lookin' out the window

so here I am, in my office, looking out the window, with a computer (finally), with internet access (not so finally - I was fine with using the library), and in possession of a house. It's impossible to explain how much of our time has been taken up with this silly house search. We went to see three of them. We spent the whole evening talking about the three of them. We dealt with all the intrigue of working out details with the landlord and between ourselves - who will live with who. We visited the house again to show our new roommate. We negotiated with the landlord a while more over a bottle of Dodoma (capital of Tanzania) wine (I had Ethiopian coffee 'cause I hate the taste of alcohol - the restaurant our landlady owns even has that lovely little herb to put in it, which turns out to be called something like ten-adam, accent on the last syllable). We went back to the hotel and talked more about the details. We went with security to visit the house. We went to talk to the landlord about the details again. We still have to work on the contract, sign it, and move in. Oh, and buy everything for the house. It only has furniture and plates. All the rest is on us and will occupy us today and tomorrow. It will be such a relief to move into a house when we've been staying in a hotel for ages and living out of a suitcase. And spending $20 a night... plus restaurants.

So, we're moving in. We are five - T, L, G, J, and me. I'm sure you'll hear more about them later. All are Americans, from California, Pennsylvania, New York, Kentucky, and, obviously, me. Should be fun.