Getting Settled

Life has been crazy; I struggle to find the words to tell you just how crazy it has been! We officially moved into our flat a few days ago and are living with a constant flow of people in and out, the noise of other flats being finished and many things falling apart ( while I'm trying really hard not to be one of those things falling apart!!). The power for the building still is not on. Every day we were told it would come that day. Finally we asked if it was sure. Yes, it was sure. Two days later, at 5:30 p.m. we got a call that the guys -who were needed to do the last whatever they needed to do to get it going - had been in a traffic jam and turned around at 3:00. Since it was just before the weekend, we get to wait until Sunday. Thankfully they were able to run a temporary line which gives us a few lights, fans and outlets. So we have taken to sleeping on the living room floor, as the fans there have power. It feels a little like camping out. At least we have slept well and are not completely without power.

Today has been a struggle. The carpenters, who are building the cabinets for the kitchen, have been here all day. At the moment I can hear them cutting the boards with a hand saw. Needless to say, it has been a long process. We asked them to do all the work in the garage and bring them up when they were completed but, due to work going on in the garage, my kitchen has become their work station - which means I can't cook, much less unpack my kitchen things till things are finished. I thought that was enough of a trial. Now we have the smell of the sewer wafting through the air. A pipe just outside one of our windows must have burst as there was the noise of a waterfall, followed by a smell which I shall not describe. The good thing is that the plumbers are working on it. The bad thing is that we can't use that bathroom and it's the only one with a seat. The "squat pot" is on the other side of the kitchen, hence inaccessible at the moment. The other bathrooms are all western style but I was just told we won't have the seats for 2 more days. Sigh. Then there is the window that leaks when it rains, so much that it runs from one room into the other.

We seem to be followed by gas leaks. Those of you who know us from Ohio will remember the time our basement filled up with gas and we had to have the line off for over a month. Then my kitchen stove had a leak and had to be replaced. Our little 2 burner stove in Mymensingh leaked as well and we had it replaced. So now we are in a new building. On Thursday the "gas guy" was here and hooked up the chulla (the 2 burner stove) and then left, after telling me there was no gas in the building yet. Minutes later I heard a rush of gas coming from the kitchen and was shocked! I tried to turn the connection off, but to no avail. I didn't know what to do. I tried to run downstairs to tell the caretaker but couldn't get through because another guy was scrubbing the steps. He seemed to think it was funny when I told him I couldn't turn it off. It made me feel a little better when he couldn't either. I was just ready to get on the phone to try to track the guy down when he showed up. Was I ever relieved! He ended up having to change some parts and now everything seems to be fine ( just lots of wood shavings between me and my being able to use it).




In the midst of it all, we have a lot to be thankful for. The boys seem to share my love of setting up house in a new place - it's just that some days not much "setting up" happens. We spent a lot of time doing fun things yesterday, as it was the weekend and they all woke up happy this morning.



I have to remind myself that these trials will not last forever. In the meantime, we are together as a family, making memories that will someday make us laugh around a campfire.