A place to hang my hat

After almost four weeks in Bamako, I'm finally beginning to feel a little more at home here. The people here have been fantastic and I'm getting used to the notion that the power will not go out several times a day, nor does someone expect a bribe from me just because they're sitting in a chair near where I've parked the car.

We moved into our house which is really nice. It's in a newer section of town and the house itself can't be more than ten or fifteen years old. It has two bedrooms, three bathrooms, a living/dining room, and a kitchen. The second level has a nice terrace overlooking the street, and there's even a small guest house attached to the back of the house that has a bedroom and bathroom.

There are tile floors, AC units, and ceiling fans throughout the house. The house is furnished which worked out great for us since we don't really own any furniture and weren't thrilled about the prospect of shopping for it in Bamako. Most of the furniture in the house is really nice with the exception of the couches in the living room. They look nice but have got to be some of the most uncomfortable things I've ever sat on in my life. The back is at a 90-degree angle to the seat so you have to sit perfectly upright, and the seat is very shallow so you can't lay back and relax either. Honestly, when I want to sit down and read I look at those couches and shake my head in disgust and then head to another room in the house.

There are furniture stores to be found in Bamako, but unless you want to spend upwards of $1000 for a couch of dubious craftsmanship, you're better off patronizing one of the many roadside furniture salesmen. There are lots of people making couches, desks, beds, tables, and other assorted furniture right on the side of the road. I wouldn't expect this stuff to last more than a couple years, but to get an entire living room set for a few hundred bucks, why not? My wife and I are debating whether to get some couches and chairs from a roadside shop, or else try our luck at the embassy rummage sale this weekend. If you think some Americans are asking crazy prices for the junk they're selling at garage sales, wait till you shop at an embassy rummage sale. Most merchandise is old, ugly, and you have to compete with various Middle-Eastern businessmen who are prepared to overpay for that pleather ottoman so they can resell it for twice what they paid for it.

Anyway, I got a lead on a good local guy who will be making a desk for me for about $100. In the meantime, I'm using a spare nightstand to perch my laptop on while I type. We bought a new clothes washer, refrigerator, and stove from the local appliance store. Our stove is gas and runs off a propane tank that we keep in the kitchen. We have to light the burners ourselves but I like having a gas stove again. After contending with the sketchy power situation in Kinshasa for eight months, this is a dream. No more burners that barely get past warm, or ovens that scorch the top and bottom of our food while leaving the middle uncooked. And there's the added excitement of using a match to light everything.

We have a guard as well. He's not really needed, but ACME pays for security services so whatever. During the day, our guard is Mamadou. He's a pretty cool guy. He speaks some English and likes to practice with me, and I practice French with him. He's pretty big on making tea and has it several times a day. It's kind of strange to see him sitting in the 100 degree-plus heat, sipping a piping-hot glass of tea, but different strokes for different folks, I guess. At night our guard is a guy named Adama, and he's a soccer player as well. He invited us to one of his games - they charge admission and he plays in the big stadium in town, so I wonder if he's playing for some kind of semi-pro team.

My wife took the camera with her on her trip upcountry this week, so I'll try to get some pictures of our place soon.