do i have yellow fever?

no, i don't have a thing for asians...i got my vaccinations yesterday for my trip. it was like shopping at a drive-thru window "you want polio with that?" the nurse was happily adding these wonderful concoctions to my menu, when i asked if my health insurance might cover some of the fees. "Sure! want a lollipop? you're so brave!" what joy. when i went to the desk on my way out, they didn't even let me finish my sentence
"do you take -"
CASH OR CREDIT

so there went $300. not including the malaria pills that cost a mere $10 each. that's like 3 falafels! the choice was either hurt the wallet or hurt the brain - lariam has some known psychotic effects - i'm crazy enough already thanks!

the nest day is when the aches set in. ooooh the aches. like someone is driving a nail into my elbow. my arm, i can't lift it enough to scratch my chin and these hot and cold flashes. i'll give it another couple hours to see what happens. so this is what it's like to get yellow fever? happy halloween eh?

here we go

i’m going to kinshasa for three and a half weeks. most people think i’ll be sweating out the rainy season in those khaki pants that you can zip the legs off and turn into shorts, and a safari hat and eyeing bonobo monkeys and gorillas through my binoculars. write a blog, we want to read about your adventures!

hate to ruin the fantasy, but i’m going to spend most of the time in the 5 star hotel (5 stars by Kinshasa standards) running computer algorithms, hoping the power stays on long enough to charge up my laptop and all around nerding it up in French. they’ve even asked me to stay an extra 10 days to be a nerd in another office and teach them a nerdy thing or two.

so i’ll write some updates tho, maybe post a nice screen shot of the little “percent complete” meter, a photo of my breakfast, or maybe bring back some souvenirs made out of flip flops. i'll keep a posted.

monkin' it

during an endless don't-get-to-check-email-or-even-answer-the-phone 8 hour session with a consultant today i glanced out my office window and saw THE dalai lama getting out a limo and pimpin' on into the park hyatt. now THAT dude is a monk. there were all these people and children dancing around him, singing, and he was blessing these dudes with golden tasseled trays on their heads. it was like "serenity now" descended on the entire block. i wonder if hell come to my bbq on saturday. i just came up with the theme of my halloween pumpkin.

devotion

there's a guy outside my office window, in the alley behind the hotel, in between a delivery truck and a dumpster on his rug praying to the north. it's rather bittersweet. a security guard just came out to smoke, and the man snuck away.