The tile layers might just be finished. They came yesterday to re-tile our bedroom. The bed's pushed to a corner and we aren't supposed to move it for a couple of days. One thing they left behind is dust. Lots and lots of dust, as well as some dusty handprints on doors, doorframes, and walls, and spatters of grout on a couple of walls and windows. I suppose their job isn't, technically, to clean up after themselves (let alone to try to work cleanly in the first place). Another facet of customer service lost here...
There are also a couple of tiles that sound loose in the kitchen; however, the tiler explained that because their grout isn't cracked, they'll never shift or tent like the ones in the other rooms. We'll see how that prediction works out.
The work day at Esoko tends to go from 9:30am to 6pm. This is an issue for the German class I'd like to take, which runs 5:30-7:45 four days a week. Finally, the opportunity to be taught by a German again, and I may have to show up to class an hour late every day! Not to mention, I'd essentially be on the go 12 hours a day. I'm hoping we can work out a compromise where I get to work around 8:30 and leave at 5:30, then get to German half an hour late every day. Most of the people in the class are familiar faces, but there's one new guy who last night asked me to help him perfect his American accent in my free time, gave me a hair-raising car ride most of my way home, and today called me to ask if I have any books in German. There's taking advantage and then there's taking advantage of new contacts. Like the time the neighbor downstairs asked me to do "anything I could" by asking my boyfriend to get the neighbor's son a job at Google. The kid had almost finished his certificate in IT.
At the job, there's a lot to get used to and I have to get up to speed really quickly, so I'm having meetings daily with heads of departments to walk me through how everything works. It will be a challenge. At the moment, not fully familiar with what I have to get done, I'm nervous- but if they say I can do this first project in three months, then I can do it.
We have a new roommate: a 10-month Google intern. Not much more to say on that front!
Showing posts with label house. Show all posts
Showing posts with label house. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
dangerous linktrails
I don't know how it is for visitors to my blog, but when I'm signed in, I get this Blogger top bar on the top of my page. On this bar is a link to "Next Blog," any other randomly chosen Blogger blog.
Well, from the (probably) 50-100 other blogs I've browsed in the past two days, here are my conclusions:
95% of them are families
80% of those families are religious Christians (when I say that, I mean they mention praying, Our One True Father, church - as having an influence in most of their entries)
3% are teens
2% are Other. A vegan and a Tea Partier (who also fit into the Christian category)
And probably 40% of every one of those blogs had as the latest entry "It's been such a looong time, and I PROMISE I'll be better at posting from now on!" Most of the time, those entries were a year old.
Fingers crossed that I can keep up my own commitment!
When we moved into our third-floor apartment, we thought the distance between us and the ground would separate us from the noise. We wanted a quieter house, removed from street sounds.
This is not so!
It turns out that sound waves travel upwards really well. So we hear the squatter neighbors' chicks as if they were chirping on our own balcony. Funerals from three blocks away sound like they're just down the street. And I have yet to describe a Ghanaian funeral!
It lasts a full weekend. On Friday they stay up all night singing and playing highlife music: the "wake-keeping." Saturday starts early and goes a full day of music, food, drinking and socializing. Sunday starts around 7:30 with a worship service, then continues until the afternoon with more music and socializing.
Streets are shut down as celebrants erect big tents and rent hundreds of plastic chairs to house the participants. The music speakers are huge. Announcements are put up all over the streets announcing: "Home Call," "Obituary," "At Rest" and so on. People dress in black/brown combined with red, if the person died young, or white, if the person lived a full life. These parties can totally disrupt your life if they happen on your street, and get in the way of traffic as the tents stop cars from going through. The more people you can afford to host, the better. It's quite the production.
The weather lately has been cooler (around 25-28C, 75-80F) and nicely breezy so I've relied on the A/C much less often and instead keep the big doors and windows open. Earlier in the month it was overcast without raining for days at a time, but now we are getting sun, a bit of rain (like this morning) and cooler weather. I like it!
Well, from the (probably) 50-100 other blogs I've browsed in the past two days, here are my conclusions:
95% of them are families
80% of those families are religious Christians (when I say that, I mean they mention praying, Our One True Father, church - as having an influence in most of their entries)
3% are teens
2% are Other. A vegan and a Tea Partier (who also fit into the Christian category)
And probably 40% of every one of those blogs had as the latest entry "It's been such a looong time, and I PROMISE I'll be better at posting from now on!" Most of the time, those entries were a year old.
Fingers crossed that I can keep up my own commitment!
When we moved into our third-floor apartment, we thought the distance between us and the ground would separate us from the noise. We wanted a quieter house, removed from street sounds.
