The Inside World

We expats live in an enclosed area, with fences, doors, and gates (the fences and the gates in bamboo and the door in corrugated tin). The area is fairly spacious. We have a house, a storage area, a garage, a veranda type thing, a kitchen, a latrine, and a shower type thing, and oh yes, a small farm. Now as you read this, it may sound bigger than it really is.

So as you enter into our living quarters, you would pass by a shelter type thing made out of wood (kind of like any type of make-shift stands that we would encounter), this is where people take turn keeping watch. Then as you proceed down the half-laid pebble/rock path, you would pass the "garage". Often one of the vehicles are there being prepared. Then the other ones are parked next to the garage.

As you continue down this path, you would come to the house/office. Across the path is the storage area, where stuff is stored (exactly what you expect a storage area to do). During the week (Monday through Saturday), the office area is bustling. Well actually, the whole is bustling, with people moving in and out, busy with their work. But nevertheless, never too busy to stop to say hello and shake hands with you. Often they will address me by name and I will call them "monsieur" (because I cannot remember their names for the life of me). Of course, there are also "madams" but in those cases I usually just greet with a "bonjour" (don't know how sensitive they are to being called "madams" as oppose to "mama" or "mademoiselle" - it would be a lot easier if I could just learn all their names!).

So if you bypass the office area, which is one side of the house, you get the living quarters. Now most of the rooms to sleep are inside the house and there is one room outside. And guess where I sleep? Of course, the room outside the house. I mean, this is an actual room, it's just not accessible to the main part of the living quarters. It's got its own entry, outside. Really, really, it's not so bad - except I can't access the house when it is locked from the inside, which hasn't happen to me yet.

We eat outside on the porch, always ready to share our food with the insects around. I never thought I'd go for that, but you've got to eat. but really, it's not that bad.

The veranda-type thing is mostly used for meetings and film-showing. Yes we have a TV and some electronic players, although I have yet to see them work.

Behind the house is the kitchen in a separate building. There is where the meal is cooked (obviously) and dishes are washed. The water comes from the river (which one I'm not sure) and filled in these big jugs with taps. These bins are water are placed throughout for hand-washing. The same water is used for drinking but filtered. Food normally appears on the table around lunch time and dinner time. However, lunch usually comprises of an avocado salad (which this country seems to have an abundance of), so that means, avocado and onion, sometimes tomatoes are added, and maybe some form of pasta. Needless to say, often times we resort to cheese and bread or peanut butter and bread. At least we have fresh bread (but only Monday - Saturday).

Also behind the house is the latrine, which is next to the "shower". I must say we have the cleanest latrine I've experienced so far. Yes, it still smells like a latrine but at least there are not flies hovering over it as you try to go. I mean, you occasionally have some company, like the token fly or two. The worse is when Mr. Cockroach decides to visit. That was most unpleasant because they are HUGE here. Something like the size of a small mouse. I haven't established whether or not if they can fly here. Anyways, this one time, at night, Mr. Cockroach was resting by the door frame and it would not move. I didn't want to move pass him because I was afraid that it might jump and crawl and get really friendly with me. So you can imagine the dilemma. Me in the latrine, door open, Mr. Cockroach on the frame, the outside just steps away. I must have stood there for hours debating whether or not to move pass it or wait til it moves somewhere else. Finally I took the plunge and slipped right by it without disturbing it! Now that was most unpleasant! The "shower" is a huge jug of water with a tap placed above our head. Hot water is poured in two times a day, so the temperature of the "shower" depends on when you shower. I must say, the shower experience has been quite pleasant. Yeah, so there are holes in the wall for anyone to see - you learn to cover them. But otherwise, it's quite nice, especially at night with the lantern lit and the moon is out and nature is singing along. Good thing I haven't had any unfriendly/un-welcomed visits.