Mexican fiasco and my new home sweet home!

1/31/09

Today I wanted Mexican food so I walked to the mall food court and ordered myself a very bland and unsatisfying burrito.  I should have gone to the Japanese restaurant next door with all of the food traveling around on conveyor belts!  It hardly seemed worth the walk to the mall, so I decided to make it worth it by walking into every store in the entire mall (excluding ones that would obviously have nothing I need, like jewelry and barber shops).

Some of the most significant discoveries were made in the grocery stores.  They have almost everything we have (including Heinz ketchup and….Mentos!), but everything is different!  It’s so freaky!  The people there probably thought I was crazy because I was walking slowly around the store getting excited celebrating the discovery of simple things like peanut butter and frozen pizzas!  

2/1/09

Today I moved into my new house!  I can’t wait to get settled in!  Hopefully a bit later on I will have some pictures to show you.

To move all of my stuff from my dorm room to the house I had to call for a taxi, which I did.  I arranged to be picked up outside at 11am.  11am came and went.  No taxi.  I called a few times and they kept assuring me a cab would be there shortly.

Still, no taxi.

Finally about an hour and a half a small taxi driven by a very VERY old man came speeding up to me.  After abruptly stopping in the middle of the road he shouting something I couldn’t understand out the window. 

I decided it would be best to just yell back “Yes!”

This pleased him! He started turning the cab around to face the different direction which involved scraping the back of the cab into a large curb, forcing the entire rear axel of the car (which was almost unwilling and defiantly not fit for such a task) up the curb and into the grass, then smashing it back down onto the road.  This abuse was repeated with the other side of the car and the curb running on the other side of the street.  I cringed as the car banged and scraped it’s way around.  Why he didn’t drive a few meters farther and turn around in one of the many open parking spots I do not know.  In a sick way I enjoyed watching it the same way people seem to enjoy slowing down and looking at car accidents.  Then I remembered that I had to actually get into this car and go for a ride!

I wasn’t sure if I should be terrified by his obvious lack of concern for his vehicle wellbeing or impressed by the dedication he put into turning his car around.

He stepped outside of the cab and started saying more things I could not understand.  I think it might have been English, but I am not sure.  If you’ve seen Hot Fuzz, think the old man with the guns but more Australian (if you haven’t seen Hot Fuzz stop reading my journal and go rent it.  NOW!)

I answered “Yes.”

I must have answered correctly because he opened the trunk and we started filling the car with all of my bags. 

Once we were all packed and ready to go I sat down in the front seat next to him and we were on our way!  Boy was he talkative!  He just talked and talked the entire way barely stopping to breath (and barely looked at the road)!  At one point he even pointed to my guitar and started singing!  This would have been great if I could understand what he was saying!

I spent the entire ride trying to guess what my response should be to his “words”.  After some remarks I would say yes, after other I would give a calm laugh, and after others I would disagree.  A few times he seemed upset with my responses, but for the most part he seemed to really enjoy our conversation!  When we got to the house I handed him a 20 hoping it was enough.  It was and he handed me my change, said a few of what I can only assume were kind words, and was on his way with a friendly wave out the window.

Finally, my new home sweet home!