Lazy summer days
Not much has been going on lately, which has been nice. It’s the antidote to the whirlwind spring we had, so we’re enjoying lazy summer days, hot as they are.
Friends from Spain have been here for the past few days, on vacation. It’s been fun to have guests again; tomorrow, they head up a bit north for more traveling.
Our hot water is nil – it’s that time of year when they clean out our neighborhood’s geothermal water system, so they turn off the heating system altogether. They do this annually, thankfully in August, but it’s still a bit annoying to not have hot water. My thermostat is still whacked from being pregnant, so cold showers don’t bother me too much. Kabob can’t stand them, though – he heats up water on the stove and brings it to the shower. Chickpea and Garbanzo pretty much “swim” their baths out on the balcony in the heat of the day. Last year, they said the hot water would be off for three weeks, and it ended up being six. They’ve said three weeks again this year. We’ll see what they mean by that.
We’re working on figuring out our schedule for the rest of the year, shopping around for airline deals back to the States. Just the thought of being stateside in a few months makes us eager to mentally list the things we want to buy, see, and do. I, for one, am looking forward to driving, at least a little bit. I haven’t driven a car since February 2007.
Last month we went to a touristy beach for the day. There was a group of people a few feet away from us, and they were so loud. From their accents, they were either Canadian or American, but judging by the volume of their voice, we’re guessing it was the latter. It was actually kind-of embarrassing, though we didn’t know them. I saw people giving them dirty looks, and it was another reminder of one of the stereotypes we hold in other countries.
And it makes me wonder how weird it will feel in the States. Things are getting less and less strange here, so I know that means the reverse is true for America. I’m curious what will stand out to us the most. We’ve been told it tends to be how huge everything is – the cars, the portion sizes, the houses. I can see that.
I’m off to take a cold shower and hit the hay.
posted: 08 August 8
under: culture
I bet it will feel pretty weird with a big adjustment. Everything here is bigger, but the Mexican food is still awesome!
Don’t forget about all the choices – just think about the cereal isle in the grocery store! I’ve heard that can be quite overwhelming also.
In a weird, way, we have choices here we never thought of. They have like 16 types of ketchup here. No black beans, but tons of ketchup. I’m curious, too, at what will be overwhelming.
I’ve been reading both your blogs for awhile now and love them. They are so helpful! Anyway, I hope you enjoy your trip back to the States. We’ve lived in Germany for 4 years and the first thing I noticed back home in Tx was how BIG everything is. And how much open SPACE there is, on the roads, in stores, in the parking lots, everywhere! HEB felt like a paradise and I spent 2 hours just browsing the aisles. I can only imagine how different your new country’s culture is so I’m sure the difference will be even more jarring. Have a great trip!