|
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
MED EVAC'D AGAIN
This time it's Bill...not me! Shortly after we returned from our vacation in Zanzibar, Bill started having severe intestinal
pain (about June 3 or 4 for the timeline). The Embassy's Nurse-Practitioner thought it was a parasite. She treated it and
he felt better over the weekend. But on Tuesday, June 9, the pain returned with a vengence. The Embassy's med unit put Bill
into the Kinshasa hospital immediately; he was there for two nights. Although his "numbers" were getting better,
after consultation with the Regional Medical Officers in both Nairobi & Pretoria, Bill was med evac'd to South Africa.
We left on Thursday June 11 by air ambulance; after a 3.5 hour flight we were in UNITAS Hospital in Pretoria. Bill was diagnoised
with Pancreatitis.
For those of you who know us, this is Bill's second bout with Pancreatitis. He first had it when he was USAID Mission Director
in Eritrea. Then he was med evac'd to London. After 6 weeks on IVs for food & water at Princess Grace Hospital in London,
Bill recuperated for another month in the States. It was finally determined that the pancreatitis was brought on by a rare
parasite that entered through his skin. That bug was treated & Bill was fine again.
This time, the doctors seem to think this bout was brought on by the passage of a gall stone or "sludge" that damaged
the bile duct that connects the gall bladder & the pancreas. After treatment and a number of painful days & nights
and about 2 weeks in the hospital, Bill is feeling better. He was released on June 23 but only to Pretoria. We had to spend
another 10 - 15 days here. Bill is doing well now and feels pretty good. He tires very easily -- not unexpected after so
much time in the hospital. Yesterday, Bill had a follow up blood test and he has an appointment with the Embasssy doctor (Regional
Medical Officer) on Thursday. Assuming all is well, we'll return to Kinshasa on Saturday, July 4.
No matter the cause, and we know there may very well have been multiple things, Bill's life will have to change. He has chronic
pancreatitis. He needs to follow a lower fat diet, get more exercise and avoid alcohol all together. If you know us, you
know Bill's favorite foods were Potato Chips and scotch! I sure hope clean living doesn't do us in!
We are currently staying at a very nice guest house in Pretoria -- Matisse's Nook. We have a large one-room cottage with
a thatched roof. It's lovely; the hosts are delightful. But we are cold. Temps have been particularly low and there's no
central heating. For some reason, the 50 degree F temp daytime & freezing temp at night here feel colder to me than the
40 degrees of Michigan in March! But it is lovely and the sun is warm.
When we left Congo, Sam (DCM) and Odile (his wife) took over the management of the July 4th Committee. They are doing a great
job. They have lots of help from the Embassy family. The official celebration is scheduled for July 3 from 6-8 p.m. at the
Residence. Sam & Odile will preside over the ceremony.
If our flight is on time on Saturday, we should arrive at the Residence shortly after the beginning of the American Community
July 4th picnic/carnival. So we will get to celebrate at least part of the holiday. We are anxious to get home and to see
Sydney again.
In spite of the many challenges we've had over the past year, we know we are blessed and very fortunate. We have wonderful
family, friends and colleagues who give us tremendous support. This site was never intended to be a litany of ailments, tradegies
and sadness!
Again, if you feel compelled to send Bill flowers, etc., please instead send a contribution to www.StandProud.org; an organization
that provides treatment and a new life to children and young adults with polio and leg & foot deformities. Your thoughts,
prayers and moral support are most appreciated.
3:03 am pdt
Friday, June 5, 2009
VACATION IN ZANZIBAR!!!
IT WAS WONDERFUL!
We left Kinshasa mid-day on Friday, May 22. We arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at 8 p.m. We
were given VIP treatment all the way. Met at the gate by airport personnel and escorted to the VIP lounge where U.S. Ambassador
Yamamoto (good friend of Bill's) was waiting for us. His staff wisked away with our passports and baggage claim tickets.
