Monday, June 28, 2010

Au Revoir Afrique, Au Revoir Foreign Service Life


Stars and Stripes Flying over the US Embassy Boat "Liberte" Underway on the Congo River

What a life for our family...Since 1975 We have moved 18times, served in Washington DC numerous times, Nepal, Kenya, Pakistan (twice), Zaire, France, India, Malawi, and finally Republic of Congo. Our boys Mark and Michael (born in Nairobi) attended schools in Bordeaux, New Delhi, Islamabad, and Lilongwe,in addition to McLean, VA and it all worked out fine in spite of their trepidations at some points!

It's time to come back to the USA and start new beginnings, but it has been a true honor to be a part of our own team in representing the United States of America, and I can say I served as well, because serving I did; lots and lots of food along with organizational and administrative tasks mixed in with the travel over the years. I was not a Foreign Service Officer, but overseas did manage to work intermittently here and there. I felt just as much a part of Service as if I had been, and the adventures and education of parts of our world, friends and good times that we acquired and experienced along the way were my bonus.


I left Congo in December, 2009 and Al formally retired in July, 2010 and joined me to start his new career as a college teacher. I plan to continue to add material here with his retirement ceremony, and some special memories good and bad, that I will relate...

Friday, November 27, 2009

Meat Market




Here are pictures taken at the Bush Meat Market in Brazzaville, here we have eels, turtles, smoked monkeys, crocodiles...



Yes indeedy, fresh monkey meat here, these are whole smoked animals, but the meat is also available cut up.




Sorry to say the bushmeat trade is alive and well in Congo Brazzaville. Today's foray into the Ouenze Marche' turned up this assortment of meat selections; also on offer were wild hog and antelope. Anything is fair game.