Life continues in Goma

There are four of us at the guest house. Its me and three ladies. There was a bit of commotion with Joe and Lyn gone. The mamas (the maids, cooks, etc...) see no point in staying there late into the night for four twenty somethings, so they have been leaving around 5 or so. There are supposed to be three guards at night. They all have police jobs during the day and then guard us at night because only the police are allowed to have guns, which is a bonus as a guard. There has been one guard the last couple days. There are supposed to be three every night. And they are the same ones.

Christina was pretty unhappy because given the situation in Goma with the army not being paid and everything, she went out with one of the other girls a couple nights ago and was going to take a guard with them. They couldn't because there was only one. Before he left, Joe said if we went out at night, even in the car, to take a guard, and now they aren't even here.

So here is what happened. The guards get paid something like 35 dollars a month from HEAL to guard at night. But they also get fed. They get to eat whatever is left over from dinner. Well, with the mamas not staying late, they have not given the guards any food since Joe and Lyn left so two of the guards stopped showing up. Why show up to work to get paid 35 dollars a month when you were told 35 and food? Well we solved that problem. We are going to put all the left over food in the outside kitchen and leave it unlocked until 10 when the power goes out and we all head to our own rooms to sleep. The stupid thing about it is because there are only four of us, we have had so much food left over there was almost not enough space in the fridge the one day.

Its always interesting to see what the systems are in other places and how they interact and how easily they can be thrown off balance.

Oh, and I got my driver's license the other day. All it took was 15 dollars and some info, but I feel I'm getting the hang of it. I drove home from the hospital that day and I didn't think it was that bad. Basically driving here is just a function of time and comfort. The more time it takes, the more comfortable the ride. The faster you go, the less comfortable the ride. I probably ride a little on the faster side/less comfortable side because then you just get over the discomfort faster since you are going to experience a bit no matter how carefully and slowly one drives. Stupid almost roads (that's what I call them since there are so many pot holes and rocks sticking up every