Sabrina in Senegal: an Ode to Emily in Paris

 Have y'all watched the series Emily in Paris on Netflix?  Well, you should.  It's really quite good.  I know it was a pandemic kind of a watch but nothing in my mind could top the Tiger King so I skipped it until last week.  And then it sparked an idea for a blog post.  

My lack of French language skills.  

I will be the first to admit it, and the last to utter a word of French to a French speaking person.  

In the show (no spoilers!) Emily lives in Paris unexpectedly and doesn't speak a lick of French.  Quite like myself!  Well except the 'unexpectedly' or the 'Paris' part, but you catch my drift.

Ever since that faithful day way back when the Army said we were going to a French speaking country I was like "I can do this!"  Think again, oh little Army wife with big ideas.  You are NOT a language type of person.  Those people ((ehem Ryan)) just get it.  No trouble at all.  Not me.  It just doesn't click.  Sure I took so many years of Spanish.  Took about a years worth of German lessons while living there.  And the Army even sent me to fancy French school in DC.  But it still just doesn't click.  

So, back to the point.  When Emily shows up they all make fun of her for moving there and not speaking French.  Hate to break it to y'all, sometimes shit happens and you cant learn and entire language before you move some where.  I have been made fun of TWICE this week alone. To my face.  

                                                "You moved here a do not speak french??"  

Thats right, I did.  And I'm here now, so why don't we just be a little nicer about it.  Though, I cant actually say that to anyone.  Not only because I am too afraid to, but because I just plain don't know how.

Yes, google translate is a great app.  I use it often with our sweet, kind, and oh so patient housekeeper Delphine.  But shit literally gets lost in translation on the regular.  For example, asking to wash the sheets.  I googled linens.  Nope, that just means all laundry.  Ok, maybe sheets?  The damn word looks like drapes.  I don't want her to wash the damn window coverings!  UUUUUUUgh.  Once at a restaurant in Rabat I asked for shampoo on my pasta, not the mushrooms I intended.  Awkward. 

It's the pronunciation of  french words that really gets me.  I was taught in German to say every damn letter I see.  Now, nope not that one.  Oh yes, we MUST say that one.  This one looks like it should say this but its actually this. Let's not even start on all the special characters and accents.  One goes this way the other goes that way.  Two totally different sound. Duh! 😑 

Are y'all actually serious??  So confusing. 

       I.am.lost.in.the.damn.sauce. 

I am taking classes here.  It's like riding a bike.  I get it. Kinda. Two hours a week, its a good start.

But it's the speaking part that throws me off.  Im so intimidated.  Ryan corrects me all the damn time.  I know he means well and is just helping but it throws me off bc he is correcting just about every word bc I am so bad at it.  But practice makes parfait, am I right?  I know I need to have more confidence in myself.  I know I can do this.  I have three years to at least get a grasp on the language where I am not too scared to go out on my own.  I want to do that, my soul needs me to do that! And I truly want to make my boys proud.

 

And with that, I leave you with my fave meme of all time. It truly sums up my brain at most waking minutes of the day. 

If there are any other FAO spouses reading this right now I encourage you to get on the learning a language train asap.  Even if its just an app on your phone you check everyday. I use Duolingo.  It will help so very much once y'all arrive to wherever this grand 'ol Army takes you!

Have a great weekend, everyone!!!

A bientot! (see, I dont even know how to put the damn hat on the damn o!!!)

xxxoooo -Bean

Traveling with Pets: A Blessing and a Curse

 Disclaimer: 

If you don't like what you are about to read, you should just stop now and never come back to this blog. 

IF YOU GET RID OF YOU PETS BECAUSE YOU MOVE, YOU SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO HAVE PETS.

I said it, and I will say it to your face.  Too many shelters are filled with pets that are just dumped and left behind bc its "too hard" to move with them. Well, I am here to tell you that it's not true.  If we can do it (multiple times) you can too! And before you get at me about Frank and Bowie, they both couldn't leave the country and we found them BOTH loving homes to go too. 

Anyway. here are our well travelled and well loved bebes:

Oh our old lady LaceyLu. We think she is about 16 years old, we have had her for 15 years and she wasn't a teeny tiny kitten when we adopted her.  She has lived with us on every continent, and just goes with the flow.  Always with RBF. Its just her way. 

