The last days of the trip. Summary of trip on its way, aswell as thankyou's to all of you who supported the trip

Sitting in the shade of a mango tree. There are dozens of them here at the orphanage. The children and staff spend a good portion of their time climbing and picking the delicious fruits these trees produce. Most of the children are at school now, but my little buddy Gideon and older bud Fiston are sitting along side me as we listen to Bob Marley. Last night was a fun one. I drove out to the orphanage around 3pm and worked for a bit on the basketball hoop. Need a little more hardware to finish the job. Ill get it today. After we had done all we could do, I bought a beer for all the older staff members and those who I have been close with. We sat and drank as the sun set. My translator George was present, so I was able to communicate and joke around with the staff. We had some laughs. Even when George had to leave to teach, we continued to laugh. It’s amazing how much you can communicate without words. After a few beers I decided it was time to put a movie on for the kids. It took a lot of work, since someone switched my power converter, and ultimately broke it. But with my computer and a guitar amplifier I was able to get the show going. I shot images onto the wall using the projector Father Gabriel brought. Kids still get a kick out of it. First I showed the children the photos I had taken during my recent trip to Alaska. I told them that was what America looked like. They didn’t get to excited since they have no clue what ice is. I then cycled through hundreds of photos I have taken here in Congo. The kids go nuts when they see themselves captured in a goofy/embarrassing pose. The photos from the river turned out to be the funniest. There were a couple wieners that were captured and the girls and boys laughed as hard as I have seen them. Took me about an hour to cycle through all the photos. I used the zoom to hone in on funny faces and details that were not clear from afar. Kids got a kick out of that. There is a giant lizard strutting to the right of me. It is orange and blue. Just like a Florida Gator. If it was garnet and gold I might take a photo. After the photos I put on the movie Madagascar for them to enjoy. They watched it as I took a nap nearby. I was not sure at that point if Father was going to make it back out to the orphanage or leave me out here to spend the night. By the time the movie was finished I knew he was not going to make it out, so I grabbed a bunk and sacked out. I slept okay, but should have jumped in the river before bed. I was dirty from the day. I almost forgot, I should describe the day. I began by loading the photos that precede this post. Father pulled in and he and I were off to the blacksmith to check on the basketball rim. We took the motorcycle. I love riding dirt-bikes, but it is uneasy riding on the back of a bike when my foot hurts like it does. I feel like if I had to hop off the bike to avoid a accident, my foot might just snap in half under the pressure. We went and were fine, its all dirt alleyways. The blacksmith did a good job, we told him to add some more support and that we would pick it up form him later. We then headed to that funeral. Hopped in one of those taxi vans that’s like a VW. There were 17 people in it when father and I first got in. Pretty cramped, I took a photo. We traveled to town. The funeral was in a nicer part of town. We walked for 20 minutes and arrived. I saw some neat fish for sale and got some photos of them as well. The funeral was hot. But it was beautiful. Many people in attendance. They pushed me and father to the very front row. I was about 2 feet from the casket. Closer than the family. 8 priests were in attendance, a rather holy event. We arrived late and were only there for about 45 minutes when the mass ended. No telling how long it was. It was hot and stuffy in there and I am sure I lost a few pounds in water weight. After that, we headed to the market where father told me we could find the Congo drums. We arrived and there were hundreds of them. I looked through the numerous styles and shapes, and banged on each one to find the sound I was looking for. I found two and paid 25 bucks. One man wanted 25 bucks for one and I would have paid it but father negotiated and next thing you know it was 10 dollars. I gave him 15 cause I really like the drum. I wish I could fit more in my bag, I would have bought 10 of them. These are not tiny drums, they stand about 2 and a half feet tall and have engravings in the sides. Pretty sweet. Ate chicken for lunch.

Im still here in the shade, and as usual am waiting on someone. If you come to Congo be prepared to spend a lot of time waiting. Father promised big things today. A trip to the Congo river rapids, and a chance to see the gorillas which are native to the Congo. I am excited. I got a dead battery in my camera, so I am going to have to figure something out between now and then. It’s a long trip, on the opposite side of town, where I have not yet been, and then a little farther into the country. We had the Toyota fixed so there should be nothing holding us back. Well ill get back to you this afternoon and let you know how the journey goes. If it goes.

