quite possibly weeks or longer.
Having left Matadi and a newly enriched Customs Officer, we drove back on the Kinshasa road to Lufu, or any of the other names that towns in this part of Africa get called, depending on your language and which side of the border you nominally originate from. Lufu gets its name from the Lufu River, which runs from northern Angola to the Congo River (presumably) traversing the sliver of land that King Leopold managed to get to ensure that his colony had access to the sea. It’s less a town on the Congolese side and more of a crazy, uncontrolled (to the unfamiliar eye) trading post, where commodities ranging from cement and rebar to beer, plastic products, clothes and bulk food items, are traded across borders depending on exchange rates, availability, who you’re paying off and whether you’ve fuel in your truck (or motorbike for the micro-traders) to make it to Kinshasa.
Mo spent a good deal of the journey speaking to his boss and explaining the loss of US$800 and whether it was worth approaching their friend, the head of police in Kinshasa, to try to get it back. It was decided that route would be more costly in the longer run. “You sleep in shitty hotel tonight!” roared Mo laughing away, because we had to overnight in the nearby town of Kimpese in order to finish our investigation after the delays.
Kimpese is more hamlet than town, more shithole (thanks Dumb Donald!) than hamlet, with a handful of streets of formal houses and potholed dirt roads hidden behind the chaos and colour of the roadside informal trade. It’s also the epicentre of the cement industry in this part of the DRC, with all of the plants within a few kilometres of each other, located on huge limestone reserves.
because they have no education of use to a modern industrial plant.
The grandly-named Hotel Espace Nzilco was our place for the evening, and it looked as inviting as Mo had described it as. We checked in, Mo slipping the receptionist a little something extra with a none too subtle wink and grin, and went to unpack. Basically, the rooms are bungalows and resembled old military quarters from Belgian days, which a number of places I’ve stayed in in the DRC were. No Wi-Fi, so the bar and dinner it would be. Mo was already in full flight buying beer and whisky and chatting to whoever was in the bar. “My expensive friend!” he shouted as I walked in, telling the story in French to those listening and laughing. “Come! Drink shit whisky from you British and good beer from us Congolese!” Right on both counts. I chatted to a couple of Pakistani guys I’d worked with a couple of years before on a project not too far away. They drank like fish in the solid knowledge that what the imam couldn’t see, he couldn’t tell Allah (their words, more or less, not mine). Mo’s roving eye after a very good dinner of peri-peri chicken, freshwater fish and vegetables was my cue to grab a couple of bottles of beer and head to bed.
The next morning, we drove back to Lufu to inspect the border and try to understand the volumes of product crossing it, but we couldn’t get too close to the police or customs officials on account of my dodgy passport. We did some sums in the drizzle, and spoke to traders bemoaning the broken bridge, which would only take small vehicles as some of the supports had collapsed, meaning the cement and steel trucks had to offload onto small trucks and cars, get the goods over and then load up on trucks again on the other side. The Angolans, supplying most of the goods, wanted to fix it but the Congolese, trying to protect their dire, expensive and corrupt local industries were happy enough to leave it be to increase the costs of getting stuff to their side.
After a while watching, and trying to take pictures without getting seen (“No fuckin’ click-click – these cops’ fuckin crazy!”), we headed back out with a rough idea of what was going on. On the muddy, slippery road you have to drive slowly, but not everyone does. We saw a small truck lose control and careen down a small embankment, spilling all the fresh produce and breaking most of the beer it was transporting. The owner of the stock, a young lady, was sobbing. As much as the fright she got, that was her income gone for a few weeks, maybe more. Life on the margins is tough. It’s shit. Mo accelerated past the gathering crowd, all of whom were offering opinions as to whose fault the accident was.
doesn’t really give a sense of how slippery and potholed the road is – and unstable
on the sides, with bits caving in if large trucks get too close to the edges).
