Elections Abroad: Stark Contrasts Between Two Expatriations

{Left} Riots in Port Gentil, Gabon, 2009.  Photo via AFP

{Right} Elections in Norway, 2013 Photo via NTP ScanPix, Fredrik Varfjell

Monday marked the Norwegian parliamentary election.  Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg attempted to defend his reign as leader of the country against the ever-more popular Conservative party and it's leader, Erna Solberg (and a handful of other parties) although ultimately failing making Solberg Norway's second female Prime Minister.  As expats in the country, we hardly noticed election happenings.  Of course, ad campaigns were evident but obviously, never in English.  A few flyers made their way into our mailboxes and funny enough, alcohol was banned from being purchased in the shops on election day but that was the extent of the direct impact on us.  As we awaited the results Monday evening, I realized the stark contrast between our experiences of elections abroad as expatriates.

While in Gabon, we witnessed one national election.  For weeks in advance of voting, we were aware of what was taking place.  Cars with loudspeakers drove through town with someone sitting in the front, passenger seat spouting propaganda and platforms loudly through the streets.  We'd see ad campaigns albeit quite different than those in developed nations.  All media is government controlled and with the majority of local population living in poverty, advertisements on TV and the Internet were not the main form of communication.

The year before we arrived in our equatorial home, national elections sparked intense rioting in Port Gentil.  Infamously referred to as 'The Problems' by expats and locals, when Mr Bongo claimed a win continuing to keep his family in power since 1969, the opposition, based in Port Gentil, violently objected.  They believed the election was rigged and many pointed fingers at France, their former colonial power, and its oil company, Total.  The French Consulate was set ablaze and the Total Compound, residence and offices for it's foreign workers, was attacked.

What did this mean for expats?  Well, many families were evacuated via boat to Libreville.  Others were evacuated from their homes to larger boats who then dropped anchor in the ocean well away from the riots and any civilization.  Smaller companies, ours included, moved their expats to the Port which was then blocked off by the French army.  When order was restored a few days later and things calmed down, life in Gabon returned to normal for locals and expats alike but the damage would be evident for years to come.

When the elections came around while we were residents, precautions started early.  Our companies would send out bulletins with the latest news and forecasts.  We'd be advised as to their emergency evacuation plans and told to limit our mobility for the days leading up to and after the elections.  We'd stock up on food, water and gas in the event that we became trapped inside and we'd hope for the best.

This was one of those times where being an expat was scary.  The uncertainty led to fear and anxiousness as we've seen so often lately, it doesn't take much for things to turn quite violent.  Thankfully, the elections that we were present for remained peaceful and calm and our preparations and worry turned out to be unnecessary.

When I came across the first headline on Monday, I realized how oblivious I had been in terms of the entire Norwegian election.  I knew it was coming and while I generally keep up to date with current events, I hadn't done so this time around.  Abashed at my lack of awareness, it became apparent that the Norwegian election seemed to align with the plethora of stark contrasts between our two expatriations.

More information about the result of Norway's election can be found here and fellow blogger, David, wrote a great post with some election details and opinions found here.  You can also read about the 2009 elections in Gabon and the subsequent riots here and here.

Thoughts on Ethical Travel

Recently, the story of a Norwegian woman who reported being raped while on a business trip in Dubai and was subsequently charged and convicted with sex outside of marriage and consumption of alcohol exploded onto the international news outlets.  After condemnation by Human Rights groups, the international community and months of discussions between Norway and the UAE, the Norwegian woman was pardoned (as was the perpetrator) and she was free to leave the country.  (You can read about it here.)

Despite being known for luxury hotels, shopping and tax free wages, United Arab Emirates has been harshly criticized for its strict compliance with Islamic laws, particularly against women.  In fact, this wasn't the first case of foreign victims of rape being convicted of subsequent charges.

As I watched the story unfold here in Norway I debated whether it had changed my perspectives on the country.  Would I still visit the UAE, given the opportunity, knowing my rights were largely minimized?

Of course, the United Arab Emirates isn't the only country with a blemished history of injustice.  In fact, I think if we dug hard enough, we could find things we didn't like about every nation.  Unsafe working conditions for locals, dictatorship, child trafficking, racial segregation, religious differences, legalized prostitution, marriage inequality, corrupt government all to varying degrees in varying locations but when do we draw the line?  When do we strike a country from a travel list due to our own moral objections?

