Friday List!

Sarah's List:

Anyone heard of the book The Sh!t No One Tells You: A Guide To Surviving Your Baby's First Year? Why didn't we think of this?! So many true chapters including: You'll Never Sleep Again, Having Pets Did Not Prepare You for This, and my personal favorite You'll Probably Want a Divorce.

Buy it here.

Here's an excerpt entitled "Breast-feeding is hell." I wholeheartedly agree. I just wish more moms would speak honestly so that when it happens we don't think we're a failure. Hmm, maybe there's a breast-feeding post in Mama Congo's future...

The only evidence that exists of me nursing. Well, in addition to about a million eye witnesses. Before you judge, read the comments in the original post for a disclaimer on why Jill isn't wearing gloves.

Have you seen these maps? Reproductive Rights Around the World.

Image from the article here.

We've been talking a lot about bug repellant lately. So much so that readers are giving us recommendations. Here's one. We even got a complimentary spray of it at an outdoor dinner this week. And I came home bite-free! I mean it has a map of Africa on the label, it must be legit.

Lifesystems Expedition. Get it here.

Check this out: Because Every Country is the Best at Something. Notice Congo is the best at "renewable energy." That's a fancy way of saying, we don't actually have real electricity...

Jill's List:

Johan was really worried because this photo arrived in his email inbox yesterday:

No, I have no explanations or excuses for why my hair looks like that.

Though it may appear that someone is holding me hostage, this photo is simply a fun part of buying trendy online prescription glasses.  That's right, it's only my pupillary distance being calculated with a little help from a standard credit card and a bad webcam.  I'm actually super impressed with the ingenuity of this trick.

And, the glasses I ordered:

BonLook's Flanagan Rose Gold.

were only $99 (prescription and shipping included).  Thanks, BonLook!


I'm really looking forward to getting back to a part of the world where video streaming is possible.  Mainly because of Mathnet.  Yeah, that's right.  I can't wait to show Elias old episodes of Mathnet on You Tube.
He'll probably hate it.  But, I'll have fun.

Speaking of birth control...(see above).  Ever wanted to know all about family planning help in the DRC?  (Sure you do!) Turns out, there is an incredible public health resource (with a beautiful website - a rarity in Congo) that brings together all of the many providers under one - digital - roof.  Check it out here.

The site is more for professionals than patients, but is really fascinating.

Had an exciting first this week:  first magazine interview (and it was in French!)  I told Tchic, my French tutor, that he should be very proud that I only almost cried one time.  Look'In Magazine is pretty great, celebrating the inquisitive, hip, artistic side of Kinshasa.  They are the ones who had the article on tia foin - remember?  They wanted to chat about the Kima Mbangu 5K Run from earlier this month.  So excited!

Bali baby!  See? - traveling with kids really is totally worthwhile and doable. Just do it! Thanks for the gorgeous travelogue, Hither &Thither...

Beautiful photograph from the blog Hither & Thither.

This is interesting.  It begins:

“Welcome to the Congo”, said my driver, Emmanuel, as we walked to the car from the vaguely organised chaos of Kinshasa’s Ndjili airport. “This is not a place for beginners”, he continued, as I confessed that this was my first visit to Africa. 

Today was the Elementary Sidewalk sale.  There was cotton candy. And there was Elias, who's father gave him "enough money for TWO LARGE ONES!"  Wish me luck, folks.

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Tia Foin: Lose That Collarbone Today!

Did you happen to see these popsicle people last week? Well one has caused a bit of controversy in the Sensamaust household.

Mama Youyou gently brought me Mamitsho’s popsicle and danced around for a bit with the French equivalent of, “Madame, umm, hmm, well… Have you seen this photo of Mamitsho? Well, hmm, has she seen it? Is she okay with this?”

I told her I thought it was a lovely picture of Mamitsho and in fact everyone who’s seen it comments on how nice she looks. (In retrospect, I guess it was only Americans giving the compliments.)

Well, Madame it’s not a good photo. She looks skinny. It must be embarrassing for her. You can see her (and then she yell-whispered) collarbone!

So I had to promise Mama Youyou I would check-in with Mamitsho regarding the obviously humiliating display of her protruding collarbone.

It’s true, though. There’s no need to step on a scale on the continent of Africa. I know I’m gaining weight when I start getting compliments on my appearance. More specifically, my butt. 

One must have lots of meat on their bones. For example, remember that time Mama Youyou had to remind us to feed our children?

There’s a whole phenomenon in Congo called Tia Foin. The Congolese ideal is a nice, rotund, well-fed figure. More specifically, big butts. So much so that women now take supplements or injections that were formally used to beef-up animals, literally.

Think: Tia Foin ≠ Jenny Craig.

"Venus Hottentot" and the phénomène Tia Foin as reported in the Kinshasa glossy, LOOK'in Magazine

A lot of people I've talked to know of at least one person taking supplements and participating in the phénomène Tia Foin. 

As for Mamitsho, I'm happy to report she won't be taking injections to get rid of her unsightly collarbone anytime soon. She was unembarrassed by her photo. 

And I'm planning on showing Mama Youyou all the pictures of myself I'm unhappy with so she can shower me with compliments of how well-fed I look.

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