This is not so!
It turns out that sound waves travel upwards really well. So we hear the squatter neighbors' chicks as if they were chirping on our own balcony. Funerals from three blocks away sound like they're just down the street. And I have yet to describe a Ghanaian funeral!
It lasts a full weekend. On Friday they stay up all night singing and playing highlife music: the "wake-keeping." Saturday starts early and goes a full day of music, food, drinking and socializing. Sunday starts around 7:30 with a worship service, then continues until the afternoon with more music and socializing.
Streets are shut down as celebrants erect big tents and rent hundreds of plastic chairs to house the participants. The music speakers are huge. Announcements are put up all over the streets announcing: "Home Call," "Obituary," "At Rest" and so on. People dress in black/brown combined with red, if the person died young, or white, if the person lived a full life. These parties can totally disrupt your life if they happen on your street, and get in the way of traffic as the tents stop cars from going through. The more people you can afford to host, the better. It's quite the production.
The weather lately has been cooler (around 25-28C, 75-80F) and nicely breezy so I've relied on the A/C much less often and instead keep the big doors and windows open. Earlier in the month it was overcast without raining for days at a time, but now we are getting sun, a bit of rain (like this morning) and cooler weather. I like it!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Photo Post: My 'hood
a spot of beauty on our A/C unit
You can see the Presidential Palace, locally known as Jubilee House, from our balcony. Well, depending on weather. It's that far-away one in the middle of the frame shaped like a traditional Ghanaian chief's stool.
neighbors.
a couple of the squatters who are occupying the unfinished house across the street.
two doors down
water bottle football game... our house is across the street to the left
around the corner, these electricity men were replacing power lines. Some time in the evening, a cord was cut and the power was out for upwards of 12 hours.
cluck!
doing the electricity work in his tailored batik shirt
AMA is the Accra Municipal Authority, who sweep different neighborhoods every day looking for businesses operating without registration - and anoint them as seen above. One person said AMA is just looking for a bribe. This blogger has no comment.
portrait of a guinea fowl
Houses keep water tanks on the roof to store up extra water while the pipes are running, for the times when they are not
this is the kid of the snack seller under the mango tree (to the unseen right of the frame). behind him is the most local "spot" (food & drink establishment). This shipping container was kept pristinely painted and strategically opened two days after AMA came through with the red paint!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Changes and transitions
Waiting at the dentist to be seen. Today is a day of appointments all over the world, as both my mother and Jens's are going in for (different) common but significant procedures. I wish them good surgeries, quick recoveries, health and strength.
The last week and a half has left me too preoccupied to blog. We are still without curtains in the big window in our bedroom, which has taken my thoughts up recently (as in, every time the sun rises at 6!). Also I've seen the doctor twice; once to test for infection and yesterday to discuss the results (no infection, hooray). Today I'm hoping a Ghanaian dentist can finally sort out these sensitive teeth where the Irish have failed; I really hope so!
Monday night marked the start of Passover, a holiday of change and transitions. More on that another time...
The coming of April has made me realize how much I miss watching spring emerge from winter. Here, sunshine and warmth are a given no matter what month it is. Even during the rainy season, they get an average of 5 hours of sun a day. My favorite part of the year has always been seeing life come from bleakness as the world reminds me of reasons to rejoice. I miss the lilacs.
If anyone in Accra is reading this, I'd also like to extend an invitation to an event happening 10 days from now, on Saturday the 30th of April. Accragio (my choir) is participating in a benefit concert in aid of Japan, along with many other musicians, magicians and performers. It's at the Mensvic Hotel swimming pool in East Legon. The catch is that a ticket costs 80 cedis (or 150 for a pair), but the consolation is that it all goes to help survivors of the earthquake(s) and tsunami. Come if you can. I've heard it'll be great; the choir certainly will be.
Tonight I am missing a performance of a Chinese disabled people's performing troupe which I think would be inspiring and fascinating to see. Denver has a group like this, I think, and I never got a chance to see it.
Maybe some day...
Does anyone know where we can find cheap but modern curtains in Accra? We are going to look at fabric shops on the weekend after seeing 3 mostly disappointing curtain shops already. It doesn't make sense to pay 15 or 20 cedis a yard for fabric that's not something we love, but at some point I'd like to be able to sleep late in the darkness again!
The last week and a half has left me too preoccupied to blog. We are still without curtains in the big window in our bedroom, which has taken my thoughts up recently (as in, every time the sun rises at 6!). Also I've seen the doctor twice; once to test for infection and yesterday to discuss the results (no infection, hooray). Today I'm hoping a Ghanaian dentist can finally sort out these sensitive teeth where the Irish have failed; I really hope so!
