(no subject)
So the hunt for the elusive perfect apartment continues. I thought that I had found a great one-one bedroom with a balcony, living room, kitchen, and bathroom in a great neighborhood, protected by a fence but right on the street so I don’t have to worry about walking alone. The woman wanted 60,000 CFA ($120) a month, but she had said she would accept 55,000 CFA ($110), which was still $10 over what I wanted to spend. I made an offer of $100, but she said no. I finally resigned myself to the fact that it was worth the money (believe me, $10 a month will get you far here), so I said I would take the place at 55,000 CFA and made an appointment for the next day to pay and sign the contract. When I go back with the money, her intermediary is there, telling me that there was someone else who wanted the place and was willing to pay 60,000 CFA a month. He said since I was first, he was offering it to me, but I would have to match that price. Being out of work and all, I sadly had to turn it down, understanding that business is business. However, the next thing I know, the guy who found the place for me told me that it was all a lie-the woman just wanted me to pay more and there was still no one living in the apartment!! Cameroon is so wonderful.
I’m still in the market now; hopefully I will go check out another place today. I realized I’ve had to add another criterion to what I’m looking for: some place I won’t be embarrassed to show my dad when he visits (hint, hint).
I’ve noticed some really different things about being here at this time of the year, because previously I had only been here January-mid-May. First of all, the produce is so different. There is tons of corn everywhere. And mandarin oranges are in abundance. For twenty cents, I can get 10+ great mandarin oranges. Yummy. Also, I had noticed a lot more kids selling peanuts and other things all over the place. It is not uncommon whatsoever to see kids doing this kind of work, but I felt like they were crawling all over the place. Someone finally pointed out to me that it’s because they aren’t in school anymore. It really creates a different atmosphere here.
Peace Corps people have been crawling all over the place here lately. I love freaking people out and saying hi to them with an American accent. It always seems to throw them off because they totally aren’t expecting it. Hee hee hee.
And I would just like to say that I love that Cameroonian music videos always have a token white person.
I’m still in the market now; hopefully I will go check out another place today. I realized I’ve had to add another criterion to what I’m looking for: some place I won’t be embarrassed to show my dad when he visits (hint, hint).
I’ve noticed some really different things about being here at this time of the year, because previously I had only been here January-mid-May. First of all, the produce is so different. There is tons of corn everywhere. And mandarin oranges are in abundance. For twenty cents, I can get 10+ great mandarin oranges. Yummy. Also, I had noticed a lot more kids selling peanuts and other things all over the place. It is not uncommon whatsoever to see kids doing this kind of work, but I felt like they were crawling all over the place. Someone finally pointed out to me that it’s because they aren’t in school anymore. It really creates a different atmosphere here.
Peace Corps people have been crawling all over the place here lately. I love freaking people out and saying hi to them with an American accent. It always seems to throw them off because they totally aren’t expecting it. Hee hee hee.
And I would just like to say that I love that Cameroonian music videos always have a token white person.