Own Home

Suddenly, everything happens quickly. You've been in Kenya for less than two weeks and you've already moved into your own apartment, or, to be more precise, rented one. It was time for us to leave the AirBnB at the start of the week and settle into our own four walls.
Since Wednesday of last week, we've been driving back and forth. My boyfriend began receiving various offers without me. I'm extremely grateful for that; it was undoubtedly the best solution. If I continued to be involved, the prices would double or triple. This meant I could take my time obtaining various offers, and the final decision was up to me. When it came to making a choice, it was: "Now Madame is here, and she makes the final decision!" Young women are referred to as Madame, while men are frequently addressed as Boss.

Our apartment is still in Kisumu, but it is located just outside of the city. Now I can't just walk into town and have to take a boda boda for 100 /= (Kenyan shillings). That's €0.57 for 4.2 kilometers. I'd be in the city center in an hour by foot, which isn't a big deal for me, but it's not my first choice on hot days. The best thing about this apartment is that we are in the countryside and in a relatively quiet area. Now I can get to know the city from a different angle.
There is no rental contract here, and we only pay the monthly rent. We are generally required to pay room rent, water, and internet. Overall, it comes to less than €150 per month. So we can move out at any time without incurring significant costs.

How do we go about buying furniture here? That is an adventure in and of itself, and it is very casual. All of the furniture is handmade and thus unique, but a model is frequently produced multiple times by different sellers. My friend drove around to find the best deal. The sofa prices ranged from 32 000/= to 23 000/= (182 € - 131€). Of course, we chose the cheapest ones because the quality was good. You can buy furniture on the side of the road or in larger markets. We went to the market near our Airbnb. There was a covered open hall with sofas, tables, and cupboards. After you have selected and paid for your furniture, it is loaded onto a tuck tuck. Yes, as a whole. Except for the bed, which we disassembled and reassembled in the apartment. 
You can find everything you need to live on the streets or at the market. Of course, they are also available in stores. We got the crockery and bedding there. We then purchased the mattress from another retailer, who offered us a lower price and free delivery on the Boda Boda.

We moved from one apartment to another in just five days. We now have all of the necessities, but we still need carpets, a wardrobe, clothespins, hangers, mosquito net hooks, and so on.... 
Oh, I love our living room table! We got it from a gas station. We were filling up when a man arrived with two tables. Without further ado, we decided to take the larger one. We loaded it into the car and paid precisely 2,000/= (11€) for it. In the market, we would have paid more than twice as much. My friend then told me, "That's how you shop in Africa, Alina!" That's correct, and I love it!