Congo Disorder

Some people call it Congo Disorder other Congo Dementia, or Congo Disease but we all say CD for short and we all know exactly what we mean by it. I don’t know what it is about this place (or maybe I do) but it seems to literally drive a person mad. I’ve spent years in other African countries without a break and it never bothered me. I admit there have been plenty of times even while living in America that I needed a break or was sick of life as usual but CD is very different.

When a foreigner first gets back to Congo after having been in some other more normal country Congo’s backwardness is extremely irritating and impatient sets in. After a week or 2 you get used to it fall into routine and Congo’s nonsense feels normal. After as short as 3 weeks for some or as long as 2 months for others CD starts to set in. You stop thinking like a normal person and start acting foolishly. There is a definite linkage to the onset of CD and the amount of time remaining before one leaves Congo.

Here are some common symptoms of CD

• A short fuse: even the smallest of problems are just too much and an explosion is likely to occur
• Throwing caution to the wind: being careful about not drinking contaminated water or eating food sure to make you sick, driving too fast too late etc
• Pessimism: thinking Congo will not change and projects will not be successful
• Insensitivity: not caring about other people’s feelings or situations
• Daydreaming: it is difficult to stay focused on the projects at hand since your mind is constantly wandering to better places

I am currently suffering from CD and need to get outta here! Hopefully tomorrow. As I’ve been telling some of my friends “I’ll be nicer when I get back.”