International House Hunters

My new house, I hope!

I love International House Hunters.  It’s a show about Americans who are either buying vacation homes in other countries or moving there. You get to watch as they look at three different options and choose one.  I feel like I’ve been doing my own version of the show here.  As I’ve ranted on about, the house I was supposed to be moving into didn’t pan out.  I still have no idea what happened.

Folks here seemed rather surprised and concerned when I told them that PC might move me to a different village.   PC had already offered me the option of changing villages, but that’s a huge deal and I didn’t want to do it unless things were desperate.  A lot of reasons I didn’t want to move, not the least of which is that I’m very familiar with the phrase “out of the frying pan, into the fire.” 

PC wants to do whatever they can to make sure we have not just safe housing, but also housing in which we’ll be happy.  That doesn’t translate to luxury.  We’re expected to live at the level of the people in the village, for a variety of reasons.  Mostly, hard to fit in and really be a part of the village if you’re living like a tourist.  Also, it’s not as safe.  PC does try to get us a place of our own, whenever possible.  Experience shows that volunteers who have a private living space tend to be happier and don’t quit service early as often.

The woman I have been living with, who is also a teacher at my school, went into overdrive working on finding housing options for me when she realized I might leave.  It’s the school committee’s job to provide housing and they ponied up the first housing option, which fell through.  Thanks to the teacher’s pushing, the committee came up with option number two.  On Monday, January 31 I went to see it.  Let’s just call it a fixer-upper.  The biggest problem, from my perspective was the proximity to the main island road.  Like most houses here it had an “outhouse”.  It’s a small building that holds the shower and toilet, usually with running water, although not always.

My concern was that this bathroom was literally a few feet from the main road.  And anybody driving by would be able to see me strolling there.  Which would require me to be dressed in a socially acceptable way, every time I wanted to use the john.   I’ve seen similar situations here, and seen men and women strolling between their house and their bathroom wearing nothing but a towel.  I’m not sure PC wants me to share that much of myself with the village. 

On Wednesday evening I was taken to see housing option number 3, which the teacher found.  I was told it was perfect.  It had everything a palagi could want.  It even had a kitchen, which housing option number one didn’t.  My expectations were not high but I was very pleasantly surprised.

The house, which I hope to move into next week, is about 14’ x 14’.  It is made of cement blocks and has jalousie windows, which are brand new.  They’re frosted, so I can close them for privacy.  Ok, that means I would die of heat prostration if they’re kept closed, but at least when I’m changing clothes I can close them.  For the last six weeks, I’ve been changing clothes in the dark, since I can’t close the windows here to change.  Yes, I’ve worn my underwear inside out on more than one occasion.  Hard to tell in the dark.

On Thursday, a rep from PC came over from Apia and met with me, the president of the school committee, my new principal, the teacher I currently live with and the district representative from the school system, who happens to be the former pule of my school.  We all agreed that the new house sounded like a good option.  After speeches by everyone present, we had a field trip next door to see the house.

The PC rep agreed that it was fine and the homeowner promised to build a new shower/toilet building, since there currently is none.  The school co. president offered the help of the school committee to make it happen.

I was assured it will be done the week of February 7 and the PC rep would be back to do a final inspection and help move all my junk in.  It is a two minute walk to school, if I hop the wall.  A five minute walk if I go around the long way.  It is about a two minute walk to the ocean.  There is a store and fale between me and the beach, so not a great view, but not bad.

Speaking of junk, I have discovered that I am a pack rat.  I came to Samoa with 2 checked bags and a carry on.  Because I have started purchasing household goods (kitchen stuff, buckets, mop, broom, pillow, iron, etc.) and have received so many packages from my amazing friends, my room is now stuffed to the gills.  Additionally, because there is no place at the school for me to store the supplies they provided (paper, chalk, markers, etc.), all of that is also in my current bedroom.  Oh, and the 3 Vailima beer cases, which are working out fabulously as storage for my clothes. 

The thing I’m most embarrassed to admit that I’ve collected is the food.  I have one bucket for candy I’ve been sent.  Another bucket stores stuff like crackers, bread and cookies.  Plus, I have a giant bag of canned goods.  Some I was sent from home.  Treasures like enchilada sauce, green chiles and spices.  Others I bought in Apia. Stuff that I can’t readily get here, like a can of 5 bean salad and some chili without beans.   I eat for comfort.  I knew that.  Now I know that I horde food for comfort, too.  Oh, well, at least it’s not dangerous.  Unless the giant bag of canned food, that’s stored at the end of my bed, falls over in the night and crushes me.

I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that the next time I write it will be from my new home.  Where I’ll be able to have internet, which could mean more regular updates.

The house is one large open room.  Currently there are some people sleeping there - these are two beds pushed together.  I hope they'll leave one bed for me.  No more sleeping on the  floor!
 

View of the house from the corner by the beds.  That's the kitchen behind the room divider. They need to finish installing the jalousie windows before I move in.  And build the bathroom.  Not sure why they wrote "banana" on the wall - fa'i.  They also said they'd paint before I move in.

 I'm most excited about this excellent kitchen.  Peace Corps will provide a small refrigerator, there's a nice sink with running water and check out all the counter space.  Plus, a real luxury here - there are cabinets so I can store the canned goods I've hoarded!