It's not cut and dry is it?  Each of us have our own hierarchy of ethics - some we can tolerate, others we can't.  Many of us make small choices daily in accord of our beliefs - buying locally grown, organic produce to curb a carbon footprint and minimize chemical use, reading labels on clothing to avoid brands and locations known to use sweatshops, adopting rescued animals in hopes to quell the puppy mill industry.  Just last week I read an article about bars in Western Canada boycotting Russian vodka due to their anti-gay laws.  Our choices might be drops in the ocean but we take the stance and hope that collectively, our voices make a difference.

Do these choices flood into travel?  Of course, in the exhibits we visit and the organizations we choose to avoid.  But, when our ethical stakes are higher, do we take a stronger standpoint?  Is it when it jeopardizes our own personal safety?  Do we set a boundary - 'when x, y & z change, I'll support the country?'  Do we risk missing out on valuable cultural experiences, as different and sometimes frightening as they may be, to be a drop in the ocean?

What do you think?

The Ironies of this Immigration Crackdown

I don’t often blog about the serious stuff here mostly because a society is just so complicated that it’s really difficult to sum something up in a 500-word blog post.  It’s hard to write something that doesn’t come across as judgmental and stereotypical and most of all, I don’t want to offend anyone however, these are my experiences, good and bad, and my take on what I see and experience.

As I wrote my last post, things were frantic here.  No one knew what was happening or why it was happening.  Rumours were flying, people were panicking, it just wasn’t good all around and I can’t say that things are a whole lot better.  Everything is so ill communicated here and even when they are communicated, they rarely make sense.  When you do find out information, you wonder if you can believe it and worry that things could change quickly and turn volatile.  The biggest fear is that we really have no defense here.  Corruption is rampant; they change & make rules to suit their own benefit and it’s near impossible to defend yourself if they charge you with something.  It can be quite scary and you want to do everything to make sure you don’t come under fire for anything.

The checkstops continue and the police continue to ‘visit’ the bases of international companies to conduct their investigation.  Some days they are looking for one thing, others it’s another.  Originally, they were only looking at the men and the few women who work here but yesterday, the police went in to the supermarket and began questioning women.  I’ve heard of a few people being asked to leave within 72 hours and others have been allowed to stay while their name remains on a list.  Some have been advised not to leave as they may not be allowed to re-enter.

In all of this, there are things that just don’t make sense:

• We were all let in to this country.  We didn’t illegally cross the border or pull up in a fishing boat seeking refuge in Gabon.  All of us have visas or residence cards and we’ve all passed through immigration numerous times in and out of the country.  We go through the lengthy process of acquiring a residence card and then go through the lengthy process of getting exit and entry visas just to travel.  Each time the Gabonese government approves us.  If they don’t want us here, they shouldn’t approve our entry.


• The majority of international companies try very hard to tow the line of immigration as that is something they really don’t want to have issues with down the road.  It can really hamper their business and relationship with the country.  When the government decides that all foreigners need new documents, the companies try to get those papers as soon as possible to avoid future problems.  In this case, most companies have submitted applications for the newly required work permit but the government currently isn’t issuing them – even though they are required.  I've heard that those without the permit will be fined 1.2 million cfa ($2400) even if they've previously applied for it.


• There is a trail of paperwork a mile long about every expat here.  I can’t count how many applications I’ve submitted for visas alone not to mention the numerous passport photos I’ve had to get for those applications.  Where does it all go?  Why is it necessary that they pull every expat into the immigration office and copy it all out by hand from our passports?


• Just a few weeks ago, the Gabonese government and a large international company hosted a large gala in Libreville spending thousands upon thousands of dollars to showcase a new special economic zone in Gabon.  Propaganda is all over the place and the government continues to stress that they welcome new industry and new companies to Gabon.  They continue to tout Gabon as an internationally friendly place to invest when those that are here aren’t feeling very welcome.

We are well aware that we are guests in another country.  We follow their laws and customs and even though we may complain here and there, many of us are happy to have the opportunity to learn about life outside of our own bubbles.  We accept that things are different and we respect that hoping that we are respected in return.  This week we have not felt respected.

Corruption at its Finest

Gabon doesn’t exist without corruption; it’s on every street corner, in every office, in the markets and on the road.  Some days you hardly notice it whereas others, it hits you right in the face.  This week has been one where it hits us in the face.