Our Swodric Godric Spicy Cat. This is his first time in Africa, but he was with us in Germany! But this was the first time I got the pleasure of flying with him. And what a trip it was!  

Let's start off a couple of months ago.  We knew we were coming to Dakar.  No biggie.  We knew Lu would be coming with us, duh.  Godric was living with my mom at the time and she said something was off about him. I took him to the vet and he was diagnosed with Diabetes.  Not the beetus?!?! 

 So, Swodric had to come live with me and Lu and Knoxer so we could feed him his special (VERY EXPENSIVE) food and give him his insulin every day, twice a day, at the same exact time.  Life went on.  It was good.  Then it dawned on me, my precious grey and white bebe would have to move with us to the Continent.  Squeeeee!  I was so excited bc I love him so much, but sad for Oma bc she loves him so much too!!  But, it had to be done.  

We have done this a time or two before so we understood the processes of bringing animals into a foreign country.  Vet visits. Immunizations.  USDA approval.  Airline okays.  Hotel rooms that allow pets. Find a vet in receiving country.  It's a list of tasks not for the weary.  Thank goodness Ryan is a patient man and loves a good task list.  We tackled that list like a well oiled and seasoned machine! Everything went smoothly.  

So first off, for the USDA approval.  You have to find a USDA certified veterinarian.  Thank goodness all Military Veterinarians are.  Next, is actually getting an appointment with them.  Bc they paperwork has to be done and filed no more than 10 days of arriving in your new country.  Vet clinics are always busy, and having a specific time line on our end just adds to the headache. Cancelled flights. Negative COVID tests.  So many factors come into play when you have a ten day timeline. But shout out to the Belvoir Vet Clinic.  I mentioned a well oiled machine before, and I cant even describe a step up from that.  THEY ARE AMAZING.  Our paperwork was done and done within an hour. We were good to go. They even went out of their way to give us paper work for our layover country (France) just in case.  That is customer service, bc we didn't even think of that at first. 

USDA

(and to add, not once was their paperwork asked for while in a foreign country. As it has been for every country we have ever lived in before.  We work our asses off to get everything in order just for no one to ask.  Its totally better to be safe than sorry, but sheesh! Getting back in the United States is a whole different ordeal and please read my postscript at the bottom of the blog!!!)

Air France.  ::le sigh:: Trying to get pets in cabin is not easy.  Its a first come first serve deal, and often the pets can fall off of the reservations.  Ryan was diligent and called once a week just to make sure that they were still ok to fly.  Plus COVID protocols made things a lot different and just recently airlines started taking pets on flights again.  But step two was done.  Sweet.  

Hotel rooms were easy.  Another shout out, Hilton.  You guys are amazing and thank for dealing with the cat litter.  (I wrote that like they are personally reading this!  ::shakes head at ones self::

Vet in receiving country.  Thank goodness for WhatsApp and Ry's french skills.  He got in touch with a vet here and asked about medications, since both gatos are needing them. And thank goodness we asked!  Lu's thyroid meds are everywhere.  Any pharmacy.  But Godric's insulin.  There isn't even enough insulin in the country for human patients.  Let alone prescribing it to a cat.  So, what did I do?  I ordered enough insulin for this damn cat to last a year.  

A YEARS WORTH OF INSULIN.  

Its like carrying around a lunch box full of Harry Winston diamonds.  I should have had the damn lunch box handcuffed to my wrist.  Speaking of lunchboxes. We bought this damn cat his own Yeti lunch box so the precious insulin could stay cold our entire trip. 

What we do for our animals!!

This is a photo of Godric and I in the Dulles airport. Family bathrooms for the win!  He got to eat, wait his 15 mins and then get his shot in peace.  Was it filthy, oh lerd YES.  But we made it work!  Peep his lunch box!  

Ok, so where was I?  Ok so our journey. The cats new something was up when we lived in a house with nothing in it.  They get it. A bunch of weird men show up and take away all of our possessions and chaos ensues.  Got it.  Our hotel stays were uneventful except the one time Godric escaped the Embassy Suites in Old Town and I had to chase him down the hall, catch him and carry him to the pool for a room key.  That was fun. 

