The house is complete and they are moving the loaner furniture in today. If everything is set up and in working order I think we'll be able to move in tomorrow. It will be so nice to finally "unpack" so to speak and settle down in our own place, the kids will have room to run around and play. I think our windows will be installed in our new patio this weekend so that'll be really nice. I can't wait to be able to post pictures of everything once we get our own things. Once we move in we will probably be out of internet for a while, we'll need to have it set up and we're told that it's a slow process after requesting service for it to actually be set up.
We were told our "sea" freight is in Lagos, we just need our passports so we can get them sent here, they need to confirm that it is our freight before they release it. Although that could take months to get done. We may have to wait and worry about that after we get back from Christmas Holiday, which brings me to our trip home. We will be leaving on December 11th on British Airways and will arrive in Houston via London. I can't wait to get home and see family and friends, it will be so nice to be home for the Holidays. School starts up back here on January 8th and I think we'll be flying out of Houston on January 7th.
Take care and I'll write back as soon as I can.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Friday, November 03, 2006
4 Okoloma
Will be our new address soon, we are told the house will be ready by the end of next week. The kitchen cabinets, sink and counter tops are installed and they are really nice. The back patio has been framed so we will be able to install the glass windows and they only thing left to do really is painting all the ceiling and trimming around the windows, doors and security bars...yes every house has security bars on the windows a second security door that you can close and lock at all the doors.
This camp was built about 40 years ago, and the houses are just renovated every four years or so but the bars stay. We are in a third world country where there is unrest every time an election is near which is what is happening right now. The election is in April so things on the outside of camp are a bit uneasy. We aren't allowed off the camp until further notice, which is OK by me, it's very depressing out there. OK, that's enough of that, more to happier things.
Last night the children on the camp celebrated Halloween. I think this was the first year they actually tood the kids around to houses for treats. Since Halloween is the most popular in the States it was interesting to see how they were going to do it here. Well, it was really cute, they had us all meet at the Activity Center which was decorated really cool, and they had activities for age groups, the 3,4,5 & 6 year olds went into a room and had Halloween pictures to color. The 7, 8, 9 & 10 year olds had a game with donuts hanging from different 4 lengths of string and the kids were put into groups of 5 and one at a time each person from the group had to try and bite as much of their donut without touching it and when the whistle blew that had to go to the end of the line and the next person had to try. It was really cute and the ones with the chocolate covered donuts were covered in chocolate. I don't know what the older kids did since I don't have any in that age group.
Then we were off for some trick or treating.... each group of kids had different houses to go to, since this isn't a really big thing anywhere else, some people volunteered to be the treat houses. I went with Jade's group and Darren went with Lexi's. All the houses weren't on the same streets so we had a bit of walking to do, we had about 30 kids in our group, so imagine 30 kids rushing to one house all at the same time, most got one piece of candy each (not like back home) but they didn't know any better (except for Jade) Then the next house, after the first five kids, they were out of candy (what were they thinking???) The fourth house turned off the porch light which meant they decided not to participate, the next few houses were OK, each kid got a piece or two. All in all it was really fun for the kids and it was nice not to have a bag full of candy to eat.
The adult Halloween Party is tonight, I can't wait to see what they have in store for us. It better be good, it cost N3000 a piece. I'll let you know how it was on the next installment.
This camp was built about 40 years ago, and the houses are just renovated every four years or so but the bars stay. We are in a third world country where there is unrest every time an election is near which is what is happening right now. The election is in April so things on the outside of camp are a bit uneasy. We aren't allowed off the camp until further notice, which is OK by me, it's very depressing out there. OK, that's enough of that, more to happier things.
Last night the children on the camp celebrated Halloween. I think this was the first year they actually tood the kids around to houses for treats. Since Halloween is the most popular in the States it was interesting to see how they were going to do it here. Well, it was really cute, they had us all meet at the Activity Center which was decorated really cool, and they had activities for age groups, the 3,4,5 & 6 year olds went into a room and had Halloween pictures to color. The 7, 8, 9 & 10 year olds had a game with donuts hanging from different 4 lengths of string and the kids were put into groups of 5 and one at a time each person from the group had to try and bite as much of their donut without touching it and when the whistle blew that had to go to the end of the line and the next person had to try. It was really cute and the ones with the chocolate covered donuts were covered in chocolate. I don't know what the older kids did since I don't have any in that age group.
