Life in Brazza: Villa Gentil

The greatest advantage of traveling and staying in one place awhile is that one's perceptions of the culture can actually evolve. A certain kind of appreciation for the way things are develops--as opposed to the usual in and out trips that conclude where they started, usually wondering why people don't do things like we do. So after a quick eight weeks with a few to go, I feel this appreciation growing. It does not erase the horrendous traffic, the public litter extraordinaire, or the need to be careful what water one drinks.

Brazzaville, especially after an all-too-brief flirtation with Kinshasa (10 times bigger), is kind of a big small town. Traffic at certain times of day is indeed horrendous. I have not yet figured out the rules of the road, but have happily observed that my daughter has mastered them. Motorcyclists often scold taxi drivers (2/3 of the vehicles are green and white taxis, mini-buses and big buses) about their driving errors. It's all friendly; no road rage. But begging forgiveness for cutting someone off by putting your hands on your heart in a mea culpa move is sort of unnerving. Add to that countless pedestrians, who navigate the roads at their own risk. And early (6:00 pm) dark-dark-dark. And dirt side streets with hills and refuse piles to navigate.

Le paillote , aka my some time office

Lizard friend

The "parcel" where I spend most of my time is an official US residence referred to as Villa Gentil, which means "nice house." This means for one thing that we have 

Twice weekly water truck delivery.

many comforts that are not available to all here. We have potable water, AC (not needed right now when it is a "cold" 70 degrees F.), a multi-system TV with more channels than I care to watch. There are bananas growing and a kitchen garden that promises masses of tomatoes at some point. In the back garden is a screened gazebo with electricity and a ceiling fan which makes a great office on a nice day. There is a yoga studio with a spinning bike and TV/DVD to support fitness goals. Like even modest residential settings, the house sits behind walls. There are highly professional guards at the gate 24/7. I have to alert them when my French tutor is coming so they will admit him. Villa Gentil is also only a seven minute walk to the US Embassy, which makes for a great commute for Stro when she doesn't need her car or isn't being driven somewhere for a meeting.

These tiny orchids are my fave.

Thanks to Godar, the gardener, the garden has grown and prospered in the past year. In fact, it is almost unrecognizable. Bougainvillea and trumpet vines now curl over the wall at the top and bloom, making the parcel inviting to those outside (and many small lizards and birds inside). Thanks to Chanelie, who keeps house, and Well-come, who cooks, we are fed and kept tidy and clean (including our laundry) and Stro is able to do the representational entertaining she likes to integrate into her work. When the power goes out (regularly), the generator comes on so the interruption is minimal. There are guest bedrooms and an office as well as large public spaces and a huge screened porch (complete with hammock) where we eat breakfast daily, all of which make for a terrific space to host parties, dinners, and the occasional promotion ceremony.

And thank to Team Gentil,

The fab porch

Stro has hosted many such events here since I arrived. They ranged from lovely casual lunches on the porch to sit down dinners for six to twelve to a rollicking dance party for 100, to special receptions for visiting musicians and basketball stars. Most visitors show a lot of interest in her art and photography as well as a growing artifacts collection (masks, musical instruments, etc,). It is definitely a Foreign Service house! I have had the good fortune to meet incredibly interesting people and through them have been able to put a few of the cultural and political pieces together. The one thing I know for sure is that there is a lot more to learn.