Josh is so awesome. He loves to run down and catch the passing trucks for us. It is so different than the US. Yesterday, we were just sitting here homeschooling and we heard the horn...just honking over and over. We know now that means something for sale is coming through. Kind of like an ice cream truck, but it never is ice cream. So we finally have devised a system because we live upstairs inside a gated, locked fence. Josh has his own set of keys, and we keep some loose change on the counter, so he grabs the change and heads down while Tori runs out to the porch to wave down the driver and tell them to stop. Yesterday it was oranges, 10 for $1. MMMMM, they are so juicy and yummy. We should have gotten more. Oh, and $1 is 50 cents for US. Josh also has gotten the tortillas for us too. The fun of Belize.
Snacks are quite expensive here. I realize now how much money of our grocery budget we spent on snacky type foods in the US. Not anymore. So, we have tried to get creative with new snacks. When you go to the store, the food is broken up and bagged like this...Lets see, this is popcorn, rice, sugar and black beans. Once I get settled, I have some glass jars these will look real nice in...if they survived...I believe they did:)
So, Tori told me Aunt Jodie had taught her how to make popcorn from scratch and convinced me to buy a bag. But then last night, when it came time to make it, I was just too nervous. When we first got married and moved into our first home, 18 years ago, I tried to make popcorn, but left the room real quick (dumb move, I know) and I came back to a fire in the pan. It was horrible. Our house smelled horrible forever. Thankfully that was the only damage...well, that and my complex of ever making popcorn again. I have only made microwave stuff since then. But I have heard that is not good for you...so. With a little encouragement and instruction from a facebook friend, I decided to face my fear last night...and look...
We made three very beautiful pots of the stuff...
we gobbled it up...
and I overcame a very silly fear.
Thank you Jesus for the little ways you increase my faith.
Today was a little boring for all of us. Once again a rainy day, which kind of confines us to
the apartment, where we do not have many personal things or things to do except to watch TV and do laundry:) We do laundry a lot because we do not have very many clothes and very few towels. We had planned to take a trip to Spanish Lookout, but that will not work out til Monday, so we really had no plans, which creates boredom, which is not good for 3 kids..
So, we decided to do a little shopping. Shopping that didn't start until right before lunch, so our 4 yr old was not totally cooperative. But we did get some things accomplished. It seems as though we fill the pantry and fridge, and then POOF, it is gone. Three kids and two adults home all day. Anyway, afterwards, Lee wanted to explore the road to the south. We drove and drove and it seemed that there was never a place to turn around, until of course, I got out the camera. But it was just beautiful, untouched jungle everywhere. The road was amazing too. So smooth. I will videotape next time we head the other way so you can see the difference...bumpiness...people everywhere, stopped cars here and there, random huge potholes. That is what we are used to driving on. In fact, we had to have struts put on our car when we bought it, and have been told we will have to that again and again...
But anyway, here is our little car ride to the south of Belmopan...
Another thing...today we went to Brodies. I was so excited when I heard there was one here in Belmopan. It is like an American grocery store...they have many American products and food...but whew, it was out of this world. We are going to live right near it, but WHEW, they were out of this world. I did finally find some stain pretreater for our clothes and I've looked everywhere. It is called Zout, because it was cheaper than the Shout I would normally buy... But just for your entertainment, here were some of the prices for foods you buy and never think twice about in America...DiGornio Pizza--$25, so like 12.50 in US dollars, Head and Shoulders, medium size bottle--$20, so like 10 bucks american. Generic 2 liters were on clearance, probably past expiration date for $3 a bottle, so 1.50. Bagels, like $6 (3 american) but who knows how old they were? So, that is why my family is better off eating rice and beans, and fresh fruits and veggies and meats produced here. It is cheaper, tastes better, and everything. Lee bought a loaf of white bread, that was $1.75 and was processed and we got home and it was stale...So I will use it for toast or grilled cheese sandwiches tomorrow. Don't worry, we won't throw it away:)
Belizean life is different in that you have your windows open, at home, in the car, all the time. You are so much more...involved...in life around you, whether you want to be or not. Your windows are open so your neighbors hear everything, and you hear everything from your neighbors. Friday and Saturday nights, we hear people partying all night long, with the music blaring, etc. But the next morning, it is always so quiet. In fact, Sunday mornings, the streets are pretty much vacant. It is so weird. You hear people driving by in their cars all the time. In America, our homes are so shut up, we never hear our neighbors. Here, sharing the internet with all our neighbors, that continually goes in and out, we have constant interaction with our neighbors. We share a patio and a laundr yroom with a guy across the hall. It is something I am not used to. Having my screen door open and going out to the laundry...and there is this guy sitting there, smoking his cigarette. It is just different than my life in America...but its cool and this part is temporary. Or having to carry our dog through the yard of the apartment and having to take him out to do his business, while the owners' dog growls and barks at him and my kids...but yea, that is life here in Belize. Bigger dog wins. And barks louder. And he probably feels a little threatened because he has a wife** and new puppies** that he is probably trying to protect from Promise.
There are so many things that are different here, but people are the same wherever you live. They just want to be able to trust you, and know your motives are right. And when they trust you, that goes a long way. Having good character in Belize is very very important. Because if you don't, everyone will know:) Because everyone knows everyone here...we have learned that very quickly. But it also means when Jesus is doing something amazing, everyone is going to know that too.
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