ho-hum, after work entertainment

I've been working a lot lately. So in the absence of creative energy, here are some frivolous internet quizzes...

What Kind of Guy Will You Fall For?
	You would fall for the sensitive guy. You'll find your future man wherever turtlenecks are sold. He will have depth, introspection, and a disturbing knowledge of musical theatre. And he may be a little weird. But hey, while your girlfriends cry over broken hearts, you'll be having Shakespeare read to you every night.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Which Disney Princess Are You?
	You are Pocahontas. You defy convention and sometimes do what is considered taboo. Unfortunately, others do not always appreciate your differences, so it's good that you are so strong-willed. You are loyal and you believe in fate. Your true love will find you one day.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

TV Star

The aweseome opportunities I have here in Congo never cease to amaze me. So now not only am I a rock star in Congo, I'm also a television star! My fame may be somewhat fleeting, but who's complaining? Last week my choir was interviewed for a local program called "La Musique du Ciel" ("Heavenly Music"). We all sat inside a music recording studio with the vibrant host of the show who made flamboyant commentary in Lingala (and I was pleased to actually understand most of it!). A bright light was directed on us as the camera man panned around the room, getting some close ups of me since I was in the front row! Thankfully I didn’t have to say anything because just 4 members were selected to respond to the questions. Between questions we sang some of our songs.

Yes, I'm a TV Star

The TV host is sitting on the stool on the right.

Missionary Pick Up Line

Usually guys here don't need pick up lines. They just say "You're beautiful, give me your phone number." Yeah, no thanks.

But today this guy must have really been trying because he actually used a line on Theresa. Right up there with the best of them...

"Do you believe in God?" "Yes." "Oh, well I don't. Want to talk to me about Him?"

Ha! The funny part was he probably didn't realize he was being funny.

Monkies need baths

Monkey Business is not a normal cat. She's a business Monkey. She likes to hang out while I take a shower. She usually jumps in several times, sometimes getting fairly wet.
Tonight I decided she smelled bad so I just put some shampoo on her and let her take a shower with me. She didn't even mind it!
She was fine with the shower, but afterwards it was hard to get a photo because she was too busy scurrying around like a wet rat.

My love life

So the other day Theresa and I designated different roles our friends play in Monkey Business's life. I'm her mom and Theresa is her auntie. Heather is her best friend because she comes over to play and Barb is her grandma because she gets to go to her house to visit sometimes. We decided that our friend Chris from choir would be her boyfriend. The other day at practice he even asked me about her! I felt really happy to see him last night and was like "Theresa! There's Monkey's boyfriend!" Yes, I am living vicariously through my cat's imaginary love life. That's how awesome I am.

Karismatic

I have been marveling at how much I find myself integrated into Karisma Gospel choir. Friday night’s rehearsal was a ton of fun. The last two rehearsals they’ve spent a big chunk of time helping me learn a solo part to one of the songs. The song starts off with one of the other girls singing in a Congolese language. Then I come in with the English rendition. During these lengthy solos, the choir just follows along with some choreography. Then there’s a last section where we all repeat this one line over and over and there are a couple of really awesome solo parts that are so fast I’m not sure how the soloists manage to spit out the words. It’s a very fun song and I’m super happy to be able to do the English solo, especially since it seems to fit my voice and I can do it with a reasonable amount of confidence.

The other song we practiced on Friday is a real “Gospel” style song. There’s a lead part that everyone repeats after: “Hallelujah! (Hallelujah!) Hallelujah, amen! (Hallelujah, amen!), etc.". For some reason, since Gospel music comes from America and I’m American, they kept looking to me to come up with some kind of dance move for the song. This is hilarious to me given that they used to think I didn’t even know how to dance, and at first I was like “What?! Yeah right!” But when they asked a second time I was prepped with the move I wanted to do, so I showed it to them and they all started doing it! I’m a choreographer! The president of the choir was singing the lead part, but then he would call out other people’s names to do it. After three or four others, he called on me to do it one last time! It’s a really fun song and I was into it, but I think I got an adrenaline rush ‘cause I was shaking afterwards!

Anyways, all that to say, not only am I having a blast, but it seems like I’ve really been accepted as a full-fledged member. They’re not just humoring the white girl!

Little Monkey is Growing

Isn't my baby cute? Everyone tells me she's very beautiful, especially for being a random Congolese cat from a quickie mart!

I love this girl

"I'm the only one who is allowed to mix languages."

"Why?"

"Because I'm living in a language cocktail!"

--Theresa, my German housemate who is currently only speaking English, French, and Laari.

New Year's Pics

Here are my New Year's pics on Facebook. Check out my new hobby of taking "Congolese photos".

My Apartment is Awesome

Check out these before and after pics! I have my new furniture and the cushions all covered and just last week we finally got our wall hanging up. It's pretty much awesome.

Christmas in Congo Pics

Here are some photos of my Christmas festivities in Congo this year. Merry Christmas!

Congo's health care system

Here's a recent article about the disastrous state of health care here in Congo-Brazzaville. This is why you're praying I don't get sick :o) Pray for my friends. I know people who have recently been in the hospitals mentioned in this article. I've been in the hospitals and can assure you, it's as bad as this article says.

