First Impressions

Well, we’re here.
The 24 hours of travel with kids was exhausting and stressful, but nothing bad happened. The kids all did well except for Natalie, but she started walking at Dulles airport (not kidding, we have it on video) and really does not want to sit down anywhere, especially an airplane seat.

We were met at the Nouakchott airport by several embassy employees, who brought us right to our house. They showed us around, gave us all the important instructions (soak the produce in bleach water, don't drink the tap water, here are our phone numbers and the 5 keys that open different doors, make sure you use the mosquito nets on the beds and oh by the way, the power goes out a lot...), and then they all left, and we were alone in this monstrous house. Depressing and scary, let me tell you. It was all feeling like Tunisia to me again, and I sort of flipped out. I'm over it.

Alex and Olivia in the playroom

In some ways, this is the house is the nicest we have ever lived in. It's modern and brand new….BUT it's Africa-new. What I mean by that is, the shower leaks. The bathtub faucet does not quite reach all the way into the tub and so water goes everywhere. There are very few outlets. The lights are not bright enough. There is one closet, and it has no shelves or pole (we have wardrobes in the bedrooms though). There is no dishwasher. The stairs are very short and they're at an odd angle. The bathrooms have their own hot water heater, but it's drained after 2 showers. There are no counters or storage in the bathrooms. The AC units are very confusing. I could go on, but you get the idea. It's just weird.

Olivia fills a water cooler for our house guard
- to her left is the water distiller

On the plus side, all of our furniture is brand new. We have 2 flat screen TVs, and the internet was set up and ready to go. The embassy had beautiful wood baby gates made for the top and bottom of all the staircases. We have 4 bedrooms and had one set up as a home office. The kitchen, dining room, laundry room, living room and hallways are incredibly big. So big you park a couple SUVs in each. In terms of space and rooms, it’s everything I could want in a house.

Wednesday Aaron went to work with the guy he's replacing, while I did some unpacking and the kids tried out the local cereal and yogurt and watched TV - all 11 channels on AFN. They all fell asleep in the middle of the morning! Aaron and his colleague came to pick us up at noon, and we went to the embassy for lunch and to meet people. So we also got our first real look at Mauritania (since it was dark when we landed).

Nick and Natalie in the upstairs hall

This is definitely a third-world African country. This place is gritty. It's hot. People walk around in flowing robes, goats run around freely, and most of the cars look like they should have been scrapped years ago. It reminds me of the little towns we'd drive through outside Tunis and Carthage.

That afternoon we got our first mail: 15 boxes from Amazon, Target, and family! The kids had a ball tearing open the boxes - it was funny to watch their reaction - one box would have toys for them, the next, a hundred rolls of toilet paper, then junk food, then garbage bags....

My sponsor came and watched the kids so I could go out and get some groceries with another helpful embassy person, who showed me where the best butcher, grocery and bakery are. I was pleasantly surprised to find a good selection of food and other supplies. The shops were clean and workers friendly.

Thursday, our first shipment of belongings was delivered, and it was fun to start unpacking the stuff we had not seen since December. The fun has worn off and now we are just feeling overwhelmed and like it will never get done. I wish Aaron did not have to hit the ground running, but his counterpart is gone, so he’s working a lot already.

Friday brought more unpacking and putting things together, trying to figure out where to put it all. In the evening we went to the Marine house happy hour; always a good time!!

Olivia under her bed net

On Saturday I went on a shopping adventure. My new friends, a young couple, helped me find everything on my list. To get it all, we had to hit 3 different stores, the outdoor market, and the “bread guy.” Grocery shopping here is not for the faint-hearted. I think it’s kind of like a game, but not one I will always feel like playing.

The other end of the playroom

Sunday brought a new set of challenges as Aaron went to work for the first full day, and our new housekeeper started. Having a housekeeper is a great luxury, for sure, and I really like ours. BUT – it’s an uncomfortable thing for me too, because I’m not used to telling other adults what to do and how to do it!! Also, I was raised as a good Dutch girl, who always fully expected to keep her own house clean, the beds made and real meals on the table. Watching someone else fold our laundry, clean toilets, mop floors and such just makes me feel weird. It will be even more nerve-wracking though, when I leave my baby with the housekeeper and go to work. I want to do it, but I don’t want to do it. Does anyone else feel the same way??

It's all the details here....this is our living room ceiling

Living here is going to be a huge challenge. There are no parks, no theaters, no stores you want to linger in. No bowling alleys, no libraries (not English ones anyway), no fabulous restaurants. No churches, no family, no old friends. If someone offered to fly us all home tomorrow, I’d take them up on it. We’re sort of stuck here, but we’ll try to make the best of it. We’re here together, and will really appreciate simple pleasures: playing card games, meeting new people, a box sent from home, a fresh baguette, the kids’ school play.

Next up: “Feeding an American Family in Mauritania”

The kitchen

The boys in front of the huge
storage closet handmade by
embassy employees

2 of our baby gates - to the right is the
stairway going down and to the left, going
up to the roof - we piled it with empty boxes

handmade pantry