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So as some people know, I was supposed to move into my own house a few weeks ago. Well, that never happened for a few reasons. Instead of going into great detail. I figure I should show you my options that I had in the lovely village of Yo Creek.
This was my first option that I was told about. Never really a true option because it needed so much work but the nice thing about it was it is free. It used to be the old teacher's house at the school in case one of the teachers didn't live in the village and worked late, they could stay here. The only thing nice about this place is the walls. It has 1 room and all the windows and doors would have to be replaced as well as the latrine (outhouse).
This was house #2. It was very nice nice. It was just built and had amazing things in it like tile flooring in the bathroom. Let me not mention again that it had indoor plumbing which is a big decider if you want to go cheap or if you want to live like a king. This is the house that on the way, my counterpart Damian mentioned that we should not pay more than $100bz for this because houses are very cheap in the village and it was pretty small. It also was very close to the next house and had no backyard. The guy wanted $350. Enough said. Story over.
House #3 was just finished as well and had a small living room and 1 bedroom. It had an outdoor shower and a latrine in the back of the yard. This was $100 a month and I would have gone for it had other options not come about. My only draw back was the latrine. I don't mind walking to the toilet, but I drink far too much water to want to do it a few times each night. I'm not in Toledo, I deserve better.
House #4 was the winner. I thought so at least. I had agreed to the owners that I would rent this place for $150 a month and split water/electricity with them each month. I would live in the house on the bottom and the couple would live upstairs. The only problem was there were no screens on the window and in the back (where the walls are not sea foam green) the walls did not go to the ceiling. This is where my bathroom and kitchen would have been. Not the ideal situation with flies and mosquitoes but whatever. I went last Monday to pick up the keys and the guy told me that because they were fixing the screens and the wall that they would have to charge me more. $250 a month. I wanted to cry. I told him I wouldn't do that. He said that he had other people who wanted to rent. We all knew that was a damn lie because no one in the village pays more than $100 unless the house is very nice nice. I left with the key called Damian to tell him I was getting screwed. Again. This was one of my first "what the hell am I doing here?" moments when the only people that seemed to want to help me were the people I work for and everyone else just saw me as a dollar sign. It was especially stressing because I knew Anna and Cody would be here any day and I now had nowhere to put them up.
He told me not to do anything and he would take care of it as soon as he got home. It was much later when he got home but finally he came home and told me he had something figured out for me. Never could I have ever realized how lucky I was.
This is my house that I will move into on Friday. My things are already inside.
It will be $200 a month, which is more than I wanted to pay, but much nicer than I ever expected. It has real windows (not wooden shutters) and tile floors throughout the entire house. It even has a crystal chandelier. There are 3 bedroom. The master bedroom will be locked because that is where the family will store their things. So items like the hot/cold shower, the a/c unit, and the jacuzzi bathtub will not be available to me. shucks. The family is moving to Houston for 3 years to make some money so they can pay for the house that I will be living in. I know, it makes no sense, but I wont ask questions.
I knew the house would be for rent but I never thought in a million years that I could ever afford it. The rumor is that it would be around $700 a month. $200 is a bit less than that especially when you convert it into US dollars. I will have my own room and a guest room. The kitchen is huge, and the family room is so big I don't know what to do with it. I think it will be similar to the house in the movie "Garden State" where the guy has a huge house and no furniture inside of it. I told Christen, the volunteer in OW, that she can use the big room as her yoga studio. I have no other use for it.
So in the end, looking for a house sucked. But it all worked out. It always does. That's how life seems to work, at least for me. And for those of you that say I'm not "roughing it" enough? Who cares? I'm fat, happy, and probably living in the nicest house I'll ever live in. It's not exactly what I signed up for, but I'll take it.
December 9, 2009 at 5:39 PM
Congratulations!
December 9, 2009 at 10:18 PM
only you kevin! but hey you have a guest room so... spring break belieze?!
December 11, 2009 at 1:45 PM
Sweet mother that is insane! The Kev's in Belize couldn't be living a more different life. Oh I am going to do a post with your link...and put your link on my sidebar too. Lets join powers and start ourselves one crazy KEV-O-LUTION!!!!
January 13, 2010 at 5:01 PM
dude, nice digs. you must be making bank ;) which one is my room?