When we first arrived in Uganda, we were graciously taken in by Courtney, and we stayed at what we called "Courtney's House" for a couple of weeks. But now, we have our own place to call "home". A Ugandan friend helped us visit several places that were in our price range (thanks Edith!). We saw about five apartments in the span of a couple hours, quickly deciding that the very first one we looked at was right for us. It had just what we hoped for: two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a water heater and even a bathtub (somewhat rare here). Plus, it had a beautiful view! We called back for it, and met with the property manager the following morning, and the place was ours! We started moving in, which, by vacation standards, we had a bunch of stuff, but by moving standards, we didn't have much. Regardless, we weren't ready to live here yet.
We decided that the first order of business was to find some beds. It didn't take long. We drove out of our neighborhood, down the bumpy dirt road, out to the main street of our town. Right away, Sarah spotted a bed shop. We found what we wanted, negotiated for a good price, and bought them. Then we had to negotiate with the truck driver for delivery, which luckily included carrying them up the stairs and assembly! Now we had handmade, wooden bed frames, but no mattesses (The shops here are very specific. We were at a bed store, not a mattress store. If we want to shop for more than one type of item, we go to a supermarket, which is the classification for all stores that have more than one type of thing.) So, we went back to the main road, until we found a mattress shop, and negotiated for what we needed. This time, we were able to stuff them into the back of our car, with one tied to the roof for the short, although bumpy, ride back to the house. Then it was off to the supermarket for mosquito nets, kitchen wares and other household supplies.
The next day, we ventured into a very busy furniture building area. Before I had even parked the car on the side of the road, we were being swarmed with sales folks. Apparently, the furniture game is very competitive here, and we looked like good customers. We chose a dining table and chairs (for the dining room that we didn't expect to have), as well as a sofa with two chairs, and a changing table. Again, we negotiated with a truck driver, loaded up and brought our furniture home. I think that we got a good deal on the furniture, but based on the enthusiasm of the sellers, I think that they got an even better deal.
Our home is comfortable and in a nice location. We have three other families in our compound, all of whom have small
kids who love to visit and play with our children. We also have the other kind of kids: baby goats. Our backyard is home to goats, chickens and roosters. (One of the roosters needs a new alarm clock, because he starts crowing at about 4am.) We have a very Ugandan setting here, and are enjoying our new home!
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