Home . . . is where the heart is?

Then my heart must NOT be here.

Because this is place doesn’t feel like home.

I’m just going to put it out there – I hate the bathroom.

I hate it.

I hate it.

I hate it.

On the first day, I quickly made a note of the problems and jokingly told them when I took the key.

On Saturday, I bumped into the maintenance man again.

I listened to all his stories.

I even broke out the few words of respect that I knew in Tagalog…very, very few

(Side note: The owner is Samoan but the manager/maintenance man is Filipino, and has been here for decades.)

Like…I would be embarrassed for you to pay the plane ticket and fly halfway around the world, and then make you answer nature’s call in THAT.  Tell nature to call back!

It is NOT uninhabitable…it’s just…no---not going to do it.  I will not commit the sight to words and have its infamy live forever on the internet!

I’ve already promised myself 30 days.  30 days to fix that bathroom or I am looking for a private flat elsewhere.

And it really makes me sad because now I am going to post pictures of the apartment and complex, which is really lovely. 

Let me take you on a tour!

I live at Freddie’s Beach.  It is located in Vaitogi Village, on the southern part of the island and right next door to the airport.  Google it.  You'll see.  Flights are not that frequent so it really is not a bother. It is quite secluded from the hustle and bustle of the island.  There are a lot of huge houses and mansions around here!

Here is the entrance. Note there is no sign whatsoever… like most streets here.   All I know is that I must turn right after huge pink house…not the pink one, but the HUGE pink one. Clear, right?

This is only one of two government complexes.  Actually it is privately owned and managed, the government just pays a flat fee each year.  I really don’t think that is good enough.  For the money that it pays, the government should pay a flat fee per habitable unit after annual inspection! Rant over.

We just follow that road to the left all the way down. And bamn, you are at my unit! I am flat #1!

My neighbor’s car is blocking it.  He lives above me.  I don’t think anyone lives next door.

Once you enter, the first thing you will see is my kitchen.

Tiny. Barely any storage.  All my oils and spices barely fit one cupboard!

But the refrigerator is brand new! Confession:  I haven’t opened the bottom cupboards.

I am too afraid of what may fly out!

If my kitchen hasn’t scared you away, let’s move on shall we?

This is my dining room.

It took two hours and a lot of elbow grease to discover the table’s original color.

Yay! Those lovely flowers are freshly cut from the garden of my supervisor’s mom.

She is a kind and awesome lady, who has family in Sacramento too.

Her house is lovely and she lets her garden grow wild with tropical flowers.

With her gift, I feel my butt unclench a little, and I start to actually imagine myself living here.

Here is my living room.

Yeah – it is bit drab.  I need to buy curtains.

I also need to borrow a vacuum. We are not allowed to have pets, but clearly someone had a white dog or cat. It is all over the couches!  I also plan on buying some fabric to cover that dreary office gray blue.

Side note:  That huge fan is awesome. It is worth every penny. I feel like Beyonce every time I turn it on.

I know at this point you are thinking, “Where is my room?”

Well, feast your eyes on luxury unparallelled:

I know I keep joking, but I actually like this room a lot.

It gets a lot of sunlight and a constant ocean breeze.

What color shall I decorate it?

And now – my boudoir…

I need to get queen size sheets for this baby…and pillows…

But you really don’t need anything else….maybe a light sheet if there is a storm, but nothing more.

One doesn’t really need a mosquito net, but mosquitoes seem to devour me even in Sacramento, and I didn’t want to take a chance.  So yes I went to Ikea and happily paid $15 for peace of mind.

I really love that I have my own backyard.

And yes, that is a clothesline.

But my neighbor has a washer and dryer and promised that I could use it every week.

Oh, he doesn’t know what can of worms he opened. I hope you weren’t being polite, Mister, because I will become a weekly feature in your house.  I will try to bring homemade cookies or brownies.  And when you crash from your sugar rush, I will try to do two loads!

And just over that wall…

However, like all beaches in American Samoa, this is private land.

I guess I could ask politely to visit, but all those “NO TRESPASSING SIGNS” are telling me something…hmmm…

That maybe I should trespass!

A quick side view of my apartment from the road.

And tada!!!!

OMG! Gorgeous!  Right!

Shall I go on?  Hell no!

I stopped just at last No Trespassing sign, quickly took a picture, and ran away.

Hahahahaha!

Yeah, I had a great first week.

I am not about to spend my second week in jail!