African city /life style of the building

This is just my own life style as an expat spouse in Brzzaville. I am sitting in front of my computer on the 4th floor of the liaison office bldg. in downtown Brazzaville. Feeling greatful for my new life style that the universe has given me for the next 3 years. This four stories building came equipped with basement consisted of huge commercial size fully equipped kitchen with two huge fridges , oversize freezer in a separate store room an office for the chef with computer. Plus a huge laundry room with washer and dryer. The first and second floor are formal office with reception area and big conference room that I will have a chance to see it in use for the frist time this month. There is a suite on 2nd floor office call Malonga suite by the locals. Named after the officer who alsways passed by Brazzaville and use this suite which consisted of sitting room, bed room and a full bath.The third floor ,which I call 4th floor, is where I live. There are two big bedrooms ,two huge full baths and a toilette room down the corridor for guest. This floor has a salon rouge , the louise 14 chairs set salon that most local managers like to bring their guests to see. To show off how wealthy this company is to have a louise salon in the pent house. No matter who the guests are ,the local manager has to receive them in this salon. And there is another small salon plus a formal dinning room that I use for my office. The dinning table is big enough for me to spread all my work and put my laptop. I also do my light body meditation at this tabel and put all my sacred objects in here. I feel safer here the most. This building has two security guards by the gate and at the front door. A full time cook and full time gardener as well as a full time cleaning person. There are two officers a female secretary who take care of everything and the travel assistant whose main job is to go pick up guests at the VIP room in the air port.The travel assistant has a 4 wheel drive car for his job which, off course, he also use for sending his children to school as well as picking up guests. The rest of the stuffs mainly just sit there all day with nothing to do. They are all stand by for guests to show up and tell them what to do. But guests only show up once or twice a month and they mostly are too much in a hurry to take care of their paid employees' free time to direct them what to do. So these poor guys are left on their own to invent something to do to past time. They need to provide their time to this buildging. For example eversince I came here the gardener clean our cars at least 3 times a day. He seem to be so happy to have something to do. He has a secateur that has been dull and broken long time ago. I make a note to give him a new one when my shipment arrive. But again we will be somewhere else. The cook is so profesional and has been trained for 3 years with a professional catering company. Each day he just open the two empty fridges and put filtered water in them plus pour water in ice tray to make ice. There are two sets of knifes and dishwasher and three full set of china and silverware for all of them to use and break. There has never been any soiree or anything that require full fledge kitchen. If this guy were in Poitne Noire, he could have easily become cook for one of the director and do all the soiree for him as well as cook for his family. But like anything else in Africa. The people want a guidance and direction. This guy know everything in the kitchen . When I arrive with all my stuff ,he even memorised all the dates on my frozen packages and remind me each day which meat package is going to be out dated and I need to use them. He is a gourmet cook but without much tool and ingredients. The first thing I ned to buy for him was a whisker to make cocktail sauce and off course after that he need butter, eggs, milk, salt and the list goes on. Because there is hardly anything in his huge air conditioned kitchen,his domaine. Every one like to go into the kitchen now the we are here. They like to take a look at what we put into the fridge and what they can take home. Most thing they like are dried stuff like salt , sugar, chocolate powder, detergent powder, storage plastic bags and all the empty jars.

The cleaning guy for example even take the seed of avocado to plant behind the building but the plant is off course not for the building when it big enough he put it in plastic bag to take away to plant at his house. He also take care of all the cleaning product and use the washer and dryer that he put on permanantly at 80 degree. He wash everything in the machine carpet, rag, rugs, with clothing and towels. All of them at 80 degree and hardly any soap because most detergent after perchased will disappear the next day. Luckily I have the expereince before so I lock my detergent and only use the machine on week end when they are all gone. I am hardly here for a month but the guy change soaps 2 times. I hardly use any soap he put in each bathroom. Even they are all new. He said the soap need change every month even if it is not used. And I don't know where they are all gone to. As far as I know this buiding has been so good to me and also to them. It give me shelter and at least there is one room on one floor that I started to feel at home and can work peacefully. I would like to do something for the building but am I allowed to do it. To plant some nice fruit tree in the back and in the front. My husband tell me not to do anything. This is not our place and we never know what people will talk. I can only pray to all the devas around this building please protect it from further abuse and harm. But actually there are this 5 locals guardians who run the building in their way and on their terms anyway.