Its always something in the Congo.
Father arrived at the orphanage with a load of building supplies. Probably 500 lbs of roofing panels and 7 bags of concrete. I tried to help the staff and masons who work slowly, which aint my style. I wanted to get that stuff out of the car so I could get on the road and see the Congo River rapids. They were all worried that I would cut myself. They really think that Americans don’t ever have to lift, get dirty, or get injured in America. We got it all out of the car and about 20 minutes later, we were off to the other side of town. We stopped by the convent and grabbed a few things. We were back on the road after a quick bite. Headed to downtown. I had been to downtown early in the trip, but was so awed by the road and people that I paid no attention to the buildings/infrastructure present. This time it changed my thoughts about the Congo. There are some large buildings, with many businesses operating within them. I didn’t think anything like that existed in the country. The road through downtown was well maintained, 10 lanes wide, with cross walks and designated turning lanes. There were many men wearing suits, but no shortage of street vendors and homeless beggars. The motion of everyone here was far faster than that of the rural areas. I felt like I was in an all black 1970’s Miami. We went to the Brussels Airlines travel office, where we discovered that Father Gabriel was not going to be allowed to leave the country. Father’s passport was not accepted by the authorities, which is ridiculous considering that it was enough to get him into the country. This is a problem, cause it can be difficult to get through the Kinshasa Airport as a loan English speaking white man. Father is pretty upset, but compared to what my reaction would have been, he kept it real cool. We stopped by Royal. Which is like a flea market for foreigners. I have never experienced anything like it. It was truly a market, in that people were fighting to earn my dollar. The market covers about four acres and is packed with pretty much anything you could possibly wish to purchase as an African souvenir. Masks, drums, dolls, combs, ivory, gems, precious stones, carvings of animals and thousands more. I figured out quick how to make my dollar last. I would show I was interested in a particular item, ask the price aloud, and as soon as the other vendors heard the price they would run back to their stand to find a similar piece and offer me a lower price. I have never gotten so much attention in my life. I was a celebrity within the market for about 45 minutes. I bought a few things, but wished I had brought more cash to buy more. Father, Mamma Adaline, Blaze and myself loaded up into the Toyota and headed to the river. We traveled through a more affluent side of town, which was absolutely beautiful. Mountain views, big yards, big trees and the smell of fresh water churned into the air by the Congo River Rapids. We drove along the river side, through a couple strategic zones, and by a couple estates that belonged to the most affluent. The river narrowed and became turbulent as we drove down stream along its eastern bank. The river bank became particularly steep as we rounded a large bend in the river. As we finished the turn I looked out over the river and was blown away by the power and magnitude of the rapids. Those who know me know I spend a lot of time on rivers and in the pursuit of whitewater. I have seen some of the biggest rivers in the south eastern U.S. and seen some giants in Alaska. I have seen some powerful water, but all I have seen summed together is hardly a percentage of the volume that flows through these rapids every second. We pulled off the road and headed towards a restaurant that is built right alongside the rapids. We found it without problem, ordered drinks and enjoyed the view. There were many people fishing alongside the river. I saw a man throwing a cast net and catch several fish. The fish he caught were about the size of the bait that I use in Florida, but I am pretty sure they were going to be his dinner. I took a few pictures and some video, but had to keep it covert since this is yet another strategic spot. The story behind this strategic spot is pretty awful. The government use to dump all of the bodies of people they had assassinated just above where we were eating. The bodies would get washed down river into the rapids and then never seen again. We had a delicious meal. As the sunset I noticed there was a cage with monkeys in it just up the hill. I walked to it and watched the monkeys as they moved through the cage and interacted with one another. It’s sad to see monkeys in a cage. They are so human like, I felt that it was like locking a couple little children up in a cage. If you have never seen a monkey up close, I recommend that you get out to your local zoo and check one out. The big ones are cool, but the little ones got all the personality. We didn’t make it to the place where the gorillas are kept, but we accomplished a lot in a long day. On the way back we managed to get our forth flat tire of the trip. I was wiped out at that point, but helped get the tire off. Tire repair is big business here. We found a couple of guys to help us out. Five dollars and they repaired 4 holes in the tube. That’s another interesting thing, most of the tires there have tubes unlike in the states. We made it back to the convent and got a good night’s sleep.

Last Day

Today is my last day in the Congo. I started the day with a trip back to the city with Father where we tried to convince the Brussels Airlines agents to let Father Gabriel fly. When they said no yesterday, I figured we could try again and find success. I was wrong, they denied his visa, and told him he would have to go through the passport office, which I have heard is a nightmare. I did get to stop by the Market Royal where I purchased some more souvenirs to bring back to the states. I checked my bag in as well. Actually that was the purpose of the trip to the city, to get my bags to Brussels Air. Things are so dysfunctional here that you have to bring your bags to the city the day of your travel so they can drive them forty miles back to the airport. This all seemed dumb cause we drove across town, when the convent is only 10 minutes from the airport. Though it seemed foolish to make the drive I didn’t mind, especially since it meant I could get my drums onboard without having to bribe anyone. I made one last stop at Market Royal. Yet another incredible experience. If you come to Congo you must go to Royal. We drove back to the convent, where I packed up the rest of my stuff. I have been given about 20 shirts during my visit and they make up most of my luggage. I fit them all in a carry-on. I said goodbye to some of the staff at the convent. The staff here have been great, treating me like royalty, cooking me American food (occasionally) and washing my clothes. I will miss them and their hospitality. I left for the orphanage and arrived at a very festive scene. The children were all dressed in there celebration outfits and the chairs were aligned in a big circle with a large table inside. I caught the scent as we drove in and knew immediately what they had cooked. I had mentioned to father earlier in the trip that it would be awesome to slaughter one of the many pigs at the orphanage and have an American style barbeque for the children. That’s what they did minus the barbeque sauce. I don’t know exactly how they cooked it but it was delicious. I was happy to enjoy the day’s festivities, but first I had a mission to accomplish. I had to take a soccer picture of my team with their Power Screen Jerseys on. After a lot of directions and confusion I finally got the kids arranged in a traditional soccer photo pose and captured the shot. Then the party began. We ate food as children played the drums. I got up and did my own American dance as the kids beat on the heads of the cow skin drums. I had the entire crowd laughing as I butchered the art of dance. I had a blast though. The kids put on a bunch of skits. They are all so talented. These kids have rhythm and drama in their blood. We laughed and enjoyed the evening. As the music wound down, we made our way over to the clinic, where I and Mama Adeline had arranged all the gifts for each child. We tried to maintain order, but anytime you give gifts here all hell breaks loose and there is nothing you can do to control it. The kids were all very happy to receive their gifts. Tooth brushes, rosaries, clothing, underwear, pens and pencils and so much more. Some kids who I thought had demonstrated particularly strong character received special gifts from a stack of clothes that the Hall family gave me just before I left. All went well until it was time to distribute the special gifts. The special gifts were gifts that were from American families that had adopted individual children. There was 12 of these gifts in total plus one that I had created for Ilesha who is one of my pals at the orphanage. The kids who didn’t get a special gift were sad, but we knew that would happen and we didn’t want to sneak around the children to get the gifts out. It was a really good thing in all. These kids got a lot of great stuff. Plus I told the kids that when the next person comes they are going to bring a special gift for every child (sorry whoever you may be- maybe me). The sun set, the darkness began to fall upon us, and we all knew that it was time for Ya James (the name I have been dubbed) to leave for a long time. I told the kids no crying a few days earlier. I told them that Americans don’t cry. I lied. I started hugging each kid and eventually my eyes were full of tears. I didn’t have an emotional break down or anything like that but I was leaving something that I knew I could never duplicate in the states. I knew my life would never be the same.

