I told my staff on the first day that I want to conduct all business in French. They do not let me slide on that either! I have had a few mornings where my glazed eyes and delayed response was a sure sign I was not tracking on all cylinders - I think I need to get a soda in before arriving at the office. Our office hours are 7:30 - 5:30 so it is an early morning for someone who prefers a 9am start time.
We had a 3 day weekend last weekend and I had such grand plans to visit monkeys and concerts. Well, that is of course until Friday when I started feeling a bit crummy. And, crummier on Saturday, worse than crummy on Sunday and Monday. Today, moderately crummy. So, we title today's post as toilet talk! Not sure what I ate or drank but I can tell you my body is revolting.
New observations from the Congo - bribes. Now, I knew I was coming to a corrupt society. But, today for example we were in our motor pool vehicle returning home after work and the gym. The police have been "directing" traffic about 50 yards from the entrance to our compound. But, they typically leave by 6:15. We thought we were in luck until the policewoman said no passage unless we paid for the right. No, we went around which adds about 20 minutes and by the time you go around they are gone from the area. The police also obtain a small payment for watching your vehicle when you are shopping or eating and if they walk you to your car. These services are worth the 500 congolese francs (about 50 cents) but payment for passage to a public road just fries me! We were discussing the issue of these payments. And, in a society where the police and military are often not paid, it is a small civil tax to pay for a little bit of safety/security.
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