Night out in Goma!

Night starts off with beer pong. Intense battle between Nancy and Kate, Program Manager.

Alpha, future HOO, and I stepping it up!

Nancy, our Head of Office, and Julien, Program Manager!

What other way to end the night then clubbing at Coco Jambo. So many observations..

GAME ANALYSIS: My side went 2-1 in beer pong, courtesy of Julien, who recently returned from a trip to Belgium with ping pong balls. He studied at GU so is quite Americanized, but still has that European touch. Nancy is pretty good and can be very focused, with dead on accuracy. Alpha has good potential, which is also helped (maybe?) because he doesn't drink, so we do it on his behalf. Kate has the potential, but her strength is in trash talking. Quick recap of CRS/Goma hometowns:

• Alpha = Kenya
• Julien = Belgium
• Kate = New York, USA
• Lam = Dallas, Texas
• Nancy = Long Island, USA

Because of political tensions, Europeans have a harder time getting into and out of the DRC, particularly Goma. They are not as easily approved for the 6-month, multiple visit visa as Americans. I think it's because we've invested so much money into the country. Quite a lot of NGOs in the area, due to the humanitarian situation, partially explained in previous post. Everywhere you turn, there is a UN vehicle or soldier, part of MONUSCO, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

HOUSE: Sharing with Alpha and Julien. 3 BRs, each with its own BTH, kitchen, safe room, additional empty room (seems to be for ironing, etc. right now), living room + dining room, garden outside, base for the guards, at least one land cruiser. Pretty nice considering what I was expecting..

CLUB REVIEW: Coco Jambo is one of the more popular going out clubs for expats. There are mosquitos, of the male and female kind, who are essentially scantily dressed prostitutes. The guys not so much, but they will try to skip into an expat girl's dance routine. The music here is way better than most I've seen in the States, playing top 40 and old school (including MJ, Flo Rida, Pitbull, Juanes, Shakira), with solid transitions. We met a couple Canadians and danced with other expats (in this instance, read: white) who I'm sure will meet in the future, seeing as the Goma community is quite small. One thing to note is that many of the pilots in the region are from Russia and they frequent these places, meeting and chatting up the mosquitos. Interesting people watching.

QUICK VISIT INFO (from Tourist Spot): Goma is a nice entry point if you want to see the best of Congo. From there, it is quite easy to climb and see the mountain gorillas as well as the Nyiragongo Volcano. It is a good entry point to other Congo towns such as Kinshasa, Kisangani, and Bukavu.

• Nyiragongo Volcano in Virunga Mountains – The Nyiragongo Volcano in Virunga Mountains in Congo is worth a visit. It boasts of the most voluminous lava lake in recent history – surely a spectacular, scenic view....
• Virunga National Park – Virunga National Park in Congo is a must-visit. It is worthwhile to climb to see the mountain gorillas as well as the famous lava lake of the Nyirangongo Volcano....
• Kahuzi-Biega National Park in Kivu – Congo Kahuzi-Biega National Park in Kivu, Congo is one of the best places to experience the tropical climate as well as the lowland gorillas. 
• Other places of interest: the Green Lake, Lake Kivu, Pygmies in Minova

Trying to post as much as possible since I expect to be a little busy come Monday.. 

GO MAVS!

Truth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH53MuPdyFA