Showing posts with label sapeurs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sapeurs. Show all posts

1 June 2014

Weekend List!

Sarah's List:

Guess what! Good news! Reproducing might not destroy the planet. (As long as you raise your kids right.)

And let your kids play. They probably won't kill nature either.

Photo credit: Jill Humphrey


This. This is exactly what I needed to read at this precise moment in my life. This is the last week of the only life we've known for quite some time.  And it's the pits. Can it just be the future already? Or I'll settle for a week from now when I twist off the cap on a mini bottle of Air France wine.

Speaking of airplane perks, The Ultimate List of Airlines That Serve Free Alcohol.



Ever been on the beach and wondered what's across the way?

Adam and I were Stayers (expats left behind) for a long time. I agree with this article, that sometimes it's harder than leaving. Take away: It hurts because it is good.

We're doing lots of packing, ditching and giving away. The only consolation is it feels so, so good to fit our lives in 8 suitcases. But check out these minimalists.

Using Parentology to raise your kids. This guy's got all the answers.



And the strangest thing happened this week. Mama Youyou came to work wearing this shirt, which I swear is an old shirt of mine from high school. I remember buying it because I thought it looked so cool and "African." I guess Mama Youyou thought the same when she found it at the marche. It's completely possible this is my actual shirt.



P.S. These dogs after a bath.


Jill's List:

Always researching ways to feel beautiful on an airplane. (Insert laughter.)



Sapeurs.  The endlessly fascinating dandies of Central Africa. Thanks, Alice!

These people will put together your Ikea furniture for you.  Interesting.

I've been attempting a hipster top knot again recently and it freaking hurts my hair.  Sarah and Johan are really sick of my detailed descriptions of scalp pain.  This is an interesting explanation, but really, I do wash my hair!



Wish I had her hair.  Like everyone else.  At least we can now copy her beauty routine.

Speaking of hipsters.  This article is blistering:
Gentrifiers focus on aesthetics, not people. Because people, to them, are aesthetics
For all of you expats who aren't packing up.  Moving's hard, but so is staying behind.


Once again, the Onion cuts to the chase.
At press time, residents of the only economically advanced nation in the world where roughly two mass shootings have occurred every month for the past five years were referring to themselves and their situation as “helpless.”
When Sandy Hook happened, Elias was also in 1st grade, the same age as the children who were shot and killed. I was so thankful my family was "safe in Africa".  I am actually more anxious thinking about my kids' safety in the U.S. than in the Congo.  My fear is insane, yet legitimate, thanks to this idea that unless everyone has a right to an automatic weapon, our freedom is threatened.  Like the father of Christopher Michael Martinez said, "What about [my kid's] right to live?"  Not one more. 


Image from Moms Demand Action.  Let's get to work.

And.  Kids and their guns.

15 July 2013

Friday List!

Jill's List:

I would so rather be blogging away vs. doing what I've been doing with my computer time lately - studying for the GREs...  Ugh.  What a good way to ruin a summer vacation.  Today, as my family lazes by the pool and I spend more hours humiliating myself with Magoosh quantitative practice questions, I appreciate this essay.  For example:
The GREs (Graduate Record Examinations) are harder than the SATs, and about as amusing as getting mugged at an ATM. If you are good at taking standardized tests, you will probably not have a problem with the GREs. If you are bad at taking standardized tests, the GREs will be considerably more difficult. They will make you frustrated and anxious and dry-mouthed and dizzy and unreasonably furious at people who use words like "flocculent" in casual conversation.
Image from here.

A great article on Kinshasa's sapeurs, answering the question, "How do they afford those designer duds?"

Image from The Africa Report.

Duh.  That's all I have to say about this fantastic op-ed by Nicholas Kristoff.

"Can you name a miracle food that is universally available, free and can save children’s lives and maybe even make them smarter?"  Image from The NYTimes.

So much news the past couple of weeks on babies, birth, and how to do better.  Like this article on delayed cord clamping - front page of the NY Times!  And this shocking synopsis of how the steep cost of having a baby in America doesn't necessarily buy a safe birth.  Al Jazeera asks why it's still so dangerous to have a baby in Africa.  And then, there's Cedars-Sinai's "Rock and Roll" birth program.  Yep.  Read more here. (Also, I just noticed that Alice has linked to all of these.  If you are interested in maternal child health news and aren't already following her on Facebook/Twitter, you should...)


Image from "Study Finds Benefits in Delaying Severing of the Umbilical Cord", NYTimes.

Speaking of photographers...I was re-entranced by Sebastião Salgado this week.  He's been a favorite for years (thank you Aperture - a subscription my husband has stubbornly kept up for me for the past 12 years - even when we totally couldn't afford it), and his new project, "Genesis," is stunning.

Image from Paris Photo.

Hilarious and brilliant.

Image from Trendhunter.

And. Nervous about the return flight to Congo as I think after a 3 day delay getting to Phoenix this week, airports have officially lost their glamour for my little frequent flyers (or maybe that's just transference).


One benefit of all the waiting?  I discovered Humans of New York.  Like this genius quote:

“I know a thousand wise things. And I’m not going to tell you one.”  
Image and words from Humans of New York.

Johan and I were...wait for it...20 when we got married.  Super interesting write up about why it's kind of great to grow up with your spouse. (And, there's a rebuttal.)

From our super fancy "engagement pictures" series, taken on the cheap by our
then-amateur-now-uber-fancy photographer friend, Conrad.  Look how fresh faced we were!

We visited the Congo in Phoenix today.  The kids played the drums to ward off homesickness. (Seriously, the Musical Instrument Museum is world class.)


Pictures from America this weekend.


And.  Follow us on Blog Lovin'!


Sarah's List:

Did you catch the 500th episode of This American Life this week? My love for Ira Glass really cannot be measured. How This American Life Made It to 500 Episodes and What Makes a Perfect Episode.

Image by Adrianne Mathiowetz from here.

Beautiful postpartum bodies. (Link lifted from Motley Mama. Check out lots of other great links over there too.)

By Jade Beall, from here.


Man these people really have it together. The Secret to Finland's Success With Schools, Moms, Kids - And Everything. Sounds good to me!

A child in Finland being happy as usual. (Kasper/Pempel Reuters) from here.

Just got back from a week at the beach where we happened upon these great scooters. Charlotte couldn't really get the hang of a Razor or other kid friendly scooters. But these are so light and smooth and turn incredibly easy. And we got a great discount off the floor models so we got one for each kid.

Kickboards!


And Jill and I still can't believe this happened. But here we are outside Cafe Cluny with Joanna Goddard herself and the amazing Lina Perl. The American Mothers Around the World series starts today!! Keep checking Cup of Jo every Monday for the Mama Congo post.





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