On the Way to the Airport

7-15-13

Good Afternoon from Kinshasa, 

I am boxed in by people and luggage in a crammed van, on a street on which we're boxed in by vehicles that are just as crowded. The car's air conditioning system is bringing in pollution, and I'm nervous that we're getting carbon monoxide poisoning. We're crawling to the airport, and we have left six and a half hours ahead of our departure case just in case of bad traffic. Thank goodness we did! 

Scenes on the way to the airport 

Last Day

Good Morning from Kinshasa, 

It's 5 am. This is my last morning to watch the palms outside my window swaying in the dark, making beautiful shadows in the courtyard's glowing security light. Today is our last day to bounce around like pinballs, seatbelt-less, as our driver navigates Kinshasa's bumpy roads and chaotic traffic. It's our last day to worry about whether or not there is a microscopic tear in our American dollars (dollars are accepted, but only if new and in perfect condition), and our last day to marvel at the tall stacks of eggs, sodas, or fruit that Kinshasa women and men effortlessly carry on their heads as they walk down the dirty streets. It's also Kina and Godson's last day in their home country. I'm not sure Shekina understands this right now. I have asked the guide to talk to her in Lingala about it, but all I heard was some talk about how she was going to get on an "avion" and go up into the sky. I think I will ask him again today and make sure she knows we are her family; that she, Godson, and I will be living in a house together as a family; that we're not just going on a trip. 

While Godson has become more and more playful and cheerful by the day, Shekina has become more morose and sullen. She has good times with lots of fun, snuggles, and giggles, but it's clear she is grieving the loss of her friends and nannies at the orphanage, and possibly the loss of her biological parents. We won't know for sure until she can speak enough English to communicate her emotions and thoughts. Right now she is testing us in many ways; the iPad is now a major trigger for bratty fits that transition into fits of mourning. Bedtime is another major trigger. Anything that Shekina wants and does not get is a trigger. All we can do is be firm while loving her and holding onto her tight, let her know we love her and that she is safe. When the fits are over, her gap-toothed smile shines like the sun after a thunderstorm, and she giggles and plays again suddenly as if nothing has happened. I have been told it is good that she and Godson are grieving. It means they are dealing with their feelings instead of just going numb. I'm so glad to hear there's a positive to such a sad process. 

Our plane tickets have changed yet again, thanks to Turkish Air, who released the hold on our children's seats while holding onto ours. We are now on a new Turkish Air flight that gives us a night in Istanbul--YES!!!--before flying back to the states. I am so excited for my parents to see Istanbul, I can hardly stand it. I had planned to stay at the hotel and take care of the babies, but if they are doing well, we may just venture out and explore. I know already that Godson, who is fascinated with cars, would LOVE to go on a boat ride on the Bosphorus Strait. 

Well, I am going to log off and watch the palms sway in the breeze and listen to the strange bird songs of Africa. It has been such a pleasure to hear the birds at sunrise in both Kenya and Congo because they are so different. Yesterday, while swimming, we saw a flock of yellow and black finches and an irridescent, turquoise bird with a long orange beak! Hope everyone is well. 

Anna 

Inspecting the employees' cars in the guesthouse's parking lot. He LOVED it. 

One last visit with the hawk. Shekina kept asking him to go into his ndako (house), but sadly, he did not oblige. She loves that he has his own house. 

Enjoying Our Last Days in Kinshasa

Good Afternoon from Kinshasa, 

We went to sleep without Godson screaming, and guess what? He awoke peacefully too! Progress! After watching cartoons (and, for Mama, following the Trayvon Martin news--sickening), we spent the morning outside talking to a new friend who works for a different adoption agency about her own (personal) adoptions. The children had a blast picking up and pushing around the driveway rocks in the stroller, which we just introduced them to yesterday, and going to see the "bad"--the broken-winged hawk kept as a pet at the guesthouse. Now, Godson is down for his earliest nap ever (so happy about this!), and my mom, Shekina, and I are watching a movie in English (everything is usually in French, so this is definitely a nice surprise). We had baguette and croissants with tuna for lunch (so much better than the strong-smelling sardines the kids prefer), along with a Primus, the local beer, and plantains dipped in mayo. Thanks to the Belgians' history here, mayo is served with many foods, and the kids love it. 

