Living in My New Place

Well, I light mosquito coils between the hours of dusk and dawn when I’m out and about, and still manage to get bitten. I have 3 cats but there is still a mouse in my house. I suppose that’s just the way things go.

I’m really excited to be in a house I know will be mine for over a year and a half! I haven’t lived in one place that long since high school. I think it’s probably time.

So I have a veranda that serves as my kitchen, and clothes washing area. From there you enter into the living room, which has a fully loaded bookshelf. Just the way I like it. From there you enter into my bedroom, which is fully equipped with a shower! I have three adorable kittens, who like to lay on me or cuddle up next to me all night long. I appreciate that when I’m awake they will play, but once I go to bed they join me.

I’m adjusting to no lights. I enjoy the candlelit nights on the couch with a kitten or two on my lap. What I have not started adjusting to is early bedtimes. Especially knowing that I will wake up around 3:30 to take my breakfast, and falling asleep can be difficult after that, one might think I would wise up and let my head hit my pillow before 10 pm, but that hasn’t happened yet. I like to organize, clean things up, and listen to music. The time simply escapes me!

I miss my exercise of walking from the guest house to the village, but there are major perks of being able to open my door and see who is around. After Ramadan I have every intention on working out again. Once we have electricity I will also be able to do my work out video on a daily basis. Yea!

All along when asked I have said there are perks to living in the guest house (outside the village) and there are advantages to living in my house. At the guest house I had lights (AKA cold drinks), a toilet and privacy. Not to mention a Dutch student working on his masters who is a very good cook.

At my house I’m in the village, I wash my clothes by hand (which I predict I might not wear jeans as much as they are a pain to wash by hand), I can come and go as I please, and villagers ultimately see my face more.

I am learning how to incorporate tomato and onions into every dish, as those are the vegetables you can pretty much guarantee will be at market. The fun thing is also having the option for local food at night, as there are sellers in the community around nightfall. This is something I generally take advantage of the day before market, when my vegetables are no more.

One thing I have been asked a few times, is what I will do with the house. What kinds of changes? Well, some of the walls are going to be painted. I also want to move some of the furniture around, see if there is another way I would like things to go. It is a very lived in housel, and I like that about it. I am the fourth PCV to live there, so I need to do something that will leave my mark on the house. The same as what the other volunteers have done. Just as the song goes, “I’ll be leaving my mark like initials carved in an old oak tree.. And leave nothing less than something that says I was here” So, here I go.