Category: thoughts
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What you can learn in the DRC
Sure, you think you’re all that because you grew up in a developed country that didn’t go to war, that is not completely corrupt, that has good roads, a working government, a history with plenty of culture, that was never colonised and then some.
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Electric Kinshasa on a Saturday night
What Kinshasa feels like on a Saturday night: terrasses, bars, clubs, traffic, parties, electric
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Kinshasa, a megacity of traffic, chaos, potholes, plastic and puddles
A rant about Kinshasa
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Mauritius and Reunion holidays
Our visit to Mauritius and Reunion in March 2024
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Le Jardin Botanique et Zoo de Kinshasa
Une visite du jardin botanique et le zoo de Kinshasa.
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Pensées un mardi des martyrs
Aujourd’hui, on se rappel des héros nationaux, Joseph Kabila et Patrice Lumumba (17 Janvier). Kabila père est mort en 2001, il y a 22 ans. Lumumba en 1961. Il y a 63 ans.
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Golf courses – photographs
Here are some pictures of golf courses in Africa and other regions, but mainly from Kinshasa, Lubumbashi and Johannesburg. DRC, South Africa, Belgium & Italy Nicaragua Nejapa golf course
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Dead bodies, filth, chaos, traffic, mangoes and corrupt cops. Another day in Kinshasa
I drove. Sorry, I didn’t drive. I was driven from Gombe to Limete to meet a client this morning. On the way there, we saw a dead body, motorcycles taking over our lane, some were even being picked up onto the sidewalks to avoid the traffic! There were also huge piles of garbage left and…
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Photographs of Kinshasa’s grimy streets
Kinshasa streets are grimy, dirty and smoggy. Tough people, rough edges, aggressive driving, dangerous motorcycle drivers. Seeing a white or mundele here is entertaining for most. You get all sorts of reactions: happiness, anger, curiosity, aggression, teasing, opportunistic and many others. Taking pictures is a cheeky business. If you’re caught you get in big trouble.…
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Internet speeds in the DRC (updated)
In January 2022, I wrote a post about internet providers in the DRC. I thought it was time to update it with only a few that I use regularly. Apologies if some others are missing. I have not used them. Without further ado, here are the results of tests done using fast.com on the 27th…
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Challenges for pro golfers in Africa (not South Africa)
What’s it like to play golf professionally in Africa?
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Kinshasa nightlife guide of sorts
As you may know, Kinshasa is a party town. Just type “Nightclub” on Google Maps, and you will get 110 recommendations (I counted them all!). See here. Since the 60s, Kinshasa or Léopoldville as it was called, vibrated to the sounds of the guitar and other instruments. Jean Depara, one of Africa’s well known photographers…
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A week-end and a half to Matadi
A week-end and a half to Matadi. We went on a week-end trip to Matadi from Kinshasa. We decided to leave very early Friday morning at around 4am but the trip still took us about 12 painful hours (We did stop along the way). We got stuck in Kasangulu behind a plethora of trucks.
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Congo (DRC) survival guide and other tips
Idiosyncrasies and tips for living in harmony in the Democratic Republic of Congo
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A trip to Leuven, Belgium
Home to a large university (KU Leuven), Leuven is mostly a student town situated east of Brussels (It is a 20 minute train ride away). It is on the Flemish side of Belgium, in Flanders, so don’t expect to speak French! Use your English skills or try to learn a few words of Flemish. It…
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A Sunday on the Congo River
Photographs of the Congo river near Kinshasa and sandbanks
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Sunday evenings in Kinshasa
Everything is quiet The streets are empty The taxis are gone Sellers have gone home One or two cars zoom past A few beggars roam the streets
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Sitting in Kinshasa traffic is tiring
The rain has made it worse. We are waiting for hours to move 1 m. Everybody pushes for an inch. Everybody waits for an opening but there is none.
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Photographers of the Democratic Republic of Congo
Here is a list and tribute to many great photographers who came to or from the Democratic Republic of Congo and made it part of their lives and work. Alice Seeley Harris (1870-1970) (Photojournalism) “Lady Alice Harris (born Seeley; 24 May 1870 – 24 November 1970) was an English missionary and an early documentary photographer. Her photography helped to expose…
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C’est pas le Congo!
Le Congo et l’Europe, les différences