New to the country, relocating from US to Abijan.

ok dear sister, will be very glad to meet you, to see you in flesh, to get in touch with you when u reach the ivorian soil!
i'm a french speaking person and will be glad to have you nearby as a friend or more(who knows), to help me also in some sens, to improve my english standard too!!! ok???

Hi alain2013!

Please note that this is not a dating site.

Thanks
Armand

thanks for enlightening me dude!!!

Hi,

I have the similar issues with the language barrier, i do not speak French and Im looking to meet other expats in Abidjan that are English speaking. I could not believe how expensive is the life in Abidjan, especially the housing. Cheapest flat goes up to 1000 eur which is much more expensive then any european city. Anyway up tp now I could not find any fun entartaiment as all TV and cinemas are in French so it is very boring for english speaker. Looking forward to hear your thoughts on this.

lol I feel you pain. I just arrived on friday and I spent all weekend watching skiing because it was the only show i could find where i didn't need a translation to understand. A friend of mine that lives here told me that ALOT of expats live in the Macory (i think thats how you spell it ) area. Im not too familiar with the area, only been there once but i know there is an Ibis Hotel located there, so if you find that hotel then you are in the right place. Not sure if you are into Reggae but there is a nice Reggae lounge there too(it beats sitting in the house all day)

Yes you are very correct, i have noticed ow expensive it is here. I was hoping to buy some new electronics here but was told it was better for me to buy it somewhere else.

I was actualy just in Holland not too long ago. Looooved it, but the cold was getting too me.
I hung out and Amsterdam and had a great time

Yes tennis and skiing that is all I can watch...I have been only to the pharmacy in the Marcory area, it is close to my place I live close to the shopping mol Cap sud..in some expat compound or whetever they call it here. I like reggae will try to check out that place you mentioned. Looks like everyone prefers to hang out at the 2 shopping centers and home so pretty boring.

Did you manage to find cheaper housing then 1000 EUR per month?

Great to hear you were in Amsterdam...my top favorite city actually a bit of sureal now when I compare it to this reality here.

Hey girl, i know how you feel lol, But do not worry you will get use to it soon. About the housing, when my family and i was living in ingre 8eme trench, we were paying 10 mill cfa a month, not bad. It was a beautiful house. you should check out the houses in Ingre, they have beautiful houses there with good price. ALSO living here, you have to know how to argue prices with people, don't just accept the price they offer, because some will corporate with you on bringing down the price. Plus when going to the open markets, it's always best to go with someone that speaks one of the native languages. I speak Djoula which is the most popular native tongue spoken here, and i notice the people sell stuff to me at a cheaper price to when i speak french with them. =-) so do not worry it will take some time to get use too.

Peace!

for the house i meant to say 300,000 cfa a month, it was 3 bedroom and the area was gated....now for the 10 milli cfa part that was for the gas LOL ... my bad =-)

Hai
U Got it spot on ....no entertainment  here looking forward to meet people who spakes English ..!!

U Can ring me up in 06393537

Wish to have a good fun time

Ranjith

I dont want to go back to the US, but i think im officially home sick. Does anyone here that doesnt speak french or only speak it alittle get frusterated at times with the barrier? How does one find things to do on the weekends here and a taxi that understands english? Please help, im feeling desperate now. In the US im use to having independence, finding what i need and getting it myself, but with my lack of french here, im always having to rely on others, even for simple things

Hi,

I also don't speak French but I manage to get things, explaining with hands mostly at the markets and shops. It is very difficult to keep positive attitude here as the only place that you can go is Prima, Capsud, where you can't even get a decent relaxed coffee as we are all use to be very independent.

Me and my fiancee are hanging out mostly at our flat, not going out in the night cause of the horrible police checks on the roads, and on weekends maybe get a coffee outside so we won't go insane sitting at the house non stop. Restaurants are very expensive, taking a simple walk on the streets is a nightmare cause of the taxis beeping at you, not to mention the horrible weather.
I also paid for English channels so I got CNN, BBC and Euronews, that helps a little bit to keep your sanity or going to the gym helps also as heard from few colleagues. There is a hash group that use to organize once a month getting together for expats, if I hear anything I will let you know.