Oddities I have noticed (or made up)

Here are a few things I have thought of recently, that I probably wouldn't think of in the States.

1. If you don't buy fruits or veggies from the produce man at the grocery store he won't get offended. In fact, he really won't care. Here, people will sell produce from bags on the corners of the streets (if they don't have an established shack from which to sell their goods). On my way to the shacks for some bananas, I passed a lady with tomatoes and green leafy stuff that she was trying to sell. Good on her but we aren't big into tomatoes, unless I have an avocado because then I can make guacamole and fajitas and we'll eat tomatoes. So I told the lady if I found an avocado then I'd buy her tomatoes. I bought bananas but no one had an avocado so as I was on my way home the lady tried to sell me the tomatoes again. I explained that I didn't get an avocado so I couldn't get the tomatoes. She kept telling me they were great tomatoes and it would all make a great salad and so forth and so on. I tried to explain that I have 5 kids at home that don't really eat salads and so I can't spend money on stuff I'm afraid we won't eat. She really seemed put out and almost offended that I wouldn't buy her produce.

2. I make bread type foods a lot here and I use a wooden spoon to mix the dough until it's time to knead. I have done this forever, and I can remember my mother doing it as well. You just can't use a flimsy plastic spoon to stir the dough. It has to be the firm wooden spoon to get it all started to the kneading phase. I can honestly say I have never seen my mothers wooden spoon "grow" something, but my wooden spoon is now a modeled brown and black color. I tried bleaching it but it didn't really do anything. I try to let it dry completely and I try to wash it right away but it continues to get blacker so I'm not really sure what to do. I hope it's not deadly.

3. When we moved into this house we bought two mosquito nets and rigged them to fit the exterior doors in an attempt to keep the bugs out of the house. We have all the windows open but they have screens in them to keep the bugs out. The doors let in a great breeze so we have to open them to keep the house cool but we don't want all the bugs to come in and join us. Unfortunately, because it is a good breeze the nets just blow in and out and float all around so I'm not really sure it's keeping anything out. I guess it makes us feel better. The only real downer has been the two glasses we have lost because the net has blown up and pulled the glass off the table. I have heard the glass shatter and wonder which child is playing at the table only to come out and find no one in sight. That's when I realize the net did it.

4. Our neighbor across the street in AK had her lawn cared for by a lawn service. I can remember the kids watching the workers do their thing with leaf blowers, weed whackers and lawn mowers. Some of our other neighbors would care for their lawns in similar ways: do the trimming with the weed whacker and then cut the lawn with the mower. I fondly remember the sounds of the weed whackers and lawn mowers and the smell of fresh cut grass. On the island I think I have seen 2 lawn mowers, and they weren't in my yard. The men that cut our lawn use a weed whacker for the entire thing. Then they will rake it up and put the trimmings in a pile. And because it's a weed whacker they really just cut it all the way down so the lawn goes from over grown green to nothing brown. I'm not sure which I prefer but I'm certainly glad it's not me out there cutting it down. I also learned to shut the doors when they are cutting because I didn't last time and I had to keep sweeping to get the stuff out of the house. Our neighbor has her lawn done by a man and a cutlass. He bends over swinging his arm while he holds the sharp long knife. Now that looks like a lot of no fun to me.

5. I really do enjoy my shower. We have been able to have pretty warm (sometimes hot) water thanks to the sun heating the water in the solar panel system on the roof. I am really glad that the shower is located in the bathroom inside my house. I have noticed a few outdoor showers on our way to Church. Luckily no one was using them at the time we passed by. It is a square shaped space with a short wall and a shower head sticking up. I'm not sure if they have them as community showers or if they are new additions to the house and it was easier to put it outside rather than try to add on to the house. I have also seen a few people bathe in the river while we were there playing. They dive in, soap up and rinse off. Do they know there are fish in the water? Maybe the water is moving fast enough that all the fish stuff doesn't stick around so it is a pretty good, all be it cold, bath. Interesting. Maybe I'll do that the next time we go, just give the kids a quick washing and knock out two things at once: bath and outing.

So I guess that'll do for now. My friend Tamara has a good post about the food places around here so if you want to check out her blog go to the post about where she wants to spend her money. I really like some of her posts because she's getting stuff I haven't thought of putting together. Anyway, have a good night!