The promising roof and structure

Finally we decided to meet with Lilianne and Antoine to get going with the house. The address is Ave. Felix Eboue next to railroad track and the Guenin shop. Across teh street is the ecole de Chemin fer. It located right in the city and within the walking distance of my husband's SCLOG office.The quartier of the city is called Mpila. For now it look like a structure and a roof. The whole of windows are empty. They got all the windows ,doors and tiles imported from France but teh meterials are still stucked in Pointe Noire. There are no plane and train area to transport the stuff. This cause the delay in building. My husband forecast that the house might be finished end of February but the owner told us that they are shooting for Jan.15. Anyway, what matters to me is not only the actual house but the process of finding the house in this city. Finding an honest landlord who speak the same language meaning we can count on them from the basic dealing like showing up on time for an appointment is not easy here. Not to mention all the details of repairs and maintenance and many other aspect of running a house. Getting a reliable, dependable and honourable landlord is important for us as it is important for them to get a solid tenant. In this city where so much is up to Inshala - when God permit- there is not much one can control or count on. We have done the first step and that should relieve my husband a little about everything on his to do list. Finding the white landlord who show up at the appointment without asking us to pay for his taxi fare is considered already our luck and a big acheivement. The rest will have to play by ear. I have confidence in these guys not only because we can count on them but also I did talked and see the house he serviced before. The one of the South African Embassy for example. They use decent materials and response to tenant request with a team of competant workers , electricial and plumber. The Congolese will just give us approximate. Approximate time they will arrive, approximate time they will give that fix and this fixed some approximate last easily 6 months to a year.

My husband estimate that the house on Ave. Felix Eboue will be finished end February 2008. I forecast January 2008. No matter what date, in feng shui term, energy has moved , decision has been made and it is just a matter of time.

Entering the Sanctuary

We are in November, the month before last of this year. I am sitting in front of my faithful laptop reflecting on what have been accomplished so far the previous month. Actually ,it is not the time and place really to do this now. I did the volume 3 section 10 light body mediataion and while in the space of santuary of Piyah I saw Fernando signed into the instant mssage. For the first tiem I have inclination to include him into this space so I chat with him for a while. It felt so right and we were still in the space of sanctuary. Whether it be sanctuaries of the meditation or the chimpanzee sanctuary. It was quite amazing. I remain in the space for awhile. Active and restless as the state I describe myself these days, I can only find peace and real relaxation in a group like the yoga group on Thursday evening chez Veronique. Things happen in the right place at the right time. The place to be is being in space of sanctuary the whole time not easy to do. Finding a house here for example ,I never realise what finding a house mean here. For me intranslate into find the honourable, reliable and serious landlord or lawyer. Who will stand behind their words and deliver. That's my friend Oi, is more important than getting the physical buildingby like in a catalog. SO much fake and pretentious and inefficiency in this city that if you are unlucky enough to fall into the hand of a local shark, they will really eat you alive. Your electricity, water. plumbing, internet and security will be put on test not to mention your nerves

Administration /The african way

This is my personal experience and hearing from others at diner table in Central Africa. I met a chinese office lady who told me that her office hours is Monday till Saturday from 8 am to 6 pm 6 dayand a half days a week. Yes she also work on SUnday morning. She said this is African hours. The five days of the week she work on her own job the Saturday whole day and the half day on Sunday morning is reserve for reviewing teh work of the locals ( Congolese) and correct the mistakes. This is smart of them. I remember Daniel and his wife from Socofran they went on holidays to Nairobi /Kenya with Hewabora air lines got their tickets and even book their seats on business class but never check. The day they showed up at their seats on the plane check in and suitcases check under the plane ready to go,they found out that their seats have been occupied by someone else. SO they ask to check their boarding pass and everything and they saw that these people got the right seats. How about Daniel and his wife they also got the same seats in the same plane but with different destination. The Hewabora ticket lady put them on teh same plane but to Brussels not Nairobi. And that's the lesson of not have the habit of checking twice. So I think teh Chinese are smart to set aside one day and a half each week to do just that. I don't know about other companies but the checking is better be done by expat. That's why so much expats is needed here. Simply to check thing like destination on plane tickets is just one of many example. Everything need to be check if anything at all will go forward.

