The Answer

I say!

Some of you have been having problems identifying the answers to recent questions on this blog, so instead, here's a quickie with a difference for you. This time, here's the answer:

Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga.

Now - what is the question?

MM III

Where was I eating?

I say!

I recently attended another Pitch Advisor's event, in London. It was the usual relentless round of drinks parties, champagne receptions and such like, as can be seen below. Talk was mostly about the financial downturn, and why the Committee should work towards helping Developing Countries by holding the next event in a location such as Brazil or the Seychelles.

Below is the room I stayed in at the Kensington Close Hotel.


Now for the quiz question for this post. What nationality was the restaurant in which I enjoyed the meal shown below?


MM III

Mad Bob, and where in the world is this?

I say!

I was speaking to Wilson the other day. I like to talk to the servants one-to-one every now and then - helps keep up morale and such like - and I say, I find him quite an intelligent chap. I'll say more about that in a future post, but during our conversation the other day we were discussing his background. I wrote previously about where he got the name O'Brian, and it turns out that he is also a quarter Badibanga.

I had to search my memory, but I remembered that the Badibanga originate from The Congo. In fact, the Badibanga reside near Kananga in Katanga Province. If you don't believe me, check out this population map of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and search within it for Badibanga. Well, I say, we had some fun thinking up rhyming songs for Wilson after that one.

But that is rather beside the point. Katanga is in a big mess at the present time, and I asked Wilson what he could remember of Katanga, but he never lived there. It was his grandfather on his mother's side who came from that province. In the 1950s, Katanga was a wonderful place if you were white - the roads were good, the railway worked, steamers called in at the ports such as Albertville - and it was peaceful.

Now, there is very, very little of what we would call civilisation there. It is a completely lawless land. The roads have deteriorated into poor tracks. There is no electricity. There is continued fighting, in which many thousands of people have died, though few report on the fighting. There are no boats, and very little industry.

This got me thinking that although Mad Bob (Mugabe) has destroyed what was once the beautiful and prosperous country of Zimbabwe, there is still much further that Zimbabwe can fall.

A sad thought.

This got me feeling a bit of the perlerorneq, as the Eskimos would say.

But to cheer me up, I hope anyone reading this will have a go at my new quiz question.

So...

I took the above snap on a fairly recent hush hush trip. Can you name the location?

MM III

I'm in the jungle, I'm a celebrity, so where should I go?

Well, I say!

Mrs M and myself have been very much enjoying the recent I'm a celebrity, get me out of here television programme, broadcast on ITV towards the late afternoon, here in Kalimbuka, which (ITV) we tend to prefer less than the good old BBC, but there you are. Everyone to their own choice.

It has been costing me a small fortune, but I have been regularly voting, by phone, for Gorgeous George Hosato Takei Altman (aka Sulu (shown above)), to some extent because I mistakenly thought that his character in Star Trek was called Zulu, but there you are. However, he's a wonderful character.

Well, I must say, George came third. A bit of a disappointment. But what a wonderful character he has shown himself to be.

There may be a little truth in the rumour that I have been approached to take part in next year's show. As I'm quite used to jungles, it would be little skin off my back to participate.

MM III

That meal

I say!

Here are a couple more snaps from that historic meal I mentioned in my last post. For the answer to the quiz in the last post, see the Comments in my last post.

Above is shown the main course.

The blankets are there in case it gets a bit chilly.


It's a rather expensive restaurant, but I was able to claim everything on expenses. One must eat, after all.

MM III