Then we were off for some trick or treating.... each group of kids had different houses to go to, since this isn't a really big thing anywhere else, some people volunteered to be the treat houses. I went with Jade's group and Darren went with Lexi's. All the houses weren't on the same streets so we had a bit of walking to do, we had about 30 kids in our group, so imagine 30 kids rushing to one house all at the same time, most got one piece of candy each (not like back home) but they didn't know any better (except for Jade) Then the next house, after the first five kids, they were out of candy (what were they thinking???) The fourth house turned off the porch light which meant they decided not to participate, the next few houses were OK, each kid got a piece or two. All in all it was really fun for the kids and it was nice not to have a bag full of candy to eat.
The adult Halloween Party is tonight, I can't wait to see what they have in store for us. It better be good, it cost N3000 a piece. I'll let you know how it was on the next installment.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Your Welcome
Hi to everyone. Your Welcome is what the Nigerians say when they greet you. They are very friendly and grateful for anything. I make sure to tell everyone I pass on the street or at school or in the Shell Club hello, they are so nice. We have settled in really well and just waiting for our house to be finished. We went by the house this morning and the cabinet people were there, they said they will be delivering our kitchen cabinets either today or tomorrow. We're so excited because that means the end is very near they are telling us two weeks which is a joke here cause no matter what you ask them it's always two weeks which ends up being two months. I really think it will be two weeks though, they don't have much left to do. They still need to frame the back porch so we can install glass windows, we're making it an indoor patio and having rattann furniture made. We met a man who will install the windows for us and also make the furniture along with curtains for the house. It will be so nice once our air and sea freight arrives and we have all of our things in the house.
We've had such a great experience here so far, but others that have arrived around the same time as us have had some problems. Although we were told what to expect and our visit in August helped us alot, we didn't expect to be in our house right away. Some of the new arrivals didn't come on a pre-visit and even though the were told how it was here, they are complaining. We were told that it's very laid back here, nothing is done in a rush and you normally have to wait for things to be done. We have had no problems with getting things done in a timely manner though. Some are refusing the houses they are shown, although I don't know what the expected to have here in Nigeria. The houses aren't like back home, they are made differently due to all the humidity here and they are old, probably like 50 years are so. They renovate them when families leave, like we're getting a brandnew kitchen which means new cabinets and new sink, fresh paint inside and out, new electrical outlets. I'm so glad we came on a pre-visit because we new how it was, these other new arrivals didn't and it is a bit of a shock, but just look outside the gate and you see how the Nigerians really live and we are living in palaces. They must think those who complain are crazy, this is heaven to them.
Well, we're getting ready for two more days off of school and Darren is off of work also as it is a holiday here. We still aren't allowed off the camp due to unrest for the upcoming election in February. I think things will get worse than better out there but we are safe here on the camp.
Until next time.
We've had such a great experience here so far, but others that have arrived around the same time as us have had some problems. Although we were told what to expect and our visit in August helped us alot, we didn't expect to be in our house right away. Some of the new arrivals didn't come on a pre-visit and even though the were told how it was here, they are complaining. We were told that it's very laid back here, nothing is done in a rush and you normally have to wait for things to be done. We have had no problems with getting things done in a timely manner though. Some are refusing the houses they are shown, although I don't know what the expected to have here in Nigeria. The houses aren't like back home, they are made differently due to all the humidity here and they are old, probably like 50 years are so. They renovate them when families leave, like we're getting a brandnew kitchen which means new cabinets and new sink, fresh paint inside and out, new electrical outlets. I'm so glad we came on a pre-visit because we new how it was, these other new arrivals didn't and it is a bit of a shock, but just look outside the gate and you see how the Nigerians really live and we are living in palaces. They must think those who complain are crazy, this is heaven to them.
Well, we're getting ready for two more days off of school and Darren is off of work also as it is a holiday here. We still aren't allowed off the camp due to unrest for the upcoming election in February. I think things will get worse than better out there but we are safe here on the camp.
Until next time.
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