Oh one more thing I should mention, the transformation. That kid I spoke of earlier in the blog who we adopted and acted like a little devil once we brought him back to the orphanage, was name Placid, which is contrary to his personality. Any ways I have watched the kid during the last five days. Each day he becomes a little more civilized, a little more personable and a little more human (he was like an animal when we picked him up). Today Placid was the happiest and most joyous kid on site. He played the drum, he played the bucket, he danced, he participated in the plays, singing and drama, he held hands with the other children and interacted with them as if they had been together since birth and he kept his pants on throughout the entire evening (an issue we had previously had). It was an incredible thing to see and that moved me as much as anything else I experienced throughout the whole trip. This child had nothing and was sentenced to a slow painful death along the littered streets of Kinshasa, God put him in our path and put Placid where he needed to be. That’s just the half of it though, actually that’s the easy half of it, the hard part is making him a part of the orphanage something that can just be done, it must occur or happen. And happen it did, but only by/through the love and compassion of those incredible 62 children, the staff, and Father Gabriel. Witnessing this is a testament to the absolute power of love and compassion.
I drove away from the orphanage one last time, with a tear or two traveling down my face. I sure miss that place.
I made it back to the convent, finished packing my bags and grabbed one last Congo dinner. I said farewell to the seminarians who I have come very close with. I said goodbye to Father Pier, Father Anaclay and Father Willy. I through on a shirt I had received as a gift and headed to the airport.
The airport is a pain in the a**. They charge you fifty dollars cash to use the airport, which is ridiculous. Then they try to hassle you to the point of bribery. I finally got through the check in and said goodbye to Father Gabriel. He is truly an incredible man and did more than you can imagine for me on this trip. I will forever be thankful for the experience he made possible. I passed through a set of large wooden doors and then there I was all alone. They checked my bags, gave me a hard time for not speaking French and then told me I was going to have to pay 20 dollars to get my bags back from security. I told them no grabbed my bags and walked right through them. They are so scared to lose their job that they won’t make a fuss over me ignoring a bribe. I WALKED out on the runway and waited in line to bored the giant airbus. It’s too bad it was dark, I would have paid a hundred dollars to see that country from the air on a bright clear day. Twenty three hours later I arrive in Florida.

Message

I am going to load all the videos onto YouTube. I will not post a hyper link to each video, but if you want to see them, follow the link from the previous post and then look in the top left corner where you can select more videos from Jsstudia(me) and they will all be from the Africa Trip. It will take a few days for me to upload all the videos. When i am feeling inspired once again i will publish the last days and a synopsis of the trip. Current synopsis... I wish i was still there.
James

Sorry the previous post seems to have been a failed attempt.

Street Video

Welcomed

Street 2

Welcome 2

Sorry if the quality of the filming is not great, I am a novice recorder and it shows

Welcomed

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Photos and A Video.

I have many pictures and videos that i will soon upload. I am working on the document which will summaries my last few wonderful days in the Congo. I am in america, but miss the Congo greatly.

Photos

-Teachers

-Students

-School

-My Birthday with dancers and Staff

-Swimming hole

-The new little devil i described in the last post

-Doctors and nurses that helped me with my foot

I am waiting for photos to upload. I am also waiting on Father as i do frequently in Africa. But hes very busy and i feel bad for him.

The last couple days i have be hanging out with the girls. They learned of the capabilities of super glue and have brought me an endless number of shoes and accessories to repair. i am happy to do so. They have been following me and though they often forget i dont speak French we have been sharing a lot of fun. Little Gracia, Asnet, Divine, Betty and Jenny are among them. they are the sweetest things, and suddenly i dont think my life will end if God gives me a baby girl one day. I hang out with the older girls to Iesha, Sara, Annie and one who has slipped my mind, might come back to me. The girls are in charge. the boys play and goof off all day but as i told George yesterday the girls "take care of business". They keep fights from happening, correct the children who do wrong and keep the social affairs under control. Iesha and me have become particularly close. Yesterday she was eating a habanero pepper and squirted it in her eye. Girl is tuff. I would have been histerrical, she grabbed flour forced into and around her eye and sat for a half hour. I think she is the oldest girl there, maybe the oldest orphan. The people here dont age like they do in the States. The oldest boy Moses who looks like he is 15 is 19. Maybe its something in the water or chicken/beef. That brings me to another point. Eating Organic. The people here have one of the most organic diets imaginable. Everything comes straight from the ground or straight from the farm. When i say farm its not like North Carolina pig farm carrying hundreds of thousands of genetically enhanced swine which are fed antibiotics and god knows what else. these farms are in backyards or on hill sides and at most sustain 5o pigs. Everything is very local, which is one of the neatest characteristics about this place. I wish i could journey to another province in the country to enhance my perspective. I am lucky to have read the Deep Economy while in a third world country, it has really made an impact on me. The people here don't get Cancer either. Cases of Cancer are very rare according to the few educated people i have asked, including the doctors from Europe. they do have several other health issues, but you can see the causes. The children are beautiful. They have straight teeth, far straiter than us Americans. there faces are symmetric and bright. there bodies are muscular and defined. Every picture i take the kids look great. it could be cause of how happy and excited they are. I know when i take photos in america i have to take a few of the same shot to ensure that everyone was looking their best. Temperature here has been nice and comfortable durring the last three days. he have certainly entered the Congo rainy season. it rains at night and in the afternoon. Thats another interesting thing. George and several of his adult English students approached me the other day and wanted to know about weather, time change, and outer space. I told them about the water cycle and how a cooling atmosphere causes water vapor to consolidate and fall to the earth as precipitation. I told them about the equator and how the earth rotates causing different weather in different parts of the planet. I showed them pictures from Alaska, told them about global warming and climate change. Told them about the burning of fossil fuels contributing to the warming. They were awwed and scared at the same time. then i told them about the planets and the solar system and they think i am lying. They also wondered how michael jackson could get to the moon. At the end of the conversation all of them were far more worldly than before. Once again i appreciate my education. Hope all i told them was correct. They all want to know more, so i agreed that ill correspond with George while in the united states and send him lots of literature and information about the world and science. This is just a small village, imagine how many people dont know about all the incredible scientific discoveries of our time. I did not proof read so sorry if there are abundent errors i got to go Chow

