Settling in

Hello everyone,

I'm quickly finding out that doing just simple things around here are difficult. Making beds with mosquito netting all around them is no easy task, and neither is brushing your teeth when you have to first boil the water!



We are not allowed to drive here, so anytime we want to go anywhere, we have to call for a driver. As a result, we spend a lot of time waiting around for a driver to come. This morning, we nearly missed breakfast because it took the driver so long to get to our house. Not being able to drive here is a good thing. There are basically no traffic rules and very poor roads. I usually have to cover my eyes when we're being driven anywhere because it is so scary to watch!



I think everyone is getting over their jet lag. The first night we were here, the kids and I were up at 3:00 AM. The next night, we made it until 5:00 AM. Today, I actually had to wake the kids up at 7:30!



Right now, we have all our meals at the hotel. We have a kitchen in the house, with a sink, fridge, stove, and microwave. However, we have no food yet. Just going to the market is a challenge as well, and something you do not want to attempt for the first time by yourself. However, I do need to get there soon, as the kids are always hungry during the day, and I have nothing to offer them. The first night we were here, when we were all up at 3:00 AM, the kids were starved, so I told them to eat candy. It's all we had in the house (we had brought candy for the plane ride). So far, the kids have not been thrilled with any of the food here. Jensen has been eating mostly only rice. Dustin has only been wanting pasta since he got here, and last night he got his wish! He had 2 big plates of spaghetti with parmesan cheese! He was in heaven!



Today, Dustin is not feeling so good. He may have what I had. He did not eat any breakfast, which is unusual for him. Unfortunately, for the next couple of months, we may all have some type of stomach upset due to the new food and water, as well as taking our malaria pills. One of the side effects is stomach upset, as well as dizziness, which I have had since I got here. Oh well, just all part of the experience!



It's interesting going to bed at night. There are so many noises, and everything sounds strange. There always seems to be some type of African music playing outside--sounds like someone is having a party everynight! Dogs bark all night long, and our toilets make weird noises. I always hear some type of banging noises and I don't really know what they are. All the doors here are made of steel, so anytime you open a door it's quite noisy.



We have a guard at our house 24 hours a day. Anytime someone wants to get into our yard, they have to honk, and then the guard opens a big heavy gate to let them in. It's like having a human garage door opener!



The kids seem to be adjusting well for the most part. Jensen goes back and forth between being very loving and happy, to being snappy and crabby. I guess not too different from her usual! Dustin in general seems to be happy. He met a boy last night who is very into sports, so Dustin was loving that! The boy is actually Jensen's age, and will be in her class at school. He is originally from Belgium, but has been living in the Congo for the last 6 years. He is trying to improve his English speaking skills, so we can teach him English, and he can teach us French!



Today we are going to go see the school that the kids will be going to. They start school next Monday. They will have to wear uniforms.



That's all for now! I will get pictures in here soon!

Laurie