Although we were invited to stay at the Residence with the Yamamotos, we stayed in the Sheraton. I had found a very good rate
on the internet and made the reservations even before we knew the Yamamotos would have time to see us. Bill had been
to Addis so many times in his career, I wanted to see the city. Our options were to fly through Nairobi on Kenya Airlines
or go through Addis on Ethiopian Air. So, I picked Ethiopia Air.
On Saturday, we took a brief tour of the city ... we visited Meneluks Musoleum and St. George's Church.
We also went to the Lion Zoo but that was a mistake -- the lions are in very small cages! But since the Zoo has been
there since the time of Haile Salasse, I think these lions were raised there; they seemed somewhat content. Saturday
evening the Yamamotos took us to a lovely Italian restuarant. Great company, nice conversation. Maggie is an artist.
Although we missed her exhibition, we did see the work she had hanging in their home. Very nice! We'd buy it!
On Sunday we left late morning for Zanzibar. We stopped in Dar es Salaam but did not deplane -- we
were there for <45 minutes. Then we flew over the amazing blue waters of the Indian Ocean and in <20 minutes were
in paradise!
We stayed Sunday - Wednesday at the Serena Hotel on the Indian Ocean in Stone Town, the old city.
On Monday we toured the city - saw the slave market and where the slaves were housed until shipped of to Arabia, etc. The
streets of Stone Town are very narrow. We had a great guide. We stopped for beverages at Mercury Bar & Grill.
Freddie Mercury of QUEEN is originally from Zanzibar!
Tuesday was my first massage -- outside, by the Serena's pool. It was great. Bill relaxed, sunned
& read. Bill & I also started playing Gin!
Wednesday we took about a 45 minute taxi ride to the Zamani Kempinski Resort - 5 star all the way. Our bathroom
was as big as the bedroom (and it was big!). There was an outdoor as well as indoor shower and delightful tub. We also
had a semi-private rooftop terrace as well as a balcony off the bedroom. We, of course, had a view of the beautiful
gardens and the Indian Ocean. The bed was glamorous with it's sophisticated misquito netting.
I immediately made arrangements for another massage & facial series. Bill sunned, read, relaxed
and I beat him at Gin -- well maybe 55% of the time; we were quite even overall I'd guess although he did skunk me more than
I skunked him!
It was off season but the weather was perfect. There were a few other guests but not crowded even
when it came to the weekend. I'm sure the honeymooners there looked at us and said..."will that be us in 40 years?!"
We swam in the pool, read, sunned, played Gin. It was a perfect vacation. The meals were good -- we ate fresh
seafood!
On Sunday, May 31, we packed and returned to overnight in Addis. It seems all African International
Fights to Kinshasa are a.m. flights, so an overnight is required on the return trip. We saw Amb Yamamoto again, went
back to the Sheraton, slept and left for the airport at 7 a.m. We were happily back in Kinshasa by 2 p.m on June 1 --
but only after landing in Brazzaville. We were on the ground there for an hour, then took off again to fly 10 minutes
over the Congo River to the Kinshasa airport. It was quite interesting.
So you're probably ho-humming, saying No snorkeling, no scuba, etc. (Neither of us really likes salt
water -- we're Michiganders at heart!). To us, it was the perfect restful vacation. Upon my return, many friends said I "glowed"....I'm sure that was thanks to the Thai massage & Thai facial I had at the Kempinski.
Tuesday, June 2 was right back into the fray. The IWC had its last meeting of the season at our house;
we had a mini-bazaar too. Odile & I bought tie-dyed material. We're going to have Father Guido's sewing students make
our July 4 dresses! Tuesday afternoon was the July 4 committee meeting -- we're in the final stretch now. The
Residence staff is busily making & freezing 1,200 mini-hamburgers for Big Event. That's just the beginning!
On Wednesday, June 3, the Embassy held a Health Faire. On the way there, Kinshasa reality hit
me full-force when I drove pass a poor, disabled man sitting/begging by the side of Ave Justice. He was holding
a baby that didn't look too good. The man himself was very skinny and had a fresh bandage on a very awkwardly positioned,
very skinny leg. Whatever his problem, I don't think that leg would heal correctly. Tears came to my
eyes. In some ways things are better in Kinshasa; in many ways things are worst - poor people suffer greatly
here each day.