The Lord Giveth and the Lord Taketh away

The Lord Giveth and the Lord Taketh Away

Yesterday was a long day. I started the day feeling well and quickly deteriorated around 10am. Father Gab and I traveled around looking for some wood and steel to finish the basketball hoop. We got the wood and had a hard time explaining to the blacksmith what we wanted as a basketball rim. We drove back to the convent photographed one, brought it back to him and he thinks he’s got it now. I trust him he is about the only reliable, hardworking person I have encountered within the city limits (he built the soccer goals). Well I was feeling pretty lousy when father and I returned to the convent to grab the photo for the blacksmith, but I decided to head out to the orphanage and try to get something accomplished. We were at the main road waiting for father’s sisters and cousins; they were heading out to Plateau to check some of the farming land I described earlier. We noticed a young child at the corner. We had seen him there several times before. He is about 5 years old, maybe 3. No telling. Father left the vehicle, then his family arrived and they too approached the child and began asking those nearby questions about him and his family. After about thirty minutes of waiting it turned out he had been left there by his family 6 weeks ago, and had been living at the police station. Father put him in the car and shortly after we were on our way to the orphanage with a new orphan. The kid is cute, looks like he could be autistic or special needs. No deformities, but his tongue is permanently at rest between his upper and bottom lip. I took a good look at the fellow. He wouldn’t talk though he understood Languala. I quickly noticed a couple of cigarette burns on his arms and some bruises and irritations on his head. Kid has been through a lot. All this put my aching head and body in perspective and suddenly I didn’t feel quite as bad. We got him to the orphanage and had him bathed and introduced to the staff. The children were at school so the adults had a chance to interact with the young man. Some of the staff members are particularly good with children. In the car we couldn’t get him to talk, but once Siprene began to interact with the kid he began to open up and play. The young man is quite a drummer for his age. When he began to show his natural ability, everyone agreed that he was Congolese. It didn’t take long and I quickly realized why his parents orphaned him. He is a little devil. Won’t let you touch him, won’t let you touch the soccer ball which he now thinks belongs to him. He tries to hit you if you get to near and he spits and scream’s a terrible scream if you get to close to him. I don’t like him. Well I didn’t like him, that was yesterday and I can see that he has become a little more normal since then. I told father that I thought he was a little devil and he told me that the family had abandoned him because they thought he was a witch doctor (evil). He very well could be. He has replaced Clovis as the orphanage Mubulu (trouble maker). Lucky for Clovis that was starting to irritate him. We let the little guy play with the orphans for the afternoon and then let them decide if the little devil should stay or go. They unanimously voted for him to stay and it looks like a life has been saved. Well all this was going on I was very ill. I slept for a few hours and spent a few more in bad shape. But then around 3pm I snapped out of it and felt better than I had since I injured my foot. It’s been two days since and I am still feeling great. I made some progress on the backboard of the basketball hoop. Unfortunately the power drill I brought all the way from the United States decided to burn up on me. I was using the converter, and could not figure out why it had happened. Then I looked close at the converter and it turns out someone switched the voltage on me and never turned it back. It’s a shame because it’s an 80 dollar drill and there are a few projects that I won’t be able to finish without it. I’ll try to get it fixed but it is such a headache here to deal with people who think they specialize in a particular field. Which leads me to another realization. To some I am going to sound like a major hypocrite for saying this since education has been one of the things I have bad mouthed throughout my life. I now appreciate an educated population. More than I appreciate running water. The people here are not very intelligent. Some are. But most are not. They give you the wrong change when you purchase something (which is the only good characteristic). They think they are educated and therefore they act conceded and headstrong when infact their actions/product doesn’t back em up. People drive terrible; in America there are many terrible drivers, but here there are many ignorant drivers, people doing things that are so unexplainably ridiculous that there is no logical explanation other than that they are simply stupid. People sell food along the road next to very large muddy puddles. People think Michael Jackson is alive or on the moon. Yesterday I caught a lizard/bearded dragon and nearly fifty people ran because they thought it was going to kill me and then come after them. Same thing with a toad. Pedestrians don’t yield for vehicles. People don’t change their oil or maintain vehicles and park in the middle of the road when the wreck they are driving falls apart on them. They believe in witch craft and evil spirits. They think that America is the answer to all their problems. They don’t refrigerate meat, and wonder why they are sick so often. They litter the streets with everything from human waste, to organic waste to plastic and glass and trash and then continue to wonder why they are sick. This place is going to be 3^rd world for a long time. There is hope though and it’s the basis for my appreciation of education, the priests I am living with are very intelligent and there education shows. Several of them have studied abroad, but all of them have spent 9 years in the university. Now there is one thing I must bring to light and that is that all the people here speak at least two languages fluently. Most of the adults speak between 4-5 languages. This could be taking up their capacity which is used for rational thinking and decisions making. Hypothesis- The lack of education prevents your mind from developing to that of an educated person. I am no genius as you can tell by my frequent grammatical errors and often incorrect punctuation and sentence structure, but at least I can write, I haven’t asked but I got a feeling that most of the people here cannot.

