The drama continues with 'the nipmint.' To update, the shipment arrived...it was 'held' for a month in a bonded warehouse in town while they, the Zambian Revenue Authority, decided if we needed to pay duty because we were in violation of the mysterious "6 month" rule. Normally goods that arrive after 6 months from when your work permit is issued are taxed to the tune of 92%. Because (1) the permit was issued in November, (2) it wasn't delivered to Seattle until the end of January (3) we didn't move until mid-March and because (4) the shipment took from March to August to actually get to Lusaka, we are long past this magical 6 month window. The ZRA decision? we do, we don't... oh, wait....we DO owe. During the 'we don't' part of the negotiations the shipping company was able to get the stuff released and delivered to #24. 
Fortunately or unfortunately for us the day prior to it's delivery we were given 'notice' at our place and instead of UN-packing to finally move in, we are PACKING to move. As you can see from the pics, we have unpacked quite a lot - furniture and toys and we 'set up' the living room and the playroom and remain surrounded by cardboard boxes and suitcases. In a stroke of very good luck and incredible timing our good friends and right-next-door neighbors are moving from Zambia back temporarily to Holland where they wait to see about where in the world they will work next. 
They have been in Zambia about 5 years and in Lusaka just over a year. They hope to come back to Africa where they both have lived for the past 15 years or so - Bisseau, Rwanda, Congo....the list goes on. Anyway, the joke, before we knew we were going to be moving was that when they left we would take over their place and just thrown our stuff over the fence. Who knew it would actually 
happen. We'll miss this lovely american style villa but the new house will be wonderful - the garden is better and the pool much more kid-friendly...the shallow end is actuall...shallow! Mostly, it will be nice to be in a house that feels like 'home' and in a house where I feel like I can finally UNPACK in! I'll have lots of nice clean walls to paint....after I paint over my projects here. Shame, eh?We'll move there October 1st and the Grandparents will get a good rest from the long trip over the Atlantic and....get to help us unpack! (Right, Jane?! Bev? Hugh?!!)
1 comment:
It's such a disappointment you'll have to paint over all your wonderful artwork. But the new place sounds like such a better fit for the clan.
About the shipment duty - since you were able to get your belongings during the "you don't have to pay" phase of their decision, is there any chance ZRA will later try to collect a duty after changing their minds to "you do owe?"
How complicated. Did you pack plenty of Excedrin?
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