I thought it was about time I gave you all a few thoughts and posted some pictures of general life here in Congo.
First up is the market. The market is a fun, vibrant place. Loud African music blares from a loud speaker as the mamas chat with each other and their small children crawl around. All the mamas go to the market each day to sell there wares- fruits and veggies and such. The sun is usually blazing hot, but these mamas sit there all day selling food. It's kind of like Safeway, but completely different in every way. A trip to the market goes something like this: when you get to the market you look around for what you want (or don't want but are forced to eat because of a lack of other options) i.e. whose selling the best eggplants this week? Once you locate the preferred (or necessary) item you ask the mama how much. If she speaks French she tells you, but sometimes the mamas at the market only speak Lingala in which case it's a kind of pantomime/attempting to speak Lingala transaction. In any case, you choose how much vegetable you want and then throw in an extra as a "cadeau" (gift) and pay. Then you pick your food up off the ground and go on to the next mama until all the shopping is done.
This is the main drag of Aru. Our house is just a bit down the road from here. The market is about a 20 minute walk, but we are able to buy a few necessities such as bananas and peanuts from the boutiques on the main drag. While all the mamas are at the market, all the papas hang out around the boutiques here.
This is our parish church, Our Lady of Congo. We live directly across the street, which is great because mass is a 1.5 minute walk away.
No comments:
Post a Comment