This is a great house we're moving into in Arusha, but the actual moving in is getting pretty silly.
The internet people surprised us by being really efficient and professional and, wow, we got internet on the second day!
But, woops, when the were installing poles down our lane to bring the cable to our house, they accidentally dug up the water pipe. Woo hooo! Internet is working! Boo hooo! Water is not. Well, we have what is already in the cistern, but nothing new coming to the house the last couple of days.
I wonder if that means our neighbors aren't getting water either.... Hhhmmm. I'm sure they love having us :-)
Today the plumber who was working on inside pipes (that still have a little water) walked away from the job for a little bit and I had to hold a bucket under the open pipe till he came back. The pipe is one that feeds a sink in the hall (outside the shower room) so the hallway was slowly getting wetter and wetter until Byron discovered it and called me to hold the bucket. The tile floors weren't in danger of getting hurt, but the unpacked boxes lining the hall would not have liked it.
Byron had to leave because the car alarm was going off. Trevor must have somehow set the alarm and the Russells' big vehicle that we're borrowing was making weird, scary sounds in the driveway. So Byron spent a fair amount of time under the hood doing whatever you do to stop a determined alarm.
What else weird happened today? Seems like there were at least a couple other odd challenges. Maybe the fact that the shower curtain rod is set permanently in the wall at an outrageous height so that our shower curtain is about a foot too short. I don't know... I can't remember now.
Honestly, I'm not complaining. All these things just seem kind of normal, par for the course and sorta funny to me.
This is how it goes :-)
4 comments:
That's great that you guys have a house, but that's crazy that you have internet and no water! Hope you get the water back soon =)
I think there is some metaphor packed for globalization lurking in that scene, Lisa, what with the internet but no water. I wish I could transport you to Brooklyn with me! I landed at Sufjan's old church in Brooklyn last night. It was really surprisingly simple and lovely.
Wish I were there to hold that bucket and laugh with you!!
A month ago your missionary friend Pam's blog had an entry about the saying "This is Africa". This seems to apply when there are muddy ruts in the road, inconveniences and a constant need for flexibility and patience. It also seems to be used to describe the country's breathtaking beauty, astonishing creatures and unexpected graces.
Having the internet but no water seems to be a "This is Africa" moment.
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