Thursday, July 30, 2009

An Amazing Experience



Today I had an amazing experience! It was truly fabulous and life changing. "What was it", you ask breathlessly.......... swimming with dolphins, a pedicure on the beach with the wind blowing my hair, watching the whales swim off the side of my boat while we race thru the water? No, none of those.

This was better.
Today I had a maid clean my house. Not just any maid, but a real maid. One that I didn't have to explain anything to. One that scrubbed down my walls, cleaned out the fridges, made the glass shower stalls look like glass again..... I could go on and on. If this blog were auditory, you would be hearing the Hallelujah chorus right now.

No, I didn't sit on the couch eating bon bons while she worked. I was sorting through the piles of papers that are sitting on my kitchen counter, my desk and my dresser. Maybe some day I will be able to have a place for everything and everything in its place, but for now I am just so excited that the toilets are clean and you can see the top of the dryer.
When I found out that we were moving here lots of people asked me if I would get a maid. "Of course not," I scoffed. I was a modern American woman who could do everything. Well, I have fallen off my high horse. I can't do everything. And so, I am very grateful for a humble, hard working woman named Morena who is willing to help me and for so little pay.
And the best part........ she comes again next week!
-Kim
PS: Kierstin comes in a few days...... then there will be posts with actual pictures from my camera, as she will be helping her technology impaired mom with her blogging skills!

Thursday, July 2, 2009

I can have it my way......right?




We Americans are spoiled. Yes, you say, we are...... but I want to tell you how spoiled we are. Really, Really, Really spoiled. I didn't understand how spoiled until moving here.

One of my favorite things to do in Syracuse, on the drive home from the gym, was to drive thru the gas station (yes, I didn't even have to get out of my car!) and pick up a 44 ounce diet coke (caffeine free, even, since it was Utah!) for only 89 cents. This would get me happily thru the day. Throw in some of their 99 cent tater babies with the free dipping sauce and life was really good. Love that carbonation and crunchy ice. Ummmm, I am drooling just thinking about it.

Fast forward to the DR and here you get teeny tiny drinks with your meals. I am talking Happy Meal size for this 44 ounce girl. And don't even suggest asking for no ice so that you get more drink.....no way. AND (gasp here) no refills. Really. No where. So, when you finish those fries, which were given to you with one small ketchup packet that you had to beg for, and your throat is parched because it is like 90 degrees with 95% humidity it is just too bad for you.

Imagine our excitement when we found a new Burger King a few weeks ago that has a drink machine in the dining room, instead of under lock and key back with the employees. We saw stars and exploding fireworks! The excitement!!! The possibilities!!! Needless to say we were excited to try it out. (insert here kids home from school.....mom can we go? mom can we go? mom can we go? Get the picture?)

Today the fumigator came to kill the disgusting bugs that like to live in my apartment and so I saw a perfect opportunity. We have to vacate for awhile after he is done spraying the toxic fumes and so we went to Burger King where there is not only a drink machine, but also a play land. Could life get any better?

The kiddos ordered their combos and when the food was ready Kambrielle was inspecting her hamburger to make sure no disgusting things were lurking there. It had just ketchup on it and so I thought things would be fine.
" There are no pickles here" she said with an interesting face.

So, I trooped up to the front and tried to remember how to say pickles in Spanish to get the mishap resolved. When I told the "server" that we were missing the pickles the following conversation ensued:
" I am just missing the pickles on this hamburger"
" They don't come with pickles."
" Yes they do."
"No, they don't"
"Yes, they do."
" No, they don't"
"Look at the picture. There are pickles there." (pointing to the kids meal picture over her head)
"No there aren't"
"Yes, a hamburger comes with ketchup, mustard, and pickles. I just need the pickles"
"There are no pickles on it"
From the lady standing in line next to me....."Yes, there are pickles on the picture."
" It doesn't come with pickles"

"PLEASE, just give me the pickles"

At this point the huffy lady hands the burger to another worker, who takes it back to talk to another worker, who points to it and then talks to another worker, who nods in agreement. (I am watching this all carefully to make sure no "extra" liquids end up on Kami's burger) Finally the third worker takes out three pickle slices, places two on top of the hamburger, vascillates for a moment about whether to "throw in" the third pickle, decides not to and puts it back and rewraps the burger and brings it back to me. All the while I have a smile pasted on my face, so that they don't think that I am an "ugly American".

Remember, this is all at Burger King, where the motto is "Have it your way"