We got to the second town of Kongo Central Province, Mbanza Ngungu, and got stuck in the ubiquitous funeral procession, apparently for a well-known local musician. Mo wasn’t in the mood for dishing out cash, and kept his window closed. Apparently his wife was waiting for him. We got back to Kin without any further delays, and I’ve never been so happy to see a proper bed, hot running water, a restaurant and, most of all, familiarity.
A last day in Kin and I had an excellent meeting with a young guy from the investment promotion agency. Chatting through what I needed in terms of project information and our trip to Lufu, he smiled and said, “but we collect that trade data – even the informal trade, so we can know if our traders are being honest with volumes and prices”, and proceeded to e-mail the spreadsheets on the spot. What a win!
With a spring in my step, I went into my final meeting, with the national power company, looking for an outline of current and upcoming projects. The cantankerous bastard wouldn’t have been out of place in a recreation of Heart of Darkness and openly asked for money. Two faces of the Congo in one day, one old, one new; one condemning 80 million to poverty, the other swimming upstream to create a better life. All with the memory of the broken woman fresh in my mind.
It’s the Congo. It’s tough. It hurts you in ways you don’t expect; it thrills you in ways you can’t explain. It hardens you and teaches you humility and kindness all in one. It leaves you exhausted and angry; it creates a kaleidoscope of memories, vivid, jarring and spectacular. It never disappoints.
As told by serial luncher Deebee7.
Super Saturday, only 7 months late!
Ireland, England and France all still have a chance of winning the Six Nations.
In the unlikely event that Ireland beat France with a bonus point, they will win regardless of the other results. If they beat France, but without a bonus point, they still win if England fail to get a bonus point against Italy. If England win with a bonus point – as you’d expect them to – then it will come down to points difference, with Ireland currently being 23 points ahead.
If Ireland lose or draw, and England win, then England get the title, unless France win and have a better result than England’s victory in terms of championship points or, if on the same points, the points difference in scores. If they end up with the same points and points difference, then it comes down to tries scored, where France are currently ahead by 13-9.
Clear? Let’s play!
Onna telly this week
Friday 30th October
| Lions v Griquas | 16:55 | Sky Sports Mix |
Saturday 31st October
| Australia v New Zealand | 08:45 | Sky Sports Arena |
| Wales v Scotland | 14:15 | BBC1 / S4C |
| Pumas v Sharks | 14:25 | Sky Sports Arena |
| Italy v England | 16:45 | ITV / STV |
| Bulls v Stormers | 16:55 | Sky Sports Arena |
| France v Ireland | 20:05 | BBC1 / BBC2 |
Sunday 1st November
| Dragons v Munster | 14:00 | S4C / TG4 / Premier Sports 2 |
| Connacht v Treviso | 16:30 | TG4 / Premier Sports 2 |
| Italy v England (women) | 17:00 | Sky Sports Arena |
| Scarlets v Edinburgh | 18:45 | Premier Sports 1 |
Monday 2nd November
| Cardiff v Ulster | 18:00 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Zebre v Ospreys | 19:15 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Glasgow v Leinster | 20:15 | Premier Sports 1 |
Ovally Balls 
Well if he wants PE investment then the investors will want their return, so you may well be passing control over in a direction you don’t want. Super League and the Murdoch cash looked like a great idea for some clubs when it was formed. After Oldham went bust despite selling the ground and greyhound track it destroyed a lot of the grass roots support.
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Luckily, we do have a former senior player/ref who’s a dentist by profession – so a medical professional was handy to work out what important to have in our policy…. the IRFU template was pages and pages long. I know other clubs were floundering trying to think what their position needed to be on various points.
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Yes – money in and of itself isn’t the main thing if you don’t have a (good) plan for how you’ll use it.
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that train accident looked a bit of a fluke……………………………
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Come on, Ulster!!!
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it’s Monday – do the players know there’s a game on?
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Even the mister has commented that Stuart’s hair looks lovely.
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Yeah, I’m not a fan of these Monday matches.
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Try Lee-lo. Hmph.
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Ludik’s day is over, to be replaced by an unknown to me.
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McKilroy, I think they said.
