Ivoirian Elections - Take 2

First, we should probably reassure you all that we are safe and well. The U.S. news agencies don’t tend to report on happenings in West Africa, so you may be unaware of the craziness going on in Cote d’Ivoire at present. We have been laying low for about a week now, limiting travel away from home. Yesterday, we remained inside all day.

For Cote d'Ivoire's first round of elections (held on October 31st), there were 14 candidates on the ballot. The voting results were announced without any major disturbances. However, no one candidate held a majority. This necessitated a second round of elections between the 2 front-runners (Alassane Ouattara and Laurent Gbagbo). The final presidential election took place on November 28th and the results were not favorable. Everyone was hoping for a clear winner, but the results of the popular vote held both candidates too near 50% for comfort. A convoluted series of events ensued and both men are claiming victory, so Cote d’Ivoire is in a bit of an uproar.

LAURENT GBAGBO

(incumbent)

lost the election

ALASSANE OUATTARA

(opposition party)

won the election

There have been scattered episodes of violence, but nothing nearby where we live. The Ivoirian military, UN troops, and the local police force seem to have a good handle on things, but the situation remains tense. The next few days will hopefully provide the country with some level of resolution. We surely hope the politicians and diplomats can sort the situation out. For details and updates, please feel free to contact us. Be assured that the Embassy is keeping us well-informed and we are not in any danger. In the meantime, we (and Cote d’Ivoire) would certainly appreciate your prayers.

Thanksgiving in Cote d'Ivoire

We celebrated Thanksgiving twice. On Thanksgiving Day, we went to a pot-luck at the Ambassador’s house. The food was pretty good and it made for a low-stress holiday because we only had to provide one dish. James had a great time because he spent the afternoon with his friend (Connor) chasing the antelope-like creatures that live in the Ambassador’s yard. As you can tell, it was very hot and tiring work.

Our second Thanksgiving was a bit tainted by the fervor surrounding the elections. We invited the missionaries who serve in our church congregation to come for a belated holiday meal and we prepared lots of yummy food. Unfortunately, (due to security concerns) their mission president had them on lock-down. So, at the last minute, we invited a bunch of single guys from the Embassy to help us consume part of the food. We delivered the remainder to the missionaries two days later and discovered that there are 14 (non-Ivoirian) missionaries lying-low in one apartment. So far, they’ve been indoors for a week. Talk about cabin fever! For their sakes, I hope political situation will stabilize quickly.

We have decided that (despite recent events) we really like it here. We hope that the situation will stabilize and we will be able to stay. In light of the ongoing social problems and the recently volatile political climate here in Cote d’Ivoire, our family is reminded daily that we have much to be grateful for. Our experiences here (both positive and negative) have served to strengthen our relationships and our faith.

We hope that you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving holiday as well. Enjoy the snow and the nip in the air for us! We will enjoy the 90 degree heat, the mangoes, and the canna lilies for you.

James chasing the antelope-like creatures. He called them "deer". No, he never caught them.

The Marine Ball

On November 20th, the Marine guards at the Embassy hosted the annual Marine Birthday Ball. This is an important Embassy event especially at smaller posts. Emily's friend Rachael (who is also our neighbor) invited her to help decorate the Embassy atrium. The event was lots of work, but was lots of fun too. (More than once, Em had flashbacks of wedding planning.) We think the results were pretty impressive. Just check out the photos…

The decorated atrium

Oscar, Jay, and Emily at the Marine Birthday Ball

Emily's hairdo: Yes, it is mostly fake hair. She let the stylist do whatever she wanted to. Yes, it was quite heavy.

Arrival of HHE and James is 3! Hooray!

Thankfully, we received our household effects (HHE) shipment early in the month. For James, rediscovering his old toys was even better than Christmas. He was exceedingly happy and walked around with a contented smile on his face for at least 2 days. After all of recent changes in his life, James was probably just relieved to have familiar things around him. His parents were almost as happy. We were glad to receive our belongings safe and sound (especially our mattress topper and kitchen items.) Prior to our move, one of our State Department friends told us that (for 3rd- world countries) it is a good idea to “arrive heavy and leave light”. After living here for a couple of months, we realize why he made that statement. Being without most of our stuff for 3 ½ months and seeing how few belongings the Ivoirians have has made us acutely aware that we could easily do without most of our physical possessions.

We have spent a good portion of the month arranging things around the house. The office and master bedroom still need some attention, but we’re getting close. Because of the climate here in West Africa, it is impossible to store anything outside (unless it’s plastic). Everything made of metal rusts and everything made of paper or fabric molds. So we have to store nearly everything indoors, including tools and garage items. We are fortunate that our house has a lot of built-in storage. After all that box maneuvering, we’re guessing we could kick anyone’s tail at TETRIS.




James turned 3 on November 8th. Since our shipment had just arrived, we had a small birthday celebration amongst the boxes and invited our neighbors. James wanted a Thomas cake again this year, so Emily came up with a new idea and Jay executed it with impressive results. James loved his Thomas “happy birthday cake”… It had buffers and everything!




Simon cut three upper incisors this month and the fourth should emerge soon. He enjoys eating so this is good news for him. He already weighs 22 pounds and is getting very strong. For a couple of months now, diaper changes have been a wrestling match and removing the remote control from his clutches has become nearly impossible. On the plus side, Simon’s hulk-like strength also translates into really great hugs.