Monday night marked the start of Passover, a holiday of change and transitions. More on that another time...
The coming of April has made me realize how much I miss watching spring emerge from winter. Here, sunshine and warmth are a given no matter what month it is. Even during the rainy season, they get an average of 5 hours of sun a day. My favorite part of the year has always been seeing life come from bleakness as the world reminds me of reasons to rejoice. I miss the lilacs.
If anyone in Accra is reading this, I'd also like to extend an invitation to an event happening 10 days from now, on Saturday the 30th of April. Accragio (my choir) is participating in a benefit concert in aid of Japan, along with many other musicians, magicians and performers. It's at the Mensvic Hotel swimming pool in East Legon. The catch is that a ticket costs 80 cedis (or 150 for a pair), but the consolation is that it all goes to help survivors of the earthquake(s) and tsunami. Come if you can. I've heard it'll be great; the choir certainly will be.
Tonight I am missing a performance of a Chinese disabled people's performing troupe which I think would be inspiring and fascinating to see. Denver has a group like this, I think, and I never got a chance to see it.
Maybe some day...
Does anyone know where we can find cheap but modern curtains in Accra? We are going to look at fabric shops on the weekend after seeing 3 mostly disappointing curtain shops already. It doesn't make sense to pay 15 or 20 cedis a yard for fabric that's not something we love, but at some point I'd like to be able to sleep late in the darkness again!
posted from Bloggeroid
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Moved In!
We are fully out of the temporary apartment and 100% in the new house! We have internet, though it's on the slow side. We have electricity and gas and running water. There are tenants on floors 1, 3 and 5 already; floor 4 has someone committed and LL was showing floor 2 today. Because the house is so nearly filled up, we are promised a generator "within two weeks." Power has been consistent here lately, but you never know when it will cut out and it's good to know that we won't be waiting months when outages happen.
We're 100% moved in, but not 100% finished. Some of our stuff has yet to be installed and some of it's still on a boat headed towards this continent. But all of our suitcases are here and most of them are unpacked.
On Sunday we went to Melcom (I wouldn't be surprised if the building was made in China... certainly 98% of the contents were!) and stocked up on curtain rods, curtains, shower curtains, kitchen appliances, and a whole lot of sundries we needed to start out a new household. We spent bundles of money, and Jens even had to go to an ATM midway through the checkout to get some more. To be fair, we'd wanted to use a credit card but the machine was broken.
Melcom's a funny "department" store, which stocks everything from furniture to kitchen appliances, has a grocery section, stationery, plastic flowers, upholstery, in-home saunas and bicycles... and also little booths that house other shops. Clothes, Sony, a local bookstore, and two "restaurants" are here, as well as a salon and - of all things - a dentist!
For a decent price, we knowingly compromised on quality but managed to get almost everything we need. I say decent - these things would have cost a third of what we paid in Melcom if we had been in the US or Europe. Now, we are waiting for the shipment, which has our couch, bookshelf, and shoe rack - we'll need another of those, looking at the pile of shoes we have unpacked - and still need to find and buy a dining table and chairs, plus more furniture for the balconies. Plants, too - we have plans for many, many plants. And I can't stop thinking how much I'd like the companionship of a cat... not one off the street, I'm thinking about an expat who leaves and doesn't take the cat with them. I missed my opportunity by a few days last week. Just gotta keep my eyes open and have the right timing! Though there was this really cute gray and white kitten I saw twice last week near the house... Hmm!
Hamentaschen made by me and Aimee last weekend - happy Purim, a week late!
This is the dining and living area, with the new furniture all in sight. We got these four pieces - a double papasan, two singles and a little table which is between the two singles - for 200 cedi (about €100).
Here is the full length of the room!
The spacious kitchen. Note the rice cooker. Not visible in photo: microwave, hot plate (for when the gas is out), toaster oven. (Did we go overboard on appliances?!)
View from the main balcony towards city centre. To the left of the tall palm tree (outside the frame) you can see Independence Square - a big parade ground. No bonus points for guessing what they celebrate there every year.
We're 100% moved in, but not 100% finished. Some of our stuff has yet to be installed and some of it's still on a boat headed towards this continent. But all of our suitcases are here and most of them are unpacked.
On Saturday we went out for lunch and afterwards headed to the road in Cantonments where you go to buy bamboo and wicker furniture. A dozen craftsmen lay out their stock on the side of the street, right up to (and sometimes over) the sewer. Though I need to show pictures, I didn't have my camera with me because we both thought we were only going to lunch when we left the house.
