Here in the Sandbox there's no such thing as bills. Everything is on a prepaid system and you don't know when you need to pay until things are turned off. For instance, cell phones. Most people have to buy scratch cards to use their cell phones. I actually have a line, but it's still prepaid. Every month or so, I go in and pay a certain amount. I can use my phone for whatever I want (even international calls), but when it's finished, my phone is turned off until I go back and pay more. Or electricity. We have to go down to the electric company and buy however many kilowatt hours that we want. They give us a little slip with a 20 digit number on it. We take that home, enter the number into the box and it adds to the total. How do we know when to buy more? When the electricity turns off. The trick is to know if the electricity is off just because they decided to turn it off for fun for the whole neighborhood or if we have forgotten to buy more.
What's strange is that it's just normal for things to be turned off. So your phone gets cut off, no big deal, whereas in the states you would NEVER wait until your phone was cut off to pay your bill. And then it always gets cut off at the worst times. It's just an entirely different mindset here. And so I'm learning to appreciate bills and due dates. I used to always know exactly how much I owed and what day it was due so that I could plan ahead. Here, I pretty much just guess at everything. Like I know how long a kilowatt hour of electricity is going to last me?!?!? I guess it just adds to the laid back spontaneity of the culture. You just never know when that extra errand of purchasing more electricity will be added into your day!
31 May 2006
30 May 2006
Random Pictures
This is a picture of the biggest river in the world. Disappointed? I was too. For some reason I always pictured it as being a lot bigger. However, when I asked, my driver (who was a national) he got very defensive and said that 'it is very very deep, in fact, it's the deepest river in the world and something to be very proud of.' I just figured that maybe it got wider outside the city.
I know this picture is a little hard to see, but this is the Nile water that comes out of the tap. Nationals drink it with no problem. We have some pretty hard core filters that we use before we even think about drinking it.
This is just a picture of typical Sandbox.
I know this picture is a little hard to see, but this is the Nile water that comes out of the tap. Nationals drink it with no problem. We have some pretty hard core filters that we use before we even think about drinking it.
This is just a picture of typical Sandbox.
29 May 2006
My apartment...aka...the oven
We're supposed to have a generator at our apartment....we don't, which hasn't been a problem until yesterday. I woke up about 8:30 to the sound of the fan turning off which meant the power was out. So I got up, had some granola for breakfast, and waited....and waited....and waited. The cleaning lady came and left and still, I waited. The plumber came and left, came and left again, and still...I waited. I figured I'd do some dishes while I waited, much to my dismay, when we have no power, we have no water, and so it was back to the couch to wait some more. Around 4, we had a national friend come over, but she didn't stay long, I guess it was a little warm for her. Finally around 5, the power came back on and about 6 the water came back on. While we were just sitting around all day, we kept track of how warm it was inside our apartment. The kitchen topped out at 106, my room at 103 and the living room at 101. Needless to say, we were a little warm. With the power back on, we were happy for a few hours...until it was time for bed. I went to turn on the cooler and it didn't exactly work. Pretty much my room was 97 degrees all night long. As I laid there, sweating, I just looked forward to today when I could come to work and turn on the air conditioner in my office. Sadly though, the electricity is off at the office. Outside my window I have a great view of the power lines on the ground surrounded by a crowd of people who think it's fun to look at. There's a really tall, sad-looking, 3 story ladder that is leaned against the pole from which the power lines fell. What's great is that there's 3 guys at the top of the ladder leaning against the pole that wasn't so stable in the first place. So while I can't do any real work b/c there's no power, I do have some quality entertainment outside the window.
25 May 2006
My First Arabic Lesson
This morning I attended my very first Arabic lesson. First, I had to get accross town to the school that I've only been to once. I knew exactly where it was, the hard part was telling a taxi driver in Arabic how to get there. But we made it with no problems and right on time. Since I've been here almost 2 months, I knew most of the first lesson, basic greetings, my name is, etc. On the way home, I got into a taxi and the guy started speaking really fast in Arabic. All I caught was 'where are you from?' and so pulled out my notes from the lesson and read my response in broken Arabic 'I am from America. I have been here for more than 1 1/2 months'. After the guy finished watching me read this statement to him for some reason, he thought that I could speak to him. So he goes off saying something about coming to America, asking about my family, if I have children or am married....and then he starts proposing!!! Not the whole down on one knee kind of thing, but saying that we can go to America and live with my family. Between what I could understand and the sign language that he was using, it was clear that this was my first official Arab marriage proposal. Since I don't know a whole lot of Arabic, all I could say was 'No,I don't want' but he kept going on and on. In hindsight, I should have answered 'bukra insha'allah' (tomorrow if it is God's will, or more realistically, it's never gonna happen)....Maybe next time.
