74. Wrap up

We have lived on fresh Pineapples since our arrival and loved every bite.  Mangoes and avocadoes are also so amazingly good here. Ken’s sister Marcia shared a site with me about pineapples after she and her cook kept us with one or all three of these fruits at every meal while in Tshikaji! These three and Plantain chips- THIN ones!! Even have some chips in our luggage! Yum!! Amazing all the health benifits from pineapples! Indigestion to plaque to sore joint help! Well, I’ll be. We were eating healthy and didn’t even know it!! Gee, wonder what mangoes, avocadoes and plantains do for your health! ;)

Last night we went over to Ruthie and David Schaad’s home for supper. Oh, what a special treat! Lovely 5 bedroom home- up on a hill overlooking the city with a full moon added for total ambiance, great food- Al Fresco and fantastic company. We talked old times and life in Africa in general.  Ken and I knew Ruthie Bobb as a little girl. David  was a Missionary kid in Angola and they met at TASOK. (American School here). Two couples and we both met in Congo! “It is a Small World After All!”

Being a guest at MPH is fun!  No worries, no complaints to us -about water pressure, wifi, termites in the library, this supper was not Congolese food, or issues with the water pump- and no responsibilities.  When the meal bell rings we are like Pavlov’s Dog and mosey on down to the Dining Room. ;)

Daily life at MPH continues with Clay and Cindy back in charge. Clay is going to install a new water pressure control/compressor doololly so MPH keeps good water pressure. Guess we all hit the old one too many times! It died! ;) By the way, thanks for your prayers that the big electric and water pressure issues did not happen when we were here all alone!!;)  Bella, one of the cats here, is “safe” -after her visit to the vet -to let out of the apartment. Now, I guess she’ll have to learn her territory on the grounds here at MPH. I assume Tiger will teach it to her. (I know our  family 's older dogs “taught” our new puppies the ropes. All of our Dobermans and Goldens were Obedience Trained and it made raising a new family puppy easier- since they just followed and mimicked the older dog.)  I assume cats do the same- if they want to, of course- after all, they are cats!

The Chauffeur, Emmanuel, did end up getting the full time job driving for IMA. That is great news for him- sad for MPH. Emanuel knows every nook and cranny in this town. Tell him what you want and he knows where to take you. He knows safe and not, cheap and not, good restaurants and not and European and Congolese restaurants. He and Ken formed a special friendship bond – using three languages to communicate-on our weekly shopping trips. One quickly learns that a lot of the Congolese employees here at MPH keep their English knowledge a “secret.” They don’t speak it but I’d bet a dollar to a donut - from watching their eyes- that they understand us as we sit around talking -thinking they don’t! The ones that ask for translation help are taking “rote” type classes in English. Ken and I found it funny up in the Kasai to sit wherever we were and where folks did not know that we spoke Tshiluba- and we could eavesdrop on their conversations.

The Sthreshley house is coming right along. Slow but sure! The workers are texturing inside and out. It is beginning to look like a home. Once Inge puts her touches on it etc in the inside and her plant knowledge on the outside it’ll be gorgeous. She’ll have to send me pictures!  Aunt Flo- thanks for the two books you sent back to me.  I needed the one on Tshiluba sooner!!  Look forward to reading, See What God Can Do. It has been fun getting to know your family here at MPH. They are a delight!

Guess you saw on the news or YouTube on Monday, that we had an apartment building collapse here in Massamba in the Gomba district of Kinshasa.- near some of our weekly shopping area. Blame everywhere, no word on deaths or final on injuries. People were living on floors 1-3 and they were adding floors 4-6. All I know is one of the Ministers of “Something” said they were using iron pipes. Well, I remember from teaching about the 1920’s and the building of NYC -all of the buildings were short until Mr. Bessemer and steel came along-  because Iron could not hold heavy loads or take great torque. Hum. Sad.

Friday - our last one here- will also be our last Ex-Pat night in Kinshasa. Wow! Hard to believe. We have been in the Congo almost five months. It has been fun to meet folks from all over the US coming out here to work for a few weeks. We also met others from all over Africa and Europe. MPH is like a little UN some days with folks from everywhere.

Thom Mccutchen must thinke we are going to now be in Belgium for 5 months! :0 ;)) He wrote: When you get to Brussels see if you can find a "Frits" Vendor - with a little cart. Frits and Mustard on the street in Brussels. They are probably still near the carnival close to downtown.

Then go get an éclair - The Real Thing - Belgian Egg pastry, Real Egg Custard and wonderful Belgian Chocolate on top. Best thing I ever had as a child!

Buy me a bar of Marzi-Pan (Mas-Pan). Almond Flavored!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally - Go in a little store - Buy a small piece of the finest Belgian Chocolate (White might be the best) and enjoy that for a spell........................

For breakfast one morning, if you can find it, get a bowl of Belgian mussels steamed in seaweed (saltly). Best mussels I ever ate!

 Then that same day for lunch go  find a restaurant that serves Filet American served with fresh water cress and a lite vinegar and oil dressing. Try horse meat, if they have it.

 Enjoy tour stay. 

I will sign off for today. Paul Law flew back in last night and it was good to see him. Flight in his plane took four hours ish. What fun to be able to do that!! Said it all looks the same from the air- green trees, villages and rivers. Very few roads to try to follow. No really big towns! No VORs or NDBs. Taking a mark on places is not easy. But the GPS helps a bunch.

Have a great weekend!  

Love,Ya!  Me