The Compound

So I live on the UNDP compound and I work on another compound.  The compound I live on is older and is actually quite nice - in comparison to the UN peacekeeping compound out by the airport (and the swamp!) that consists of tiny, hot pre-fab containers with little container bathrooms that you have to leave your hot container for in the middle of the night if you need to go to the loo.  But compound life is interesting: you pull up, the driver shuts the car off, the guards check IDs for everyone inside, other guards check the bottom of the car for bombs and other nefarious items.  And only then is the car allowed to proceed through the second gate.  At our work compound we also all individually must go through a metal detector…and then you are behind big cement walls with lots of barbed wire for the rest of the day.

I live in an actual structure.  I have a small room, with a single bed & of course furbished with a mosquito net!  I do have my own bathroom, which is very luxurious by Africa standards.  There is a toilet and a spicket (read: my shower) with cold water that comes out of the wall.  The lights are powered by generator that runs from 6pm to 9am (so no staying home from work sick, unless you want to be in the dark!)  Cement floors and mesh on the windows and a fluorescent light make it complete.  But I hung up some pictures and postcards that make it feel like home. (If you want to send me something please send postcards & fotos!)

My Mosquito Net

My Tiny Window

The best part is that I got very fortunate and live with 3 other women (from Italy, Norway and the Philippines) and our cat Twinkle.  Even though I am allergic to cats, Twinkle is quite the hunter and keeps away the snakes that have known to be prevalent – thus, I will put up with allergies.  Twinkle is this tiny little cat, who squeaks and sounds more like a bird than a cat.  She is very curious and we often find her in some very odd places, yet she doesn’t like be petted and will let you know with her sharp claws, yet she must also be the center of attention.  And since they don’t have pet food in Africa we feed her dried guppies... 

Twinkle Hunting

Little Monster