1st Christmas in Ouaga

Our first Christmas in Ouagadougou
We've been enjoying the clement weather (nights down to 17 and the pool a chilly now 22)

Our local supermarket (Bingo) which opened the week we moved in has been slowly building up a head of steam and now has fully stocked shelves and food in the chiller cabinet

They've gone a bit OTT on the Christmas preparations






scary Nazi saluting Santa


lots of expensive import goodies, but what the hell this gelified rat is supposed to represent I don't know

Ouaga corners have sprung up grottos, concrete and or paper mache, and so bad they are just bad, but not yet good...corners also sport blow up santas, and spindly trees (see vid 2 below if you dare)
lots of lights around the city, pity they can't afford basic infrastructure though...



thousand apologies for the videos, I'm no Scorsese obviously.

House pt 5, Master bed and bathroom

Not super exciting, but the 4 poster bed is a huge improvement over our previous string from the ceiling system in Kigali






Revamped bathroom including shower wall to prevent the loo being showered too

home sweet homes

House pt 4, living room

The christmas tree and decorations are up...looking a bit lost but this is the living room

and the imigongo in the hall

House pt 3 - study, loo and guest room

Basket filled loo


Busy study - still a work in progress for the next four years!

The guestroom is not very cosy just yet, but we promise to primp it should anyone come, at the moment its where I practise yoga, and offers a getaway in case either of us is having a bad night

Sunday stroll

I'm not sure if we mentioned that we live right next to an empty lot which is pretty much used as a rubbish dump...

3 guesses what the function of the rock on a string is..

anyway last Sunday we took a stroll round the neighbourhood i.e. through the dump

I was fascinated by the number of abandoned shoes













We also live near the children's road safety centre - I wish some of the other road users i.e. the motorcyclists had been taught about the signs too!


rock on a string is to support the bougainvillea on the other side of the wall of course!

House pt 2 - laundry and dressing room

we changed the smallest bathroom in the world to a washroom - which was a long project because it was so small so only one person could work at a time - the room was retiled and rejigged in such a way that when we leave, the sink and loo just need to be plumbed in again - unfortunately they are being "stored" next to the house along with an old water heater, water pump etc which gives that side of the house a very Steptoe and son vibe!

So there is just room for the washer and dryer to be stacked, and an IKEA omar unit with washing powder etc. Klein maar fijn (small but good)

The third bedroom is our dressing room, lined with wardrobes and where Habibou irons and the washing finishes drying - we part tumble dry, and let it finish inside - only inside drying is makes the room humid, only tumble drying scares me after a shrunken jumper back in the 80s, and we don't dry outside despite the high temperatures and 360 day per year sunny-ness - its also incredibly dusty here - its possible to write your name in the dust on the terrace after just one day!

ps sorry for the sideways pics, haven't figured out how to turn them with new software!

House pt 1 Kitchen and dining room

Well thought it was about time to 1) try blogo software to update the blog as its easier to upload photos, and 2) as the house is pretty much finished now to post some pictures of it

Despite this being the biggest and probably fanciest kitchen I've ever had - its still full and a bit messy....and there are not enough work surfaces! also after being used to a walk in larder with lots of not too deep shelves in Kigali its taking some time to get used to proper (Bruynzeel) kitchen cupboards, where things get lost in the back!


Dining room is under-utilised as we have a table in the garden, one on the terrace, and one in the living room...as well as mostly using trays..

Wie kent hem niet

Yesterday Sinterklaas came to the residence to visit the dutch (and belgian) kids.

We offered our house as safe haven for the transformation. Five white people entered our house and four black ones and an old man with stick and funny hat left.















Andre became Dracula, Dracula because Sint.



















Ready to go to a masked ball.



















GI Joe with war mask.

Because it was so far away he had to leave his horse in The Netherlands. He came the last bit by donkey cart.





























Faces varying from scared to excited and not a clue what's going on, as Sint is arriving.

Chocolatepiet left chocolate in the sun, now there was only chocolatemilk. Luckily headpiet had secured some chocolate letters.















Considering the circumstances the kids were reasonably quiet. The teacher and the four Piets helped.















In the background there was a organist, this broke the silence a bit, very good idea.
















Kids listening to the wise words of Sint. Luckily there were no bad kids.















Everybody left happy with their present and full of pepernoten and taai.