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I am home. After being away at a 3-day conference, then a mini vacation in Ghana, I arrived back into Abidjan. Antoine, one of our drivers, greeted me at the airport with a handshake. He then smiled and dangled house keys in front of my face: “You’ve got electricity”. I’ve been waiting weeks for this phrase. WEEKS.

Backtrack. After 30 days of arriving in Abidjan, I had finally found my one-bedroom apartment with a mini garden. Thirty-one days later, after back-and-forth with lawyers, my contract was settled and signed. I was to move in November 1. By then, I was already getting antsy. My temporary studio apartment/hotel was too tiny for me and there wasn’t much to do in the area. My new apartment is fairly large: one bed room, shower room, water closet, large kitchen, living room and laundry room. Moreover, it’s close to restaurants, grocery stores, boutiques and my friends’ places. So why couldn’t I move in? I had neither electricity nor water. My company has been helping me out, including dealing with the electricity and water companies. They were reassured by the companies that all would be hooked up in 48 hours. They must have said this every 48 hours because I was promised that I’d move in on Tuesday – no? Thursday – no, this weekend – nope, next weekend – no, positively, absolutely on Monday… oh, wait.

I asked why I couldn’t move in on all those days. I was told that while the utilities were paid, an agent who goes to individual places to manually hook up the water and electricity wanted money – about 2,000-3,000 FCFA ($4-6). Essentially, a bribe. “It’s Cote d’Ivoire,” I was told at least three times, “we’re not a developed country; we’re corrupt”. Fan--tastic.

Last Tuesday, I decided to pack up all my things from my hotel and store it at my boss’ house. I learned that water was finally installed, but not the electricity. I told my hotel that I was leaving the next morning. I told a co-worker (he’d been meeting with utility companies to sort things out) that I’d be away for a week. I was coming back on the following Tuesday – my place better have electricity because there’d be no where else I could go. I had given my mini-ultimatum.

So here I am in my new apartment. A few of the drivers dropped off a few furniture items that I had gotten polished and re-varnished. After I got back from Ghana, I spent the rest of the evening rearranging and assembling furniture. I’m still missing a few things: a couch, gas containers for my stove, washing machine, decorations and some shelves, but that’ll come soon. As long as I have my bed, water and electricity, I am at home.