Day 3 we spent with a family (Ryan and Rebecca and their kids) that we knew from Virginia that have been here for 3 years. They have been a really big help already in answering questions through email and today we met with them for brunch - a swanky deal at the Officer's Club on one of the bases. They then showed us their house - a quadplex that was, quite honestly, not as bad as I thought it would be. But I thought it was going to be really bad. It definitely is a far cry from our Newport News house, but it had a distant view of the ocean! (I'm trying to find positives here...)
Afterward we went to a park to expend some of the pent up energy of the kids. They haven't been outside much. You see, it is bloody hot here. I thought it couldn't be hotter than Houston in the summer, but I think it is. So we lasted about 20 minutes before melting back into the car. They had these pretty cool slides which, as Rebecca said, would require a helmet in the States.
They also took us car shopping and to the commisary. Most food prices look about the same, just the fresh fruit that was a shocker. Being that we're in a tropical location, I assumed that fruit would be plentiful and cheap. Not so much. One mango was $5.62. And a watermellon was $20.00. Each. I guess I won't be eating mango or watermellon for the next 2 years!
My big accomplishment of the day included figuring out the washing machine. See picture for the directions I had to work with. But enough button pushing and persistence netted clean (at least smelling!) clothes.
Unfortunately for my arachnaphobia, we also discovered the biggest spider in the wild I've ever seen. Apparently it's a banana spider and it's "harmless". I don't think the same would be said about me if I came in contact with it in the house. I remember seeing these on Hilton Head, but they grow them bigger over here. We have named it "Muffin" (after banana nut muffin) and say hi to it everytime we pass. My plan is to make friends with it so it won't attack.
I think that's all for now. I'll leave the nifty toilet picture for tomorrow! (A teaser, just to keep you coming back...)
Afterward we went to a park to expend some of the pent up energy of the kids. They haven't been outside much. You see, it is bloody hot here. I thought it couldn't be hotter than Houston in the summer, but I think it is. So we lasted about 20 minutes before melting back into the car. They had these pretty cool slides which, as Rebecca said, would require a helmet in the States.
They also took us car shopping and to the commisary. Most food prices look about the same, just the fresh fruit that was a shocker. Being that we're in a tropical location, I assumed that fruit would be plentiful and cheap. Not so much. One mango was $5.62. And a watermellon was $20.00. Each. I guess I won't be eating mango or watermellon for the next 2 years!
My big accomplishment of the day included figuring out the washing machine. See picture for the directions I had to work with. But enough button pushing and persistence netted clean (at least smelling!) clothes.
Unfortunately for my arachnaphobia, we also discovered the biggest spider in the wild I've ever seen. Apparently it's a banana spider and it's "harmless". I don't think the same would be said about me if I came in contact with it in the house. I remember seeing these on Hilton Head, but they grow them bigger over here. We have named it "Muffin" (after banana nut muffin) and say hi to it everytime we pass. My plan is to make friends with it so it won't attack.
I think that's all for now. I'll leave the nifty toilet picture for tomorrow! (A teaser, just to keep you coming back...)
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