I realized today that I have not left my apartment since Sunday (today is Friday). We've been too sick. Today I'm well enough that I could leave, but the kids aren't. They're both still tired, sore, and coughing.
I have internet access (obviously), so this isn't as bad as it might sound. I can communicate with people, and that helps a lot! I do wish we'd brought more DVDs with us though. I only brought 3 for the kids, assuming we'd spend almost no time watching movies, but as the sick days have dragged on I've regretted that. And really, DVDs aren't big, or heavy! Mental note for next long international stay: bring the damn DVDs. Sheesh.
It's funny how mundane some of the challenges of adjusting to a new country can be. For instance, I need to buy mosquito nets for our beds (both kids have started getting bug bites in the night. I don't know what they are-- maybe mosquito, though they sure don't look like mosquito bites). But I have no idea where to buy mosquito nets! None! So I've sent emails to the two people who've been helping me out, asking for help yet again. I know it's a not a request that will take a lot of effort to fulfill, but man. After constantly asking for help finding and doing the most basic things in your new life it kind of adds up! They've been nothing but kind, but I'm beginning to feel like a bit of a burden. Hopefully when things settle down and we're well I'll be able to make it up to them.
Also, the maid who was supposed to start today never came. I'm not sure if that's because there was a miscommunication on the start date, because something came up on her end, or because she didn't really want the job, but said she'd do it just to get out of our apartment without saying no. I don't mind doing the cleaning so much (especially since I've been housebound for 5 days!), but it would be nice to have someone to do the laundry.
On an up note, Robert brought us dinner last night from one of the cafes on campus, one that serves idli and dosa. It's not close to his building, so we'd never eaten there before. It was so yummy!! And he's interviewing someone in that area again today, so he'll bring us back dinner from there again. It sort of goes against my ingrained tendency to avoid the same foods two days in a row, but it was so delicious (and inexpensive) that I asked him to bring some home tonight as well. I should take pictures- the malasa dosa filling was full of delicious curry leaves!
I have internet access (obviously), so this isn't as bad as it might sound. I can communicate with people, and that helps a lot! I do wish we'd brought more DVDs with us though. I only brought 3 for the kids, assuming we'd spend almost no time watching movies, but as the sick days have dragged on I've regretted that. And really, DVDs aren't big, or heavy! Mental note for next long international stay: bring the damn DVDs. Sheesh.
It's funny how mundane some of the challenges of adjusting to a new country can be. For instance, I need to buy mosquito nets for our beds (both kids have started getting bug bites in the night. I don't know what they are-- maybe mosquito, though they sure don't look like mosquito bites). But I have no idea where to buy mosquito nets! None! So I've sent emails to the two people who've been helping me out, asking for help yet again. I know it's a not a request that will take a lot of effort to fulfill, but man. After constantly asking for help finding and doing the most basic things in your new life it kind of adds up! They've been nothing but kind, but I'm beginning to feel like a bit of a burden. Hopefully when things settle down and we're well I'll be able to make it up to them.
Also, the maid who was supposed to start today never came. I'm not sure if that's because there was a miscommunication on the start date, because something came up on her end, or because she didn't really want the job, but said she'd do it just to get out of our apartment without saying no. I don't mind doing the cleaning so much (especially since I've been housebound for 5 days!), but it would be nice to have someone to do the laundry.
On an up note, Robert brought us dinner last night from one of the cafes on campus, one that serves idli and dosa. It's not close to his building, so we'd never eaten there before. It was so yummy!! And he's interviewing someone in that area again today, so he'll bring us back dinner from there again. It sort of goes against my ingrained tendency to avoid the same foods two days in a row, but it was so delicious (and inexpensive) that I asked him to bring some home tonight as well. I should take pictures- the malasa dosa filling was full of delicious curry leaves!
2 comments:
Jovi, once you get past these initial challenges you will do great. This first bit is almost certainly meant to help make sure that you will really appreciate all the good times that are yet to come on this adventure.
Here's a suggestion, have you looked into Netflix for the kiddos? There's a site that you can use that will spoof your IP address to make it appear that you are in the US so that you can watch streaming.
Gladys was talking about it in the Olympics threads as a way to get past the IP blocks on the BBC feeds. I will search for it and then send you a Rav PM.
You can do this!
Love you!
Slowly but surely getting better. Very happy you have Internet to reach out. This period of acclimation will end and then the happy adventures will begin.
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