6:51 am pdt
May Update
May was an amazingly busy month -- similar to late August and early September last year but for different
reasons. It's probably because I try to cram lots of stuff in before we leave the country.
May 1 is of course Labor Day around the world, except in the US. After a fairly quiet weekend, the
month began as almost all months do...with the monthly meeting of the International Women's Club - Kinshasa. This was
our election meeting: Hanne (Norwegian Honorary Counsel) and I are again co-presidents. Odile has moved from Welfare
Committee co-chair to co-Secretary and lead editor of the IWC's newsletter, We have another wonderful team; I know the
2009/2010 year will be great. The Club has grown from 32 members when I arrived in Dec 2007 to 85 members now!
Not because of me, I assure you! As slow as Congo's progress seems to be, businesses are investing in this fledgling
democracy. The club's growth comes from some diplomats but many NGOs, local organizations and businesses.
On May 6, Bill traveled to the East and to Lubumbashi but the Residence still was the site of a Public Diplomacy
Lunch for AMICUS leaders: AMI(friend)-Congo-US is the association of the returning "international visitors" to the
US. Sam, DCM, and Katya, Public Diplomacy Officer, hosted the lunch - I went to French class & had lunch at the
still going strong and getting better every week African Queen!
On May 7, I hosted a lunch for all the spouses of the Ambassadors to Congo. There are about 35 of
us; about 20 attended. Nah, our chef, made his famous whole Capitaine (white fish, I think sea bass) and other goodies
including Couscous. The Northern African "ambassatrices" were impressed that I served couscous. I told them, the U.S.
is a melting pot; we claim every kind of food as our own. As long as I've been here, this is first such event ...but
we vowed to do it again. I was especially pleased that so many of the African nations' ambassadors' spouses were able to attend.
Odile & I made a pitch for membership in the International Women's Club and we also alerted them to the upcoming visit
of Operation Smile (see below).
May 5: Cinco de Mayo at the Marine House: great tacos & chips as well as fine margaritas were the order
of the day. Many of the children got involved in a "pitched battle" with the Marines. This resulted in the Marines
offering "Operation Seek & Destroy" day for the Embassy kids on May 23. From what I can tell in the photos, the
Embassy kids (all boys as far as I can see) learned to apply camouflage paint, hold a gun (not real), "clear" rooms, and they
ate MREs. Heaven help those Moms & Dads! I think both the kids and the Marines had a good time. I'm
glad we were on vacation because I fear Bill would have been among the kids!
Saturday, May 9: Bill's Office Management Specialist (Exec Assist in any other life) and the other Embassy
OMSs hosted the "annual" Diplomatic Secretaries lunch. We served 50 people, by request, another of Nah's famous whole
fish, his famous potato salad and the local hit - Chicken Moamba (peanut sauce) as well as Nah's ever popular homemake ice
cream. Bill, of course, was still traveling but I assured the Group that the Ambassador was happy to host such an event
because he knows who does the real work in all our embassies! They loved it! And, we really do appreciate them all.
May 11: Odile hosted a pot luck lunch for the IWC volunteers who agreed to make lunches on 4 separate
days for the Operation Smile doctors, nurses, aides and other staff (90 in all). At Odile's pot luck, we each brought
a dish that we thought might make a good element of the brown bag lunches we would prepare. After an interesting, varied and
friendly lunch, we set about the business of determing menus. We needed to make 45 vegetarian and 45 meat lunches for 4 different
days. The planning lunch was a success and below (May 21) you will see that the prep & serving of the lunches
were a success as well.