Getting my feet wet in BZV

O.K. what are the observations of this administrative city I got so far. This city is full of protocol and ceremony. Every one has status and ranking and detailed code of conduct. The local men for example will not go to fresh market and pick up thing and walk behind the women. Take for example my chauffeur. He is a young guy from teh military who is very active and helpful. He will follow me through the golf course and tennis club and help pick up the ball but will never get out of the car when I do shopping for vegetables in the market. This guy get out of the car each time I go to places really exclusive or not for locals. Expats clubs, embassies , sport clubs or shops that are mostly for expats. He like to go into tax free shop , super market and want to know how foreigners live , shop ect.... Also he want me to know that he knows a lot colonel, lieutenant and and generals and know where tehy live. eventhough I couldn't care less. The streets of BZV and how to navigate in them when the president close all major streets for his 'Cortege de voitures' is quite impressive. Each time the president want to use the street of BZV to go some where ,for example going to teh airport or hostipal or anywhere in town, there are at least 30-35 cars and motocycles before in teh middle and behind teh president car. The procession started with a police motorcycle with a blue siren announcing the procession of cars orf the 'chef d'etat'is approaching. then follow the 4 more police motorcycles after that will be the car of teh minister of protocol , the guy to announce to president what to do , he apparently keep the schedule of the president then a car full of military with machine gun these must be the body guard then car of the president with the flag in front and four motorcycles coming along around the car for maximum protection. Then come another military truck then the follow up protocal cars followed by an ambulance with nurses and doctors. According to my chauffeur the nurses and doctors who stand by in the ambulance each time the President go anywhere are both african and white personel but for his private jet ,the pilote and hotesses in the jet are all white people. I have yet to see an african pilot. Then for the president procession after the ambulance there are a few more cars and motorcycles and conclude by yet another truck full of military. WHen I see it the first time it look so impressive. All of these stuff replaced the leopard head dress and throne made of precious stones and leopard skulls arm rest. This are teh modern version of the 'Cheif of the tribe' decoration. And it keep everybody feel secured and happy and proud also perhaps. Why not as long as the show serve the purpose let's keep it up and continue with it.
The same thing happen on the level of company also. my chauffeur for example will not lift a box of water from the trunk of the car. He will take the golf bag of course but not teh box of water. He will call the guard or the gardener for this job. In the office of chinese companies certain employees , mainly the locals ,there are specials phone that they can only receive calls but never can make a call themselve. Even the office of Air France down town. After I ask them to reserve ticket and call to confirm they ask me to call them because they can not use the companie's phone to call me back. Not only they can not use companies phones to call any one even their own cell phone has to be shut off during office hour also. I am not use to this because I see all around me in the company where my husband work the locals come to the companies to make their personal phone calls anytimes they like. Apparently one of the local manager who has been sacked already has allow locals employees to use the companies phone line for private calls even during office hours. Once this is granted it is hard to take it back and many other abuses follows because the companies resources , especially from the white expats, are like rivers or oceans. It is endless and limitless they can use not only for themselves but also for their relatives over seas and everywhere and it will never end. Most of my huband's local co workers are bechelors but they have 10-20 children in there guadianship because they can benifit from the free medicals and school fees provided by the company. I wonder how the french and Chinese do about these kind of things. But for the phone I know for sure that locals are not authorise to make a call. Not during office hours not any time using te office phone because there will be all kind of family member need help for this and that. And if they can do that they will never have time to work.
Same as the chauffeur , I feel like changing to a professional chauffeur because this guy always answer the phones call while driving.