The day ended well, rather than dragging myself to the vehicle I was throwing kids up on my shoulders and chasing others around as I had the first half of the trip. My foot still hurts, but I can finally put weight on it. The kids are sad to see me ill and thrilled to see me as myself. When I am feeling good this is a hard place to beat. I drove home and when I arrived I rushed to the restroom to relieve myself. When I was in there I heard some sort of wailing or chanting coming from the common area. It was a really weird and irritating sound that someone was making. I almost shouted to end the noise but when I realized what it was I was glad I hadn’t. Turns out one of the seminarians lost his mother and received news of it just as we arrived. Here people don’t cry they wail and morn when something terrible happens. It’s odd. I feel terrible though, this happened to one of the happiest and friendliest people I have ever met. His name is Dose-tee and he is 21 years old. The death was sudden. He has left the convent to be with his family. I sat with the seminarians as Dose-tee mourned in his room and they were laughing and carrying on as normal. I thought this was kind of odd and rude, but then I realized that death is just a lot more common and frequent here than in the States. The seminarians noticed I was looking bewildered and said as I have heard a hundred times “Death is just another part of life”. I guess so. Speaking of death I just read a note that Father slid under my door this morning in which he tells me we are going to a funeral today for a Passionist’s uncle.

Water is becoming more consistent. I am growing tired of African food and look forward to pooging this Thanksgiving.

Yesterday

Felt much better than the previous morning. Headed straight to the orphanage after picking up some of father Gabriel’s family and our painter. There has been progress made at the orphanage. If it were America all these people would have been fired a long time ago for working to slowly, but they are moving swiftly by Congo standards. Today’s mission was to organize all the gifts and distribute them to each of the children. Mamma Adeline and I began this but were interrupted when a Mundele(white man) and several natives arrived in a Toyota. They were here to give a presentation regarding the possibilities of solar power at the orphanage. This grabbed my attention and I was happy to sit in. They showed some of the systems they have installed in the region and I was very impressed. Solar power is incredible, the idea that you can have all the conveniences of society and stay so far away from it are enlightening and inspiring. Solar power could save these people, they don’t belong in cities. They go to the cities for the power and for the jobs and possibilities power creates. These people belong in villages scattered throughout the region. Solar energy would enable them to exist independently with the luxuries as well as the opportunities of the city. If only they could afford it. I am sure it would be pricy but it’s a onetime investment for 26 years of continuous power. I broke away once the video’s stopped and the French began. Mamma and I worked for a few hours on the gifts and finally had 62 piles of stuff for all the children. Father left as we were in progress and told me to distribute the gifts and photograph the children as we did. I agreed and continued. Later when I felt it was time to distribute, I called my translator to come and tell the staff to get ready. The kids get really rambunctious when they receive gifts. I’m talking- out of control. So we need all hands on deck. For some reason though the staff thought we should wait for father. I told them “Father Ipasu told me to do this” through my translator and he told me that they were all scared/apprehensive and didn’t want to upset father. Here is that education thing I mentioned earlier. People are scared here. They live in a tuff, harsh environment, are physically and domestically more capable than most people in the first world, but they fear authority. They are very submissive and will stay that way until education and empowerment change that. I could have made them do it but I don’t like giving the women orders they are not sure of. So I had some fun. My translator had asked me the day before if we could go over American slang. I being the crude young American male I am was happy to share with him all my knowledge of the tasteless American slang. This included phrases, slangs, expressions, but mostly curse words and sarcasms. We had a blast and after about an hour had filled four sheets of a legal pad. My translator, George is a great man. Intelligent, enlightened, inspired to teach the youth of the Congo English. He wants to be the best teacher he can be. He says the children ask him about curse words and derogatory phrases more than any other English definitions. I guess it all comes from American music mostly Rap. We even discussed human reproduction and all that might go along with that. George has been given a job at the Mercy For Children School since I have been here. He worked there earlier in the year but they worked him to hard without enough pay. 50 bucks a month aint much. I hobbled up to the football field and watched a game being played. The way they play here is so irritating. 15 on 15 and everyone but a goalie is on one side of the filed for most of the game. It’s madness. I have been thinking about the everglades. I am going to take an extended trip down there to make up for missing hunting season. Unless of course someone has a pig problem they need help with. Speaking of pigs there has been a litter born at the orphanage. Totaling 8. They let them run around in the evening, pretty cute little guys. There also has been a batch of puppies born. I believe there are eight of them as well.

The rest of the evening was frustrating. There was no harm done, but I have been asked not to blog it. It aint a big deal anyways. I can tell you I got a free beer out of the ordeal. Success.

It is now Thursday and my departure grows ever closer. I am anxious to return to the freedom of America, but if I could I would stay here another month, exploring this incredible country. Does anyone know anything about diamonds, some dude has a bunch of unrefined ones he is trying to sell me. I don’t know squat about diamonds. I got his email though. Well my American computer is showing its 2:30am on the east coast, so get a good night’s sleep and ill catch you later. That’s a goodbye phrase I gave to George.

