Category: thoughts
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A short summary of my family’s history in Congo
Everyone calls me Emilio but my full name is Khalid Emilio. It’s Khalid because I’m of Indian descent and also Nicaraguan on my mother’s side. My father and his father (my grandfather), Sultan, came to the Belgian Congo in the 1950s with his brothers Badhur and Sadru. They were among the first Indian Ismailis (Nizari)…
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Childhood memories in Congo
Here are some childhood memories from the 90s I still remember that I’m sure many others can relate to and that I hope I’ll never forget.
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A real commute in Kinshasa
Maybe you wake up at 6am, have a shower, a coffee, a quick toast and a banana, then you get in your car for 10 to 20 minutes to get to the office. Your commute can arguably be considered as “pleasant” and “straightforward”.
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A quiet Saturday
There are a lot fewer cars today somehow. I don’t hear the mad traffic, the loud honking or the “wewas” zipping around. “Wewas” are motorcycle taxis. The word is in Tshiluba which is a language spoken in the Kasai ex-provinces of the DRC.
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Watching Kinshasa from a car window
Thoughts on a drive through Kinshasa
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Things to do around Kinshasa
So you’re in Kinshasa. What can you do outside the city? Here are a few.
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Home affairs in Randburg
Going to home affairs in Randburg in South Africa in 2022 for a lost ID
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The Democratic Republic of Gombe
As you may well know, the upmarket borough of Gombe is not like the rest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Locals cheekily call it the Democratic Republic of Gombe It is only in this tiny part of a country the size of Europe that you can think it is a “normal” city or…
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Monday
It’s Monday evening
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A list of NGOs and other organisations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
There are thousands of non-profits, for-profits, non-governmental organizations, foreign and national programs to help the DRC out of poverty, to end wars, to stop malnutrition or to end corruption (among many other projects). Here is a non-exhaustive list of various NGOs and for-profit projects that are or have done significant work in the country (alphabetically).
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Is it normal?
Is it normal to… Sit in traffic for hours everyday? Get asked for bribes or “coffee” or “fuel” by cops? Be nervous and anxious every time you drive to work or around the city in case you get stopped by cops? Having to wave or greet every single person you cross on the street? Being…
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Christmas in Congo
How can you wish someone a merry Christmas when they are living on the street? How can you send someone a WhatsApp « best wishes » when their town got bombed on Christmas Day (Beni CNN article)? But we live in a bipolar world, where we can go eat a nice warm French croissant while…
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A round of golf in Kinshasa video
Drone footage of the Kinshasa golf course in 2021
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Random photos of rain, plants, flowers and an apple pie
Here’s a bunch of pretty pics 😂
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Pink Floyd and 24 Novembre
Pink Floyd and 24 Novembre As the hawkers pass by And the motorbikes zip pass As the kids laugh and joke As the taxi drivers say “Lemba Lemba” As the dust flies over your face As the smoke enters your lungs Pink Floyd soothes your ears, heart and mind The Great Gig In The Sky…
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Living in the Democratic Republic of Congo
What’s it like to live and work in the DRC? Um. It’s okay I guess. For you, it will different. I can only talk about my experience.
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Motorcycle adventures in Kinshasa
Today I got stopped by the Police while on my motorcycle. They had no uniforms. The supposed cop walked up to my motorcycle and just removed the keys. Motorcycles are not allowed in Gombe apparently but they’re everywhere. I am one of the few with a motorcycle with a number plate, insurance and permits to…
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Driving from Gombe to Limete
A description of a typical drive through Kinshasa
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Riding a moto taxi in Kinshasa
Moto taxis in Kinshasa. Love them or hate them, you will never sit in traffic again or you’ll die!
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Golfing in Lubumbashi
The Democratic Republic of Congo. Wars. Corruption. Power problems. Crazy traffic. Water scarcity. Poverty. But there are also other things: generous, kind and helpful people, music, art, culture, nature, history and so many more beautiful things that are often overlooked. One of them will surprise you. It is the Lubumbashi golf course.
Emilio in Congo (DRC) 