To my guy readers, you won't appreciate this, but to you ladies, you'll totally understand my utter amazement and total excitement when I found the perm products for my hair. I bought a dozen boxes of the stuff before I left Sacramento because I had no idea whether I could find it here. Because of weight restrictions, I could only bring two. A friend will mail the remainder as soon as I get a mailing address, but it's no hurry now because I can find it locally.
Speaking of mailing, the test postcard and package arrived in New York on the 16th. I mailed it on the 5th. It was supposed to take three days. Oh well, considering how far it had to travel, I'm OK with that. More than anything, I'm happy it arrived.
On more thing about mail - I went to rent a post office box, but I was advised against it until January because of the rate. If I purchased it now, it would cost $25 for about two weeks. If I wait unil January, I'll pay $73 for the year. So, soon and very soon, I'll have a way to receive mail. YEAH! I didn't realize how much I missed it.
Side note - I hope you don't mind my sharing a few of the latest pictures of Zadie Faye, my one year old granddaughter.
Thank God for the Google Boys and all of the tech folks who have made it such an ease to get information and keep in touch. As recently as 2005 when my son Ben was living and working in Indonesia, the communication via email was primitive and seems archaic by today's standards. Last week, I emailed a friend asking her to share a document, and I had the response immediately. Even though we're 10,000 miles apart. I still haven't figured out how radios work, so I have no earthly idea how this magic happens, I'm just very glad that it does, again and again. Can you imagine what the world will look like when Zadie, is grown? Space age, for sure!
Random Thoughts:
I was too tired to post last night. Yesterday was another long day of getting my new home set up. Lots of back and forth. It was long, but very productive.
I tried hanging curtains last night because I wanted them up first, but I will take advantage of hiring someone to do it. Those of you who know me well, know that I'm pretty self-sufficient. I did everything in my home myself - hanging things, setting up the computer, and hooking up the electronics. However, the ceiling is high and I'm not comfortable on the top rung of the six-foot ladder, so I'll get one of the maintenance men to do it.
The curtains need to be up because the windows open up to the main street of the complex. The natural light is wonderful, but to avoid being caught with my pants down, so to speak, I need the privacy that the window coverings will bring.
Grocery carts are called trolleys. I know because I walked out of a store with my hands full and promptly fell down the steps leading to my car. Thankfully, I landed square on my bottom. When I did, an Emirati man who witnessed this escapade, asked me why I didn't use a trolley. The issue wasn't the bags really, it was something wet on the marble sidewalk that I didn't see in time.
I'm fascinated by the sidewalks here. I think because Ben was in a wheelchair for months and a dear friend uses a motorized chair, I'm probably more conscious than most about level ground and smooth curbs. It appears, this country has neither. It is a contrast of the old and new in streets and curbs, too. Some sidewalks are made of cobblestone - rough and bumpy. Others are marble - smooth and shiny. It is not uncommon to find open holes in the sidewalk, or wooden planks covering most of an opening in the street. So, note to self - always be careful where you're walking.
I tried to upgrade my hooptie car for a nicer model yesterday, when I discovered breaking the monthly contract would mean being charged an exorbitant price. I opted to keep it instead. The issue is not so much the car itself, but the rank smell of cigarettes inside it. You don't realize how offensive old, stale, lingering cigarette smoke can be until it engulfs your very being. Funny, I love the smell of cigars, but cigarettes, no so much.
There was a display of Camel Cigarettes that caught my eye in the store yesterday. Do they still sell them in the US?
Most cars here have black windows, not just tinted dark, but totally black. I'm guessing it's to keep the fierce sun out, but you can rarely see the other driver.
I switched over to a Mac laptop just before I left Sacramento. Boy, was that a shock to my system. I owned an iPhone and was thrilled with its ease of use, and expected the same thing with the Apple laptop. Not so at all for me. It was lesson after lesson in frustration. Thank God for my brother Forrest who talked me off the ledge several times when I was ready the chuck this sucker and then jump. I made dozens of trips to the Apple Store to get help. Thankfully, I'm good to go now. When I got the Mac, I needed to transfer all of the files from my PC to it, which went fine, but somehow I lost my iTunes library in the shuffle. Today, I found it. YEAH!!!
You don't realize how much you lipread when you're talking to someone, until that option is not available. Most of the native women wear veils over their faces, so when talking to them, their mouths are covered. It is so much harder to understand what they're saying without the benefit of seeing their mouths.
Women are not bothered here. The men are very respectful of the women. No unwanted advances, no impromptu encounters (unless the woman initiates it), no hassles of any kind. I think that's why it's so safe for women to be out late at night alone. Of course, I'm rarely out after the sun goes down, but on those rare late nights, I wasn't anxious or fearful for my safety.
