Someone in the house

One thing I have learned living in Luanda is I like my personal space. If it's at home or the grocery store you always have someone around. I didn't realize how much I like having time just to myself with no one around or without someone standing right beside you.

At the grocery store if you are in line they will walk right up almost in front of you. You think they are going to cut in line but they are just getting ready for their turn. They push your stuff down the line so they can put their stuff down. You sack your own groceries here and you better be quick because when they get everything rung up they want you to pay immediately and then they start piling the next persons stuff on yours and they start bagging their stuff too. It drives me nuts!!!!

At the house the maid is always there, the gardener is always there, the driver is always there, and of course there is always something wrong so at least 2 days a week you have a couple more guys fixing something. Today there is a guy here for about the 10th time trying to hook up the rest of the TVs in our house to the cable. We had one TV when we got here and then they came and ran cable and installed a new dish and put boxes in all the rooms. Then they came back and said you don't need all the boxes. Now they are back and he says it is all hooked up wrong. REALLY...this is getting old. Although sometimes it is not that different in the states. They can never do anything the first time they come out.

The guys actually came out the next day like they said they would to fix the rest of the repairs that needed to be fixed on the house. They fixed the toilet and they brought our washing machine back but the leak from the boys bathroom upstairs is still leaking. They said they will have to cut a hole in the ceiling and before they do that they have to have permission from the company. It's not that easy though....before the company gives them permission they need quotes for how much it will cost. I just hope they fix it before the ceiling ends up in the floor. :-)

They originally took the washing machine because we thought it was leaking water on the floor and then we had a new little washer and it leaked too. When we got the old one back that they fixed there is still water on the floor so apparently it is coming from somewhere else. Another reason for more people to come to the house I guess. :-)