However, I do have photos of the furniture we bought there! And I'll get pictures of the area, too. We'll have to go back to the guy who made them, because we don't like the fabric of the cushions. They were the only ones he had and he told us he'd make us cushion covers included in our price, if we bring him whatever fabric we want. It's a brown-based pattern with purple and orange hibiscus flowers.
Not the most desirable color. But anyway, you can now also see the full depth of our balcony. This one goes around the corner to the right for even more space.
On Sunday we went to Melcom (I wouldn't be surprised if the building was made in China... certainly 98% of the contents were!) and stocked up on curtain rods, curtains, shower curtains, kitchen appliances, and a whole lot of sundries we needed to start out a new household. We spent bundles of money, and Jens even had to go to an ATM midway through the checkout to get some more. To be fair, we'd wanted to use a credit card but the machine was broken.
Melcom's a funny "department" store, which stocks everything from furniture to kitchen appliances, has a grocery section, stationery, plastic flowers, upholstery, in-home saunas and bicycles... and also little booths that house other shops. Clothes, Sony, a local bookstore, and two "restaurants" are here, as well as a salon and - of all things - a dentist!
For a decent price, we knowingly compromised on quality but managed to get almost everything we need. I say decent - these things would have cost a third of what we paid in Melcom if we had been in the US or Europe. Now, we are waiting for the shipment, which has our couch, bookshelf, and shoe rack - we'll need another of those, looking at the pile of shoes we have unpacked - and still need to find and buy a dining table and chairs, plus more furniture for the balconies. Plants, too - we have plans for many, many plants. And I can't stop thinking how much I'd like the companionship of a cat... not one off the street, I'm thinking about an expat who leaves and doesn't take the cat with them. I missed my opportunity by a few days last week. Just gotta keep my eyes open and have the right timing! Though there was this really cute gray and white kitten I saw twice last week near the house... Hmm!
--THE HOUSE--
The master bedroom... clearly a work in progress! See the balcony? We're gonna put chairs on that, and more plants. A bed frame should be coming this weekend. Something simple, until we find a carpenter we like to make a gorgeous long-term one.
There are also two other bedrooms, a spare/storage room with washing machine and fridge, and a guest bathroom connected to the dining/living area. For a floorplan, check out the landcouple's website.
There is still much to be done, like having the curtain rods installed and in some cases picking the curtains. There are tweaks everywhere (at the moment we have no water - more on that later - and there's still a leak in the second bathroom) but hey! I'm optimistic! This stuff just takes time, and now we have time. And more importantly, we have a place to sleep, cook, and live!
Our internet's been spotty today, so I"m posting this now, while it's back up. Working on a couple more posts in the meantime, for later!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Tro-tro Travels
Yesterday Aimee the Roomie (I'll stop calling her that now - but she will be our roommate until her time in Accra ends in June) took me on my first tro-tro ride. She's been here a couple of months and therefore is a beacon of experience.
A tro-tro is a public bus. It has four rows of seats behind the driver's row. Generally very run-down, but they only let on as many people as can sit down, which is a relief. The staff are a driver and a "mate" who collects the money from passengers, tells the driver when to let people off, and tells new passengers the destination of the bus. They are driven recklessly, just like any other car here. And if you ever want to buy a snack while you're on the road, stick your hand out the window when a hawker walks by selling what you want. Water, plantain chips, peanuts, meat and fish pies, bottled yogurts, Mentos - all the Ghanaian staples. I've heard, though, that from April 1st these street vendors will be fined for selling in the streets. I will have to take advantage of them and take some photos before then!
When Aimee and I reached Oxford Street we heard a mate yelling what I thought was "tet-sev, tet-sev tet-sev tet-sev!" That was our bus, to the neighborhood called "37." We went to Max Mart, the only grocery store I hadn't been to yet. Guess what? It's another grocery store. 37 has a huge tro-tro depot which also doubles as a market. I didn't take any photos, though I brought my camera.
House News! We are meeting LL tonight to collect the keys to our new place! The internet should be installed today (I know, I know) and I think the cooker's still sitting outside of its bespoke hole in the counter. I am hopeful these things can be fixed today. That makes tomorrow moving day!
I'll definitely take photos of that. And I remember now, I still owe photos of the move-out!
A tro-tro is a public bus. It has four rows of seats behind the driver's row. Generally very run-down, but they only let on as many people as can sit down, which is a relief. The staff are a driver and a "mate" who collects the money from passengers, tells the driver when to let people off, and tells new passengers the destination of the bus. They are driven recklessly, just like any other car here. And if you ever want to buy a snack while you're on the road, stick your hand out the window when a hawker walks by selling what you want. Water, plantain chips, peanuts, meat and fish pies, bottled yogurts, Mentos - all the Ghanaian staples. I've heard, though, that from April 1st these street vendors will be fined for selling in the streets. I will have to take advantage of them and take some photos before then!