May 12: Reception in honor of the Falls Church City/Kokolopori, DRC sister-city relationship and the
declaration of a new Bonobo Preserve in Kokolopori. The Falls Church school students had sent me 31 different
pictures depicting their understanding of bonobos (one of the 4 great apes, the one most closely related to humans
and found only in the Congo) and life in the remote Congolese village of Kokolopori. Sally Coxe of the
Bonobo Conservation Initiative prepared a PowerPoint loop of photos of the Kokolopori area and the many wild
bonobos there. It was a fun and successful celebration. Photos are posted at www.flickr.com/photos/congoambassador
May 13: My final AERWA (American Employee Recreation & Welfare Association) board meeting. Odile,
DCM's wife, took over as the new secretary for the Board along with 2 other new officers.
May 15: We wanted to make good use of the Falls Church students' art work and I wanted to show
off our Art in Embassies work to more people. So, we decided to invite professors and students from the Academe
des Beaux-Arts (Kinshasa art school) and teachers and student artists from TASOK. We augmented the FCC artwork with
works by the TASOK students - drawings, paintings, motion studies, pottery, etc. TASOK musicians entertained;
there was a brass combo, a flute solo and a wind trio as well as a performance of a "stomp" rhythmic group
and a chorus. What a wonderful way to spend a Friday afternoon.
Saturday, May 16: The TASOK 5th graders had raised enough money to provide a year's supply of PUR, water
purifier, to the Stand Proud (www.standproud.org) handicapped center. The students earned the money by hosting a dinner for parents and friends, which
included various performances regarding the benefits of, and need for, clean water. On the 16th, the 5th Graders, their
teacher Ms Soumah along with representatives of PSI, the NGO that supplies PUR a product of Proctor&Gamble, and a few
members of the Embassy family delivered the product to the residents/patients of Stand Proud. Nah, our chef,
had made lots of mini-pizzas and cookies and Ms. Soumah made a wonderful punch. In addition to the fun picnic, the TASOK
students demonstrated how to use PUR properly and then did a delightful skit about the importance of clean water. They
did it all in French; a PSI staff person translated to Lingala. I've talked about Stand Proud before, it's a US NGO
that provides surgeries to children & adolesants from 5 yr - 25 yrs who have leg and foot handicaps - due to polio or
other reasons. It's a wonderful group that makes a big difference in these kids lives. I was told that there are
2 or 3 TASOKI high school students who did their mandatory "community service" project by volunteering at Stand Proud.
I'm very proud of our TASOK students...and teachers. Another great day and we're only 1/2 through the month!
May 18: A UN Delegation come to town, including Susan Rice, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Bill had meetings
with the group all day on Monday and had a bi-lateral meeting with Ms. Rice and President Kabila. The delegation left
on Tuesday. No...we did not host any events for this group; the French Embassy had that honor!
May 19: Opportunity International was in Congo seeking funding and doing prep work to open a new micro-credit
bank here. Carrie Slease is a member of the "Second Friday Breakfast Group" of which I have long been a member. When
our colleagues in the group heard she was going to Congo, they told her she had to get in touch with me. She did...and we
"had" to have the delegation over for dinner. This was a buffet dinner for 18, Opportunity International representatives,
some Congolese businesspeople and representatives of USAID and the Embassy's Econ Section. Micro-credit can open doors
for small businesses, entrepreneurs and especially women-owned businesses. When Opportunity International opens shops
here, it will join FINCA, ProCredit, and Hope International some of the other micro-credit organizations here.
May 20: The bi-monthly Business Roundtable reception. This event was a farewell to Econ Officer Chris
Corkey, who came to Kinshasa just over 2 years ago. This was his first post as a foreign service officer. He did a great
job. His next post will be his consulate tour in Sydney, Australia -- WOW!
May 21: Operation Smile (www.operationsmile.org) is in town. about a dozen members of the International Women's Club used our kitchen to prepare 90 brown bag lunchs
for OS's doctors, nurses and other staff. We made cheese & lettuce sandwiches for the vegetarians and roast beef
sandwiches for the meat-eaters. We also had a side of vegetable bread as well as other sweets. We offered plantain chips,
popcorn, hard-boiled eggs and mandarins. After we assembled the lunch bags, we delivered them to the hospital center
where the operations would be preformed. Today was screening day. Well over 550 patients and accompanying family members
waited in the mid-day heat for an evaluation. You cannot imagine the heart-rending faces we saw. Some with facial/cranial
deformities or tumors, most with cleft lips or palates. Over the next 7 days, the doctors performed 210 surgeries;
the others were given "Priority Cards" for treatment when OS returns -- we hope soon. Approximately 55 ex-patriot and
30 local medical volunteers did the work. Odile led IWC's team in providing 3 more days of lunches -- after
Bill & I left for our vacation (see next posting). More than 20 IWC volunteers made lunches and contributed ingredients.
