It is around 500 meters from home to the office. We go walking along a little street plenty of money changers, cabines telephoniques, small businesses and food sellers.
At first they called me Jean Baptiste. Then Simon Pierre or, often, Simon Betelo (probably in lingala, meaning unknown, might be stone: pierre), now, sometime, Jesu. It happened also in the Kasai region.
I suppose the reason is a combination of my clear and ample clothes and my growing hairs and beard, in a country (a continent) where all males are nowadays headshaved.
I’m not sure if I like it, but I got used to it.
I generally do not answer to those salutations, from time to time I just smile.
MC7858attitude 