anyone and people are very stand off because of the language barrier. Right now I feel very isolated and almost like people look at you with hostility but I keep telling myself that when I know more french that will all get better.
Evan is sleeping right now so I am going to answer for him, Evan knows french and communicates wonderfully. I often find him laughing and having a great time with the guards, housekeepers and lots of other people on the courtyard. He loves the people out here!

2. What is the City like?

- The City varies from neighborhood to neighborhood, where we live it is very very poor around our compound. A lot of people don't have homes and sleep on the ground next to their stand of products to sell. There are homes as well but they are concrete with no running water and very little electricity. About 20 mins away is the city center, it is busy full of cars, people walking, individuals ( lots) selling things on the street, apartment buildings and offices. Further towards the other side of the city ( towards TASOK) you get so many small shops, selling everything you can think of. I need to get picture of this because it is incredible to see but pictures in the city are really hard, you need to be careful that a police doesn't see you taking it because it is illegal.
This is a city you have to see in order to fully comprehend.

3. What do most people do?
- What don't people do here! There is everything........ absolutely everything ( well I have yet to find a movie theater)! People sell EVERYTHING... from fruit, rice, flip flops, clothing, water bottles, toilet paper.....etc on the side of the road. Some have office jobs, construction, housekeepers, gardeners, guards, chauffeurs...... EVERYTHING!

4. What is it like having house keep?
- This answer has 2 sides both very different. It is awesome to not have to clean the house, do laundry or dishes. Everything is so dusty here that floors need to be swept and mopped everyday. Kids get so dirty that clothes are washed on a daily bases! I would never have time to keep up with everything. NeNe our housekeeper starts work around 6:30 and finishes around 3:30-4:00 and she works that entire time. On the flip side it gets tiring having someone in your house all the time, from before we wake up until late afternoon. You are always aware of what you are doing especially if certain little feet or big feet are tracking in sand on a clean floor! They are cleaning up our mess and that is so weird for me!

Keep the questions coming it is hard to think about what to blog about sometimes.
Next post Evan's eye!