Last thought - I am so thankful for the wisdom that comes with growing older. I don't think I could have made this kind of drastic change in my life when I was younger. Somehow with age, you recognize that somehow, some way, things will work out. As I like to say, the sun will rise in the east and set in the west, so rest assured, everything will be OK. Maybe not as soon as we want them to be, but eventually, all will be well in the world - your world - again. Maybe it's not just wisdom, but faith too, that has helped me to reach this understanding about life. Whatever it is, it's a good place to be, and I'm very grateful for it.
Speaking of mailing, the test postcard and package arrived in New York on the 16th. I mailed it on the 5th. It was supposed to take three days. Oh well, considering how far it had to travel, I'm OK with that. More than anything, I'm happy it arrived.
On more thing about mail - I went to rent a post office box, but I was advised against it until January because of the rate. If I purchased it now, it would cost $25 for about two weeks. If I wait unil January, I'll pay $73 for the year. So, soon and very soon, I'll have a way to receive mail. YEAH! I didn't realize how much I missed it.
Side note - I hope you don't mind my sharing a few of the latest pictures of Zadie Faye, my one year old granddaughter.
 |
| Pensive |
Thank God for the Google Boys and all of the tech folks who have made it such an ease to get information and keep in touch. As recently as 2005 when my son Ben was living and working in Indonesia, the communication via email was primitive and seems archaic by today's standards. Last week, I emailed a friend asking her to share a document, and I had the response immediately. Even though we're 10,000 miles apart. I still haven't figured out how radios work, so I have no earthly idea how this magic happens, I'm just very glad that it does, again and again. Can you imagine what the world will look like when Zadie, is grown? Space age, for sure!
Random Thoughts:
I was too tired to post last night. Yesterday was another long day of getting my new home set up. Lots of back and forth. It was long, but very productive.
I tried hanging curtains last night because I wanted them up first, but I will take advantage of hiring someone to do it. Those of you who know me well, know that I'm pretty self-sufficient. I did everything in my home myself - hanging things, setting up the computer, and hooking up the electronics. However, the ceiling is high and I'm not comfortable on the top rung of the six-foot ladder, so I'll get one of the maintenance men to do it.
 |
| A casual meal |
Grocery carts are called trolleys. I know because I walked out of a store with my hands full and promptly fell down the steps leading to my car. Thankfully, I landed square on my bottom. When I did, an Emirati man who witnessed this escapade, asked me why I didn't use a trolley. The issue wasn't the bags really, it was something wet on the marble sidewalk that I didn't see in time.
I'm fascinated by the sidewalks here. I think because Ben was in a wheelchair for months and a dear friend uses a motorized chair, I'm probably more conscious than most about level ground and smooth curbs. It appears, this country has neither. It is a contrast of the old and new in streets and curbs, too. Some sidewalks are made of cobblestone - rough and bumpy. Others are marble - smooth and shiny. It is not uncommon to find open holes in the sidewalk, or wooden planks covering most of an opening in the street. So, note to self - always be careful where you're walking.
 |
| That was soooo good! |
I tried to upgrade my hooptie car for a nicer model yesterday, when I discovered breaking the monthly contract would mean being charged an exorbitant price. I opted to keep it instead. The issue is not so much the car itself, but the rank smell of cigarettes inside it. You don't realize how offensive old, stale, lingering cigarette smoke can be until it engulfs your very being. Funny, I love the smell of cigars, but cigarettes, no so much.
There was a display of Camel Cigarettes that caught my eye in the store yesterday. Do they still sell them in the US?
Most cars here have black windows, not just tinted dark, but totally black. I'm guessing it's to keep the fierce sun out, but you can rarely see the other driver.
 |
| Enjoying a book |
You don't realize how much you lipread when you're talking to someone, until that option is not available. Most of the native women wear veils over their faces, so when talking to them, their mouths are covered. It is so much harder to understand what they're saying without the benefit of seeing their mouths.
Women are not bothered here. The men are very respectful of the women. No unwanted advances, no impromptu encounters (unless the woman initiates it), no hassles of any kind. I think that's why it's so safe for women to be out late at night alone. Of course, I'm rarely out after the sun goes down, but on those rare late nights, I wasn't anxious or fearful for my safety.
Last thought - I am so thankful for the wisdom that comes with growing older. I don't think I could have made this kind of drastic change in my life when I was younger. Somehow with age, you recognize that somehow, some way, things will work out. As I like to say, the sun will rise in the east and set in the west, so rest assured, everything will be OK. Maybe not as soon as we want them to be, but eventually, all will be well in the world - your world - again. Maybe it's not just wisdom, but faith too, that has helped me to reach this understanding about life. Whatever it is, it's a good place to be, and I'm very grateful for it.
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