Pic - Me in front of the apartment complex. Can you believe the name of it is 'Vanilla Park'?? Oh, the irony. Actually, we're the only wazungu there...
Somehow, having four other roommates (Mark, Elyssa, Lindsay, Rosie, and myself, all new JVA caseworkers) has made it remarkably affordable, even if we have to enjoy it au natural for awhile until we can afford furniture! There are no appliances or furniture, so we’ve been having an interesting time over the last two weeks negotiating with each other and the carpenters/salespeople on prices and models of things. The good news is that this process has been a very nice bonding experience for the roommates.
Pic: Me, Lindsay, and Mark amusing ourselves by playing jump rope with the clothesline in our empty living room. "Hot fudge, call the judge, mama's gonna have a baby!" (Remember that one?)
Now, something we've found out already is that here in Nairobi, even a luxury apartment complex is not immune to its fair share of 'issues.' There are a number of problems we’ve been working for days with the property manager to resolve, including the fact that the place was never properly cleaned (as in mud an inch deep in the laundry sink), and that the water often does not work (as in about 50% of the time), and that some of the fixtures aren't too sturdy (as in gaping hole in the cement where the toilet paper holder once was). My first ‘shower’ here was actually with a bucket, just like back in good old Masaka. Seems the developers unfortunately were more into appearances than quality of materials!
Despite its quirks, it looks like Vanilla Park is going to a nice place to recuperate after our 3 week stints in the field. The roommates are also a great blessing- it’s worked out so well so far to be able to share our new experiences in adjusting to life in Nairobi. It’s always nice to have great people to share new experiences with!
Pic - Mark, Elissa, me and Lyndsay just after signing the lease. Rosie arrived about a week later.
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