Trivia

The electricity is running at less than full power (which means that the arrow on the voltage regulator is below the “green 220 volt” level).  My computer battery is at 59%. 

Who is it?

Last week we visited the place where local artisans sell their wares: wood carvings, stone carvings, copper plate engravings, jewelry, old coins, paintings, etc.  The venders were very very hungry for sales.  Lubumbashi is not a tourist town and the venders’ 3 small buildings were far from city center (but in a very nice, quiet neighborhood).  Two members of the Church were working there and a very nice, modern LDS chapel was just up the street.   

Serge is the name of the other office worker.  He told us that he liked to care wood, specializing in caricatures.  We supplied a photo and he surprised us with a framed copper plate, not a woodcarving.

Notice how slim and healthy we look.

Adoption!  The world made greener!  Ann suspended a sprouting avocado pit in a cup with toothpicks.  It pushed forth a shoot.

  The gardener has now planted it behind the President’s house where there is little traffic.  Hopefully it will be a tree before we go home in August 2012. 

Mystery solved!  An office worker helped us replace the water filters after the suggested 2 months.  The result: bad smelling and tasting water.  He had taken out all the filters to show us what they looked like but replaced them in the wrong order.  The simple “white” filter takes out the worst of the pollutants but leaves a taste.  Filters #2 and #3 remove the taste.  For a two-man apartment, the #1 filter is replaced every 3 months (depending on the water quality); #2 every 5 months; #3 every year.  In Kinshasa the filters come out black.  Ours here was barely barely stained at one end.  

We foolishly bought a couple of things that will not be easy to transport but will brighten up our home in Mbuji-Mayi.

Yesterday we finished shopping for our move to Mbuji-Mayi: 15 black plates, silverware for 12, 2 metal mixing bowls with lids, dish towels, Chinese clothes drying rack (like we hade in Hong Kong), 3 sets of king-size sheets, 3 large towels (2 brown and 1 pink), a baby’s facial towel (because they didn’t have a regular), a fan, and an electric tea pot.  We added pillows, printer, folding table, bath mats, and 6 plastic hangers and Justin, the office manger hauled it all off to the “Agency” for shipping.  A precious shipment included an electric stove, a fridge, a washer, our bedspread, office supplies, 2 water filter systems, our cooking pots, etc.  And after moving to DayBreak we vowed never to move again!

Nights are a little cool here so without our bedspread, we drape our large bath towels over our thin blanket.  We cherish the cool weather since Mbuji-Mayi has much higher temperatures, more rain but thankfully less dust than Lubumbashi. 

Our Toyota pickup “Hilux” returned from A WEEK at the shop (5 new tires, oil change, hand holds in the back seat) and will be shipped (also my air) next week after one more trip to Likasi. 

Too many details.

One last item.  While shopping yesterday, we hailed a woman carrying a large basket of bananas and oranges on her head.  (Sorry no picture)  6 oranges and about 10 bananas = 6000 francs.  She also had apples, pears and mangos in sacks.  She gave me a nice mango for my last 1500 francs.  We had paid 6000 francs for 2 smaller mangos at Jambo.  (We figure 1000 francs = $1.00 in round figures.)

Next blog from Mbuji-Mayi?  Yes, if our long-term visas arrive from Kinshasa and the President doesn't delay our departure until the end of May.

Elder William and Sister Moore