This is what the road looks like on my way to work when it is raining....
Thursday, July 9, 2009
We have gone through so many cooks….
Cook/Steward 1 – didn’t show up after we gave him his first paycheck. Heard he went back to Cotonou for another job
Cook/Steward 2—had attitude. Thought he was too big to replace the plastic bags in Maylee’s trash can
Cook /Steward 3 – Didn’t show up on first day of work. He sent a text message saying he needed more money and that he didn’t want to do laundry.
Cook/Steward 4 – Was a drunkard. Screwed up too many things in the house and ultimately we thought he threatened our safety and hygiene. The final straws were pissing on the toilet and not knowing how to clean it properly, and very dirty dishes after he apparently washed them
Cook/Steward 5 – We liked him, but after day 2, he got a call that his father was going mad and he had to go to the village to take care of him.
Cook/Steward 6 – our current guy – so far so good – let’s see if he sticks.
After I fired #4, he kept coming by the house because he didn’t have enough money to eat (we hadn’t paid him his final salary yet – he was supposed to get it at the end of the week). So I gave him some money to eat until he picked up his full salary – and he promptly shared it with the security guards at my gate. Stupid as he was the one with no money for food and they were the ones with jobs, but quite touching that he would share what little he had. I gave him large bills, too, so he was sharing a considerable chunk of what I gave him.
Here’s a local drink – called a Chapman. It’s made with a concoction of drinks – Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Bitter, I don’t know what else. But it is very refreshing. Note the Holy Bible in the background.
Cook/Steward 1 – didn’t show up after we gave him his first paycheck. Heard he went back to Cotonou for another job
Cook/Steward 2—had attitude. Thought he was too big to replace the plastic bags in Maylee’s trash can
Cook /Steward 3 – Didn’t show up on first day of work. He sent a text message saying he needed more money and that he didn’t want to do laundry.
Cook/Steward 4 – Was a drunkard. Screwed up too many things in the house and ultimately we thought he threatened our safety and hygiene. The final straws were pissing on the toilet and not knowing how to clean it properly, and very dirty dishes after he apparently washed them
Cook/Steward 5 – We liked him, but after day 2, he got a call that his father was going mad and he had to go to the village to take care of him.
Cook/Steward 6 – our current guy – so far so good – let’s see if he sticks.
After I fired #4, he kept coming by the house because he didn’t have enough money to eat (we hadn’t paid him his final salary yet – he was supposed to get it at the end of the week). So I gave him some money to eat until he picked up his full salary – and he promptly shared it with the security guards at my gate. Stupid as he was the one with no money for food and they were the ones with jobs, but quite touching that he would share what little he had. I gave him large bills, too, so he was sharing a considerable chunk of what I gave him.
Here’s a local drink – called a Chapman. It’s made with a concoction of drinks – Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Bitter, I don’t know what else. But it is very refreshing. Note the Holy Bible in the background.
Monday, June 22, 2009
You Make Do With Whatcha Got
Lagos teaches you so many things. Like now I know how to flush a toilet without running water. You just pour a bucket of water in. I never knew that before.
And you can also use that bucket to take a shower if the shower head is broken again, or if the water heater is not working, or if the water is just trickling out of the faucet for some unknown reason.
And I can go 2-4 hours during the day without electricity before I have to turn on the generator to use the A/Cs to cool down the place.
And when you don’t have a cute bumbo to teach baby to sit, you can use a cardboard box. See cute baby below sitting in her box, learning how to sit. One week in this box, and now she can sit on her own!
And you can also use that bucket to take a shower if the shower head is broken again, or if the water heater is not working, or if the water is just trickling out of the faucet for some unknown reason.
And I can go 2-4 hours during the day without electricity before I have to turn on the generator to use the A/Cs to cool down the place.
And when you don’t have a cute bumbo to teach baby to sit, you can use a cardboard box. See cute baby below sitting in her box, learning how to sit. One week in this box, and now she can sit on her own!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Nanny Diaries
I don’t have internet at home. Only at the gym when I remember to bring my computer. And if it is not raining. And it is Rainy Season right now. For those of you who always ask, there are only two seasons – Rainy Season and Dry Season. And it is always hot here. Maybe 90 degrees out side? I don’t know. I don’t spend much time outdoors. Just indoors, where there is always A/C.
The other thing everyone asks me is what it is like to have house help. So more nanny diaries for those of you who are wondering what it is like. It is fantastic, by the way, and could keep me in Lagos for kid #2 if we are so blessed (everything is thanks to god here). We have this girl, she is 22 years old, lives with us in one of our spare rooms, and we basically take care of all her living necessities on top of her salary. In return, she basically becomes part of the family as baby’s other caretaker. And “house girl.” She helps around the house – right now, we don’t have a steward, so she has stepped in to assume the role. She wakes up every morning around 7, and cleans, irons, does laundry. Today, I told her she didn’t need to iron everything – like the socks for example. She said then they won’t look nice. I said don’t worry about the socks. The other day, she was also helping with the cooking (the cook/steward didn’t show up for work – lots of the house help have bad work ethic here). I was making burgers – she’s never heard of hamburgers. When I was watching TV the other day, a scene from New York was on and I told her that is where Yomi and I lived. She said, “Is that in Nigeria?” She’s never heard of New York, either. And Maylee was sleeping with her arms over her head, so she put them down by her side. So that she wouldn’t have bad dreams.
