October 02, 2006

Back in the US of A

Dear All,

I am writing from my new room in Washington DC, where the weather is oh-so perfect and my windows are open. I can hear the clanging of a construction crew working on a recreation center, some heavy gangsta/hip-hop music, a car alarms ringing and ringing without let-up and kids playing basketball on the court next to my house.

What a change a few months make! I am loving the fact that I am back and slowly becoming acclimated to Mountains O' Things (as Tracy Chapman said so well): the 13 types of bread at Giant, spending a Congolese yearly salary on a room rental for a month, props and more props for the scary Halloween season ahead, rich succulent food heaped in mounds on my restaurant plate, containers I didn't know I need from the Container store. It's a little overwhelming at time and I find myself having to leave a store to take a breather outside in the beautiful weather.

I am still looking for a job, though I have decided to work part-time until I can find something decent because my money is dwindling fast. By the way, if you know of anyone working for a Health Campaign firm (one that works on Behavior Change), please let me know!

I was offered a job a few weeks back but the pay was not very substantial and it was located waaaaay in the middle of nowhere, Maryland. God dammit, I have a family to feed! Uh, actually that's a lie but it's a little linguistic tic I picked up in the Congo.

Other than that, life is peachy, thank you very much.

Best Regards,
007 in Africa

PS: Thanks all for your nice comments (especially that 70 year old man who can still speak Swahili-how cool is that?)

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Welcome back to blogland, and good luck in Washington!

Anonymous said...

Welcome back!
I hope you still remember me (friend fo Marie and Carlos' collegue at the Spanish Commercial Office in Dakar); hope you're fine and pelase, keep on updating!
G

Anonymous said...

Hello! I've just found you blog searching for information about drc in the internet. I 'm very interested in Africa, and I plan to write my graduate thesis about ethnic african conflcits. I would really apreciate it if you would contact me, since you've been there..
my email is beluarce@gmail.com
thanx a lot!

Anonymous said...

You're back! Yay! You've been missed.

(anonymous, go check out dizolele.com)

Carl said...

does your new house hava a porch?

Anonymous said...

Welcome back!

An anonymous who shares many friends with you... but whom you never met (how weird is that?). I featured you on my blog so that people can enjoy reading you as much as I do!!!

Anonymous said...

*singing*
I'm so excited.
I can't deny it.
I want, I want, I want to. Dis.Co.
*does a strange yet amusing belly dance*

I can't hold myself, I'm so glad you're back!

I've been thinking of you recently - I'm so close to the DRC and now you're so far from it....

See you SOON (IN TWO WEEKS!)

Beavy the weavy

P.S. When you have a minute - updating your header might be a good idea :o)

Victoria said...

Please please please tell me you picked up "US and A" from the upcoming Borat movie. I got a pass for an advance showing and I'm beside myself with excitement.