They day we left the US.  Ryan and I were very good about changing feeding and medication times so that not too many schedules would be disrupted with time zone changes.  Ryan was getting up at five am to do so while in the states.  This worked out well for travel until we realized shortly after take off from DC that Godric had gotten sick all over his cage.  Poor kiddo.  But all seemed well.  Until.  Literally TWO minutes until landing at CDG, and I could smell it.  Poor guy just couldn't keep it in anymore.  Thank goodness we cleaned it up best we could and headed to our "Plane Side" hotel room in the airport.  Yotel. Not for the faint of heart, but it worked and at least the linens were clean.  Oh speaking of airport hotels.  We knew we had an eight hour lay over.  No one likes being in the airport for eight hours, so we booked a room.  Realizing that it was outside security.  Our restful relaxation time would be cut in half bc of security and customs and blah blah blah.  Thats when Ry remembered the Yotel.  BUT, the Yotel didn't allow animals.  Unless the are ESA. So, now I have two Emotional Support Animals.  Certified.  Special little passport card and fancy collars.  Sheesh. 

What we do for our pets!! 

 But our time and the Yotel was well spent resting and letting G eat and digest in peace.  Lu had to live in the bathroom by herself bc she hates new situations and us.  Oh yeah, and Godric got a well needed shower while there too.  He is so spicy on the regular.  Now add being cooped up in a box for ten hours, getting sick on yourself, soiling yourself, and THEN getting a shower.  I swear if he were an actual human teenager, he still wouldn't be speaking to us.  

OH AND! 

When going through security in Paris, homeboy TSA dude said 

"You can send them through the x-ray machine in their carriers." 

Straight faced. Like nothing was wrong.  

YOU WANT ME TO WHAT, MONSIEUR?!?!?! 

Needless to say I carried them both through the scanner in my arms.  (At Dulles we asked for a private room and received the utmost perfect care!)

But we lived.  Our flight to Dakar was delayed. Eh, whatevs.  Until ry and I realized it cut into Godric's schedule. As it was before we would be cutting it close with landing, baggage, and the almost hour drive to our place.  So, I had to feed him and give him his insulin right there on the plane. He was a champ.  Thank Goodness. 

Photo proof that he made it to Dakar unscathed and happy to be able to stretch out. This was after exploring the entire house, of course!

I think thats about it for our journey across the ocean. Of course my human boys were champs the whole way! 

The most precious piece of mail I sent to myself.  G's prescription cat food!  

A years worth of Insulin. Well, we hope it lasts a year!  Oh, and did i mention that we totally forgot his entire special lunch box in our old house and started driving to DC?  Yeah, that happened.  I took it as an omen that our PCS was already going down the shitter.  Ry saw it as the one bad thing happening right off the bat.  Half empty Half full kind of a relationship we have.  

Godric's view everyday. 

She's a Killer Queen
Gunpowder, gelatine
Dynamite with a laser beam
Guaranteed to blow your mind

Our Lu, being Our Lu.  Hiding in her daddy's closet bc he is her favorite. Grrrrr.

Ok, so my second blog post from Dakar went a lot better than the first.  Guess I just had to get going again.  It's like riding a bike.  But I haven't done that in years either.  Anyway, hope y'all enjoy.  Thanks for the encouragement and all the love. 

 Til next time, tata from Delightful Dakar!  

(Im gonna have to work on that saying!)

xxoo, Bean

P.S.-

Y'all I don't know if you have heard about the new CDC travel ban on bringing animals back into the US from abroad, but it's kinda a big deal to families like ours.  

CDC Travel Ban on Pets

Many people are trying their hardest to get things worked out, but it will literally take an Army.  Stupid people have falsified documents and made a mess of the whole situation.  And that is not fair to anyone, or any pet.  Please do what you can, so we all can bring all our family members home with us when the time comes.  Also, I know the paperwork says dogs but many airlines are understanding is as ALL animals.  

Sign every petition you come across!  I want America to stay safe but if we are following all the correct precautions and having our animals vaccinated they should be allowed back in the States!

Guess who's back, back again Sabrina's back, tell a friend...

 Well, it sounded catchier in my brain when i was singing it to myself.   

Hey y'all, IM BAAAAACK!

I know, I know.  Everyone missed me, my antics, and my craziness.  But thats why you should follow me on social media.  Bc I don't ever stop on the Facebooks.  Anyway.  

We are back!  On the continent that is.  In beautiful beach-y Dakar, Senegal! 