Golf of BZV

Today is the 2nd day I go to walk the BZV golf course with Maurice the pro. It was so hot not like last Friday we went after rain so it was a lot cooler. But I manage to satisfy Maurice with many nice swing that he approved of. If it remain this way I will wake up earlier and go before 8 am in order to finish a little bit before 10 am before the sun get too straight over the head. This golf course has almost no level area and the green are very irregular. One need to get two caddies if I want to know where to aim because there is no flag planted at the hole. One caddy will be for the golf bag and the other one hold the flag to put into each hole as we go. They can not leave the flag permanantly in each hole because the flag got stolen. The fag has no number on it so it is up to us to know which whole we are right now. This is quite a labour intensive golf course arrangment that I know so far.

On the way back we stopped at the pottery workshop in the OMS compound. The artist potter came from France from Alsac region . He brought the kiln with him. He use all the local l'Argile. I will soon forget a lot of english word. Honestly , I don't know what is de l'argile in english. The word that came to mind right now is Kaolin which is finer quality than we can find here in Congo. Anyway, they don't have any Ragu and I am not too interested in what they have.
From my visit to Anias Legall yesterday ,I got a long list of phone numbers of people to call. Today I started with the pedicure name Blanche. I called her and she want to come today after lunch. I have to go tell the guard that I am expecting someone today. The guard asked me You are expecting a white or a black person Madame. It was hilarious that I have to explain to them that I am expecting a black lady name Blanche (white)and that she wears a red shirt and a black skirt.

After some confusion Blanche finally showed up at the corner of the street. She is relatively clean and like to do this kind of work like Rosette the pedicure I use in Pointe Noire. She told me that before the civil war she worked in salon very elaborated with Baleneo, Salle de gymnastic , Sauna, sea weed wrap and many other services . Sound like an institutes with complete soins de beaute. Very cleaned and very well run. Too bad I did not get experience that salon. It must be something so 'in style' like in Paris but better because they can train more people and congolese are very gifted in doing this kind of care. They have massage, Sauna, Whirlpool and everything. But the civil war has destroyed it all. Not only these thing but the schools and many other city's structures. The war lasted for 6months and enough to destroyed and scared away most expats who loose their faith doing anything in Africa for a long term. How can they invest in anything long term here if all around them only look just in term of today. But the chinese is everywhere now and they are capable and will change the face of Africa. If there is any progress to be made in this continent it will be with the new generartion of metis may be half black half chinese. Their home is here and they want to make it work with asian set of value and vision mixed with the old french sophistication and philosophy.

B B Q chez Rita on Sunday

We ahve BBQ with Rita family today. It rain the whole night so there are a lot of flies and this little insects we are not used to from Pointe Noire. It is not mosquitoes but it suck blood and leave infected itchy skin for a long time like mosquitoes. Franklin is lucky he wore sock and tennis shoes so he did not get any bits I got million of them all over my feet. I need to get two kinds of pommade. The first one is to prevent the insect to bite again and the second one to calm the skin so it will not itch to death. We have a good time and did not come home too late. i got to practice the whole sequence of yoga today which is good. Tomorrow will do the same.
On Monday , I request the cleaning guy about my sock .So apparently it has disappeared.I need to eb more careful. The light bulb brigade did not come today. To change ligt bulb here is quite a protocol and ceremony. They first need to come to check which are the bulb grille ( their way of saying the bulb eed to be taken out) when they find which light bulbs are grille. then proceed to unscrew the bad bulb. This is done under teh supervision of one superviser and one guard who has to accompany them everywhere in the building in case they take some thing from the house.
Then they take the bad bulb in a plastic bag and go back to the company to exchange for a good bulb to be replaced. They need to present the bad bulb to get the good one.The company can not send them the approximate amount of bulbs because they will sell it or take them home for themselves. That explain the reason why the guy who never clean up after himself clean up teh broken bulb and take the pieces with him. Because he need to proof at teh company thet he really did broken one bulb.