When Aimee and I reached Oxford Street we heard a mate yelling what I thought was "tet-sev, tet-sev tet-sev tet-sev!" That was our bus, to the neighborhood called "37." We went to Max Mart, the only grocery store I hadn't been to yet. Guess what? It's another grocery store. 37 has a huge tro-tro depot which also doubles as a market. I didn't take any photos, though I brought my camera.
House News! We are meeting LL tonight to collect the keys to our new place! The internet should be installed today (I know, I know) and I think the cooker's still sitting outside of its bespoke hole in the counter. I am hopeful these things can be fixed today. That makes tomorrow moving day!
I'll definitely take photos of that. And I remember now, I still owe photos of the move-out!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
aaaanother house update
LL (that's Landlady) said the house was being cleaned up professionally on Monday. When we called to check up on it, she insisted we'd be "pleasantly surprised" with what we saw. Aimee the Roomie and I went over Monday night to check it out. Not Clean At All - open paint cans, smears on the floor, dust all over the place.
Meanwhile, Jens got a phone call yesterday evening, saying that the mattresses we had ordered were ready. (As the new place is unfurnished, obviously we'll need something to sleep on until the shipment comes in, and we'll use them as guest mattresses once our real ones come in.) So he went over there to take the delivery and put them somewhere. He reports the place is now sparkling clean. All that remains is the cooker (stove/oven) needs to be installed and the internet needs to be set up. (their promise of last Friday became Tuesday became today...) If they take much longer, I'm convening a wild party in our flat. We're directly above their office. That'll force them to leave the office and go get our internet set up!
Tonight we're off to yet another concert at the Alliance Française (well, March is Francophone Month at the Alliance, so I guess it's full of special events). The Ivorian Dobet Gnahoré is apparently a singing, dancing, drumming sensation, and we get to see her for the bargain price of 6 cedis.
The choir's fantastic fun. I'm in a four-strong alto section along with seven tenors, six sopranos and two basses. We have a show on April 30th, a benefit for Japanese tsunami/earthquake victims. The director is dynamic and devoted. I am so, so excited to be singing again.
In personal news, I'm inches away from calling a local dentist. My teeth are starting to go crazy every time I have something cold and/or sweet. No fruit juice in Accra? I don't think so! My No Worries guide (in-depth insider-insight Yellow Pages written by expats, for expats) has a good list of recommended dentists, so we'll see.
Meanwhile, Jens got a phone call yesterday evening, saying that the mattresses we had ordered were ready. (As the new place is unfurnished, obviously we'll need something to sleep on until the shipment comes in, and we'll use them as guest mattresses once our real ones come in.) So he went over there to take the delivery and put them somewhere. He reports the place is now sparkling clean. All that remains is the cooker (stove/oven) needs to be installed and the internet needs to be set up. (their promise of last Friday became Tuesday became today...) If they take much longer, I'm convening a wild party in our flat. We're directly above their office. That'll force them to leave the office and go get our internet set up!
Tonight we're off to yet another concert at the Alliance Française (well, March is Francophone Month at the Alliance, so I guess it's full of special events). The Ivorian Dobet Gnahoré is apparently a singing, dancing, drumming sensation, and we get to see her for the bargain price of 6 cedis.
The choir's fantastic fun. I'm in a four-strong alto section along with seven tenors, six sopranos and two basses. We have a show on April 30th, a benefit for Japanese tsunami/earthquake victims. The director is dynamic and devoted. I am so, so excited to be singing again.
In personal news, I'm inches away from calling a local dentist. My teeth are starting to go crazy every time I have something cold and/or sweet. No fruit juice in Accra? I don't think so! My No Worries guide (in-depth insider-insight Yellow Pages written by expats, for expats) has a good list of recommended dentists, so we'll see.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Inconsistencies
Where do I start with a post titled "inconsistencies"? They're everywhere. A house that was supposed to be ready by the time we got here is now going to be done "at the end of the week," and we all know that probably means two more weeks. Taxi drivers say they know where they're going when you ask to go somewhere, then two minutes into the ride start pulling over and asking people on the side of the street how to get there.
But enough about that; I'm talking about inconsistencies I tell. For example, half the people I meet are introduced to my full name while the other half get my nickname. I've already forgotten who has gotten what - this will become royally confusing, I already know.
