Now that the elections are nearing, we are all getting a bit testy. The security guy at the office sent me a text message at 6:45 in the morning (sheesh!) about possible marches from the UDPS party around my house.
This morning I have received another email message from him in my outlook and two more from a friend about where the marches would progress. This is exactly like it was last year, at the same time when the elections where supposed to take place.
Also, the weirdest thing happened to me when I was driving to the office. I saw....brace yourselves...4, FOUR! traffic signs at the last round-about: a STOP sign, a MERGE sign, and two others which I was too stunned to really observe.
2 comments:
Don't get too worried, it's just a bit of political profiling before the national elections go down at the end of July. Anyway, the Calvary (EU Congo Security Mission) is on the way just in case things get out of hand in Kinshasa and around the airport.
Last night I had the great pleasure of spending 5 hours in conversation with visitors from Kinshasa. The mother and sister of a close friend of mine is in Germany for a first time visit. Mama Emilie and Tété from the Bas Congo region. Mama is just splendid; a study in quiet strength and wisdom and beauty and courage that has been so often depicted in your writing and photos on this blog and those of the rest of the Congo Crew.
I took them on a sweeping journey of the history of the New World with an emphasis on the influences and experiences of Africans in the Americas over hundreds of years. Mama Emilie was just fascinated, as were her two daughters. My Lingala, French, English, and German language skills plus my acting abilities had them laughing for the whole evening. More on this later at my place.
P.S. Mama Emilie says that many people down in the DRC still have hope for these elections, despite all of the troubles of the past and the threats and great suffering that people face every day. Remember, HOPE is the last thing to die.
P.S.S. They are NOT big fans of Joseph Kabila or any of the other political candidates. They have faith in the democratic process and in the hope that the international community will stick with them this time... and they have a deep faith in God.
FOUR TRAFFIC SIGNS... Always take a camera with you, naughty gal.
ELECTIONS - Civilization is throwing mud not stones during election-time.
Strudel
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