French cultural center: the only cultural facility in town. Once a week, you can watch a movie (fully illegally downloaded, but who cares). Sometimes international bands, theater, concert, danse..
Congo has two main resources: oil and wood. You can find many different kind of wood, which are well valued by local artists.
Local market is always a place full of joy, friendship and smiles. Every "maman" sells the same food items (ananas, bananas, mango, etc), so it's hard to make a decision whether to buy to this one or that one. That's why I endeavor to buy one fruit to each (long process, but worth the time)
I really should dedicate an entire post to the chinese influence. They are everywhere, unintegrated with the locals but don't seem to do anything to change that: they live in their own communities. Nowadays, every huge construction site is undertaken by a chinese company. They offer to the government at least 30% discount (compared to other international firms) for roads, airports, hotels, power lines constructions, and sometimes the government doesn't even pay them. In exchange, it gives them oil. That's how you do business here..
Since the war, it's written everywhere: "this land is not to sell". It is due the 90's conflict, when people came and said: I buy this land for 3$.
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