Also, some people refer to Jens as my husband by default and I don't say anything; it's generally regarded as safer to say you're married. People take the relationship more seriously. I find it easier to do with Ghanaians, though. So when I went to the local internet provider's office last night and they asked about my husband, I had no problem playing along... but I talked to the boss this morning, who's European, and found it really hard to stick to my "husband" story.
I predict I'll end up going with the old nickname as everyone's trying to abbreviate my full name anyway, and I'll start being able to refer to Jens as my husband to people who would be more comfortable hearing that.
At the moment I'm off to Oxford Street to meet with an English expat and have smoothies; after that to the Goethe institut to register for my German class. And then back home to get real internet installed, instead of relying on 3G on the phone.
We have a roommate, I went to choir on Tuesday again, and the new place in the yellow building is making progress towards being ready for us to move in. And it's hot outside!
But enough about that; I'm talking about inconsistencies I tell. For example, half the people I meet are introduced to my full name while the other half get my nickname. I've already forgotten who has gotten what - this will become royally confusing, I already know.
Also, some people refer to Jens as my husband by default and I don't say anything; it's generally regarded as safer to say you're married. People take the relationship more seriously. I find it easier to do with Ghanaians, though. So when I went to the local internet provider's office last night and they asked about my husband, I had no problem playing along... but I talked to the boss this morning, who's European, and found it really hard to stick to my "husband" story.
I predict I'll end up going with the old nickname as everyone's trying to abbreviate my full name anyway, and I'll start being able to refer to Jens as my husband to people who would be more comfortable hearing that.
At the moment I'm off to Oxford Street to meet with an English expat and have smoothies; after that to the Goethe institut to register for my German class. And then back home to get real internet installed, instead of relying on 3G on the phone.
We have a roommate, I went to choir on Tuesday again, and the new place in the yellow building is making progress towards being ready for us to move in. And it's hot outside!
posted from Bloggeroid
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Arrived
We're here! We're in Accra! We left the house in Dublin at 10 on Sunday, spent the night in Germany with Jens's parents and met his new niece, and then flew to Accra on Monday afternoon, arriving around 6pm.
At the moment we're staying in Landcouple's second-choice place for us (the blue building) as it's finished and furnished, and they're working on getting the yellow building done by the end of the week. As I may or may not have mentioned, they painted the large internal dividing wall red, and they've named the flat the Moulin Rouge in honor of that. (How whimsical.) Jens got in touch with someone who can make us a bed for the Moulin Rouge until our shipment comes in. LC are trying to get internet to the place by Friday; also, air conditioners haven't yet appeared in their latest photos and that's a must before we move in. And we've just got to hope that the power doesn't go out too often before they get a generator installed ("by the end of the year," as soon as more tenants move in, they hope). Things will come together, if not always as quickly as hoped. That's part of living in Africa, though!
Speaking of the shipment, it's already en route... well, anyway, we have the name of the boat! Jens thinks this is only the boat taking it to a continental European port, as it seems rather small and precarious for big ocean voyages. How does he know? Google the Perseus J and see for yourself! The container's due to arrive on April 12th, but Jens will be in Nigeria that week so we'll have to wait until the end of the week. Cross your fingers for smooth seas. As you can see, the containers on the ships aren't exactly stored with security first.
Up next: some more photo posts. I have Senegal, a handful more of Accra from last time, and photos of the moving-out!
Banal update: still warm, very humid. We went to the Irish pub for dinner last night; kind server, average food, will go there Thursday for Paddy's. And we got to the nearby supermarket and stocked the fridge with essentials. Heeeere we go!
At the moment we're staying in Landcouple's second-choice place for us (the blue building) as it's finished and furnished, and they're working on getting the yellow building done by the end of the week. As I may or may not have mentioned, they painted the large internal dividing wall red, and they've named the flat the Moulin Rouge in honor of that. (How whimsical.) Jens got in touch with someone who can make us a bed for the Moulin Rouge until our shipment comes in. LC are trying to get internet to the place by Friday; also, air conditioners haven't yet appeared in their latest photos and that's a must before we move in. And we've just got to hope that the power doesn't go out too often before they get a generator installed ("by the end of the year," as soon as more tenants move in, they hope). Things will come together, if not always as quickly as hoped. That's part of living in Africa, though!
Speaking of the shipment, it's already en route... well, anyway, we have the name of the boat! Jens thinks this is only the boat taking it to a continental European port, as it seems rather small and precarious for big ocean voyages. How does he know? Google the Perseus J and see for yourself! The container's due to arrive on April 12th, but Jens will be in Nigeria that week so we'll have to wait until the end of the week. Cross your fingers for smooth seas. As you can see, the containers on the ships aren't exactly stored with security first.