It's been a while, folks.  And as you know from other posts from other Posts (Ha!) the internet here isnt the most reliable.  So just bear with me and I will try my best.  

Where should I begin?!?!

Let's go back, say December 2019.

-Knox, LuLu and I moved back to the United States bc we were OD'd from Ouagadougou.  Was it going to be for 6 months?  Indefinitely?  We had no clue.  (More on that whole fiasco in a different post.  I have to let Ryan proofread it before I post it bc I am going to get quite spicy with my opinions.)

-March 2019, Shit hits the fan and the world implodes on itself.  We all went through it, no need to dwell. Homeschooling parents, seriously kudos to you.  Y'all are the real MVPs.   

-The rest of 2020, a couple of visits from Ryan.  Thank goodness he could come visit as much as he did.  It really was great.  Of course I had my wonderful friends and family around, they are the bestest.  

-2021, so far has been a true whirlwind of a year.  Found out we got our dream Post of Dakar. Ry came home for good in March, but was in DC and going to school for Portuguese.  Knox finished his first entire school year at one school in person the whole time!  Quite an accomplishment for that kiddo! And then dealing with another Transatlantic move.  

Lerd, hear me and help me.  I cant keep moving over the ocean all willy nilly nonchalant.  So we went from California to Morocco, Morocco to Germany, Germany to DC, DC to Ouaga, Ouaga to Ohio, Ohio to Dakar.  All since 2014.  THIS MOMMA IS TIRED.  

So here I am.  Sitting at my absurdly large dining room table, in a new apartment, in a new city, in a new country, telling you all my life story.  Once again.  

I hope Dakar is as friendly, inviting, and as fun as Ouaga was.  I truly did love it there.  But I am sure Dakar will have its charms and its quirks.  Our apartment is really nice, our furniture is beyond (NO DREXEL?!?!) and the people we have met so far have been so sweet and accommodating to all our needs and asks.  I learned during our last tour in Africa that I need to put myself out there. I have to initiate conversations.  I need to put my big girl pants on.  But thats hard for me.  I know I seem like the outgoing type but my crippling anxiety leaves me in my bed with the lights off wanting to be left alone.  Not this time. I can't.  I won't. 

I even applied for a job, y'all.  Thats step one. Like my first big girl job in over 12 years. A paycheck?!!  What?!!?  Im putting my big girl work pants on, fingers crossed.  

So this post just turned into a rambling of nothing.  But I will be sure to be more focused and to the point in future writings.  Just wanted to give y'all a run down of what has been happening.  I have miss you!  Missed you comments and your "I totally read that in your voice" and "I can hear you laughing from over the ocean".  

Thanks for sticking with me.  Nothing like a new experience to get me in the mood to write!

xxxoo, Bean

PS- I am so rusty at this. I don't remember how to take down the back round photo!   Please disregard Franklin. He is not with us in Dakar, but we did find him a new lovely home in Ouaga, along with Bowie the cat.  Miss them both!

Our New Home Away from Home

It takes a while to unpack your life.  but little did i realize that I had not packed AT ALL what I thought it did!  Its ok, totally my fault and I am hoping that all the things that I am missing are in storage!  Alas, we have to make due with what we have...and I have some photos to show you how we make any home we get ours.  We had a significant weight limit on our shipment, so we got rid of our big furniture.  Mostly we brought the entire kitchen, some linens, knick knacks, shelving and some clothes.  Knox got about half of his books, and ryan and I realized we didn't pack any of ours.  I guess that is what the kindle is for!! Lots of crafting supplies made it.  And its all unorganized, so that will be for another day.  Anyway, as I said before...here are the photos of our home away from home!

This is what you see when you walk in the front door.  The wooden door is from Mali, and the two bird are Burkinabe.  Ryan sent me a photo of one on his TDY at the beginning of the year and I feel in love.  When we saw them at an artisanal market we grabbed them!

Of course we found a prominent spot for our 1954 German Africa map! 

My fox wall is FINALLY up, though obviously not finished!  Two are from a great friend in germany.  One is a water color from a great friend in germany.  Some are thrift shop finds!  And the two large prints are from a boutique in Helsinki! 

 Random photos and stuff.  Dont mind the lamp on the floor!  Work in progress!!

Our beloved antique wood world map!  Awesome guys from the Netherlands make these, along with an epic selection of AWESOME furniture.  I swear they will furnish my forever home!  

