Our House is a Very Very Very Fine House in some respects

The Stars and Stripes hang at our front door

Front Entrance of Residence

Here's the good part

...with one dog in the yard, life is not so hard...and garbage out the back, trash tossed out the back door of the compound into a ravine, an established practice here I discovered! I was appalled to be part of the problem when I am looking for trash solutions! I have asked for burn barrels and materials to construct a compost pile out there. Here is Leroy surveying the damage.

Here's the bad part..
Mmmmm, this smells great!

Y'a Bon Banania

Y'a bon Banania, 1915 by Alexandre Andreis on left, a later version, and today's look..

I see this product in stores here in Brazzaville, and wondered what it is. This is what I found out. Its history...(mostly from from Wikipedia). Sounds like a French version of Ovaltine, now I have to buy some and taste it!

"In 1909, during a visit to Nicaragua, French journalist Pierre Lardet tasted a drink made from banana flour, ground cereal, cacao and sugar that was popular there. Back in Paris, Lardet began commercial production of a powder simulating that product. In 1914, he marketed it as Banania, showing an image of a woman from the Antilles. Her image was replaced in 1915 during WWI with the drawing of a widely smiling Senegalese infantryman enjoying Banania. Senegal was at that time a French colony whose soldiers fought as Allies in France fighting valourously in their red fezzes, with casualties of 30,000. Their courage endeared them to the French.

Lardet took advantage of their popularity for the launch of his product, handing out the product 'for our soldiers, the long-lasting nourishment they need, and which takes up the least amount of space'. The slogan "Y'a bon", "it's good," was coined from vernacular used by these soldiers. The slogan and character became inseparable as the expression was coined:" l'ami y'a bon" the "y'a bon buddy."

The advertising slogan and images have been labelled racist and colonialist by some who argue that they reinforce the old cliché of a friendly yet stupid African. Some French black people connect this stereotype with aggressive colonialist policy in Africa of the global group Unilever, the old unique owner of the brand.
In France the Banania brand is now owned by the French company Nutrimaine, which acquired it from Unilever in 2003. This slogan has not been used since 1977...

If you want to read more about Banania go to http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/02/16/features/blume.php?page=1

To Market To Market

Here is one market, there are several here in addition to the Avenue Foch and the grand supermarche'. It's Brazzaville's Marche' Total after a rain, it's much more doable when it's dry. This is not normally where I shop, but if there is a market, I have to see it. The main road of this market is much better.

Bats for Sale, Appetizing Young Bats for Sale....that's what's in the cage and in the seller's hand. I don't have any recipes for these either...

Leroy's Security Duty

Leroy, the African Wonder Dog

Leroy, our Golden Retriever, Malawian by birth, and loveable by nature, was cited for heroism by the Embassy's Regional Security Officer for his valiant effort to call attention to a neighboring guard in distress. Last night at 3 am Leroy barked and called attention to an attempted robbery nearby, leading to such a tamasha that the robbers aborted the attempt and left the scene.

Rain, Mud, Traffic

The green cars are taxis...1,000 francs ($2) for anywhere you want to go without a seatbelt.

Heavy rains and no drainage, plus many cars and lots of garbage and trash make for a pretty clogged up situation in Brazzaville. I was trying to walk in my neighborhood and came to this juncture, no way to get by....

A Wet Weather Favorite?
Fresh Caterpillars for sale! Get 'em while they're wiggling. I don't have any recipes for these yet...

Bienvenue a' Brazzaville

The Congo River downriver from Brazzaville looking across into the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire). We arrived in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, on October 17 for an expected three-year stay, and after five weeks here I am beginning to find my way. The language is French, and so difficult for me, but day by day communication is becoming easier. Brazzaville lies beside the Congo River pictured here looking across toward Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Our last post, Malawi, seems long behind us, and as much as we loved our time there, it is now the time to adapt to Congo.

The picture above left shows the welcome sight of sweeping African plains after having been in the traffic and dirt of Brazzaville. Yesterday we took a trip up north to a game reserve, Lefini, 281 km. outside of town (4 hours drive) along with a group of mostly French people to launch an association for preservation of wildlife there, the Association des Amis de la Reserve de la Lefini, whose honorary president is the wife of France's Ambassador here. Also pictured is a dance performance by a pygmy troup who performed there. We enjoyed a drive through the bush in the Nambouli Valley to look for elephants (we saw none). Many spent the night there in an old hut from the 50's established as a hunting cabin so maybe they had better luck in the early morning.