Street magic

You know, last week I was thinking to myself how I’ve settled into more of a routine here in Kinshasa and I didn’t know how many new and novel events I’d be able to blog about. My blog entries would consist of weird news stories from the web, humorous pictures, or those goofy surveys that bloggers fill out (e.g. “How well does your best friend REALLY know you?” “What kind of Smurf are you?”). Thankfully, Kinshasa does not disappoint when it comes to adding some spice to one’s life.

On Saturday, after we finished our morning’s grocery shopping, my wife and I went to the Avenue de Commerce. It’s an area we’ve previously avoided, mainly because we’ve been able to get all of our shopping taken care of without having to deal with the mobs of people and traffic on the Avenue. On Saturday, though, we went there as my wife was shopping for fabric to have a dress made. She had been told by several people that there were good fabric shops there, but was never able to get specific directions to a store. After driving up and down the streets around Avenue de Commerce once or twice and not seeing anything, we decided to park and make a go of it on foot.

The Avenue de Commerce is, well, a street of stores. There are all kinds of stores selling most anything you can imagine – appliances, electrical parts, tools, clothing, shoes, cell phones, music, etc, etc. There are storefronts and street vendors everywhere, and umpteen numbers of people walking around. I guess it’s like a commercial district anywhere else in the world, just dirtier and more vibrant. It was as we were walking down the street, looking for a fabric store, that a small group of guys brushed past me in a narrow section of the sidewalk and I felt one of them graze my left hand, which was at my side. I figured they were just being rude (not uncommon here) and didn’t think twice.

Two blocks later, a stranger came out of nowhere and handed me my driver’s license and debit card. He looked to be young, maybe eighteen, and when I looked down to see what he put in my hand I realized what had happened. I had been pickpocketed, and he was returning everything except my cash to me. Yes – I was the victim of a pickpocket, but at least he or one of his cohorts had the heart to give me back what they didn’t need. All I was carrying in my money clip was about $30 in cash, my DRC driver’s license, and my debit card.

A very strange feeling of helplessness and amazement set in. Yes, I was mad that I had been the victim of a pickpocket, but what I haven’t been able to shake since then is the thoughts of how’d-they-do-that. I had my money in a clip in my front pants pocket, with my hand practically in my pocket as I was walking down the street. My keys were in the same pocket, and my cell phone was in my other front pocket. Some master sleight-of-hand artist was able to get just what he wanted, and then was able to RETURN MY LICENSE AND DEBIT CARD. All the while I had no idea what was going on. He honestly could have pulled a canned ham from behind my ear and I wouldn’t have been more amazed. It was kind of like encountering a street magician who charged $30 to perform a trick (er, illusion) on me.

There wasn’t much to really do after I got my stuff back (sans cash, of course). We had no idea who the thief was, and I‘m one hundred percent certain that the helpful pedestrian who returned my stuff to me was not the actual thief, nor would he help us apprehend the villain. He sort of disappeared into the crowd after giving me my stuff.

The thief got roughly $30 in cash from me which, in the grand scheme of things, isn’t all that much. I had much more in cash on me in a different zippered pocket. Maybe next time this talented sleight-of-hand artist can try making something from my zippered pocket disappear. I’d pay $40 to see that.

On a more serious note, I was pretty upset about it for a few hours afterwards. It’s not so much about losing the $30 as it was feeling, well, violated (is that too strong a word?). On top of that, other people had told us that the Avenue de Commerce is a big area for pickpockets and I should have been more alert and not carrying anything in unsecured pockets. There’s some phrase about vision and 20/20 and hindsight… I wish I could remember what it was.

The rest of the weekend was pretty enjoyable. We went to a Halloween party on Friday night. The theme was the Wizard of Oz, but costumes of any sort were welcome. Thanks to a friend at TASOK, my wife and I were able to raid the theater department’s costume closet. I went as a London Bobby, and my wife wore a bedsheet and went as an ancient Greek. The party was really nice. We saw lots of people we’ve met over the last few months in Kinshasa and it was good to say hello and talk for a bit with them. We enjoyed sushi, chicken wings, and Halloween candy, and stayed out till almost 1 in the morning. It was a big night.

On Saturday night my wife and I went out for dinner to Le Roi du Cossa. It’s a seafood restaurant in Kinshasa famed for its prawns and they did not disappoint. For $30, you get an enormous plate of freshwater prawns served with a garlic and chili (called pili-pili) butter sauce. The food was excellent and I left a satisfied patron.

I’ve been keeping an eye on the news on all that’s happening out east. It’s a big topic of conversation around town and no one is sure how things are going to turn out, though obviously everyone hopes for the best. Apparently the anti-UN sentiment around the DRC is growing. We haven’t noticed a change in anyone’s attitude towards us, but of course neither my wife nor I work for the UN. For all those reading at home, don’t worry – we’re being very safe and staying abreast of any news. The US Embassy does a great job of keeping us informed of what’s going on in the city.

Oh, and everyone around here is excited for the US election. At the US Embassy on Wednesday morning, there’s going to be a big event with election coverage, Congolese analysis of the results, and some panel discussions. Both locals and ex-pats have been asking us about our thoughts on the race.