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A lad from Methody, thaum.
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Cardiff man in the bin after multiple infringements in their own 22. Yet another scrum, yet another ulster penalty.
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TomP – oh, he must be a lovely lad, then!
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Another card coming?
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No, just the threat of another card.
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Don’t listen to the commentators, lads – go for the scrum. Bound to be a penalty try.
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Ends up with the ball going loose, Lowry getting it, and running through Cardiff furraaa liiinnnneeee!
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Oh dear, Cooney misses what looks like an easy conversion. Although I think it’s windy.
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He’s very young, was still playing schools rugby in 2019.
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Blood ’em young. It’s character-building.
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On the feed I’m watchin on they’ve just had an ad for American College Football. I wasn’t sure that they were even playing but went over to espn’s website to see what’s what. Clemson are ranked #1 with a 7-0 record, then Alabama 6-0, Ohio State 2-0 and Notre Dame at 6-0.
Most impressive is Oregon, who rose two positions on the rankings to #12 this week. They haven’t played any games yet this year.
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Most impressive is Oregon, who rose two positions on the rankings to #12 this week. They haven’t played any games yet this year.
How does that work, then?
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It’s done by poll I think. Oregon’s nickname is The Ducks.
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Reminds me of a childhood joke.
Q. What’s the difference between a duck?
.
.
.
.
.
.
A. One of its feet is both the same.
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McCloskey has been outstanding so far today.
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Contrast with Aki’s woeful performance on Saturday.
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I’ve got chilli and chips for tea and rugby on the ‘puter
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A duck walks into a bar and asks: “Got any Bread?”
Barman says: “No.”
Duck says: “Got any bread?”
Barman says: “No.”
Duck says: “Got any bread?”
Barman says: “No, we have no bread.”
Duck says: “Got any bread?”
Barman says: “No, we haven’t got any bread!”
Duck says: “Got any bread?”
Barman says: “No, are you deaf?! We haven’t got any bread, and if you ask me again and I’ll nail your dang beak to the bar you irritating dang duck!”
Duck says: “Got any nails?”
Barman says: “No”
Duck says: “Got any bread
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Sartre, Rousseau and Descartes walk into a bar and get into a philosophical discussion.
“The first man who, having fenced in a piece of land, said “This is mine,” and found people naïve enough to believe him, that man was the true founder of civil society. From how many crimes, wars, and murders, from how many horrors and misfortunes might not any one have saved mankind, by pulling up the stakes, or filling up the ditch, and crying to his fellows: Beware of listening to this impostor; you are undone if you once forget that the fruits of the earth belong to us all, and the earth itself to nobody,” says Rousseau.
Sartre nods and says, “L’enfer, c’est les autres. Do you not agree, René?”
“I think not”, says Descartes – and pouf! he disappears.
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This match is very much a battle of forwards and centres. Back three aren’t really coming into it at all (except Lowry).
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Cooney extends Ulster lead: 7-11.
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And as soon as I’ve said that, the back 3 get the ball on both sides.
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This has turned into a mêlée.
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(By which I don’t mean either a fight or a scrum, but just total chaos.)
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Classic ref con penalty there, Cardiff 8 over the ball in a good position, but not actually on the ball, gets the penalty
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Ulster scrape the win.
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Youse did us a favour there, Thaum.
Embra’s season starts now
(Next game is away to the Dubs I think)
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Right, time for Glasgow’s loss to Leinster.
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Bugger.
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Better.
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Not better.
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Leinster are well on top in pretty much every department
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Bit better.
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Well that went much as expected.
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I thought he was ok in 1st half – but anonymous in 2nd. Pro14 is a different level but he seems to fit much better in Connacht game plan – which is (to my eyes) play fast and loose.
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BB, your economy of commentary is a thing of rare beauty!
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Election Day in the World’s Greatest Democracy!
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Trisk – he seemed to knock the ball on every time he touched it, and didn’t make the kind of gains that McCloskey makes. Usually I quite like him, but thought he was very sub-par.
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