Money may not grow on trees...but mangoes do!

Waiting for choir practice to start tonight, I was sitting at the church looking out into the courtyard when a huge wind blew up. Mangoes started falling out of the massive tree in the middle of the yard and several people scurried around to pick them up, pleased with their find. It was cute.

I got home after choir rehearsal and heard a rustling above my head as I walked up our driveway. A mango came crashing through the branches of the tree and fell a few feet from me. "Oh, a mango!" I picked it up, took it home, cut it up, and ate it. It was yummy.

My new treat is buying a mango already cut up at the bus stop. They put it in a bag with some salt and I eat it piece by piece on the way home. I enjoy throwing the peel out the window and I think the other passengers enjoy watching the white lady savoring her tasty mango-to-go.

We always talk about Adam and Eve eating the "apple" but I think if it was so tempting it must have been a mango :o)

My Cat Monkey Biz

Here are some photos of the kutest kat in kongo

We had a blast singing at the French Cultural Center again Saturday night. With each concert, our friends seem to open up more and more (or maybe we're the ones getting more and more comfortable). Theresa and I have a little expression..."Once you go black, you never go back." :o)

Today we saw my good friend Louz and he said "Theresa, you really danced good at the concert!" And he kept going on about it while I just stood there, so I said "Hey! I'm jealous!" He looked at me and was like "What? You're already Congolese. She's still white." So then I was happy :o)

Thanksgiving

Here are my Thanksgiving pics...finally (thank you, Poopernet)

Birthday Bash in Brazza

Birthdays in Brazzaville are a great thing, at least judging by the last 2 years. I decided to carry on a couple of traditions from last year, so first thing Saturday morning I went down to the Mandarine for espresso and pastries with Theresa, Dana, and Heather. Then we headed to Total market to shop for shoes and clothes (we normally buy groceries there and don’t ever take time to look around and see what else there is). This year I found a nice skirt and a really cute dress in the “friperie” (Congolese equivalent of Goodwill).


Before noon Theresa and I needed to head back home to get ready for our concert. We spent all afternoon waiting for the concert to start—it was even later than normal since it poured down rain for half an hour. But it was great fun hanging around with our choir friends, especially since we were in a silly mood for my birthday. The concert was an AIDS awareness event promoting the fact that to get tested for HIV/AIDS is free and everyone should get it done. December 1st is International AIDS Awareness Day, or something like that.

Several different groups performed. Our presentation was pretty disappointing. I didn’t feel prepared at all and unfortunately I had 2 solos! The first one I totally botched and sang in the wrong pitch. The next two soloists’ microphones weren’t working and then I did my second solo which went OK. I spent the rest of the performance wishing I weren’t on stage and wondering how I was ever going to show my face in public again after all my friends had just witnessed my idiocy. Fortunately some people didn’t even notice and those who did were gracious. The choir still really wanted me to sing with them at a church service the next morning, so I guess life goes on.

After the concert it was time to party at Dana and Heather’s place. My friends are so cool and they planned a big get together for me. Lydia brought her amazing sauerkraut which she had started making on Thursday. Barb brought her tasty salsa and Theresa made an adorable cake (in the morning she’d even given me a miniature one with a candle!). D and H provided drinks, bread, mashed potatoes, etc, not to mention letting us completely trash their house! My friends Geritte and Espérance were there, along with Marvin, a friend of Espé’s. My friend Patricia from Kenya came and one of our Congolese colleagues Kevin was there too. It was an interesting blend of friends, but it came together really nice! Oh, Monkey Business was there too.

I shared from Isaiah 35, my chapter for the year and we ate some snacks. Then it was time for the real food and then some German techno music! Getting this group of random people to dance together was a trick, but then Espé suggested we choreograph a dance and it was awesome! Wish I could show you the video! Of course the neighbors wondered what was going on up there :o) We ate the cake and I got lots of gifts, which was so nice of my friends, but I’m still waiting for my packages from home to get here.

The party was a great success, so I felt better after my singing fiasco, and overall it was a really full day with lots of good memories.

Monkey B comes for a visit

Yesterday I went to visit Monkey Business and informed the store keeper that I'd like to take him home on Saturday since it's my birthday. As I was playing with him, the guy was like "Why don't you just take him now?" Sucker for cute animals that I am, I did take him home with me, but only for an hourlong visit during which he got stuck behind the oven, got acquainted with the dog, and fell asleep on my lap.

Yes, I know I have the most ridiculously cute kitten ever. I was surprised and happy that, scared though he was, he drank some milk out of a saucer. Classic.

Lovely new profile pic

First Concert with Karisma

Hey! My roomie and I sang in our first Karisma Gospel choir concert--2 concerts in fact! On Sunday we sang at an outdoor venue, dressed like beautiful Congolese women. Then tonight we sang at the French Cultural Center. We placed second in the gospel section of a jazz competition. I'll see about posting video sometime, although I doubt our connection will allow me to upload such a thing. We'll see. Anywho, it was tons of fun. We love getting to be friends with the other singers and performing with such a popular group is a thrill.