First pics in Congo

Here are some photos of Maria's first few weeks in Congo! They include a lot of other firsts for her, such as eating, drinking, and growing teeth! There are also some from our favorite annual Independence Day bash at the American Embassy. That wasn't a first for Maria because she attended last year in utero :o)

Back to blogging in Brazza

My apologies to those of you who have checked my blog to much avail these past few months!

My first entry since returning to Congo in April will be about the delightful party I went to at the American Embassy for the 4th of July, because when I arrived the ambassador greeted me with a chastisement for not maintaining my blog :o)

The fete was held in the embassy courtyard under a tent. Servers continually passed through the crowd with trays of drinks and hors d'oeuvres (sushi, skewered meat, fried shrimp, and other tasty treats). It was hard for me to turn them down and I went away having eaten at least my fair share of government diplomatic funds.

The elections are today and I was surprised to be told that the candidates were present at the party (except for the president himself). Heather and I had a hard time figuring out what to wear and came in African cloth because it's the only nice clothes we have. Most of the people at the party were men and almost all of them were in suits. In general it's difficult to be over-dressed in Congo, not to mention when it comes to high brow events such as this one.

The cake was a giant imitation of the White House and I was delighted to be chosen to receive the very first piece--bribery to get me back on my blog?? :o) Apparently the exquisite work of culinary art suffered a car accident on the way, but it didn't look any the worse for wear (unlike my hair which became progressively frizzy throughout the evening in spite of my rare effort to actually style it for the event).

This was my first opportunity to attend an official embassy function and I look forward to future occasions! Feels like a fancy tax refund :o)