Ah, the dining room.  We already took two leaves out of the table!  Its so funny when just the three of us sit there.  

 Still dreaming of fall in the 100 degree heat!

My make shift closet.  All of our Xmas deco is back there!!  

Hall way.  Self explanatory. 

 One guest room. I guess I forgot to upload the other one. Whoops. 

 Main Bathroom

Knoxers room.  He loves it, so he says.  He sure can destroy in in three seconds flat!!

Master bedroom.  Keep in mind, we do live here.  

And my oasis.  The back veranda.  I am always back here.  Usually yelling at Frank. 

It seems that I have once again neglected the kitchen.  ::le sigh:: Some day yall will get to see it!

Well, that is our new home.  You can compare them to earlier posts to see how we changed it.  Its fun making a house your home.  Even if we do have to do it so very often! 

::Warning:: This post will be GRAPIC. Bodily fluids. Curse Words. Walking Dead. My indoctrination to living in West Africa

OK, so if you have gotten this far, you have read the warning. And I am going to warn you again.  This will be a gruesome post.
Disclaimer:  I am alive.

Best advice I have received so far while living here "Never trust a fart in West Africa"

So, lets start from the beginning.  Ryan came home last week not feeling so hot. Queasy tummy, dizziness, etc...  Full decontamination mode was put into place.  Sent straight to quarantine.  Do NOT pass go, do NOT collect $200.  He was feeling better soon after.  (My effective protocols help, clearly.)

Then the weekend hits.  I get to sleep in to the epic hour of seven to my kid hurling in the living room.  ::le sigh:: ok.  He says he feels fine.  His favorite excuse is "its bc i was too hot", he can be adorable.  We continue about our day.  Went out to run some errands.  Got some ice cream.  Kid doesn't say a thing.  Woot woot, we are in the clear.  Lets go out to lunch!  We wanted to check out this Korean place in our neighborhood that many people have recommended.  We don't currently have a car, and the embassy does provide us with a ride when ever and where ever we want, but we figure its right around the corner, we can make the trek.  After and uneventful walk to the restaurant, we sit down and order food.  And then the spew happens again out of the little one.  But this time, its Bubble Gum Ice Cream.  Like, ew.  Many of y'all know, I DO NOT DO PUKE. And ice cream puke takes it to a whole different level for me. You can literally be bleeding out of your jugular and laying in sewage and I will help you.  But if you throw up in the process, nope.  Im out. Ill call for help from waaaaay over there.  So, Ryan and the waitress help clean up and i try to look like a concerned momma bear while keeping my distance. Since our food order was already in i waited for the food to go, and the boys went home.  No biggie.  (But look, i did something on my own again!) Get home, life is normal. No more puke.  Lethargic kid,  but we did give him free reign of Netflix so I think we were getting played a little bit.  Turned out to be a pretty lame Saturday bc there wasn't even  Army football on!

Wake up Sunday, the kid says he isn't hungry.  Uh Oh.  Oh no, we were just being played again.  He was fine.  No fever.  No tummy issues.  Just wanted to watch TV all day.  He is good.  Later that night I start to feel a little weird.  Don't really think much of it. Haven't really eaten much. But maybe it was something that isn't agreeing with me.  But its not *that* bad.  I make myself some probiotic peppermint tea and go to bed. 

Monday morning. Holy Moly,  what is happening in my belly??!  There isn't much in there but everything is coming out! And I mean, it started as soon as I opened my eyes.  I don't remember much of Monday except sleeping and the bathroom. Jacqueline was here, and she knew something was up. I couldn't keep anything down or in.  It was awful.  Ryan comes home and I tap out and head to bed.  Not a lick of sleep happened that night.

::HERE IS YOUR THIRD WARNING::

I literally shit the bed about four times.  Took four showers.  Changed my clothes too many times to count.  Now that i think about it, I should have just slept in the bathtub.  I was hot.  I was cold.  I was nekked.  I was wearing a freaking parka.  WHAT IS DOING THIS TO ME?!!  I have not put an ounce of anything into my body SO WHY IS SO MUCH COMING OUT?!!  I was dizzy.  But I did have my nurse maid, LuLuBird, right by my side.  She is so good to me.  No matter what she always wants the pets. She has since been decontaminated,

 And bc we don't have a shipment yet, we don't have extra sheets.  I used every clean linen in the house. All the while my boys are sleeping away.  (By the way, I was in quarantine at this point so Ryan was in another bed.  He was not objectified by my bodily fluids)

Finally the sun comes up and I can make everyone else in the house miserable with me.  I email the Health Unit, they can get me in ASAP. Ryan orders me a motor pool.  Sweet.  But wait.  Its like a minimum 30 minute drive to the embassy.  Am I going to make it??!!  Am I going to scar this poor driver for life by ruining his car?!!  I guess this is a chance that i have to take.