James

Sunday

I’m sick with a bug I can’t shake. Antibiotics are keeping the symptoms under control, but its got me drained achy and uncomfortable. Yesterday was an entertaining one. I began the morning with a trip to those nurses to find they were closed. I took advantage of by break and decided to journey the streets with my little pal Nokia. Got him a pair of sunglasses, ate some food from the street vendors, looked for souvenirs to bring back to the states. Came across one of many makeshift foosball stations. Vendors set them up and charge the children to use. I challenged the vendor, paying him the equivalent of 10 cents in Congolese francs. I told them I was American and before I knew it there was a crowd of about 20 people around cheering. I said it was America’s chance at redemption after their loss to Africa (Guana) in the year’s world cup. They don’t understand anything I say so I just humor myself with English. The game was exciting, America controlling the lead until team Africa snuck by my goalie three times in a row finishing me off. I shook hands and continued back to the convent. The Fathers don’t think it’s safe for me to be walking the streets with a 12 year old who cannot speak English (not because of physical harm, but because someone will try to take advantage of me and the dollars in my pocket). Someone could rip me off and I wouldn’t even know it things are priced very unusually here. But that’s ok id pay just to be out there and experience the street, its like a street parade/circus/zoo. I continued back to the convent, but not without first buying myself a few beers and my pal Nokia a coke. I knew I wouldn’t be able to compete in the afternoon’s football game so I figured grabbing a couple “Road Dogs” (beers to go) wouldn’t be a bad idea. It wasn’t. Got a mini lecture when I got back to the convent, no worries. Hopped in the truck with father, popped open a beer and headed out to the orphanage. No open canister laws here. Actually there are no laws here, the police are self employed. Their salary is composed of the bribes they can get violators to cough up throughout the day. It’s pretty awesome. The game was exciting. But I was raging mad because there was a clear biased by the ref favoring the opposing Passionist team. He is a Passionist priest but I figured that since he is a holy man he would call it like a Christian. Wrong. I didn’t curse but I and the rest of our supporters let him know how we felt about each of the terrible calls.(Anoklay "Contray") I am about to eat dinner with him. The game was won from a penalty kick that was the result of a terrible call. Whatever we shook it off, we played well. The people here play a different kind of game than we do in America, less brain and more kicking. Father Gabriel made it onto the field and put on a pretty impressive performance during the first half. Between the bad calls and the fatigue of a dirt field he was finished at halftime. Well the night fell shortly after the game and we hopped in the cars to head back to the convent. Cars rather than car tonight. Father had some friends who he needed to get a package to that was back at the convent. I drove the land cruiser packed with the usual suspects and followed close behind father and his friends in another Toyota (i think i am the only other person with a driving license). There were 7 people in my truck and 5 in the one in front of us. We trailed them down the dirt road and made it on to that one terrible road I have spoke so much about. About a quarter mile into the drive I seen the other Toyotas emergency blinkers come on as they made their way towards the shoulder. I slowed and as they neared the shoulder the front right wheel fell off the car. Thank god they were only going a couple kilometers an hour, if that had happened a minute sooner at 60kph it would have been a terrible scene, likely resulting in me flying back to the states alone. As I now except and expect “it’s always something in the Congo”. I had to drive a few kilometers forward to escape the strategic zone (military area) the vehicle had been disabled in. I gave one of the passengers 5.00 to buy everyone in the car a Coca-Cola, because I knew we would be there a while. As most people do here, they never give me change and then BS with me thinking I am stupid enough to give them more money. The 6 sodas at most cost 2 dollars and he came back asking for more. That pisses me off, I am driving this kid saving him a 2 hour walk and he pulls that. If I let him in the car next time I think I’ll give all the other passengers a gift and make an example. We were there for a bit and then someone walked from the scene to us. He instructed me to turn back towards the disabled vehicle where we would pick up father and all but one of the other Toyotas passengers. When I got there, the military was giving them a hard time trying to lift some cash off of them. I don’t think the military gets paid either; they push for bribes just as much as the police do, except they have fully automatic weapons. We managed to get out of there with everyone on board. I am not sure what happened to the vehicle, but I bet it’s still there. This is my forth day in a row without running water. I am tired of bucket showers, bucket flushes, teeth brushing and face washing and hand washing. Most of the water I use in the buckets is full of mosquito larvae and smelly. It’s been a week since my injury and I am still hobbling around. I am usually quick to recover from injury, but here both my foot and the cuts on my body are taking a very long time to heal. I think it has something to do with nutrition/diet. My buddy Nokia is sweeping the floor of my room while I listen to the Doors. He keeps talking to me as if I speak French. I just answer wi/no to every other question he asks. My floor needed to be swept. I am learning the children’s names. I think I got about 60% of them memorized. Its tuff, cause some of them hide or play away from the rest of the children most of the day and are only seen at meal time, or movie time. I will say though the children who were shy when I first arrived here have really opened up to me. One kid named Simba, would wear a beanie over his head and eyes the first couple of weeks and never talked or confronted me. I always saw him taking old flashlights or radios apart and putting them back together. This reminded me of myself as a young’n and I felt a need to connect with the young guy. In the last week he has become one of my go to helpers and has really opened up. The kids and I have created several handshakes and he and I created one yesterday. The orphanage is really coming together. Father’s cousin built a room for the new generator. The Henkelman dining hall is nearly completed. The rain has flattened the soccer field and made the quality of play pretty good yesterday. The electrical wiring is in better shape than when I arrived. Some of it was very well done by the Americans that visited last but much of it had been jerry-rigged since.

