We Arrived in Congo

From Giles 9.5.19

Boomlay Boomlay Boomlay Boom. We arrived one week ago and finally got this blog set up. We’ve had issues staying connected to a weak and fluctuating bandwidth. In fact, even our source of electricity is uneven. One minute we’re sitting in a room with the lights on and music in the background. The next thing you know it’s dark, without sound. And within a minute if we’re lucky, power is back. Things we take for granted at home are suddenly appreciated anew, like clean running water. The tap water isn’t drinkable, though it’s nice to have for all the other uses.

Our first week has been rich in new sights, sounds, other sensations. Our introduction to Kinshasa was immediate–the drive from the airport in the dark, at 6:30 in the evening. Traffic is madly chaotic; all rules of the road are mere suggestions. It’s literally like the bumper cars, going in all directions at once. And the first car that crowds into an intersection or lane has the advantage, and believe me, they take the advantage with boldness that can be frightening to new eyes. Courtesy among drivers is selective and must work according to a subtle code; I can never tell when our driver will yield to another or when he will bolt ahead.

We’ve come to teach English in Kinshasa with the American Language Institute, an NGO set up by Hugh and Marcy Matheson. We had known and admired them, and I had taught two of their children, but in this first week we’ve become fast friends. They’ve established their program on five separate campuses, where we’ve met scores of students and dozens of teachers, The faculty and administrative staff are entirely Congolese. And our job is to work with them and the students to reinforce clear pronunciation of American English and teach critical thinking skills using a well-established curriculum. With the beginning of a new school year here, we’re helping establish new routines and practices. While doing this, Annie and I have begun learning French, as they work on their English. So we’re having fun inviting students to help us with our pronunciation as we help them with theirs. We have committed ourselves until December 17, when we’ll return home for Christmas, Giles