The local bread factory - Pain Victoire - donated baguettes. The first day went by with minimal glitches and, Odile
reports, that successive lunch days were "a piece of cake." It was one small thing the IWC and we could do for such
a worthwhile cause. If you're looking for a worthwhile charity, please consider supporting the work of Operation Smile
(www.operationsmile.org).
May 22: Bill's 60th Birthday and we leave for our vacation! Even though we're gone, there was one
more May event at the Residence. On May 27, the Public Diplomacy Officer hosted a Parlementary Roundtable for the AMICUS
association; Bruno, Nah, Costa & Manuel -- our Residence staff -- did an excellent job helping with this event, I'm
told.
I will write about our vacation in the next Post -- it was a busy, busy month of May!
April Update
First of all, thank you to the many friends who responded to my blog regarding the recent deaths of my Mom
& Bill's aunt. Your warm thoughts and well wishes mean a great deal to both of us.
May was a busy, busy month...but it started at the end of April with a visit by General Ward, 4-Star in
charge of AFRICOM. He and his aid Brian stayed with us. Brian is a techie who handles the General's secure communications
network. We had a number of small meetings for the Gneral at our house and Bill hosted a working diner, inviting many
other Ambasssadors and their Defense Attaches. The General is a very wonderful man, easy to talk with, gentile, kind
and obviously well-respected by his staff. Bill has high hopes for U.S. training of the Congo's armed forces.
On April 25 the General left and we were able to go to the TASOK (The American School Of Kinshsa) school
play: "The Mouse that Roared." It was delightful. All the students did a great job. This was my 3rd TASOK play and I
continue to be impressed.
On April 28 we hosted a reception for 100 of the Returning International Visitors. These are professionals
who have won "scholarships" to travel throughout the U.S. and meet with peers in their professions.
On April 29, I went with the International Women's Club to deliver US$10,000 (in cash) to Father Guido's
street boys organization; the Club raised this money at the Black/White Diner-Dance Fund-Raiser on March 28. The work
Father Guido does with street kids is heart warming. He started his organization <10yrs ago. His first effort
is to heal the family schisms that have torn or driven these kids from their families. He's often successful but not
always. He works with the children & adolesants, giving them not only food but also education and training.
We learned of success stories: a street boy who is now a baker & has his own family; another is now a masson and a third
(among others) is working a farm in a rural community. We visited the Center's workworking shop and sewing center, where
they train young women & men to be tailors. On a related note, Odile & I plan to have Fra. Guido's tailors make
our dresses for the July 4th Celebration!
April 30: Lunch for 30 defense attaches and their spouses on our veranda. Luckily this was a catered
event all handled and coordinated by the spouse of our Assistant Defense Attache.
I'll write about May activities and then our Zanzibar vacation in the next posts.
|
 |
|
2009.09.01 |
2009.08.01 |
2009.06.01 |
2009.04.01 |
2009.03.01 |
2009.02.01 |
2009.01.01 |
2008.12.01 |
2008.11.01 |
2008.10.01 |
2008.09.01 |
2008.08.01 |
2008.07.01 |
2008.06.01 |
2008.05.01 |
2008.04.01 |
2008.03.01 |
2008.02.01 |
2008.01.01
|
I'll make changes to this site occasionally. I'll share news, views, experiences, photos and more. Enjoy!
|
|
|
In this area I'll include links that highlight areas of my weblog. For example, I might include links to my personal favorites
or the most popular posts.
|
|
|
|
| Democratic Republic of Congo |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