Father was telling me about another exciting confrontation I am sorry I missed. It occurred when he drove to pick up my x-ray. I guess he didn’t use his signal and some policeman pulled him over and started giving him a hard time. The man was relentless. Two captains came through during the confrontation each siding with Father since he is a priest asking the man to back down. The man refused to and continued to bark at father. At some point the man insulted father’s sister Alphosine who is a nun and an incredible person. I guess he said something about her hiding from the world when she became a nun and this is a terrible thing to say to a nun here. Rather than punch the man father grabbed him around the neck or collar and began to shake the man relentlessly. I heard it was quite a scene. I wish I could have put a video camera in that cops face, and caught the spectacle to share. The crowd which had been watching from a distance quickly grabbed the officer and pulled him away and giving father a chance to bolt. The policeman was humiliated and stormed off. Father is awesome, he is very passive until someone crosses the line and then he lets em have it. Well the dinner bell is ringing. I am ready for some American food; pizza, sweets, fast-food, salads, and most of all beef. I finished the book Deep Economy today. What an incredible read. Thanks Dad

To Control is to Fail

Take care

Blzzzz Mosquito

The day was a success. Planted the volleyball poles and made more progress on the basketball hoop. The children were very enthusiastic this evening. They seem to be every time I pull out the camera. Before my tip here I thought drunken college girls were the ones who got most excited when a camera was present. Turns out I was wrong it’s the children of Africa. These kids would and will do anything it takes for me to take a photo of them. I used an entire memory card this afternoon. That’s over 350 pictures and 2 batteries. Most of the photos I just finished deleting, but some of them you will see in my next photo post. The kids are so full of energy. The children are very creative and unique. They are however sculpted by the media. There are maybe 5 quality movies in the bin at the orphanage. Four of them are Bruce Lee movies and one of them is a Michael Jackson concert compilation. These two Genres (for lack of a better word) have tailored the way the children behave when they goof off. They either do some wild Karate move or pull a Michael Jackson dance move which is very entertaining. If these children had been exposed to the quality and the volume of media and entertainment available in the United States who knows what they would do. Maybe good maybe not. Nature/Nurture. This trip is making me think about so many things from such a different perspective I love it.

Big day tomorrow. The Kingasani team (which is the convent at which I stay) Vs. the orphanage squad which is my team. Football/soccer. Coach Father Willy Vs Coach Father Gabriel. If that SOB hadn’t kicked me in the foot I would be on the orphan squad, but unless an act of god occurs over night it looks like ill be warmen the bench, or playing the conga. It should be an exciting game and will be followed by Volleyball which I will be participating in. Go team Orphan!! Mosquito's are tearing me up now as the rain falls for the second hour straight. I appreciate the rain, it makes the pollution settle and makes for a great view of both the river and mountains tomorrow.

Wednesday Thursday Today

Wednesday

Third day in a row in pain. I have an invisible ball and chain wrapped around my right foot, keeping me within the convent. I am not complaining, I appreciate the rest and the opportunity to read some of the books I brought from America. I finished A Land Remembered yesterday and wish I had read it at age 12. Makes me sad to think about how much we have destroyed in the name of progress. It’s not just Florida, it’s happening here, it’s happening everywhere. But that’s the world. Interestingly I have begun to read Deep Economy which seems to address this issue and prescribe a solution. The reality of it is we will never see those towering trees and impenetrable swamps that once dominated Florida’s landscape. I went to the doctor yesterday. He wrote me a prescription for Ibuprofen. Then they sent me to get X-rayed, where I waited outside in an outdoor waiting room, while people with serious injuries (car accidents and falls) covered in blood were laying on the ground awaiting attention. I was there for about three hours, and they took an x-ray of my ankle and then the side of my foot that is not hurt. My friend on Facebook commented that as of six months ago that is where American healthcare is heading. I have an appointment to see a few nurses today sometime. I saw them yesterday and was surprised that the three of them are all white. I have seen maybe 3 other white people since I have been here. They are not Americans, but European. I thought my foot was broken yesterday, but it has started to feel a little better late this morning, I’m hopeful. I haven’t seen the children in three days, and miss them greatly. I know it will be hard to go back to the states and leave them behind. Might shove one in my conga drum. The weather has been nice, hot during the middle of the day, but cool at night. It’s not as uncomfortable as Florida can be, the air is much dryer, though it rains frequently. People continue to be friendly and entertaining. Everyone wants me to give them my computer when I leave to America. They are all delusional in regards to their idea of America. Lots of people have been rubbing my foot and trying to message the pain out of it. If its muscular than great, but if its broken that would explain why I am in so much pain each night. They think I am weird for trying to ice it and then heat it. One man took my crutch away from me, suggesting that the only way to heal was to walk it off. I have been through some injuries, but this is certainly the most disabling of them all. All in all things are good. If my foot heals up by tomorrow, I will be able to finish several of the projects I have started. I don’t think I will be able to labor, but I can order the children around as well as the staff and get it all done. I am sick and tired of these giant flies here. They are twice the size of an American fly and they land on your nose, on your head, on your food, mango, drinks, bread, everywhere. The only good thing about them is that their larger size makes them slightly slower than American flies and that’s just enough to flatten them with your hand or flick them across the room. There are several dead ones laying around me this moment. Its manga (mango) season here and all the trees are ripe with big green, orange and yellow fruits. Mango and avocado trees here are more numerous then oaks and pines in Polk County. Hope I can make it out to the orphanage today. I’ll try to post some pictures of the lunch I am about to eat. It is an unusually prepared fish that is delicious and is present in 75% of the meals here at the convent, I haven’t seen it but I can smell it.

Later

And yes I eat the entire Fish.