It’s not unusual to have police checkstops here.  There are locations where they are more common and they’re sporadically throughout the month and on weekends.  Often times, they’ll ask for your car papers and let you go.  Other times they’ll find problems with your papers and try to give you a fine on the spot.  (We are advised not to pay on the spot as the officers will take the money for themselves.  Instead, we are to ask to go to the police station where they can actually write you a receipt.  Sometimes they’ll advise you to go there, other times they’ll just let you go.)  It can get difficult because they often change the rules and even if you have everything in order, it might not be enough for that particular officer.

Monday morning we noticed an unusually large number of police officers and checkstops and as I met my friends for our morning walk, I heard of troubles they had over the weekend, mainly, police confiscating their passport or residence cards.  Rumour has it that the petroleum workers’ union is unhappy again.  In short, they want us gone and they want the jobs for themselves.  (They don’t seem to realize that we are here for a reason.  Expats are brought into countries when the locals aren’t qualified to do the job and if they force the expats to leave, the foreign companies will also have to leave and they will be without jobs.)  Apparently, the union asked the police for help to find foreigners to deport.

Monday afternoon the police began going to foreign offices, Halliburton being one of them.  They went for a meeting with the base manager and locked the gates not allowing any expats to leave.  They began by rounding up a group of employees, Joe included, and eventually decided to take everyone to the immigration office.  At the immigration office they took a record of everyone’s documents.  Joe was there for about 4 hours and he said it was not hostile in the least but very inefficient.

When we first arrived in Gabon, all we needed was a valid visa or the carte de sejour.  They’ve now changed their mind and have said that all foreign workers need a work permit separate from the residence card.  People began applying for the permit but the government won’t issue them at this time leaving the majority of expats here without the document.  It seems like this crackdown has to do with the permit and the union is hoping to have everyone deported that doesn’t have it.

We are currently dealing with police checkstops on every corner, one officer in the driver’s side window asking for papers, another in the passenger window asking for money.  Yesterday it was just papers, today they are apparently trying to fine people for not having a fire extinguisher in the car (not previously required.)  The police are still making their rounds to all companies and will continue to do so all week.  As far as Halliburton is concerned, nothing has been hostile and no one has been deported.  Other companies haven’t been as lucky.  I heard of 2 men being deported from one company and my friend’s husband must leave the country temporarily tonight leaving her and their 3 kids behind.  Joe has all of his papers, work permit included, but many of our friends do not.

There is an uneasy feeling among the expats here.  We don’t particularly want to go out as we don’t want to be hassled by the police yet it’s hard to not go about your daily life.  While I’m pretty confident Joe & I won’t be deported, which might not be a good thing, the uncertainty of everything else isn’t fun.  We are not happy with how we are being treated and we certainly feel the irony of the president touting Gabon as a great place to invest and that foreigners (and their money) are welcome.

We’ll keep you posted…

Please note, like any post I do, it’s from my own experiences or experiences of friends of mine and there could be inaccuracies.

A Small Rant

I received a piece of mail yesterday and it sparked a frustration that has been burrowing inside me (and Joe) and I'd love to get it off my chest.

Africa is a continent and it is HUGE!  It is the second largest continent with the second largest population (behind Asia.)  It has 54 countries - 54, that's a lot - and it's home to over 1 BILLION people.

Simple lesson here: Africa ≠ South Africa

South Africa is 1 out of 54 countries on the continent of Africa.  So when I say I live in Africa, it does not mean I live in South Africa.  (You would be surprised how often we get that response!)  Should be fairly simple however, even some major organisations have had troubles with this concept.

1.  Royal Bank of Canada addressed a piece of mail to me as

Jay St John
BP ****
Port Gentil, Gabon, South Africa

RBC - you should be ashamed.

And even worse...

2.  The IRS (Yes, the Internal Revenue Service of the USA)

did the exact same thing on mail addressed to Joe.

Now that is embarassing.

Ahhh  - I feel much better.  Thank you for indulging me.

If It's Not One Thing, It's Another

Today is the day we are to depart to South Africa.  We had issues with Joe’s passport and Joe getting here in time and the trip was subsequently delayed by one week.  Joe has been working like mad this week to get all of his work done before leaving and everything seemed to be in order.  His passport was sent to get the exit visa and we awaited its return Friday morning in time for our Friday evening flight.