The other interesting thing that happened was at my sister-in-law’s house the other day. My 4-5 year old niece was playing with the Gate Man’s 4-5 year old daughter. The gate man is one of her employees, literally the guy who opens the gate for them when they get home. They were running around, playing chase in the house. But once my niece ran into the area of the living room where all the adults were, the other little girl stopped in the back of the room. She had some kind of imaginary boundary that she couldn’t cross – she knew at that young age that the employees/workers behave a certain way. Me, I’m still learning what that way is (I picked up that starting-with-“Me”-thing here), but am figuring it out.
Anyway, no matter what country you are in, I think finding a good nanny is of outmost concern to new moms. But so far so good with Cecilia. She is good with Maylee along with being a hard worker around the house. She sings to her, plays with her, tells her she loves her, feels sad when she cries so tries to make her stop as best as she can, misses her when she doesn’t see her for a bit – all signs of someone who really cares for a kid, which maybe is the most important thing. I am still with them most of the time, but am starting to do things to prepare for when I go back to work to ease Maylee into not seeing me for 8 hours during the day. Or maybe it is the other way around, ease myself into not seeing her for that long.
The other thing everyone asks me is what it is like to have house help. So more nanny diaries for those of you who are wondering what it is like. It is fantastic, by the way, and could keep me in Lagos for kid #2 if we are so blessed (everything is thanks to god here). We have this girl, she is 22 years old, lives with us in one of our spare rooms, and we basically take care of all her living necessities on top of her salary. In return, she basically becomes part of the family as baby’s other caretaker. And “house girl.” She helps around the house – right now, we don’t have a steward, so she has stepped in to assume the role. She wakes up every morning around 7, and cleans, irons, does laundry. Today, I told her she didn’t need to iron everything – like the socks for example. She said then they won’t look nice. I said don’t worry about the socks. The other day, she was also helping with the cooking (the cook/steward didn’t show up for work – lots of the house help have bad work ethic here). I was making burgers – she’s never heard of hamburgers. When I was watching TV the other day, a scene from New York was on and I told her that is where Yomi and I lived. She said, “Is that in Nigeria?” She’s never heard of New York, either. And Maylee was sleeping with her arms over her head, so she put them down by her side. So that she wouldn’t have bad dreams.
The other interesting thing that happened was at my sister-in-law’s house the other day. My 4-5 year old niece was playing with the Gate Man’s 4-5 year old daughter. The gate man is one of her employees, literally the guy who opens the gate for them when they get home. They were running around, playing chase in the house. But once my niece ran into the area of the living room where all the adults were, the other little girl stopped in the back of the room. She had some kind of imaginary boundary that she couldn’t cross – she knew at that young age that the employees/workers behave a certain way. Me, I’m still learning what that way is (I picked up that starting-with-“Me”-thing here), but am figuring it out.
Anyway, no matter what country you are in, I think finding a good nanny is of outmost concern to new moms. But so far so good with Cecilia. She is good with Maylee along with being a hard worker around the house. She sings to her, plays with her, tells her she loves her, feels sad when she cries so tries to make her stop as best as she can, misses her when she doesn’t see her for a bit – all signs of someone who really cares for a kid, which maybe is the most important thing. I am still with them most of the time, but am starting to do things to prepare for when I go back to work to ease Maylee into not seeing me for 8 hours during the day. Or maybe it is the other way around, ease myself into not seeing her for that long.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Back in Lagos
I’m back in Lagos! I’ve been at home in Texas for the last 4 months, staying with my mom and having my new baby girl Maylee Tiwani Jemibewon. She’s 2 and a half months old now – a constant source of enjoyment.
Its different being back – I think I can enjoy our house help now more as a mom. We have a cook who does all the shopping, cooking, and cleaning. And a nanny to watch over Maylee and a bit of housework, too. It is a bit of an adjustment – since Maylee sleeps most of the day, I think the nanny is bored most of the time. I try to find things for her to do around the house – laundry, ironing, etc. but she still pretty much just watches Maylee sleep. It does give me peace of mind, though, so when I want to eat or take a shower, I can do it and I don’t have to worry about Maylee waking up or crying. My day consists of waking up around 8 or 9. I go around and tell our help how I like things – like this week I had to tell our cook to replace the trash bags after he takes out the trash; to clean the window sills better; to use Tupperware for food in the fridge since he was using our dishes and we had no more dishes to eat on; that if the laundry is line dried it needs to be ironed to ensure no insect are on the clothes (which I just learned about hand washing clothes); and that it is rude and they shouldn’t answer their phones while we are in the middle of giving directions. Then, I feed Maylee, and she wakes up and I play with her. Then she goes back to sleep. Then I take a nap, too. Maybe I’ll read a little. Then I feed Maylee again. Then I go to the gym. When I get home, its about time to feed Maylee again. Maybe if I’m lucky, she will wake up and play again. Then Yomi comes home and we have dinner together and maybe watch some TV. Then I feed Maylee. Then I get naps throughout the night, meanwhile feeding or trying to make Maylee stop fussing.
