car woooooes

we bought a car from J's coworker in January.  It's a 2006 Nissan and it had only been driven in Ghana for a year before we got it.

I don't think she had this many problems, but it's basically imploded on us in the past few months.

First we took it to a mechanic who ripped us off in ways and quantities I don't want to mention.  Then we found a guy who works on a lot of the cars at my workplace.  I got a good vibe from this guy from the first time I met him, and I figured he has a reputation to uphold; if he messes with one car at my office, he'll lose all his other customers there.

Well, he's needed the car two days here, a week there, and when he brought it back after that week, he told me the repairs weren't finished and he needed it another week.  That was last week.

Cut to Thursday morning, when the car wouldn't stay running after it started.  It turned over, caught, ran for a few seconds and then just died.  I panicked, all the other professional drivers waiting outside my building for their own clients took a look at it, revved the engine, listened to the noises, watched the motor, diagnosed new fuel injectors.  I dragged the mechanic to my house to come look at it because I couldn't get it going.

Of course, magically, it started perfectly for him.

It still needs that one-week repair he talked about before... but he doesn't have that part in yet.  So first he has to get the car to start, and then after that, I guess we have to wait around for the part to arrive.

It's really frustrating having a car here...


EDITING, MAY 2:
One of the drivers at Fiance Man's office brought it to a mechanic he knows in Tema.  Turns out Mechanic #2 took the engine apart and put it back together wrong.  The car runs better than ever.  Mechanic #3 also cleaned everything, from the engine to the oil to the seats, and for a good price, too.  We'll stick with this guy for any future problems, I'd say!

Utilities gone mad

Lately we've had power outages more and more regularly.  Last night the power went out in the evening, came back 2 hours later for half an hour then went back off again - another citywide outage, and some say countrywide.  It happened last week and probably while we were away on vacation as well.

 

We've also got no water running to our house.  This is the case at our house, my coworker also in Osu, and my workplace in North Ridge (2-3 miles away).  Probably others, too.

 

I wonder what's up... 

 

The weather's been funky, too; it's hot season now, sure, I get that.  But hot season follows Harmattan and is supposed to give us clear skies, while we've had all-day cloud cover since J and I returned.  (Can't call him BF any more, and F is already my initial!) 

Rainy season is supposed to start next month, so we shouldn't be seeing clouds.  But the only Blue Skies I see are the bottles of local pineapple juice! 

 

Trying to think about wedding dresses, venues, guest lists, and get this wedding planning started from afar.  Most search results I've come up with on "planning weddings from abroad" give results about destination weddings.  I'm totally the opposite: I am living in a "destination" (so to speak) and want to plan a wedding "at home!"  How?!

 

Also - me?  in a white dress?  doing that whole bride thing?  I still can't imagine it for myself.  I guess there's still time to adjust to that between now and next spring...

Frustrations

This "no internet at home" thing has gotten old fast. They came by yesterday after Jens got home from work at 6:30 - but they came two hours late, at 8:30. And stayed for two hours. And haven't fixed the problem yet.

Today they are giving us a new IP address. Jens has begun to suspect that either their equipment is faulty, or it's the cabling in the house.

So here I am on my phone, making arrangements, writing emails, registering with the US Embassy, waiting all day for people to come make repairs (today it's the washing machine - and if we're very very lucky, curtain rods). I can't go shopping or even out for lunch while I'm waiting for these guys, who are supposed to show up at 10.

It's just frustrating that every new step takes a full day. If we need a new washer, I don't expect to have it for a week. And that's the best case which includes calling and bugging and putting pressure on them every day.

Also our shipment has been delayed five days. Who knows how long that will translate to in real time.

One last thing. The air conditioners in every room display their energy efficiency on a sticker on their side. Out of a maximum five-star rating, these all proudly show their rank: ONE. So much for our electricity bills.

Just frustrated by all these things we haven't gotten used to yet. Like how long things take and the fact that quality is not to be expected, even from these landlords who help us out in so many other respects.

posted from Bloggeroid

posted from Bloggeroid