::phishu::  I make it to the HU. No accidents.  But it was just in time.  A little diagnostics.  Vitals.  Pooping into cups.  Puking.  Im sure I spread my germs where ever and everywhere.  But these people are FABULOUS.  Zofran and an IV.

 Im finally feeling a little better.  Then comes the gatorade.  At this point I am the most thirsty I have ever been in my entire life, but I am terrified to drink anything. (maybe its rabies!) Just looking at that yellow liquid gave me the chills.  And the flashbacks.  (I was doing pretty well at this point.  1 hour with not having to use the bathroom!!) I had to take two sips.  And that was it.  Right back to the bathroom I went.  PLEASE JUST MAKE THIS STOP?!!  Well, the only way to make this stop is to drink the gatorade and the meds.  And I had to do it.  And I did it.  And it stopped, eventually.  And then they made me eat.  I couldn't go home til I drank and ate.  Painful to say the least.  But, again.  I did it.  9 hours in the health unit.  With the best of the best Ouaga has to offer.   Seriously people, the Health Unit staff here is amazing.  I got to meet them all ! Every.single.one.

While I am trying not to poop, we get the diagnosis.  Im thinking.  Tape worms!  Malaria!  DYSENTERY!

What my actual tombstone would look like.  

Nope, none of the above.  I have cryptosporidium.  A damn parasite.  

IN MY BELLY!!

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/crypto/index.html

You can get it anytime, anywhere.  It is everywhere,  but very common around here. Maybe something I ate wasn't washed well.  Perhaps it was from a handshake.  I was doing some research and it can even live in chlorinated water.  I betcha those fuckers are living it up in my pool right now.  Im gonna get them.  KILL THEM ALL.  Bc I do not wish this on my own worst enemy.  It was bad.  Embarrassing. Downright painful.  But I am bouncing back.  I have had toast this morning, and wasn't afraid to eat it!  I slept better last night than I did the night before, and my sheets were CLEAN!  

I thought I had it rough the last time we were in West Africa.   ( I am sure I mentioned it in an earlier blog post) I picked up a bug of some sort some where between Cote D'Ivoire  and Ghana.  Took it back to Morocco with me, but it wasn't this bad.  NO WHERE NEAR.  

So, I hope I have not deterred your future travels to West Africa.  I heard its a right of passage to shit your pants at least once while here.  I guess Im home now.  

Almost one month!

This is going to be a random post of random things.  Particularly arrival of our UAB (Unaccompanied Baggage), grocery shopping, and mail! 

OK, lets start with one of the highlight of this past week, our stuff from DC arriving!  Woot wooooooot!!!  It came in four GIANT boxes.  And we were waaaaaaaay under the weight limit allowed, but with going to school, and TDYs, and the kid, and leaving the 'murica, we really didn't think much about what we were going to put in there.  Plus, all of our 'normal' UAB stuff is with our HHG (HouseHold Goods).

I thought the stamp they put on all the boxes was really cool.  Im just a dork that way!  But yes, we got four of these boxes.  Mostly clothes.  Other knickknacks that I purchased while in the states.  Mostly holiday decorations.  Some toys and books for the kiddo.  All of our language books (guess I cant be bored anymore). And a lot of random stuff. 

There is no rhyme or reason to the way that they pack these boxes, which really makes me grrrr.  And we only had one casualty in the entire shipment.  Which I am taking as a good thing!!!

Our HHG was packed up in Stuttgart in February.  Sent on a boat to the states.  Then sat in a warehouse until we left the country again.  So who knows what kind of shape that is in.  All of our lives is in those boxes.  And in particular, the items that make our home OURS.  