So it makes complete sense that the Oil Worker’s Union decided to go on strike TODAY!  We heard rumours last night that it might happen at midnight but no one knew for sure.  It was confirmed this morning when Joe arrived at the office to find all locals absent.  (They eventually did show up to gather outside the gates and discuss the current situation.)  Apparently, the plan is for all members on strike to gather at a common point this morning and march to the big oil companies here such as Total and Sogara Refinery.  Their plan is to shut down those offices (I’m not sure how) and then to move on to the smaller companies, like Halliburton, Weatherford, etc.  Currently, there are some expats at the office but a local has cautioned that it might be a good idea to head home soon because you can never be sure what might occur with a large group of protesters.  Joe has set up his office at the dining table in the common kitchen of the staffhouse.

Our one issue standing between us and South Africa is Joe’s passport.  A local employee takes care of all travel and visa issues and she has sent Joe’s passport for the exit visa with a local agent.  We tried to phone the agent this morning to get Joe’s passport back and I politely tried to explain our situation to him in French when he not-so-politely responds that he only deals with Mama H (the local employee, and yes, it does sound like the Mob) and that we are not to call him.  We’ve passed it on to the HR manager here, an expat, and he went to the agents office to find him missing.  He will continue to track him down and hopefully return with the passport in question.

Barring any other major disasters and the return of Joe’s infamous passport with the exit visa intact, we’ll get the heck out of here tonight!  I will update you of any new developments and I really hope that by the time our Western friends at home wake up and read this, that all is solved and we are preparing to head to the airport.

Unfortunate Updates

Funny enough, I wrote the last post and ever since then, all we've heard about is Gabonisation.  I do want to make one clarification.  I mentioned that the worker's union and government in Gabon were working towards having 90% of all positions filled by Gabonese people.  I failed to mention that does not count the fact that they want all executive positions to be held by locals as well.

This week we've been told that the worker's union is unhappy with the progress thus far and they want the process of Gabonisation sped up.  The president has asked them to be patient and tried to explain that these things take time but that did not subside the frustrations and they have announced a strike to begin Sunday at midnight.  From what I hear, this affects every aspect of every oil company and service company right down to the gas stations.  We've been told to fill up the cars and make sure anything needed from the office is brought home as there will be absolutely no access once the strike begins.  Apparently, police will patrol the buildings and escort you out if you are there.  No one knows how long it might last.

On top of all of that...

Joe and I were to head to South Africa tomorrow.  We were having issues with his passport renewal and I was working frantically for the last week and a half to ensure that it gets here in time for our flight tomorrow night.  While it seems I've succeeded, unfortunately Joe will not be here.  He went offshore a week ago yesterday to run a job that has of course, encountered several problems and the job has stretched from being a few days to a couple of weeks.  The base here is ridiculously understaffed and there is no one to replace Joe so we are forced to postpone our holiday.

Trust me, I'm not happy about this especially after all of the other issues we are dealing with right now but there is really nothing I can do about it.  I have been working all day on rescheduling everything for exactly one week later than planned and am hoping to see it all come together this afternoon.  We certainly need this holiday now more than ever!

One For All

If you hadn't already guessed, things are very complicated here.  As with any society, there are inner workings that you never fully understand until you've lived it and felt the effects of it.  This is one of the reasons I was so keen to take an overseas live-in position.  While we both like to travel, you can only learn so much in your few weeks time in that region; it's living there that really opens your eyes to the complexities of the country.  Our eyes have certainly been opened over the last 8 months.

Imagine the worker's unions that everyone loves to hate at home.  Now imagine that every single person in the country belongs to said union.  That is how Gabon is run.  I can't tell you exactly when this union came to be and I can't tell you the specific reasons it was formed but I can hypothesize that the Gabonese government wanted to put something in place to protect the local employees with all of these foreign companies setting up shop here.  In theory, it was probably a good idea.

In reality, it makes it extremely difficult to do business here because of the regulations put in place by this union.  Right now, all local employees work from 7:30-3:30 Monday to Friday with a half an hour break for lunch.  At 3:30, a bell rings and it doesn't matter if you are in the middle of something important, all local employees pack up and leave.  When they are required to go offshore, as some are in Joe's business, they earn 1 day off for every day they are there.  Sometimes, jobs can have them out there for a week or more and the 3 or 4 local employees out there are then entitled to one full week off work.  It doesn't matter that they might otherwise be working 7:30-3:30, it is still a full day off.  This isn't mentioning that they are legally only allowed to work 20 hours of overtime per week; overtime beginning at 3:30.  This means, companies here require double or triple the employees they would at home.

