Kiss my Kinshasa

Today is Tuesday. I think I was born on a Tuesday, but that’s neither here nor there. I arrived in Kinshasa on Saturday. The UN flight was remarkably hassle-free. It arrived on time, and we even sat in the first class section. Joy! Once in Kinshasa I met up with a few new friends and enjoyed the city life. I think always manage to take a hot bath and eat pizza within a couple hours of my arrival, and this time was no exception.

I’m always surprised at the small adjustments that I make when from Kindu to Kinshasa. Maybe for an outsider might picture all these African towns as being the same, but basically Kinshasa is a bustling capital city with lots of traffic, people and movement, and Kindu is a one-street kinda town where 95% of the 70 or so vehicles belong the UN. I eat the same thing every day in Kindu and my life is pretty simple. I only have about eight places that I hang out at: friends’ houses, the three UN bases, UN headquarters, and one bar that I hardly visit. Everyone knows everyone. Kinshasa has so many choices in comparison: who to chill with, where to go, what to eat, what to buy. When I get to America on Friday there will be much more. I’ve realized that you don’t really need much to get by. In Kindu we rally because we don’t have too much to work with.

Looking forward to coming home.