03 April 2006 21:56:38
About Kim Gjerstad
A famous usability guru noted that a blog without a biography of the author is the number one mistake. The second worst mistake is the lack of author photo. Now that other people than my family and friends visit this site, I decided I'd bend to the recommendations.
The photo is easy and it is up here. Whereas the bio will have to be auto, so here we go.
I maintain this site because it helps me consume Congo (read my post on the country here) and not the other way around. I started writing about the country in September 2005, my fourth year in the country.
A job in Congo was offered to me through daddy’s connections. I arrived in Kinshasa (see photos of the city here) in early 2002. Peacekeeping was my new career. There, I developed monuc.org and radiookapi.net. Read a post I wrote on the radio web project here.
Before my stay in Kinshasa, I lived in Paris. I came to love the French who in turn love Quebecers. Within me, a feeling remains that I left France prematurely. I certainly got attach to a few people there that I still miss so terribly.
The year I left Montreal for Paris was the year I had planned to go to university. The week classes began, I rode my bike to NYC instead. That was the first time I followed my gut feeling, and stayed uneducated since.
I grew up in downtown Montreal, where my parents decided my older sister (see photo of Lina here or visit her blog) and I should live in a stable environment. After giving birth to both of us in California, my parents moved to Mozambique (see photos of us back then here). My Canadian mother and Norwegian father were political militants of left wings tendencies. Apparently, life was tough, but I don’t remember any of it. I even spoke Portuguese, but forgot it today.
Today, I’m one of Kinshasa’s eight million citizens (read my post on the city). I worked for Wildlife Conservation Society, after the peacekeeping mission. Today, I run a small business with a partner.
You can leave a comment here but I don’t see why you would. This reminds me of an anecdote. One day, two years ago, I came back to my car after squash at Elaïs, and there was an anonymous note on my windshield that said:
“Kim, you're an ugly skinny bastard.”
Obviously, you can't please everyone.
I got video-interviewed concerning this website in July 2006. You can view the short (but heavy) interview here.
Figures: this blog opened up its doors in September 2005. I updated it about twice a week. It gets about a hundred visitors a day plus a comment a day.
I like your blog and recommend my friends in Kinshasa like me to read your articles too. But whay don't u update your blog for a long time? I hope I would see your last interesting stoies here. I'm sorry for your mother and hope u are ok.
Mark McKee says:
I have visited the DRC on 2 occasions. The first time in Oct. 2004 and again in Sept. 2006. I leftwithout tasting Primus or Skol and went looking on the internet for anyone who might sell it in the states. I came across your site and reading about the food and the people make me want to go back. There are 2 Missionary couples that we worked with while we were there. I miss them all, they are my heros. One couple has been there for 35+ years. You have an excellent site.
Suzanne says:
Your website is outstanding. I ran across it while searching for topics on the African Congo....Gabon....Brazzaville...Pointe-Noire and the likes.
My husband may be traveling to these areas later this year for business. I am also able to go and have been researching the areas daily.
I could use some quick French lessons........as I know NOTHING!..lol
Do you have any 'links" other than what u have posted.that may be of interest?
Thanks Kim for great reading......and fabulous pictures of another part of our world which I hope to visit soon...
Suz
Peter says:
Hi there,
Just to let you know you have a great blog, nice pics etc... Of course the stories are great, and the best thing is that they are all true, although it can be hard to believe for people who have never been here.
I've been around a for a while now (left Belgium with wife and kid) and not planning to leave yet.
Keep posting, we'll keep reading...
P
adrienne says:
Hi Kim,
Bonjour de la Nouvelle-Écosse ! Very interesting site and lovely photos. Came across your site looking for pics of Kinshasa. Went on my first African trip last October in Bénin. Lovely experience.
Your site is very nice and I will certainly be back to visit !
