A Few Little Randoms

So it has been a little weird to be in this apartment with just the things we brought with us in our suitcases. We bought a pot, and a few food essentials but we are truly running this apartment with a skeleton crew of items. Kind of Box Car Children-ish really. Sometimes fun and other times it makes me a bit...homesick. I was reading this book and it had this lovely little poem in it that struck a chord with me.

When of thy worldly goods

Thou find thyself bereft,

And from the goodly store

Two loaves alone are left.

Sell one, and with the dole

Buy hyacinths to feed the soul.

That night, Nathan (intuitively?) came back with Kohen's balloons and these Stargazer Lilies. Not exactly hyacinths but even better as far as I'm concerned. They really made me feel better immediately. Made it feel more like a home.

Now a few randoms that've been on my mind. First of all, it should be known that if an American health inspector walked into half of the little restaurants around here and conducted an inspection, I can't imagine many of them passing. All the tanks where they hold live sea food and such, ick. And for the record- I do not like shrimp served with their heads on. Those beady little eyes glaring up at you accusingly? Appetite gone immediately.

The ladies were really sweet at this particular place though. As soon as we walked in one was fawning over Kennedy and in broken English told her she looked like a Barbie. Then the two ladies came over to the table and were just intrigued with Aly, her fair coloring I think? They kept rubbing her cheeks and running their fingers through her hair talking about her curls. It sounds kinda weird but they were sweet ladies and Aly didn't seem to mind so I didn't either. Until they brought the shrimp with the eyes that is. I guess that's how they are usually served here. *shiver*

Now the whole thing with people giving our children stuff? Well, I've made some personal progress in that area. The other day the downstairs neighbor came to the door trying to motion to Nathan that the ceiling in his bathroom, under our bathroom, was leaking. We are renting the place from an older guy named Ivan. Ivan's a great guy. While the plumber has had to come yesterday and today (and likely tomorrow) Ivan comes and sits right by the bathroom and watches the worker trying to make as little inconvenience for us as possible, we can then leave to our appointments and such without worry about a random worker in the house.

Anyway, Ivan gave each of the kids a candy the other day and at least 2 of them had them opened and in their mouths before Kennedy read the wrapper, "coffee" candy. Then the dilemma. We don't drink coffee, this is clear, however coffee flavored candy doesn't actually have coffee in it so it was a weird gray area in the moment. I eventually told Kenna she could eat it if she wanted but that really we didn't need to be eating coffee flavored anything. Cut to the next day. Ivan, wanting to be nice, brings handfuls of the little candies and is passing them out to the kids. The kids were bringing them to me telling me, "I don't really like these" and handing me a bunch of them. That's when I decided, as kind as people are to us and as much as I hate to make someone feel offended- I can't spend the next 3 years just letting my kids have Coke or tea, or coffee candy whenever someone offers it. Sheesh, next thing you know someone will be offering our kids Sake (I know, I know that's actually Japanese) and should I just let them have it so as not to seem ungracious? That's ridiculous. So I've decided from now on I will speak up and try to refuse the things we don't partake in as graciously as possible. It just causes more problems when I don't stand up for what we believe in immediately. Does that make sense?

And lastly- I went in by myself and made my first grocery store purchases the other day. It was all going fine, I saw the total, $787 - got the proper bills and then the girl started going off in Chinese. But never fear, I quickly deduced she was asking if I wanted any bags (5 cents each). Pretty slick, for a first solo run if I do say so myself.