Thursday

Today I began the day ill. All it took was a trip to the infirmary and I am sick with a sore throat and fever. I felt it late last night and took some of the antibiotics I had been prescribed in the states (thanks Dr. B). I should be able to shake it off. I went to eat with the seminarians early and was disappointed when I bit into a piece of bread that was totally full of ants. If you don’t like bugs than don’t come to Congo. I asked if I should eat the ants, but they grabbed me another piece of bread. While writing this I am reminded of a memorable event that I have witnessed several times since. When I first saw it my initial reaction was fear, cause I assumed the T-virus had been unleashed upon Kinshasa’s inhabitants and they were all zombies storming uninfected flesh. Turns out that wasn’t the case, but if you have seen the way Hollywood portrays the zombies attacking a human, it looks exactly this way. The humans are actually storming the Taxi’s not everywhere, for I would have witnessed this long before, but in the down town area where people far outnumber the capacity of the taxi’s and public transportation (if public transportation even exists here). People don’t want to walk down the godforsaken streets of Kinshasa for 30 minutes and no one wants to walk them for three hours at night while the journey home from a long days work. When a taxi unloads its incoming passengers, it becomes shear indiscriminant madness. I have seen mothers with babies being pushed away as men in business suits plow through the crowd to secure a seat in the taxi. Women doing the same. When I say “seat in a taxi” forget about the American image that creates. The taxis here are old vans, comparable to VW’s. There is a driver, and one man that hangs out the side of the passenger seat calling out orders and replacing the horn which has likely been broken for years. Behind these two men sits, no kidding between 15 and 22 people, never less than 15. You couldn’t fit a five year old in most of these vans when they are at what they consider capacity. I have yet to journey on one of these and hope I don’t have to for it looks of shear misery.

Any ways I started the day with a trip to the sisters where they hook me up to electrodes and run an electrical current through my foot as I read the Deep Economy. The cover of this book makes me look very sophisticated, I might just turn it into a universal book cover. The nurse visit lasts about an hour and a half. While I am there I witness all sorts of people with terrible injuries and birth defects. The children who cannot move all their limbs put my foot injury in perspective. I will write a post about my experience in the physical therapy clinic once I make my last visit. I felt bad cause unlike the rest of the people who were piling into the room I had the hope of returning to America, where they have no choice but to overcome their birth defect/injury in order to feed themselves. I was awaiting a foot massage from one of the good looking Italian nurses, but left as the room was overcrowded with people who needed attention far more than I. I walked home against fathers orders, but its only about a quarter mile through the streets. My foot is healing quickly considering that yesterday I couldn’t stand on it and wrote my mom an email saying it was broken for sure. It aint but it hurts bad. Father Gabriel and I went to market today. We were looking for items to finish the volleyball net/poles. One lady said that’s what happens when you play with the “blacks”, in regards to my foot. She knew my injury was from a football game, not sure how but word travels quick here, then again it is about the only sport our two worlds have in common. She was very sympathetic and kind when she said it (according to father Gabriel, it was in French). Another man was very anxious to help us, but just couldn’t create the part we needed, I felt bad when I told him “no but thank you” I expected him to be upset. Rather we shook my hand and gave me one of the most sincere “thank you’s” I have ever received. Sincere enough that I recall it 24 hours later, I am writing the accounts of yesterday as if they happened today, but it is in fact Friday. The people here love America. It represents equality, but I think most of all it represents hope. We found what we needed and headed out to the orphanage. I put the basketball pole together and tried to help out as mush as I could with the concrete and the electrical work also being done. I forget this blog is not all about me… THE CHILDREN were ecstatic when I arrived. They were morning my foot for a few days and very concerned about my wellbeing. They sent my translator to the convent to check on me early in the week, but they wanted to see me in flesh. I gave them my usual round of high-fives and then distributed some candy from Aunt Catherine that I had forgotten we had. Needless to say its gone now. I use the candy to bribe the children and get them to do the work that my foot no longer will allow me to do. I am working on learning all the names which is very difficult. We threw the football a bit, but I spent most of the day in a chair. Little Devine follows me around with a chair everywhere I go. I limped up a hill and watched a soccer match. Our team Vs. another village team. It’s a fun thing to see. I saw there was a big hole in the soccer field and had a couple young people help me fill it. One little guy(who is not part of the orphanage) worked so hard that I gave him a five dollar bill which is a lot of money for a kid his age. But he earned it. Our kids work hard but they don’t work for long and won’t work when there is little apparent reward. The soccer/football field is a major success. People are coming from all around to play and to watch the teams compete. I am crushed not to be able to participate, I want to ref, but all the opponents are sure that I have a bias. I don’t, I just want them to understand offside’s. The day ended as most do waiting on father and others. I am use to it, but my sore throat made it unpleasant.

Popped some antibiotics, convinced father that I should get a bottle of liquor to help me sleep and enjoy myself, but I know better than to combine antibiotics and medicine.

Friday

Today is a great day. Got good nights sleep and my foot is feeling much better. Still won’t be able to walk right for a few more days, but that’s fine, I will fit in with the slow pace of life here. I just got a massage from that goodlookin Italian I had mentioned earlier. My foot and my spirits are feeling the effects. I am making friends there. The same people come in each day and are helped by the sisters. They do a good job, and I think the color of their skin arouses more hope in those they help. Just a thought. I am really loving this book Deep Economy, you all should read it. My buddy Nokia (12 year old native who hangs around the convent) was there to help me back from the clinic. He is working on his English and surprised me with a few fraises today. I don’t think he knows what they mean but its good to hear proper annunciation. The children here speak the best English, the adults know the language the best but the children speak what they do not very clearly. I rewarded Nokia with a Coca-Cola. They are brewed here in Congo and taste similar but different from those bottled in the states. I like these more. They were ice cold which is a luxury here. They cost about 20 cents apiece. I tipped the guy and he looked at me like I was mad. Tipping is nice, but I can see where people may interpret it as showing off or acting superior. Im about to go on my first Congo motorcycle ride. One of the Fathers is going to take me out to the orphanage. 125 cc Yamaha. Hope I make it. I’ll try to post again this afternoon. Volleyball Court completion is the days mission.