As with many unions, once hired, that employee is basically signed on for life.  It doesn't matter if they literally refuse to do their job (as one person blatantly did in front of Joe) they will not be fired because of all the loopholes in order to release someone. I have heard of some companies trying to fire people but often times a racism charge is brought forward and because the legal system is not trustworthy nor reliable, many want to avoid it entirely.

The government in Gabon has brought forward a plan of Gabonization.  In a few years time, they want all foreign companies to employ 90% local Gabonese people.  Companies here try to employ locals whenever possible as, lets face it, they're a lot cheaper than expats.  However, the lack of accountability and urgency in anything coupled with union restrictions makes it near impossible for them to do their job to the standard needed for international business.

Of course, this is only a problem when working with international companies.  Trying to mesh 2 completely different systems and work ethics aren't easy and I sometimes wonder, is it really worth it?  We can't force people to do things 'our' way but we also can't run an international business on Gabonese time (nothing would get done!)  I'm not even confronted by this on a daily basis but Joe certainly is and I know it is extremely frustrating for him.

I do, however, try to remind ourselves that maybe we can learn something from this way of life... work isn't always everything.  I try to encourage Joe to pack up when the bell rings at 3:30 at least once in awhile.  Life is too short!

A Short Political History of Gabon

**Note: This is my understanding and may or may not be fully accurate.**

Gabon was originally inhabited by Pygmy people and then Bantu tribes as they moved into the area.  The first Europeans arrived in the 15th century although it wasn't until the late 1800's that France officially began to occupy the area.  In 1910, Gabon became part of French Equatorial Africa and it remained under French rule until 1960 when it finally gained it's independence.  Just this year, Gabon celebrated it's 50th year of independence.

Leon M'ba became Gabon's first president with Omar Bongo Ondimba as vice president.  It is widely known that the French government funneled a lot of money into his campaign in order to continue their logging exploits in the country.  When M'ba took power, it was not long until he abolished all other political parties and took a dictator role.  There were widespread riots and an attempt to overthrow the government but the French government intervened and sent the army restore M'ba to power.  M'ba remained president until his death in 1967 when vice president Omar Bongo succeeded him.

Omar Bongo dissolved the current political party and created his own one-party state.  He continued this until public perception forced him to bring multi-party politics to Gabon in 1990.  He was 'elected' as president several times and ruled Gabon from 1967 until he died in 2009.  Throughout his rule, there were several claims of fraudulent election results but he remained president for a whopping 42 years.  Omar Bongo was widely criticized for doing more for France than Gabon and many people questioned why the wealth from the massive oil revenue was not seen throughout the country when apparently, Bongo had hundreds of millions of dollars in his own bank account.  (Something not uncommon in many African countries.)

Upon his death, elections were held again with 18 candidates running.  Omar Bongo's son, Ali won the election with 42% of the vote.  Things brings us to the recent past.  After the elections, the opposition rejected the results and riots began in Port Gentil (the home of the party.)  You can still see some remnants of what most people refer to as 'the problems' in the Total area of town.  Total is the French oil company that has the largest stakes in Gabon.  Apparently, the opposition felt that Total had helped to rig the election in order to preserve their current oil contracts.  I don't think any expats were harmed and many of the companies brought their foreign employees to safe areas of town (barricaded by the army.)  The riots were soon under control and everything returned to the normal, peaceful existance here.

This week, another opposition leader declared himself president in Libreville and introduced the cabinet he had formed (apparently inspired by the events in Tunisia, Ivory Coast, and now Egypt.)  He claimed that it was time that Gabon had a president they actually wanted.  He has now sought refuge in the UN offices as a government official warned that he has committed treason and could be charged.  His supporters have taken to the streets in Libreville and have had some clashes with police.

We have seen nothing here in Port Gentil and we are keeping our fingers crossed that everything ends quickly and peacefully.  Joe's boss has reassured us that everything is fine and there is no need to panic however, should things arise, safety precautions will be taken.  (Last time, they moved all expats to the Ranch, our old hotel, where it was protected by the French army.)  However, we are preparing ourselves by stocking up on food in case something flares up and stores close.  Luckily, we live no where close to the Total compound which has previously been the target.

