This past weekend we moved to a new apartment downtown!

What’s rad.

• LIGHT!  This is the most noticeable (and appreciated) difference compared to our old digs. Our living area has three floor to ceiling windows that face the ocean, so we are flooded with sun and have a great view sunsets.
• More interior space!  Yeehaw!  We have a second bedroom/office space that is perfect as a laundry room.  We don’t have a dryer yet (most people don’t), but we may have one soon! whoopie!  For now, the second bedroom houses multiple drying racks that the previous tenant left behind. Score.
• A half bath!  In addition to the master bathroom, which is pretty spacious – we also have a 1/2 bath in the foyer area.  That will be great for guests!
• A full kitchen!   Our fridge is almost US sized… we have an oven now!  I made my first quiche last night and we’ve dubbed it a success.
• South African Cable!  Say WHAaaaaaaat?  YES.  I have versions of Food Network, E, Fox, Travel Channel, Nat Geo, and more!  DUDE.  I watched some Barefoot Contessa today- simple comforts!
• Improved internet!  At the new place, we are able to stream movies, music, and have had better luck with Facetime, at all hours.  YES.
• Walkability!  We are now within walking distance to Gabonaise attractions such as, CK2 (Walmart/Best Buy), two Artisan Markets, a grocery store, restaurants and our new favorite bakery – La Parisienne.  This place is legit, and not just legit ‘for Gabon’.  They have super tasty sandwiches, delicate pastries, baguettes, crepes…  it’s ON. MMmmmm, butter.
• English/French speaking, lovely neighbors! The couple that lives above us, colleagues of Brandon’s – have been wonderful.  On Monday, the wife took me all around downtown… showing me where the nice fruit stand lady is, how to get to bank, even got me a ‘club card’ for the grocery store!  (Here they call them, ‘Fidelity Cards’.  heehee.   I don’t know why that makes me laugh.)  Then after a few hours touring around, she had me over for lunch and her special Greek coffee-frappe!  Heaven.

What’s less than rad.

This place is a definite upgrade, and we are stoked on all of the above.  The challenge here (every place has at least one) is the lack of ‘pet’ space.  We are downtown, and just like city centers back home… there is a lack of potty-appropriate area.  We have already been shooed away from the nearest little grass area, so we’ve been using the overgrown traffic circle as our personal yard.  Diego literally disappears from view when he jumps in to take care of business.  Trooper.  It’s really fun, I stand there with Diego on leash (whom no one can actually see) and I get a bunch of bizarre stares as people drive in circles around me.  “Who is the white girl up to her knees in weeds?”  Linz y’all!

Once we are through outside, we navigate our way back to the apartment.  Our new building is mostly commercial… bank on the main floor, a series of other offices up to about floor 4, then it transitions to apartments.  Lots of professional types coming in and out all day…. a big change from our old place.  What’s consistent about our new neighbors however, is the confounded look you get for having a dog.  I laugh it off most the time, but some people’s reactions are so ridiculous, you’d think I was leading a rabid rhinoceros into the building!  The looks get old, but I’m sure as more and more people see us, they’ll get over it.  In the meantime – it sure would be nice not to have to take Diego out so much…

Enter, the engineer!  To remedy the situation, Brandon has been bringing home bundles of grass from a nursery near his office.  We have grand plans for a potty-patch type dealio on our small balcony, and it’s coming right along – or at least we think so.  Diego doesn’t yet share our potty aspirations, but we have hope he’ll come around.  I don’t care if we have to lug a tree up to the 7th floor, he’s gonna learn to potty up here, dangit!   The Stattons conquer potty breaks!?!  HAHA.

Challenges aside, we are grateful for the new place.  The mold of Royal A is now a distant memory.  Spores no more!

Breathing easy,

Linz

ps.  By the time I write my next post, I will be an official resident of Gabon!  Tomorrow I am off to get my carte de séjour which makes me a legit resident!  Woooot.  Imagine DMW/Social Security office, Africa style.  Me thinks I’ll have a story to share.  : )