Now I Am the Expert!!

I was walking home from ordering my water cooler and internet radio when a young Canadian girl stopped me.  She had just arrived last night and her room mate hadn't made it in country yet.  She was lost and needed help finding her way back to her complex!  She had crossed the boulevard in front of the hospital to get to where we met and was terrified to try to cross it again!!  AS WELL SHE SHOULD BE!!!  I walked with her to show her "The tunnel" that goes under the street and the over road cross way that goes over the street because there is NEVER a safe time to try to cross that road otherwise (and there are many roads like that here!).  I walked her safely to her complex and answered all her questions adding words of advice that I hope will make her start a little easier.  After I left her I walked home (to my apartment....US tooo far to walk;)  I realized that after just one month (tomorrow) here I had become the "expert" and was already helping the newbies find their way around.

I am also learning a lot about power and electricity here.  Diane and I are tired of having to buy drinking water every week.  In addition we are also very aware of all the plastic trash we have been generating!!  We can buy large containers of mineral free (mostly) water but it is cumbersome unless you have a water cooler.  I found a very reasonably priced one that will give us hot or cold water but the power was 220.  Now it isn't just a matter of getting an adapter for the plug!  It also requires a transformer as well as an adapter!  Most of the residences have a combination of 220 (European) and 110 (American).  You can tell by looking at the plugs if you can't work out the Arabic ;)  My residence is all 110.  All of the appliances you can purchase are 220 so it requires extra equipment to make it work in my apartment.  It was an extra SR85 which isn't that much (between 20 and 25 dollars American) and SR 398 (nearly $100.00 American) for the cooler so I think it was a bargain!  A little info..the water here is drinkable but is very highly mineraled.  Lots of problems with kidney stones and such (I have a history of them).  It is best to find the water to drink with the least mineral content .  It is hard for me to drink enough water.  I know I haven't drank enough when I wee only 2-3 times a day and my skin gets very dry.  Because the humidity is so low here you lose a lot of water you don't realize.  You sweat but it evaporates so quickly from your skin you don't realize it!  Everyone walks around with a bottle of water in their hand!  Three liters a day is the recommended intake per person.

Speaking of skin...the local women around here have the most beautiful skin...not dry at all!  I asked the local pharmacist their secret.  He says sweet almond oil every night and use lotion with shea butter.  Those kinds of products are very inexpensive here so I have been using them.  My skin is so soft now!!!  The dryness is gone!  I remember trying to use lotion in Oklahoma and not liking it except in the winter.  I guess the humidity there is enough tht the lotion just sat on my skin rather than absorbing. 

At any rate I confess I have had more new experiences here in one month then I had in forever back home.  I miss home but I wouldn't trade this experience for anything!

Christine xx