Still Dangling

An unexpected turn of events after my Friday return to post. Story is little bit lengthy and complicated, but I’ve included the majority of it below for those with time or interest. In short: my landlord was a jerk, refused to sign a document for the water company, so the apartment PC had for me fell through. Currently shopping for a new piece of real estate. Agents or journals don’t exist, so shopping meanse riding around neighborhoods on a moto asking people if they know of anything available. Of the five I’ve seen thus far three were definite no’s; two perfect, but occupied. Our Chinese friend's wife returned today after three months in China, so Wendy & I had lunch there again. Not that he doesn’t already do everything for us, but as soon as Wendy told him what happened on Friday he just kept shaking his head saying “pas une problem”. We’re going on Monday to find a place. He truly is just as he says, “A volunteer for volunteers.”
On days when I don’t return to post I practice my domestic skills at Wendy’s. Between fetching water, filling the water buckets & bottles, walking the mile to market, making meals (au natural takes so much longer!), doing dishes, the occasional run, and entertaining the many kids who stop by my days are filled. From 7:00pm on it’s movie after movie or Season 3 of Grey’s. Finally got around to posting some pics. Hope you enjoy!

Not so much…..
My thinking going into last Friday: have all documents ready for the electric & water company, visit both places with my counterpart, sign the papers, leave post by mid afternoon, stay with Wendy another day or two while I wait on installation, middle of next week move to post. En realite: Arrive at post at 11am counterparts out of town for the morning. Visit electric company solo where I get yelled at b/c I don’t have my lease legalized. This I already know but comes after trying to have it signed (insert time when I was scammed for money), figuring out it has to be legalized in the first place b/c my landlord has unpaid bills from the previous tenant, him calling a friend at the electric company saying “my friend I miss you!”, so now all debts are cleared. Yet when I can’t provide the name of the person my landlord talked to, the boss of the electric company is irritated once more. Need the number one my box so take a moto back to apartment w/ electric co. worker to get it. Luckily outside of the deposit I had to leave but couldn’t (box wouldn’t open??), I leave electric company finished.
Visit water company next and get yelled at again b/c I don’t have a bill from the previous tenant. This I already knew as well but explain to the man I’ve asked my landlord repeatedly for an old bill but he keeps telling me it’s not possible. Give him my landlord’s number, he calls, I hear “oh d’accord d’accord.” Man gets off the phone, looks at me, laughs, and says “it’s because no one’s ever lived there before.” What!?! Liar! I don’t know how many times I’ve heard my landlord talk about the previous tenant, and if you remember the problem with the electric company & the legalized signature was because of this old tenant. With that out of the way next find out one of the papers needs a fiscal stamp and more signatures.
Visit town hall to buy a fiscal stamp, stop by the police station for a signature. At the police station I’m directed upstairs where when I show the officer what I need completed and first thing she says is “why are you bringing this to me and not your landlord?” Good question. 2:05pm call landlord to come to the police station to sign to it. Tells me he’ll be there in five minutes. 3:15pm in walks landlord. Landlord becomes angry when he realizes what he has to sign. Document basically reads if I leave w/o paying the bills, he has to. Landlord starts arguing with the gendarme. Not the best of ideas. At this point gendarme and I are basically bff’s s after having spent over an hour in her office chatting it up with her and her visiting sister. Landlords continues to argue. Gets so mad he then says he’s leaving. I demand he stays until Pascale gets there. Landlord takes off anyways. 3:30pm Pascale arrives at police station. Her and gendarme chat. Get the gist of what’s going on, but phone APCD to get a better translation. Sure enough landlord refuses to sign, which for me means no way to get water, so it’s just decided I should get a new place altogether. 4:00pm gendarmes sister goes out to find me an apartment! 4:30 she returns but no luck. 4:45pm meet up with Pascale’s husband and head to landlord’s office. He quietly argues with landlord trying to get some understanding. It kills me at this point to not know exactly what is being said b/c I know my landlords not telling the truth. Pascale is pissed. Pascale leaves room. Landlord looks at me and switches over with some English. Bad idea. Now I’m yelling in English. And while I’m sure he didn’t understand every word, after all of this…..it sure felt good.