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 
McCloskey seemed to have been cast into the “uttermost darkness” by Schmidt. I guess it’s progress that he’s in the squad now. Mightn’t be the worst combo McCloskey with Henshaw – despite his ‘rep’ as a “crashball” centre – whenever I’ve seen him he does look to get he ball away…. it would be disappointing if he only gets to play vs Georgia or in the final playoff game
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You’re asking for this……
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BB – love a bit of Chop Suey.
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Has anyone seen this? I can’t believe how conceptually wrong it is. Forget about the argument between equity and equality, this seems to be an argument for equity describing equality of opportunity. Shirley a more accurate cartoon would be someone getting a lift to the top (or the mountain made smaller hehe).
It bothers me that the Dems would release something this wrong before election day.
Anyway, happy end of the world day everyone.
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One of these things, is not like the others…
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Refit – they can all smile except for the one in green?
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I just got offered 1000-1 on Kamala Harris being the next President of the US. I couldn’t resist putting a tenner on at those odds.
Anyway. John Sessions RIP
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Yeah, I was kind of surprised to see one of ours …..not that he played badly but as a team we hit no heights.
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Jeez, good odds there, OT. Assume you have until investiture next year for Sleepy Joe to croak ?
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@sbt
You would assume so. Biden is obviously in mental decline that it could have been the plan all along.
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What company?
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Gotta suspect that may well be the case, OT.
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I’ve just seen that the Aussies are playing the All Blacks again this weekend.
It’s not funny. Well, maybe it is a bit.
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Campo says the All Blacks have lost their aura and the boys in yellow will stuff them up their holes! Or at least he said that after the 16zall draw. Been a bit quiet last couple of weeks.
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Campo lost his aura about this time in 2003.
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Craigs, it’s pretty standard language. Makes me wonder which British Labour MP they must have nicked it from.
Not going to persuade any racists I suppose but that’s not the point.
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Tomp – the language is fine. The animation is not.
I agree with the idea of equity anyway. You aren’t going to make everyone have the same but you can reduce the gap to something future generations won’t wince at.
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@Craigs – Even if Biden wins and they get the senate it is still highly unlikely that the Democrats will be offering much more than fuck all in terms of movement in that direction.
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Must be time for a musical interlude for Thaum. Not a comment on Election night at all, oh no.
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CMW – they can’t even seem to define it conceptually.
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@Craigs – Over here Labour have developed a bit of a starmer when it comes to doing that too.
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Election day report from on the ground :- shop windows boarded up just down the road from me this morning. wtf? Hope I will be able to score some cheap nearly new plywood in the next few days.
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Biden’s quite a canny pick in that no one has any serious hopes for him changing anything. The last two guys the Democrats got in won on the back of promises to do stuff and we ended up with George W Bush and Trump succeeding them,
It would be handy if a Democrat President could bring about some change in the US as it would be quite handy for the world. But as CMW says it’s not going to happen.
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I need to score some cheap plywood and some other materials (perhaps a piece of felt rather than a burnt out car though) to make something for the Middle One to do her new Zoom call tap dancing lessons on. Otherwise the crappy laminate flooring in our house is going to need replacing rather sooner than planned. Not sure I could cope with another election to get some though.
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@TomP – OT has high hopes for Biden being dead before he even gets to pretend to try. Time was when one’s morality would be questioned on AoD for winning money by betting on the death of elderly politicians, but so it goes.
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CMW – hahaha. I guess that’s what 4 years of Trump does to a notablog.
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Thatcher only paid £70 to my £1 stake, a bottle of whisky and a few quid to charity.
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I guess that’s inflation for you.
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The real difference is we don’t have Killer with us to keep us on the straight and narrow any more.
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He’s here in spirit CMW. As they all are.
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Let me lead you down the path to hell, CMW.
Biden would never have been in with a shout if it wasn’t for Donald being his opposition, and conversely, the same is true. Donalds only chance of winning was for the Democrats to pick Biden. Its bizarre. In addition, Harris would have zero chance of being elected President now, but may well become Pres at some point during the next term. Then she may well have a good shot at a second term.
Realistically, there won’t be much change whichever old white guy gets in, except for possibly less verbal dysentery, and I don’t really buy the Donald dividing America stuff anyway, he may have exposed the divide, but that is something else entirely.
Just been in a hardware store with a friend who refuses to wear a mask. Said store has signs up quoting State guidelines, and saying no mask no entry. None of the staff were wearing masks and were happily chatting to the guy when I walked in with a mask on a couple of minutes later ( I was browsing bargains outside). The staff, including co-owners, rolled their eyes at me and put masks on. Weird.
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“Just been in a hardware store”
Sometimes a day is just too long to wait for your plywood.
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Well, well, well.
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So the Democrats are the Russians, right?
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@sbt
I reckon Donald would be out on his arse by now if the Democrats had picked Tulsi Gabbard. But they wouldn’t do that as the party top brass like bombing people a bit too much.
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OT – tulsi was my gal too.
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I remember when Trump “finally became Presidential” when he dropped a load of bombs on Syria.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/327779-cnn-host-donald-trump-became-president-last-night
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A book recommend: Richard Lachmann’s “First-Class Passengers on a Sinking Ship”. The chapter on the American military is a reminder of just how crap they are at winning wars.
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So even though sleepy Joe is winning now, it looks like Trump will get most of the other electoral college votes right? Based on the data.
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Say what you like about him* but one has to admit Putin is very very good at destabilising democracies.
* Probably safer not to, though.
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Really feelike smashing up a small business right now.
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They’re facing unprecedented pressures because of Coronavirus, craigs. Am not sure your destroying them with your bare hands will help.
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State of Origin just kicked off. New South Wales and Queensland in the final again.
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State of Origin has just kicked off in Adelaide! I’m not watching, you’ll be relieved to know! The Graun has an MBM!
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OT beats me to it whilst I sharpen my pitchfork in anticipation of Craigs’ arrival.
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GOP be like
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Tomp – doesn’t matter, smash up their shop, call them fascist, defund the police so I can smash up more shops, Biden for the win.
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