moved out/in

i've just made the move from chez becky to chez thomas. it's a beast of a house overlooking the congo river and brazzaville. i'm in the backyard right now, sitting on patio furniture, acknowledging the compound dog, and taking in the overcast view. i'm house and pet sitting (one dog, four cats, a parrot) for the next month. the tasks i'm responsible would be fairly simple if i wasn't allergic to most of the animals in the house. i'll have to include a dose of allergy meds along with my anti malaria meds every morning. one huge advantage of living here is access to a chef 5 days of the week. we've begun to prepare the menu for the 3 course meals that myself and the rest of smallpower will be indulging in while i'm staying here. although we already have cooks at the smallpower compound, the menu has left much to be desired. usually we have starch heavy lunches, rice and foufou and plantains, with some meat that is drowned in msg and oil. these meals are appreciated but having some variety, some healthy variety, is very welcomed.