As it stands now, we have nothing to worry about and the situation is much, much milder than those in the other African countries right now.  We'll keep you posted if anything unfolds!

The Ridiculously Long and Complicated Road to Acquiring a Carte de Sejour

Literal Translation: Card of Stay (which is essentially a residence card)

Let me start by saying that we are very fortunate to have acquired this card.  Many other companies have not figured out how to do it for their expats and there are a lot of people who have been living here much longer than us without cards.  Instead, they make trips to Congo or Cameroon every few months to renew visas.

From the beginning…

When Joe was here back in May/June, the company HR guy began the process of getting Joe the residence card.  Unfortunately, it didn’t work and they instead contracted a separate agent to do the entire process for us.  His name is Nestor and he is a Gabonese man who has unlocked the code of securing residence cards (at least for the time being.)

Nestor begins by preparing all paperwork.  I can’t actually tell you what is on this paperwork as he has someone fill in all of the information and I never actually saw it other than to sign the bottom.  Every other day, Joe gets an urgent call from Nestor’s office saying that they need our passports NOW.  Joe complains as he is busy at work and can’t drop everything to drive home, pick up the passports and take them to his office… but he does it anyway.  This paperwork is sent away, to where I have no idea, and eventually returned with an all important stamp/press seal of approval.

Next, we are required to leave the country.  Most often, people are sent to Congo or Cameroon.  Joe and I tried to go to Sao Tome, a resort island off the coast of Gabon, but we were turned down and banished to Pointe Noire.  We are required to leave for 48 hours but it usually turns into more because one needs a visa to enter Congo and they take your passport at the airport to issue it and that usually takes a few days.  (We tried to work our way around that by getting a visa before going but when we arrived they told us the visa wasn’t correct, cancelled it, and kept our passports anyways.)

Upon returning to Gabon, we present the original papers that were returned to us, to an immigration officer.  It is extremely important to have everything perfect.  The papers must be the originals, not copies, the stamp must be in the correct place, the dates must be correct, and we pay 45 000 cfa ($90.)  The officer looks everything over, scouring for loopholes so that you can be denied.  If you aren’t, they scan your fingers, take your picture and provide you with a temporary 30-day visa.  They stamp the papers and return them to you and send you on your way.

Nestor anxiously awaits the new visa and stamped papers to begin filling out the second round of paperwork.  He resumes calling Joe every other day demanding passports or signatures until everything is in order and then a trip to Libreville is booked.

We catch an early morning flight to Libreville and head directly to the immigration office.  Nestor has some sort of connection there as we bypass lines of people waiting outside and head directly to a side door.  It is very important to be dressed nicely as people have been turned away at the door.  Upon entering, we are shuffled on to a bench where 5 people, no more, no less, must sit and wait.  You sit for several hours trying to figure out how everything works because no one actually tells you anything.  Nestor tells us to listen for our names to be called which is impossible because they call from the other side of the room and there are a hundred other people shuffling about and talking.

It appears that Nestor has some sort of deal with one particular immigration officer who may or may not have been paid in order to let us jump the line.  After 2 hours of waiting, I am called forward and surprisingly Nestor accompanies me.  Prior to this, he wasn’t allowed to help unless there was a problem.  The officer scours the papers and finds something wrong with them.  He demands that Nestor explains but never accepts the answer, scans my fingers, and directs me to sit back on the benches.  Half an hour later, I’m called to a different man who looks over our ‘offenses’ and assigns a penalty  (the going rate for us white people seems to be 300 000 cfa or about $600.)  We are then directed to the cashier to pay the fine.

We resume sitting on the benches waiting for our names to be called again, this time for the photo.  Once called, I enter a cubicle and answer a few questions, have my fingerprints scanned again and get the photo taken.  I resume my place on another bench and again, wait for my name to be called for the fourth and final time to receive the actual carte de sejour.

Voila, process is complete.  Nestor swoops up the card telling me that he needs to take it for one reason or another but assures me I will have it in my hands in a few days.

To recap… 2 trips to Pointe Noire, an infinite number of trips to Nestor’s office, 4 passport photos, a wedding, a day at the immigration office in Libreville, several thousand dollars, 4 months of frustration but I am the proud new owner of a Gabonese Carte de Sejour.  If we’re still here, we’ll get to do it all over again in 2 years!