Its different being back – I think I can enjoy our house help now more as a mom. We have a cook who does all the shopping, cooking, and cleaning. And a nanny to watch over Maylee and a bit of housework, too. It is a bit of an adjustment – since Maylee sleeps most of the day, I think the nanny is bored most of the time. I try to find things for her to do around the house – laundry, ironing, etc. but she still pretty much just watches Maylee sleep. It does give me peace of mind, though, so when I want to eat or take a shower, I can do it and I don’t have to worry about Maylee waking up or crying. My day consists of waking up around 8 or 9. I go around and tell our help how I like things – like this week I had to tell our cook to replace the trash bags after he takes out the trash; to clean the window sills better; to use Tupperware for food in the fridge since he was using our dishes and we had no more dishes to eat on; that if the laundry is line dried it needs to be ironed to ensure no insect are on the clothes (which I just learned about hand washing clothes); and that it is rude and they shouldn’t answer their phones while we are in the middle of giving directions. Then, I feed Maylee, and she wakes up and I play with her. Then she goes back to sleep. Then I take a nap, too. Maybe I’ll read a little. Then I feed Maylee again. Then I go to the gym. When I get home, its about time to feed Maylee again. Maybe if I’m lucky, she will wake up and play again. Then Yomi comes home and we have dinner together and maybe watch some TV. Then I feed Maylee. Then I get naps throughout the night, meanwhile feeding or trying to make Maylee stop fussing.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Happy Lunar New Year!
I'd like to take a picture of the oranges and bananas that you can get here and put them next to the oranges and bananas you get in Nigeria. The oranges here are actually orange and they are big. And the bananas, they even have them separated so you get your choice of ripe bananas, or ripe in 2-3 days bananas. In Nigeria, I was excited when they got the imported "sugar bananas" in the one time.
2.5 weeks to go. Everything is going very smoothly. I am 1 cm dialated, though I don't feel at all like I will be giving birth anytime soon. Last week, I had to get an ultrasound -- looks like she has Yomi's nose and lips. That's all I could tell. Can't wait for her to get here -- 2 months is a little too long to be waiting around for a baby to arrive with no job. I've been keeping busy with lots of sewing projects: curtains for baby's room, curtains for the study, a dress for baby, changing pads, burp cloths, sheets for the pack-n-play....see? here's the dress with coordinating bloomers and 2 of the changing pads...
2.5 weeks to go. Everything is going very smoothly. I am 1 cm dialated, though I don't feel at all like I will be giving birth anytime soon. Last week, I had to get an ultrasound -- looks like she has Yomi's nose and lips. That's all I could tell. Can't wait for her to get here -- 2 months is a little too long to be waiting around for a baby to arrive with no job. I've been keeping busy with lots of sewing projects: curtains for baby's room, curtains for the study, a dress for baby, changing pads, burp cloths, sheets for the pack-n-play....see? here's the dress with coordinating bloomers and 2 of the changing pads...
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Week 35 - Definitely Big Now
No more Yomi - he had to go back last weekend. So its been only a couple of days and I miss him already. Amazing what marriage does to you. He got back to Nigeria and there was no water at our house. Then, his barber came over to give him a shave and our estate security beat up the barber for some unknown reason - we had to take him to the hospital to get stitches. Then, our driver got arrested after he picked up our crib from customs for carrying a load on the outside of the car. It was a nice welcome home for Yomi.
He should be back soon, and at that point, baby should be arriving, so can't wait! I've been pretty much preparing for baby and shopping up a storm here. We hit Babies R Us and spent more than $1000 in one go, getting the stroller, car seat, pack-n-play and various other gear. There's so much to get, and there were just 2 little things that I didn't really research -- I ended up getting advice on them later and looking up reviews and returning them. So I've been researching everything now -- especially since I have to stock up for the next year or so in case I can't get certain things in Nigeria, or in case I don't want to pay the x10 prices. No exaggerating. I'm pretty set now, just need to buy toys and books, and stuff for stocking up.
She kicks all the time now. I can feel lumps sometimes where she remains stretched after a kick - like a leg or a foot. And eats all the time now too. The weirdest body phenomenon that goes with the new person growing in me is that my belly button is getting pushed out. Mine is not poking out like some expecting mothers, since I must have a deep deeeeeep innie, but it is still so weird. Because I had a scar from where my belly ring used to be from back in the day, I can see just how far it has pushed out. And I have no sensation around it - I can touch it and not feel a thing (well, my fingertips do, but not my belly button).
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