Life in Kinshasa cultivates an appreciation of the little things- minor moments that can be turned into small treasures of time. During our vacation we made a few discoveries, tried some new things and stepped out of our comfort zone when possible. Some of the highlights:
- Protein popcorn- This delicious treat was discovered at a friend's house during movie night. We started the tradition by bringing flavored popcorn (chocolate- a house specialty, and cheese, another favorite.) The hosts added to the fun by finding this scrumptious recipe (although the name seems misleading- sounds healthy but can it really be? With corn syrup?) She is the kind of person to actually have corn syrup on hand (surely my version will include some form of substitution. Although corn syrup made it to my shopping list this week, I didn't actually spy it in any of the stores.) Highly recommended for popcorn enthusiasts.
- My ever jubilant fitness instructor offered a few classes in the pool during this break since attendance was light. During one class we got around to theorizing about kickboxing in the water- which was quickly scheduled for the following Thursday. Some of the water exercises were great- though I have a hard time believing it's really as good- if not more intense- than an out of water experience. In my current state however, a good floating workout feels wonderful. Kickboxing was a bit of a miss however. The resistance of the water slowed things down (adding to the muscle toning benefit I imagine) but something was lost in the attitude. I think much of the appeal and motivation of kickboxing is feeling like a bad a*# mo-fo and that kind of gets dampened when all your punches throw up little splashes of pool water. But we tried it- ever the good guinea pigs for our award winning instructor (can't do that in Canada, we told her smugly, always trying to maintain our title of favorite fitness buddies- making up in spirit what we lack in numbers.)
- I spent a few fun days wandering around in confusion as I tried to digest the metric versions of weight gained. Though I am trying not to harp on turning 40, facts are it's in my mind a lot. For most of the past year in fact. And gaining weight is a heck of a lot scarier now than ever before. It just doesn't go exactly where you want it to, and there is an ever present acknowledgement that it will probably be a lot harder to get off this time around. I've been keeping mental track of my numbers- 61kg to begin with and the most recent weigh-in- 67. A mere 6 kg. I let the confusion and happiness settle in for awhile (ok, I knew it was damned near impossible that I had only gained 6 kg....but I wanted to revel for a moment.) Once I did the conversions I found out 6kg= about 13lbs. Much more realistic. But still not terrible for the halfway point. My next google search involves looking into how to make your own weights because one of the things I am seriously going to miss is having the weight room available- well stocked, 24 hours and free. While I probably will not be casting my own weights from cement, there are a few good ideas here and an uplifting story.
- The other place I am going to miss will be the pool. When all else fails, going to the pool is the one sure option to induce a carefree feeling of luxury and vacation. It is easy to stare up at the blue sky framed with palm trees listening to the parrots and imagine yourself in any tropical location in the world. A little mental vacation. Often our not-quite-Olympic-sized pool is empty, giving an even greater impression of opulence- as though you were lounging in your own backyard. Occasionally there are other kids around for Nabih to play with, adding some fun to an otherwise dull day. I usually spend my time stretching and exercising underwater, practicing some pull ups on the bars by the diving blocks in an endless attempt to add muscle to my persistently skinny arms. Nabih likes to hang off the basketball hoop (pulling that net closer and closer to the water) and practice perfecting his tricks. Sometimes we bat a ball around or play some random game of dive and catch. No matter what we do, it's refreshing and relaxing. Stress and unhappiness guaranteed to melt away at the pool.
It's always good to try and do one thing that will outshine all others. If I can think of one event that will give the boys something to talk about and remember - just one day out of the ordinary- I can usually coast on those memories for awhile (and stave off the dreaded 'there's nothing to do' for the rest of the week.) So, we packed up and headed off to the 'snake park' one Sunday- Kinshasa's anti-venom unit situated on the outskirts of town in the middle of dirt roads and long grass. There had been a lot hype recently from a group of teachers who had gone there and so we were surprised- and disappointed?- upon first driving up to the 'park.' Park is a big name for an outfit that could have fit on my back porch. But then, I guess snakes don't actually need much room- preferring as they do to remain all coiled up in the dark.
To be fair, the hype centered around how knowledgeable the staff was and the information they could provide about each of the kinds of snakes. There were about 9 large cages set up on stilts, framed with screens in a shady area of the field. There were some large plastic barrels and smaller plastic tubs lined up over top in a row on some wooden shelves to the left of the cages. And there were snakes. Lots of them.
We started with a tour of the venomous ones. The handler took each one out with a long metal hook and we watched from a distance. He told us he'd been bit 6 times. Well, the last time the snake didn't actually get the venom inside. He repeated often how snakes need an enclosure to hide in or they will die from the stress, even as he nudged them from their homes so we could get a glimpse of the deadly creatures. The cobras did a little dance for us as the keeper informed us that all snake charmers were bogus. Cobras follow the movement of the flute, not the music. All snakes are deaf.
When it came time to view the non-venomous snakes, the fun began. The real reason you go to the snake park is so you can hold the snakes- and snap a thousand pictures to prove to your friends how brave you are. You'll notice I am not in any of the pictures. My bravery comes out in different ways.
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| Love the pure enthusiasm on Mohamed's face. He is game! |
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The snake diva- a friend's daughter
approached everything with calm interest |
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| Nabih is clearly more cautious |
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| but proud of his participation |
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| Mohamed seems good...... |
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| ....until the snake turns around for a kiss |
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What would a trip to the snake park be without
a little snake charming hat? |
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| It looks really good on Nabih |
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The python is most impressive....
I freaked out at first thinking it was a boa |
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Christian really hates snakes...a lot.
But he was ready to help the kids
and always first to hold a snake- true bravery |
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It's actually quite heavy.
Nabih declined but snake diva was ready |
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| My favorite part of the whole experience. Love this guy. |