Up next: some more photo posts. I have Senegal, a handful more of Accra from last time, and photos of the moving-out!
Banal update: still warm, very humid. We went to the Irish pub for dinner last night; kind server, average food, will go there Thursday for Paddy's. And we got to the nearby supermarket and stocked the fridge with essentials. Heeeere we go!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Being White (preliminary musings)
A short visit only to the city is no way to get a full taste of the country. I know in more rural areas it'll be even more different to be white. But here's what has happened so far.
You step out onto the street and the first, third, fifteenth and last thing you hear is beep-beep! Taxis see a white person and toot to let you know they're here, just in case you should need a taxi. Even when they've seen two taxis before them honk and be ignored. Annoying when I want to walk, but helpful when I really do want a taxi. Just hard to know when the honking behind you is a taxi, and when it's someone using the horn for one of its other myriad uses. Let me list them:
1a. Move, pedestrian!
1b. Move, car!
1c. Move, chickens/goats!
1d. Move, cyclist!
2. Hey, friend! How are you?
3. Thanks for letting me into traffic in front of you.
4. This is a close squeeze!
5. I'm about to turn.
6. This is unfair.
7. I am part of a funeral procession.
8. I'm driving very quickly and don't want to slow down. I advise that you move.
9. My brakes have failed. MOVE NOW.
And then you have more of your standard uses.
You also may hear a couple of kids yelling out "Obroni! Obroni!" (this means "white! white!") or "Hello, how ahh you?" Their faces crack into big smiles if you smile back or wave. I'm still baffled why they get so happy when a white person simply acknowledges them.
Today when I came back to B's house with our laundry from the cleaners, the guards and I had a chat. (The main function of guards here is to open the big gates in front of the driveways, and to always have a presence on the property.) One of them said he loved my bag (Jens's backpacker bag). They were impressed that it allowed you to carry such heavy loads. And then the really cheery smiley one started looking at my freckles. His companion said, "Yes, those are normal on white skin!" From freckles, he saw one of my mosquito bites (only 8 so far, I must be doing pretty well with the bug spray), and the friend said also that this redness is normal for whites. I showed him a very angry bite on my arm that means "My body really hates mosquitoes." Then he saw a vein in my elbow! It looked green! OMG! A third time, the second guard said "Yes, look - you can see my veins in my arm standing up too, just not the color. This is how white skin looks." Then they asked, "Are you a ness?" I didn't understand. "Ness, ness!" Then they asked something that sounded like "Are you medican" so I said, "Yes, I'm American."
"By profession, you are medican?"
"Ohhh, medical, no! I'm not medical. I am a teacher. Not a nurse."
"A teacher by profession!" Their faces erupted in glee. "So you can teach us!"
I really like these guards with their happy smiles and exuberance. They ask how long I'll be gone and always say "Have a nice time" when I go, and "Welcome" when I come back. I went to visit the new apartment today (and SIGNED THE LEASE, hallelujah!) and the guard there was all business in a spiffy uniform. I'd rather have smilers who put me in a happy mood than grimacers who take their job too seriously. I'll take pictures of them before we move out of here.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
FYI on the house
Our landlord's corporate client has opted to take the entire yellow building, so we are going to take the apartment in the blue building. This one looks less cool inside, but is closer to some of the good stuff. Also, it's on two floors. That somehow makes it instantly awesomer.
Did I mention yet that Jens's boss knows everybody? Because tonight I went and checked out an amateur choir, and the other lady singing the alto part with me... lives downstairs from Jens's boss.
Small world!
Did I mention yet that Jens's boss knows everybody? Because tonight I went and checked out an amateur choir, and the other lady singing the alto part with me... lives downstairs from Jens's boss.
Small world!
Shopping, Dancing, Housing
I've been to the crafts market twice already - the first time for a quick jaunt with F, the visiting German Googler on Friday and the second time with Bridgette and Jens on Sunday. Bridgette's been here for a year and it was good to hear her bargaining, switching into a local accent to prove she knows what's going on (and invoking her local boyfriend's name to show she's serious). She got herself a pair of 5-foot-tall masks for 130 cedi, which translates to about $85 - not bad! Jens and I got ourselves a beaded side table and a painting, and promised to come back later when we have an apartment we can furnish.
