Home away from home (Blog #5

My home away from home here in Congo is at the Rwabikanga residence.  Their home is 4 bedroom home with a living room, bathroom and a hallway/ kitchen preparation area.  The actual kitchen where they cook the meals is out back in a small shed with 2 coal stoves.  There is also an electric stove inside the house but it is less often used b/c it takes too much power to use it.  The family consists of Kalongo, the father, Akiki, the mother, their daughters Hope (12) and Merveil (4 months), and their niece Grace (17).  Grace and Hope are currently sharing a room as the family has graciously given 2 of the rooms to me and my colleagues.  I have my own room and Stephen and Scott share room. 

     

Daily life in the household includes breakfast, lunch and dinner at the dining room table, cooking, cleaning, washing, going to school 6 days a week, going to church, watching TV and entertaining Merveil who is a delightful and happy baby.  Merveil is a French name meaning marvelous.  Today is Sunday and as I am sitting here writing this blog, gospel music videos from Tanzania are playing in the background.  The videos include dancing and singing with scenic backgrounds such as the island or beach, beautiful mountain villages, and landscaped gardens.  Each video also usually conveys some kind of message such AIDS awareness and watching what you say b/c your mouth can get you in trouble. 

I am not too fond of some of the other TV shows here.  2 of the main ones that the girls like to watch here are foreign shows that have been dubbed in English and French.  There is a Spanish show called “2^nd Chance” that looks like something from Telemundo that has been dubbed in English.  From what I can tell it is about a man names Salvador that has had a 2^nd chance at life b/c he died and came back to life.  However, when he came back to life, he is in his body but with the spirit of an older business man that was the owner of a profitable company.  Salvador has a swag that makes him irresistible to women, young and old, with his long curly hair and his sexy physical build.  He also more knowledgeable about the business due to his new found wisdom of the spirit inside him which makes the women even more attracted to him.  The acting is already terrible and the dubbing of the voices makes the show even worse.  The girls and Kalongo are equally enthralled by this show though so it is often the focus of the TV, when there is power of course!  Another show is an Indian show that is dubbed in French about a family that apparently has some kind of demons but they cannot figure out who the actual demon in the family is.  This is what I can gather from just short portion of it I have watched trying to discern what very little I know in French.

Akiki, works a lot and I try to do my best to help her around the house but she often tells me no.  I have to be very insistent on helping out and trying to do my share.  Although the family does have a housegirl that helps with the washing and cleaning and a man that helps with the cooking, Akiki and the girls do a lot of the work.  So far, they have allowed me to help wash clothes one time, clean my room, cook some eggs and help wash dishes.  I also help take care of Merveil sometimes by keeping her occupied while Akiki eats or prepares dinner.  Merveil is easily entertained and has the most precious smile so I can work with her because as many of you may know, babies are not my thing lol!  Akiki has promised that she will teach me how to cook as I try to become more domesticated J.  The meals we have are very good and usually consist of rice and/or potatoes; a vegetable such as cabbage, green beans, peas, or spinach; a meat, usually chicken, fish or beef; and boiled or fried bananas.  The diet here consists of a lot of starch and oil used to prepare the food (I really have to make sure I keep going to the gym or I will definitely gain a lot of weight while I am here).

Stephen, Scott and I spend a lot of time conducting Sports4Hope business but we have managed to find other fun ways to occupy our time.  We were invited to a Congolese wedding last weekend that was fun with lots of singing and dancing.  We also spend time in the internet (when it is working) making contact with people back home and the guys check the sports scores to various games that they are not able to watch here.  We play games to keep ourselves entertained like “Catchphrase”, “Stadt, Land, Fluss” (A German version of Scattergories that requires only paper and pencil), and various card games.  Yesterday the guys played volleyball with some other mzungus here in Bunia.  There is an NGO here called Medcare that does relief work in the area and every Sat. they have volleyball games at their compound. 

We have been very blessed to be living with the Rwabikangas.  The family is very hospitable and makes sure that we have everything we need such as hot water to take our “showers” twice a day which apparently is a requirement here.  You have to shower before breakfast and again before dinner.  Meal times offer an opportunity to learn more Swahili and more about the culture.  Many times though, Stephen, Akiki and Kalongo get engrossed in a conversation in French and Scott and I have puzzled looks on our faces.   Also Kalongo just rigged up the refrigerator (that man is truly a jack of all trades) so that it now works with some kind of stabilizer device that he bought so we will now have cold water to drink and will be able to refrigerate items.  Oh the life!