Wlodek says:
hello Kim! I`ve just spent my entire evening reading your blog and admiring all the photos. you make living in Congo seem such a great experience. I hope I can go one day and see it all for myself! take care and keep us all enjoyed. greetings from bloddy freezing Poland. Wlodek
CaRo says:
Salut Kim,
Toujours intéressant de voir comment tu grandis à travers le monde et dans l'âme...
Caro ure friend xxx
Tom Ngoma says:
Dear Kim :
I just dropped you a note at your email address. It is about
a project for DRCongo and I am positive that your Kinshasa
experience would be more than a plus for it.
Please contact.....
TOM
liz says:
Very interesting to read your thoughts on the Congo. We are likely to be moving to southern Congo sometime this year, how do you think a 50 something woman, used to creature comforts but has lived in other parts of Africa before will cope. I have been teaching english as a foreign language for a whle, will that be useful.
Lina says:
Bonjour Kim
Are you now in Montreal?
I would like to discuss with you about your experience in Congo, are you interested? If so, just write me an email and then we will connect. Thanks in advance!
Lina
www.congokulture.net
kim says:
Barry, 40 years after you, at the same age, I came to work in Kinshasa, almost on the same street (I was on Aviateurs) !
In those days, on Paul Hauzeur Street, Palace Onatra must have been a hotel. Do you remember a nice hotel there and the name? It has since been nationalized under Mobutu and is a residence for state employees. Here's a photo:
http://kim.uing.net/files/media_file_52601.jpg
As for the bar Reubens, it doesn't exist any longer. The oldest bar in Kinshasa is the Colibri, which is still open on Colonel Ebeya (Colonel Vangele).
After forty years it hasn't changed, as it? Well, the Congolese fear themselves that next forty won't either!
Photos of Kinshasa and maps back in the days:
http://www.stiopka.com/Leo/photos_leo.html
Do you have any photos yourself of Kinshasa?
Barry Munton says:
Mbote na yo,
Great to read your blog. I worked in Leopolville from 1962 - 1966 - I was 21 years old in '62 - my first foreign posting! I worked for Unilever. Night Clubs were great, when we didn;t have curfew, and our offices were on Avenue Paul Hauzeur (perhaps renamed), just up from Bar Reubens.
Keep up the good work - the most depressing thing is 'meme apres 40 ans ca n'a pas beaucoup change'
Tika Malamu, Barry
Adam says:
Hello from the Czech Republic Kim,
your blog is very interesting as is your life in DR Congo surely. I was wondering, would you've be interested in contributing to Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia ? Your contributions about Congo and related issues would be very appreciated. Write me an e-mail please or leave me a message on my talk page at Wikipedia. Thank you and have a nice day in Congo.
Adam Krumnikl
Fred says:
Hi Kim,
Thanks for all the entertainment.
I suggest you don't link commentators' names to their email addresses - they'll get spammed.
If you decide to keep it as it is, at least warn people on the form, as it's unusual.
Fred
Luciana says:
Hi kim,
this is the first time i read you...
you definitely have a different life, very interesting by the way...:-)
i will follow your posts from Spain!
Mamadou says:
Kim, don't respond to "x" since our tribal motto is "Qui repond à un fou se met à sa place" !
x says:
Kim, you're an ugly skinny bastard... ça n'a pas changé!
Mamadou says:
Greetings fron Haiti, dear Kim.
No, you are not "Kim le mundele" but definitely "Kim l'Africain". You truly love our ontinent and we have in return adopted you as a distinguished member of the Tribe. God bless your parents for "giving" us Kim.
Quant à ceux qui t'ont traité de batard, nous leur repondons par le proverbe zen qui dit que "on reproche toujours à autrui ce qu'on doit se reprocher".
Edgard says:
Great to read your bio. Guess this usability guru wasn't too for off anyway.
I'm currently checking your blog on a daily basis. I have lived in Paris and now I'm in NYC but I'm facsinated by Africa and DRC in particular. Amazing to get a look on everyday life of the NGO community through blogs like yours and the one of Tim.
Thanks!
Edgard
Ellen says:
I can't believe you were *almost* a chubby kid!
Ouyang says: