Believable!

Sometime early this year, we got tired of saying “unbelievable” to all the crazy, weird, messed up head scratchers we were seeing pretty much every day.  After that we simply decided that’s just the way things are in Congo, and rather than being "unbelievable", these things stared to just become plain “believable”.  Here are a few gems we've especially enjoyed, hope you do too.

Can't get the motorcycle wet or it won't start...

Believable!

Every Friday hundreds of children litter the streets for the day to cut grass. Sounds harmless enough, until you see that each unsupervised child aged from about 10 years old down to 4 - is holding a machete the size of our dog for the days project.

Child Labour Day - Every Friday.   

Believable!

Two hours after having a beer, my hands still smell like gas...

Beleivable!

English class is held at the local University once a week.  9am – 4pm. One day it rained for under an hour at around 10am just before we were going to meet with the class at 11:00.  Everyone became “stuck” at the University.  When the rain stopped, everyone was sent home for the rest of the day because it was raining and they didn’t want to get stuck at the University...wait...whaaat?

Of course when we arrived at 11:00am the entire University had gone home for the day due to rain.

Believable!    

(we laugh about this mentality every time it rains here and think of what would happen if everyone adopted the "it's raining so I can't go to work today" policy back home in Vancouver)

Have to keep the first aid kits zap strapped shut otherwise employees will  sell all the supplies and ask for more first aid kits....again

Believable!

A line of motorcycles driving up and down the street for two days honking in celebration.  There was what looked like a wedding reception set up at a local bar for a large three day celebration.  It was the talk of the town.  The reason?  One person graduated University...

Believable!  (but in a good way...it’s nice to see such praise for higher education in a place that has very few even finishing grade school)

Jenn: “Why did they cut down the tree in front of the office? It was such a nice tree and it provided the guys working there with shade.”

Translator: “Because blacks don’t like trees.  Only whites like trees. ”

Believable!

About a hundred police officers marched the streets today.  Up, down, and back again.  They had arrived from all of the largest towns in the region, some traveling for days by foot and boat.  They came because a prominent government official was flying in from the big city to meet with them and pay them for the first time in 6 months.

He didn't show up so now there are now an extra hundred plus police stranded here because they haven’t been paid in 6 months and can’t afford to get back to their towns and villages...

Believable!

That’s all for now – stay tuned for future editions of “Believable”