We have no outing planned for the day since it is Sunday, but that's ok, because along with the DGM (immigration office), we also visited Shop Rite. Why did we just get the chance to visit this place after ten days in country? Fellow Congo visitors, Shop Rite is your friend, believe me. It has the most beautiful produce, and very much of it is safe for you to eat. It also has a large selection of affordable wine, prepared foods, baked goods, and it's very clean and new. Finally, there is a nice pharmacy immediately next door, and it all feels very Western and safe. I'm all for immersing yourself in the local culture and doing things the local way, but sometimes one needs a mental break. I liken it to the times I would pick up a USA Today and take it to Burger King when I lived in Budapest. Sometimes you need to feel like you are way back West. 

We still haven't heard back from our travel agent yet, but we do have tickets on hold for tomorrow (Monday) night. Until then, we are going to enjoy the last 24 hours of our unfettered time with the kids, going swimming, playing with them, and loving on them. Hope everyone is well! 

Anna 

Shekina and Koko Vickie watching a movie together while Godson naps in the background. 

Godson, about to go swimming. He had a BLAST for about ten minutes, then fell asleep in the pool on my shoulder. 

Our guide, Papa Fils, two days ago, when we went to eat lunch on the Congo River. 

FANTASTIC NEWS!

Guess whose exit letters have been issued? Godson and Shekina's! We have thoroughly enjoyed learning about the Congolese ways and experiencing Kinshasa for the last ten days, but we will be so glad to get home. We will leave on Monday, Kinshasa to Istanbul to Chicago to Memphis. YAY! 

This is Shekina saying, "YESSSSS!"

Rough Day

Good Morning from Kinshasa, 

Well, 1) Another day passed during which we did not get our exit letter. Sigh. 

2) Shekina had a rough day. It seems that the days when we don't go out with our guide are hard for her. Too much free time on her hands? Not enough distraction? While coming back from the bathroom at the Eros restaurant and holding my hands, she purposefully collapsed on the tile floor and refused to get up. When I finally did get her up and back to the booth, she cried and cried (not too loudly, thank GOODNESS) that she had hurt her knee. The waitresses were concerned. It was embarrassing. It lasted about ten minutes, and then she resumed eating. Last night, she pulled the same kind of fit because I gave her juice with her dinner instead of one of Papa Skip's diet cokes. After about 15 minutes of crying, she came back to the table. 

3) The pool was closed for cleaning, resulting in another disappointment, because we didn't find out until we put on our suits and walked over there. 

Thank goodness for Primus and wine. Mama and Koko Vickie were quite thankful at the end of the day for those two friends. 

Truth be told, we have it quite well. We could be taking bucket showers and be living without air-conditioning. 

Regarding the exit letter: Our lawyer had previously told us we would get it last night. Nobody heard a word from him yesterday. They say that not communicating is the Congolese way of saying they have nothing to say. Hmph is all I'll say about that for right now. 

So, what it all boils down to is this: our travel plans are completely up in the air. We have paid for an extra three nights here at Sunny Days. We don't know when we'll be coming home, what time we'll be arriving, or if we'll be stopping in Istanbul to break up the flights on the way back. (I strongly, strongly hope so. Twenty-four straight hours on planes with a sometimes screaming toddler and fit-throwing five-year-old sound like hell.) All we know is we are waiting. 

Now, if I know what's good for me, I'll go take my shower before these little adorable little monsters wake up and wreak havoc. Despite the behaviors and testing of boundaries, we are in LOVE with them. Hope everyone has a fantastic day. More later. 

Anna 

Goddy was good in the restaurant. He loved watching the cars out the window. 

Shekina? Not so much! 

Waving his new Congolese flag, which, it turns out, both kids would prefer to use as a weapon. 

No News

Good Morning from Kinshasa!

There's not much for me to tell this morning, except for the fact that we did not receive the children's exit letters in time for us to leave on our 8 pm flight to Istanbul last night. We had to postpone, and we are hoping our lawyer is able to get the exit letters today. (We met with him yesterday to ask what the deal was, and he promised he is working very hard on getting the letters.) 

We are able to continue staying at Sunny Days (guesthouse), which is a godsend, and we still have access to our driver and guide, so we're doing ok! We may see if they can take us shopping for local crafts and for lunch on the Congo River if Godson is feeling ok. (Yesterday he was having major blowouts after starting his new iron prescription, so we have discontinued it for now.) He is doing wonderfully this morning, and just finished a full-sized plate of scrambled eggs and canned chicken breast for breakfast...and now he is eating a Nutrigrain bar! We have found that part of the problem is that he didn't want us to feed him. He wanted to sit in a chair like a big boy and feed himself. Fine with us, except for the mess, and the dogs will take care of that once we get home! 

Shekina is a hot mess, as usual. Last night she tried on some of Godson's clothes and wanted to parade around the hotel's courtyard in them so people could see her. This morning, we are watching cartoons and trying to teach Shekina how to control the volume of her voice. She likes to scream out "Hallelujah!" at random times. We have no idea where this came from, but it is hysterical, so I'm in no hurry to put a stop to it. 