24 May 2006
Sandstorm Pictures
This is a picture of our courtyard from the balcony on a normal day
This is 5 o'clock in the afternoon during a sandstorm
Banking in the Sandbox
With my supervisor from the travel agency out of the country for the next 3 months, I have been nominated to handle the company finances. Last week I went to the bank to have my name added to the account. For the record, let me just say that here in the Sandbox they have security down to an art.
I showed up at the bank with my passport and a typed letter that basically said that my name needed to be added to the account. 10 minutes later and no questions asked, the bank guy brough out some things for me to sign. He points to my supervisor's name and says 'sign here'. At this point I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be signing my name or my supervisor's name, but he was pointing to my super's name, so I sign my supervisor's name like I think he's telling me to. He does the same thing again, so I sign his name again, figuring that if I'm doing it wrong the guy will tell me, but he doesn't say anything, so I assume that everythings done correctly. And that's it, I'm officially added to the account.
On my way out, I went to withdraw some money to take back to the office. The teller had to call upstairs to get the things I'd just signed and when they were brought down he just looked at me like I was an idiot, and he was pretty much right. He asked 'your name is Kyle?' and my response was 'no, why?'. Apparently I was supposed to sign my name, not my supervisor's. But here's the kicker. Instead of having me go back upstairs and do things the right way, the teller, with no authority at all, tells me to cross out where I signed my super's name and sign my own. So that's what I did and I walked out of the bank with the biggest stack of money I've ever seen.
Kind of makes me grateful for all of those annoying little security checks that they do at my bank at home before they let me make any changes on my account.
I showed up at the bank with my passport and a typed letter that basically said that my name needed to be added to the account. 10 minutes later and no questions asked, the bank guy brough out some things for me to sign. He points to my supervisor's name and says 'sign here'. At this point I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be signing my name or my supervisor's name, but he was pointing to my super's name, so I sign my supervisor's name like I think he's telling me to. He does the same thing again, so I sign his name again, figuring that if I'm doing it wrong the guy will tell me, but he doesn't say anything, so I assume that everythings done correctly. And that's it, I'm officially added to the account.
On my way out, I went to withdraw some money to take back to the office. The teller had to call upstairs to get the things I'd just signed and when they were brought down he just looked at me like I was an idiot, and he was pretty much right. He asked 'your name is Kyle?' and my response was 'no, why?'. Apparently I was supposed to sign my name, not my supervisor's. But here's the kicker. Instead of having me go back upstairs and do things the right way, the teller, with no authority at all, tells me to cross out where I signed my super's name and sign my own. So that's what I did and I walked out of the bank with the biggest stack of money I've ever seen.
Kind of makes me grateful for all of those annoying little security checks that they do at my bank at home before they let me make any changes on my account.
18 May 2006
Insha'allah
Here in the Sandbox they have this word that they use more than any other. It was actually the very first word that I learned in Arabic because we heard it so much. Insha'allah means 'if it is God's will'. And so the people here use that as an answer/excuse for everything. The plumber for our apartment is going to fix the flooded kitchen 'bukra insha'allah' Tomorrow, it is God's will. Loosely translated, he said 'I will make absolutely no effort to come and work, but if it is God's will then I will somehow appear there with my tools and your kitchen will be fixed tomorrow. Needless to say, I don't have my hopes up for the kitchen.
So I used to despise this word because it is just a polite way to say no while saving face and not actually saying no. I got frustrating b/c you could have an entire conversation making plans to do something only to end the conversation with insha'allah. However, I've found that I can use this word to my advantage. Will I be available for a 'meeting' tomorrow at 8am? Insha'allah, meaning, I can maybe make it by 9.
So I used to despise this word because it is just a polite way to say no while saving face and not actually saying no. I got frustrating b/c you could have an entire conversation making plans to do something only to end the conversation with insha'allah. However, I've found that I can use this word to my advantage. Will I be available for a 'meeting' tomorrow at 8am? Insha'allah, meaning, I can maybe make it by 9.
