Copies and House Repairs

Copies and House Repairs – Wednesday, January 15, 2013

 

The other day I went to the office in Garoua to make copies of the survey my post-mate and I are going to give out.  We figured it was cheaper to pay for a bus ticket there and back then going to a copier place to have it done.  We were both under the impression that we could make copies at our regional office – something I’m sure I was told in training, though I honestly can’t remember who told us that.  Apparently we were wrong.  You can only make ten copies of something.  Luckily our logistician up here is awesome.  He called Yaoundé three or for times for me until they agreed that I could make them based on the fact that they are for the Peace Corps.  I mean, it seems like all of the work we do here is, but whatever. 

 

I guess the reasoning behind the rule is they put some money in our monthly paychecks that is supposed to be used for copying.  It isn’t very much, but it’s there.  Either way, this survey is for a needs assessment that our program managers said we have to do, so it is Peace Corps work, which is why they let us make the copies.  We made the surveys so they are a half page each double-sided, so we don’t’ have to make as many. 

 

The good thing about going to Garoua without everyone there is that I had some better Internet.  I was able to talk on Skype to both my ex and my best friend, and torrent some stuff.  Plus I had fish for dinner two days in a row, a couple of smoothies, and got to hang out with people that I don’t get to very often.  Oh yeah, and I got some stuff a place we call Cheap Store where you can buy stuff that either you can’t get most other places (and definitely not in Guider) or it is cheaper – body wash, a big bag of soap/detergent, balsamic vinegar, a big can of Nescafe, and green tea.  I got back on Tuesday, and we started walking around giving them to people we knew, saying we could just pick them up later. 

 

Today after I taught English and gave out the survey to my class at the youth center, I went to the market to say hi to my Nigerian friend.  My post-mate happened to be there, so I bought the rest of the stuff I needed to make this delicious peanut-sauce he gave me the recipe for, talked for a while, then went home to make lunch.  Of course, I made too much, so tonight I’ll just have the rest of the noodles I made and an avocado salad for dinner – I can make the peanut-sauce tomorrow. 

 

After lunch I took a bit of a nap.  I was unpleasantly awoken by a banging sound.  I looked outside and saw that my neighbor was overseeing a group of petits (what you call anyone under 18) chop down the trees that separate her house and mine.  I told them to stop, but I was too late, 5 or 6 were already chopped down.  There goes a large portion of my privacy.  They told me they were taking the wood to sell, but I told them I wanted my privacy.  I guess that’s what happened to the other trees in front of my house.  I’m probably more upset then I should be, but I’m really unhappy about it.  If I can’t have my own concession (walled compound), I at least wanted the trees. 

 

The good thing about it is that when I called my landlord to complain, he finally sent a guy out to fix some other stuff.  My bathroom light now works and my toilet now flushes, before I had to pour-flush it.  The repairman should be coming back Friday or Saturday to fix the light in my bedroom, though I’ve heard that before.  Landlords are the same wherever you are; you have to stay on them to get anything done.  It’ll be nice to be able to take a shower at night where I can see, or be able to flush my toilet without filling a bucket up first. 

 

I really don’t have any place to complain though.  Even pour-flushing meant that I had a toilet instead of a latrine.  And the lights in my bathroom and bedroom not working meant that the lights in my living room, kitchen, and on my porch worked, and that I had electricity overall.  A lot of my friends have latrines and no electricity.  Just the fact that I have cell-phone service is awesome.  Half the people in my cluster don’t.  I’m definitely a lot luckier than a lot of other PCVs.