I am going to keep an optimistic  outlook on the state of my things, because there is no need to dwell on the bad.  But these packing/moving/storage companies do not have the best track record.  Only time will tell, and of course its just stuff. But it is OUR stuff.  We hear that our stuff has been received at some place and will be sent to us soon.  Don't you just love the vagueness of that?? Maybe a week, maybe two. 

And of course anyone can appreciate a good imagination station.  Right now its the "club house" for Knox and the class pet, Freddy-a stuffed Kangaroo.  (K's teacher is Australian)

OK, on to the next.  

Guys.  

I did it. 

I went to the grocery on my OWN!  

As some of you know, my anxiety can be crippling, and I have learned the best way to get over it is to put on my big girl pants and JUST DO IT (not endorsed by Nike)

And I did.  And I survived, obvi.  OK, so lets chat a little about the grocery store.  Well, our go to right now is called Marina.  Its not like a massive place we all have grown to love.  But it is packed to the gills with anything and everything you would need.  They even have Mac n'cheese!  Its off brand, but its a little comfort that we enjoyed!  They dont really have produce, bc you can find that on any street corner.  And the first time we went to the meat counter I saw a roach and my new fave french phrase came into use :

::la porchaine fois::

 next time

Yeah, there will not be a next time.  And before y'all give me shit about "dealing with it. And other people eat it blah blah blah"

No. Just NO.

Ok, so back to what i was saying.  Marina is very much for the Expats that call Ouaga home. And that being said it is EXPENSIVE.  Like, say what expensive.  A block of butter is $4. 4 pack of yogurt $3.50.  A pack of UHT milk $16. A bottle of Jack Daniels $30. Can of cat food $1 each.

But these are the things that we need to live.  HAHAHAHAHAH. 

Most of these items I can get on amazon or are in the process of being shipped to us as we speak, but when you run out....you run out and need to find something that will make due.  And LuLu loves her some expensive ass French cat food. 

There is an excellent butcher that we use.  Some of the best pork chops I have had in a while.  Tons of different cuts of beef, and they have veal and lamb.  And the prices are exceptional!  We walk out of there with two weeks worth of meat for like $40. Our housekeeper extrodinaire, Jacqueline, has hooked us up with a "Chicken Man". He literally shows up to the house with a cooler full of chicken. Its glorious! I bought a lot of chicken. A lot.  

Y'all know how much I love getting mail.  Its one of my favorite things ever.  Especially letters. If anyone wants to be a pen pal, let me know!  Ryan came home the other day and said we had 13 pieces of mail waiting for us! Yaaaaaaas!  It was mostly amazon purchases.  Lots of snacks for the kid. About 12 cans of pumpkin puree for my baking needs.  All sorts of stuff.  Its just weird that it all came in around the same time.  And we have not received one package that is not DESTROYED and taped up again.  I am not sure what they are doing with these packages, but they definitely have seen better days. 

Ok, well I think that is about it for today,  Our oven stopped working, so there is that.  Our first school/PTA function is this weekend so that is fun.  Our gardener, Elize, is helping me start a garden. In an old oil barrel. Hey, if it works it works. 

Oh, funny story!  I asked to start a compost pile for the garden a couple of weeks ago.  Elize dug a hole next to the garden wall and Jacqueline and I are very diligent on remembering all the compostable things from the kitchen.  I went to see said hole, and I was wondering if we need a fence to keep a certain tortoise out.  Elize reassured me all was well so every day we toss the fruit/veggie scraps, egg shells and coffee grounds. 

Then, last Monday...Elize tells me the compost hole is empty.  It seems we might have our own  Templeton on our hands....

Take your guesses on the culprit....

Maison Loviner

Every time we move, the number one question that is always asked is "What does you house look like??"

This last move we were lucky enough to get some photos from the previous occupants, but of course they never do any justice. 

We live in the neighborhood of Ouaga called Zone du Bois. The houses are closer together, there are more restaurants, and the International School is over here. Its nice.  Chickens ca-cawing, the Call to Prayer, motor bikes whizzing by. Red Clay streets littered with trash and potholes, random goats wandering (i keep trying to entice one in...), and practically every tree in the entire city is on our side of town.  Lush and green, especially now in the rainy season. We met a neighbor.  She stopped us and said hello and welcome to the neighborhood.  Not a LICK of english.  Guess im not popping over for happy hour.