Hope everyone is well. We will update next time we hear some news. 

Anna and Vickie (Koko Vickie) 

Some random photos: 

Yesterday we stopped by St. Anne's Procure (guesthouse) for a meeting with our lawyer and to show Baby Blandine to her namesake, Blandine, who works there. Turns out Blandine was out sick, but there was still something good that came out of the visit: Fanta, the favorite drink of Congo! 

Finally, some smiles from this boy! He and Shekina played a game last night and she tickled him until he was shrieking with laughter. So good to see!

The wonderful little patisserie, boulangerie and grocery JiJi we found near our guesthouse. My dad is in heaven with the pastries, and my mom and I love their croissants, baguettes, and WINE--the first place we have found it. We were so happy! 

All By Our Lonesome

Early Tuesday morning, I received a text from our guide, Fils, saying that his baby had been taken to the hospital with a high fever, and he wouldn't be able to pick us up. He would be in touch later in the day. What did we do with a day alone at Sunny Days? Let me tell you, it was a beautiful day! 

First, with nowhere to be, we lounged around watching cartoons and watching a happy Godson smile (he still rations them, but not quite so much) and play. Then, because of a problem with medical appointment scheduling, two ladies who work for a different agency and are staying here at SD suddenly played host to 10 kids under the age of 6, many of them 2- and 3-year olds. Their impromptu visit included chicken and bananas by the pool, followed by swimming and playing in the grassy area nearby. Godson was napping during this time, but Shekina and I sat out there and watched. She and Koko Vickie played ring around the rosy, and Shekina played a French song/dance game with one of that agency's nannies and some of their kids. Shekina was very shy, didn't want to get in the pool with the other kids, but she did stick her feet in the water. She started expressing some needs to me ("Mama, mayi?"--can I have some water?), so we went back to the room for a bit. I truly think she was nervous she was going to be sent off in the van with all that agency's children when they left. She felt more comfortable after we went back to the room for a bit. 

By then it was lunchtime, and Godson was awake. Tired of baguettes, peanut butter, and the few snacks we had left in the room, we decided to venture out on our own for the first time. Going out solo is not recommended, but there is a restaurant just around the block--a five minute walk--so we strapped Godson to my back in the Ergo carrier and started walking. We encountered zero problems, and when we walked in the door of the Eros restaurant, we pretty much discovered heaven in Kinshasa. Kinshasa is one of the poorest cities in the world in one of the poorest countries in the world--more on that later--so whenever we find a  nice, clean place where we can trust the safety of the food and we feel safe ourselves, we're happy. Eros is a Greek restaurant with AC, cold beer, delicious food, and a waitstaff who didn't mind fixing small bowls of chicken and rice for our two kids. We thought we had died and gone to heaven, especially when we found out they take credit cards! Eros has an attached boulangerie and patisserie that we hope to visit this morning if we have time before we meet with our lawyer. 

Why the meeting? We are supposed to depart for Istanbul tonight at 8:50, and we haven't yet received our exit letter. On top of that, our lawyer neglected to respond to any of our agency rep's emails or our guide's calls yesterday. We're pretty annoyed right now, so that's why we're having the meeting. We shall see what happens. Right now, though we are supposed to leave on Wednesday night, the lawyer says we'll get our exit letters on Thursday. 

Personally, I am in no rush to fly back, mainly because I know it will be extremely difficult with two children and because I am worried about poor Godson's ears on the flight. That being said, it does not feel good to be strung along like we are now, sitting here in limbo. Also, my parents need to get back to work, and it will be quite costly to change five airline tickets. 

Anyway, to leave things on a positive note, let me tell you about the trip to the pool we took after lunch yesterday. Shekina jumped off the steps to me in the water many times, and then she even jumped off the side of the pool and into my arms twice. What a brave little chickadee! She is going to be swimming in no time. Godson, who at that point had been fever-free for 48 hours and was feeling great, was happy and wanted to go outside, so we put a swim diaper on him, and guess what? He loved it! He splashed, and laughed and laughed when Shekina or I would splash him back. We are so enjoying seeing this boy come out of his sickness and into the light! 

All right, I should try to go to back to sleep now, as it's 5:54 am and we have that appointment this morning. I hope my next post contains some sort of good news about the exit letter.

A Congolese specialty: Cossa cossa (shrimp) 

After our fun swim, Shekina made bracelets for Mama and Koko Vickie using pipe cleaners and beads.