Top articles
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Preparation of an adventure like I never did
The coordinator of the catholic schools wants to do an expedition and visit several parishes far from Basankusu. I asked to join him in order to give all trainings I prepared to these teachers who still have come to the big city of Basankusu in their...
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On the road again again
Wednesday Morning, I am leaving for another “trail trip” (2 weeks planned). This time I won’tgo with all inspectors/coordinator of catholic school, but I’ll go with the Bishop. He is going to do a “pastoral visit” in three parishes. So I join him and...
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after the rat
The snake… It was 13h, I wanted to rest 15min before going back to work. Suddenly I heard a weird noise, I looked at the windows just next to my bed and what did I see? a snake was entering inside my room through a small hole which was in this windows....
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How I (hope) to meet my sister?
Tomorrow I am leaving in "pirogue motorisée"=a big hollowed out tree-trunk with an hole in order to put an engine of 15ch. We will need a day and a night to reach Manpoko. I'll give trainings overther like always! At the same time my sister will be arriving...
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Départ le 1 octobre ... pour Basankusu
After 10 days of formation, I am more than excited to fly to my final destination: Democratic Republic Congo. I still don't know if I will have access to Internet in Basankusu. It seems that it works sometimes, when they have the electricity. If the Blogg...
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Visa... not always easy to get...
Just to let you know that if you want to visit me, better to prepare everything in advance! To get a tourism visa for Congo, you need to receive an invitation letter officially signed by an administration in Congo. After 2 months, I am still waiting for...
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Photos
Yes I know I still did not put photos, but here in Kinshasa to tale photos is forbidden... So when I go out with the priest (and I go only with them, they forbid me to go anywhere alone... apparently the city is very dangerous...) they forbid me to take...
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First impressions from Basankusu
I'm in Basankusu! I actually arrived last Friday. The aircraft was an old LET 410. It flew during almost 4hours over the equatorial forest to Basankusu. The view from there was amazing,I 've never seen so much deep and dense forest in my life. No road,...
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Good news
I found a a guy working for the UN who has a good internet connexion! So I guess I will be able to post some fotos! The kids are so sweet you will see! Today I had to take care of 30 of them... Some of them could count and read other could do nothing......
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It is raining and 35° ... like everyday!
Summary of the 2 first week in Basankusu: well I got 1000 phone number from guys I even don't remember their name, and I am sure they will call me within 2 weeks for asking some money!and I finised the first (of the five I have) season of How I met your...
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Even in the dark...
... they know it is "mondele" = "the white" who is riding her bike. No idea how! And I tell you, if you want to know what the darkness is, either go to the desert or … to Basankusu! Even if you are in the middle of the village, you cannot see anything!...
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En Vrac
If nobody complains in the commentary, I'll continue the blog in french (I have the impression my readers are all french speaker...) Une messe de 6h, a partir de 4h j'essayais de trouver un moment opportun pour m'éclipser, seule grande et blanche dans...
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Aujourd'hui
Thibaut turned 25 ... and one more time I could not be there. This time I could not make the surprise to come... The Mississippi -- Madrid trip within a week end with a call to my HR friend to postpone his interview (Julie mille merci encore une fois!)...
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Dear Mister President
President of Congo is supposed to come and visit the Equator, the poorest region from the poorest country in the world, my new home... The president knows he is not welcomed to this place. At the last “election” his main opponent Dear mister JP Mbemba,...
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Femmes congolaises (congolese women)
You wake up at 5. You help your 10 kids to wash themselves to get ready for school. Then at 5.30 you take a wood box that you put on your back, your last child you still breastfeed is in your arm and go for a long walk barefoot until you arrive to the...
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Christmas is coming
but I have to say with 35° it is hard to be in the mood of our european christmas! No glühwein, lebkuchen, no Christkindlmark, no queue in store (because … there is absolutly no store here), no present only prayers and mass are planed!! On friday night...
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Happy new year!
Weird to wake up a 1st of January at the time who would go to sleep if you were with your friends in Europe. Weird (but nice) not to have a terrible headache (like always during the traditional lunch at your grandparent's place!) So what did I do the...
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Tout le monde en parle!
“Mondele okomi monene”... Instead of saying 'Mama Isabelle Good morning” everybody is now saying “Mama Isabelle you're beginning to be fat”! Since Christmas I am hearing it 1000 times a day... And actually there are right. Here people are still doing...
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Shortage in Basankusu!
The boat arrived! Since Christmas, there was a shortage of everything in Basankusu. The boat which should have arrived from Kinshasa had lots of troubles and eventually arrived today! On this boat, fuel, plastic bag, sugar, salt, air chamber for bikes,...
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all in one!
The internet where I used to go does not work anymore. (apparently issue of paying the fees.) To pay the internet fees, it is such a huge deal... You cannot do any transfer because there is no bank. So you need to give the money to someone who goes to...
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New of the week
Première recolte de légumes, de ciboules et de haricots. Le rendement est a priori incroyable tout le monde me demande de quelle magie j'ai usé pour cultiver! Je leur réponds: sarclage tous les jours en plein soleil et arrosage régulier = beaucoup de...
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Waka waka waka waka!
No it is not the beginning of a Shakira's song, it is the name of a in the bishoptum of basankusu. Lost in the middle of the big forest, to get there you need to follow a trail of 85km. I went there with the coordinator of the catholic school ( big boss...
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Education ... Episod 1
When I was in Waka I made a sad conclusion: Teachers of maths physics in secondary school know nothing... Actually before the war ( 1997 2004) there were apparently good teachers. Teachers were going to the university and the level was correct. Before...
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photos
My mum sent me a camera through a belgium girls who arrived in Basankusu 2 weeks ago. So I put the first new pictures I took: Children during the farming lessons, our library, weird insects during reproduction cycle inside my room! The well we are digging...
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Le battement d'aile d'un papillon
Un homme s’immole, la rue se révolte, un dictateur part, un pays voisin suit, une route maritime cruciale pour l’économie en danger, les prix augmentent… tout le monde en ébullition. Tout le monde? Non ! Ici à Basankusu personne n’est au courant de tout...