Moving
I've spent the past week moving, or at least working on moving. Our apartment is new and not totally finished. Our landlord assumed that we would move in on the specified date whether the place was finished or not, however, we have refused to make the move until construction is finished. So we've basically spent the past week sitting in our 'living room' while workers and repairmen pretend to be working all around us. It has definitely been interesting and in this process I have been informed that I am extremely meticulous and downright picky. Here are the things that I am 'demanding'.
1) Doorhandles on BOTH sides of my bathroom door, not just one.
2) Wires from my cooler not be hanging out of the wall and plugged into the nearest plug. And for the wires to not just be twisted together and shoved into the plug but to have an actual pronged plug.
3) To have the sink actually be attached to the wall instead of being propped against it
4) To have a washing machine that drains water into a pipe instead of into my kitchen floor
5) To have the gaping holes around the window in the bathroom patched to keep out dirt
6) Light switches
Apparently here in the Sandbox, these are irrational demands?!?!? I don't know, but with a little pressure the landlord is finally moving and things are getting taken care of. Hopefully I will be in my own apartment within a week!
1) Doorhandles on BOTH sides of my bathroom door, not just one.
2) Wires from my cooler not be hanging out of the wall and plugged into the nearest plug. And for the wires to not just be twisted together and shoved into the plug but to have an actual pronged plug.
3) To have the sink actually be attached to the wall instead of being propped against it
4) To have a washing machine that drains water into a pipe instead of into my kitchen floor
5) To have the gaping holes around the window in the bathroom patched to keep out dirt
6) Light switches
Apparently here in the Sandbox, these are irrational demands?!?!? I don't know, but with a little pressure the landlord is finally moving and things are getting taken care of. Hopefully I will be in my own apartment within a week!
09 May 2006
The Food
Several people have asked about what we eat here in the Sandbox, so here's the 'diet'
I do cook for myself. Well, I'll use the term cook broadly. Pretty much at some point every day I have a grilled cheese sandwich (yes, of all the things that you can not get here, you can get individually wrapped slices of normal cheese) and some sort of soup, Ramen noodles (again, of all things) or individually packaged, add water, types of things. Also at some point every day we have popcorn. We actually have a microwave, the problem is that there is no microwave popcorn so we have to do it the old fashioned way with the pan and oil. Good thing that as a last minute thought my mom briefly explained to me that you can actually make popcorn from scratch, otherwise I'd just be lost.
Then sometimes we cook and when we cook, it's hard core. We made beef stroganoff from scratch, who would have thought you could do that? And it wasn't so bad. We also have to make our own tortilla chips which begins with making our own tortillas. Believe it or not, it's not that hard. Just takes some time and it's really hot when the stove's going, so we try to make a lot at one time. We also have to make our own hot sauce, again, not as hard as I would have thought. My roommates and I really don't cook that much at home, but being the good bpts that we are, we have plenty of pot-lucks!
I did have my first Sandbox style meal this week with my new landlord's wife. She got a huge round tray and put all the different dishes on it, then we went to town using just our hands. It actually is pretty gross. You just have to try not to think about the fact that 10 people are grabbing the rice out of the same dish, then dipping it into some kind of sauce with meat, then eating, then doing it again. It was alot of fun though!
I do cook for myself. Well, I'll use the term cook broadly. Pretty much at some point every day I have a grilled cheese sandwich (yes, of all the things that you can not get here, you can get individually wrapped slices of normal cheese) and some sort of soup, Ramen noodles (again, of all things) or individually packaged, add water, types of things. Also at some point every day we have popcorn. We actually have a microwave, the problem is that there is no microwave popcorn so we have to do it the old fashioned way with the pan and oil. Good thing that as a last minute thought my mom briefly explained to me that you can actually make popcorn from scratch, otherwise I'd just be lost.
Then sometimes we cook and when we cook, it's hard core. We made beef stroganoff from scratch, who would have thought you could do that? And it wasn't so bad. We also have to make our own tortilla chips which begins with making our own tortillas. Believe it or not, it's not that hard. Just takes some time and it's really hot when the stove's going, so we try to make a lot at one time. We also have to make our own hot sauce, again, not as hard as I would have thought. My roommates and I really don't cook that much at home, but being the good bpts that we are, we have plenty of pot-lucks!
I did have my first Sandbox style meal this week with my new landlord's wife. She got a huge round tray and put all the different dishes on it, then we went to town using just our hands. It actually is pretty gross. You just have to try not to think about the fact that 10 people are grabbing the rice out of the same dish, then dipping it into some kind of sauce with meat, then eating, then doing it again. It was alot of fun though!
