Stumbling Toward the Light

For those who have been moseying over here the past month or so hoping for new entries in the ongoing saga "Life As A Rookie American Ex-Pat in Africa," my apologies for having left updating for so long. I will try to encapsulate what's been going on since last entry as follows.
( In which we finally encounter African fandom, get some new neighbors and have to haul Songbird to an eye doctor. )