On Saturday night, Bridgette and her boyfriend and Jens and I went to the Heritage Africa Reality Show finale at the Alliance Francaise. This ambitious show brought ten pre-auditioned couples all around Ghana to learn cultural dancing, music and crafts. They each presented a dance from a different region, along with a presentation on the history, meaning, costumes, and instruments used. A second round had each couple perform a piece of folk music they'd written themselves. The presentations were great! The dancers acted as storytellers rather than lecturers, using facial expressions and a lot of variation in their voices to keep the audience interested. It also helped that each of the four groups remaining at the finals had huge cheering sections. There was a debate on whether the "folk music" presented was really folk, as three of four songs used a full band and sounded like the West African stuff you hear on compilation CDs rather than something you'd hear from a tribe. In the end, the pair I liked best won!
Jens and I spent most of last week house hunting. Contrary to what you think, living here is expensive! Living spaces at an expat standard of living don't generally go for less than $2000 - and are usually priced $2500 and up. Yes, that's in dollars. The other big shocker is that common practice here is to pay a full year's rent in advance. At least you don't have to remember to make the payment every month! We found a landlord we liked who has two places.
The yellow building is newly built and still has a few weeks' work left to do. We love the style and decor of the apartment (and the huge kitchen!), though it's off a bunch of side streets. Jens is charmed by the idea we'd be in the thick of a neighborhood, which is something I still have to get used to.
The problem with the yellow building is that a corporate client expressed interest in taking the entire building for their employees. Of course it's understandable that the landlord wants to save the hassle of renting out each apartment individually when he can take care of all six at once. We're waiting now to hear back from the landlord on the company's decision. In the meantime, as a backup option they offered us an apartment in their other building.
The blue building is much easier to find in a car. It's closer to Oxford Street, which is the main shopping and eating street in the neighborhood. It's not as cool as the apartment in the yellow building, but it is in a duplex style with the bedrooms upstairs. There's a huge living-room space downstairs. All in all, either one would be a good place, and we like the landlord/lady pair. Jens's boss (who knows everyone who's anyone- seriously, you should see her networks in action) knows them and trusts them. So now it's just a waiting game of which place of theirs we get to move into.
Next time: The Sounds of Accra... or maybe The Roads of Accra, I haven't decided yet! Also, I have to tell The Story of the Eventful Monday, when my back was turned to a car crash 10 feet away, I overpaid a taxi horribly, and I bought some fruit.
On Saturday night, Bridgette and her boyfriend and Jens and I went to the Heritage Africa Reality Show finale at the Alliance Francaise. This ambitious show brought ten pre-auditioned couples all around Ghana to learn cultural dancing, music and crafts. They each presented a dance from a different region, along with a presentation on the history, meaning, costumes, and instruments used. A second round had each couple perform a piece of folk music they'd written themselves. The presentations were great! The dancers acted as storytellers rather than lecturers, using facial expressions and a lot of variation in their voices to keep the audience interested. It also helped that each of the four groups remaining at the finals had huge cheering sections. There was a debate on whether the "folk music" presented was really folk, as three of four songs used a full band and sounded like the West African stuff you hear on compilation CDs rather than something you'd hear from a tribe. In the end, the pair I liked best won!
Jens and I spent most of last week house hunting. Contrary to what you think, living here is expensive! Living spaces at an expat standard of living don't generally go for less than $2000 - and are usually priced $2500 and up. Yes, that's in dollars. The other big shocker is that common practice here is to pay a full year's rent in advance. At least you don't have to remember to make the payment every month! We found a landlord we liked who has two places.
The yellow building is newly built and still has a few weeks' work left to do. We love the style and decor of the apartment (and the huge kitchen!), though it's off a bunch of side streets. Jens is charmed by the idea we'd be in the thick of a neighborhood, which is something I still have to get used to.
The problem with the yellow building is that a corporate client expressed interest in taking the entire building for their employees. Of course it's understandable that the landlord wants to save the hassle of renting out each apartment individually when he can take care of all six at once. We're waiting now to hear back from the landlord on the company's decision. In the meantime, as a backup option they offered us an apartment in their other building.
The blue building is much easier to find in a car. It's closer to Oxford Street, which is the main shopping and eating street in the neighborhood. It's not as cool as the apartment in the yellow building, but it is in a duplex style with the bedrooms upstairs. There's a huge living-room space downstairs. All in all, either one would be a good place, and we like the landlord/lady pair. Jens's boss (who knows everyone who's anyone- seriously, you should see her networks in action) knows them and trusts them. So now it's just a waiting game of which place of theirs we get to move into.
Next time: The Sounds of Accra... or maybe The Roads of Accra, I haven't decided yet! Also, I have to tell The Story of the Eventful Monday, when my back was turned to a car crash 10 feet away, I overpaid a taxi horribly, and I bought some fruit.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)