06 May 2006
My first month in the Sandbox
My life in the Sandbox is not anything like what I had pictured as I stepped off of the plane, but I really do like it. May 10th will be the one month mark and I can't say that I've hit culture shock yet. Maybe that's why I'm still enjoying it! I've spent the last month in training just trying to get things together before everyone leaves for the summer. I've been living with someone else and plan to move into my apartment on the 15th.
I have to say that life here is expensive. With so many NGOs and foreigners stuck in the capital (b/c the govt won't let foreigners out of the capital) they can charge whatever they want for housing, food, etc. The rent on my apartment is twice as much as I would ever pay for an apartment in the states, but the company covers that so it's not like I have to worry about it. It's just surprising that one of the poorest countries in the world is more expensive to live in than America. But the people are so friendly and the culture is less conservative than I expected. I don't have to cover my head and I can even wear pants every once in a while as long as my shirt comes down to my knees!
It is kind of odd though, when it becomes common to see cars with a stickers on them that have a gun with an X over it, meaning that they don't have any weapons. Does that mean that all the other cars DO have guns? I haven't quite figured that one out yet. We did hear that a famous movie star was out around here just a few weeks ago. I didn't see him and even if I did think that I saw him, I would never believe that it was him. What would a famous movie star be doing in the Sandbox?!?!?
Last week we went to a whirling Dervish service. They are sort of a sect of Msm that focuses more on spirits than on other stuff. We had to drive a ways to get there, but when we arrived...well...we pulled into a cemetery that was about as big as a square mile. I didn't know what to expect, but I did know that pretty much nothing good happens in a graveyard after dark. Anyways, it was an experience to say the least. The moment when about 150 of them made a circle and started to summon the spirits was pretty sobering. Just a realization that I'm really here, in the middle of Enemy territory, and he definitely has a stronghold in these people's lives.
On a lighter note, last night everyone from my company gathered for a Cinco De Mayo party. It was pretty much just an excuse to have Mexican food since we don't really get that much here, but we had good time just hanging out and being Americans (while celebrating another country's independence...hmm)
When we were in Kenya a few weeks ago, we went to visit the giraffe house. It was kind of fun to be up close and personal with giraffes. And I got to visit with Mark & Susie while I was there. The pictures don't really do Kenya justice. It was just beautiful and the weather a pleasant contrast to the Sandbox. We stayed up in the mountains at a camp. It was really more of a working conference than a vacation, but we managed to make plenty of time for shopping and other things.
I have to say that life here is expensive. With so many NGOs and foreigners stuck in the capital (b/c the govt won't let foreigners out of the capital) they can charge whatever they want for housing, food, etc. The rent on my apartment is twice as much as I would ever pay for an apartment in the states, but the company covers that so it's not like I have to worry about it. It's just surprising that one of the poorest countries in the world is more expensive to live in than America. But the people are so friendly and the culture is less conservative than I expected. I don't have to cover my head and I can even wear pants every once in a while as long as my shirt comes down to my knees!
It is kind of odd though, when it becomes common to see cars with a stickers on them that have a gun with an X over it, meaning that they don't have any weapons. Does that mean that all the other cars DO have guns? I haven't quite figured that one out yet. We did hear that a famous movie star was out around here just a few weeks ago. I didn't see him and even if I did think that I saw him, I would never believe that it was him. What would a famous movie star be doing in the Sandbox?!?!?
Last week we went to a whirling Dervish service. They are sort of a sect of Msm that focuses more on spirits than on other stuff. We had to drive a ways to get there, but when we arrived...well...we pulled into a cemetery that was about as big as a square mile. I didn't know what to expect, but I did know that pretty much nothing good happens in a graveyard after dark. Anyways, it was an experience to say the least. The moment when about 150 of them made a circle and started to summon the spirits was pretty sobering. Just a realization that I'm really here, in the middle of Enemy territory, and he definitely has a stronghold in these people's lives.
On a lighter note, last night everyone from my company gathered for a Cinco De Mayo party. It was pretty much just an excuse to have Mexican food since we don't really get that much here, but we had good time just hanging out and being Americans (while celebrating another country's independence...hmm)
When we were in Kenya a few weeks ago, we went to visit the giraffe house. It was kind of fun to be up close and personal with giraffes. And I got to visit with Mark & Susie while I was there. The pictures don't really do Kenya justice. It was just beautiful and the weather a pleasant contrast to the Sandbox. We stayed up in the mountains at a camp. It was really more of a working conference than a vacation, but we managed to make plenty of time for shopping and other things.