This house is amazing.  Like, seriously guys, we lucked out completely.  (as we usually do!!) Four bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms. Huge back yard. Front veranda.  Back patio.  And of course the pool! Why we need so much room, I am not sure.  But ill take it!  After living in on post housing all over the US, then to our literal mansion in Rabat, on to the on post housing of Stuttgart (yeah those neighbors where close!), and then to the atrocity of Row Houses in NE DC...this place is glorious.  If i am in the kitchen I can't hear the boys in the back bedrooms.  If the doorbell rings, its an actual 50 yard dash.  BUT I A'INT COMPLAININ'!  When people come over, they say wow.  It makes me happy.

There are a couple of facebook groups dedicated to Embassy housing, and our beloved and dreaded Drexel furniture. Drexel Heritage to be exact.  And they certainly don't make it any more.  Its often found in state side thrift shops, and a huge joke of the embassy community.  But, its sturdy.  It holds up with family after family.  And its here when we get here.  Sure its not the best looking, but it works.  We are not allowed to paint them, much to my complaints.  We can recover with fabric or slip covers, and there is nothing like adding your own personal touches such as centerpieces and throw pillows.  So "fancier" embassies have nicer furniture, but I feel its a right of passage to have a home with the Dreaded Drexel at least once.  And we are on post number two...only up from here...amiright??!

Our living room is pretty large,  but everything is of centered.  And my OCD is fully triggered.  The lights, exposed beams, outlets, and windows are not centered.  ::le sigh:: The TV is the Embassy's, and its nice that its part of our "Welcome Kit". We were told when we were first looking into moving here that AFN (our way to watch cable) boxes were not available. So we bought one while in Germany.  Come to find out, we didn't need to as the house came with a cable box.  Bonus! 

 And our house came with the cringe worthy gold couches.  (we have actually purchased couches in this color before, shhhhh dont tell anyone ) But they will match our stuff, so that is a success! And the exposed beams are swoon worthy in my opinion.  And that little door to the right is another bathroom.  Super tiny, and Knox is the only one who uses it bc its comparable to an airplane bathroom. Up those two steps is the dining room.  Our table seats 12.  Yes, TWELVE.  I don't even know 12 people in Ouagadougou! 

 Extra guest room, or as Ryan likes to call it. His dressing room.  Also, Lu likes to call this room her own.  And it has its own bathroom!  (No photo, sorry!) That window looks into the kitchen and laundry rooms.  So strange. 

Main bathroom.  It has its quirks and charms.  The shower rod thingee is falling out of the ceiling.  The towel rack is falling out of the wall. The door slams into the toilet and the cabinet is missing a knob. 

Office/Guest room.  Technically right now the room that holds the stuff we are not sure where we are going to put yet, As in our luggage. 

Knoxers room.  He seems to like it.  "I can see the pool from here!"  That kid. 

Master bedroom.  Its the smallest, but it has an adjoining bathroom, so we will make it work once our king size bed shows up.  If it ever shows up.  Once again, another blog post should be written about the traveling Purple mattress.

And finally, the master bath.  Again, nothing fancy, but it works.  Its the only bathroom with a tub, so the kiddo has taken it over. He thinks the bidet is the coolest thing on earth.  Hasn't used it yet, but is very curious. 

Well, that is a tour of our house.  I hope y'all are happy now. Hahaahahah. I seemed to have forgotten the kitchen and laundry rooms.  I leave it up to your imaginations.  Every bed room has plenty of storage space.  Albeit, strange storage.  And there isn't a closet near the front of the house, which makes me wander with rain jackets until i toss them on a random piece of furniture. Knox's rain coat is on the top of a book shelf right now.  We also have a pile of shoes on the front veranda.  Makes it more homey in my opinion.  Im sure i am leaving something out.  Let me know if you have any questions.  

A little side note:

Thanks for all the love, guys.  It really means a lot to me!  I know this blog isn't much, but its me.  I do hope you read it in my voice.  I hope it makes you smile. and I definitely hope it makes you laugh out loud. I am not a professional in any way shape or form, but I want this blog to be a away for everyone to get a little glimpse of my (our) life here in our corner of Africa.  

And a big shout out and love to my dear sweet patient husband.  Who encourages me so much, probably too much, and never scolds me when i say something he doesn't agree with.  You are the best. And i can hear you rolling your eyes from over here.  

Til the next time guys, signing off from Wild Wonderful Ouaga!