It's another typically untypical morning in Congo, where no day ever goes quite as planned. Today, our driver isn't with us, as he had to take his child into hospital overnight with suspected malaria. So MT has taken the car to work with him, and I've hitched a lift with our neighbour to drop the… Continue reading Congo Sketch: The School Run at Walking Pace
Exploring Dorsoduro
The great advantage of visiting an iconic city for the second time is that the pressure is off - there's no longer that urgent impulse to tick off the major must-see tourist attractions within a short time frame. A few years ago I had the privilege of a romantic trip to Venice, where we made… Continue reading Exploring Dorsoduro
I Miss Getting Lost
There was a time when I would frequently get lost. I could turn from my desk to my bookshelves to look something up, and find myself an hour later lost in the opening pages of a dozen well-loved novels. I could stay at my desk, having sat down to do half an hour of preparation,… Continue reading I Miss Getting Lost
How Congo is More French than France (and one way it’s a bit like the Big Apple)
Before arriving in Congo we had high expectations. We were not coming to Africa for the first time - our year in Uganda had dispelled many of the apprehensions most people would have about life in the sub-Saharan continent. There was much to enjoy and appreciate there; we’d had a good lifestyle (although that is easier… Continue reading How Congo is More French than France (and one way it’s a bit like the Big Apple)
Tuesday’s Traveller – My Top Five Spas of the World
For something a little bit different, I'm over at Canadian Expat Mom today with luxury in mind...click below to read the post! My Top Five Spas of the World (so far…) By: Catriona Turner Hello fellow followers of Canadian Expat Mom! I’m pleased to be with you, inspired by Lisa to give my perspective on… Continue reading Tuesday’s Traveller – My Top Five Spas of the World
A Frustrated Nester Fiction Nugget*
I promised a little while ago that if I got to 100 facebook page likes then I would publish a 'nugget' of fiction here on the blog. I wrote this flash fiction piece about 18 months ago, while I was at Circle of Missé. A goal this year is to maintain a steady stream of… Continue reading A Frustrated Nester Fiction Nugget*
Stitched Up: Contrast Top Refashion
I've written before about how valuable to me time sewing with friends has been (in the book Once Upon an Expat...available now on Amazon...click here!) Here in Congo we have a group who get together around once a month to craft together, in surprisingly diverse ways: last week, we were drawing, making dreamcatchers, sewing garments, and… Continue reading Stitched Up: Contrast Top Refashion
Breaking Out of the Bubble
‘Tu as peur? C’est ça?’ No, I wasn’t scared to visit our housekeeper (ménagère) in her quartier, not in the way he meant anyway. But it had been two months since she’d had her baby, and he was right to wonder. I had plenty of reasons I could offer: I’ve been too busy; it’s difficult… Continue reading Breaking Out of the Bubble
Normal Service Just Might Resume…
I’m 10 days on from returning after the Christmas holidays. These days, travelling home is so expensive and so needed, that such holidays become long breaks, and transition back into the not-always-so-routine of Congo living happens frequently and takes at best a few days. I was just about over the hump of this process early last… Continue reading Normal Service Just Might Resume…
What I Learned From My First NaNoWriMo
As the calendar foretold, December has arrived. For most of the past few years this has surprised me. Once upon a time December was an arrival. Nights drew in from the start of October, temperatures dropped, winter clothes came out and I would start to miss summer evenings despite myself. The journey through winter had… Continue reading What I Learned From My First NaNoWriMo
