Bargain hunting

As Janina, Sophie, and I were shopping for wedding supplies on Laxmi Road I could not help but notice all the apartments above the shops.  I'm sure living above your store helps keep the prices low!

third times a charm...

I got my ears pierced for the third time today...a perfect souvenir from India!

a bit of Hallmark...

Found a store with a great selection of Hallmark cards in the neighborhood  the other day!

a ride to the market...

My first ride with Meesha on her bike...

these flowers smelled incredible...

these are thin bracelets called bangles...you can buy 12 of them for 34 cents!

They had some larger ones too...

Meesha wanted me to try some of the sweets.  So we stopped for a taste.

The salesmen in the blue t-shirt kept offering me free samples of various ones he thought I might like.  He would tell me what each one was and explain how it would taste.  So of course after all of his kindness I walked away with a box of candies made from cashews! 

I took home items for the apartment, some veggies, and a box of candy.  I didn't want to over do it since we were on the bike and not in a car or a rickshaw. So far my experience here with shopkeepers has been positive.  Everyone seems so helpful and very service oriented which we haven't always seen in other countries.  

Saree Style...

As we've been out and about here in the city I am noticing all of the women wearing sarees.  I've seen many different colors, patterns, and types and am totally captivated by the unique style of each woman who chooses to wear one. 

This polka dot one immediately captured my attention as we whizzed by in the rickshaw on Thursday.

The bright colors are so vibrant...

No matter what the style, each saree has it's own appeal to the wearer...

I went with Meesha and Spencer to a small saree shop and was overwhelmed with choices.  It may take me a while to determine my own personal style...but I'm sure I'll end up with more than one of these treasures to take back to Belize with me!

To market, to market...

If you need furniture, flowers, fresh fruit and vegetables, eggs, shoes, clothes, or household goods...the market is the place to go.  Market days here in Belmopan are Tuesday and Friday.  It's best to go in the morning if possible.  By the late afternoon many of the vendors are packing up for the day.

I walked 2.6 miles getting my shopping done.  That mileage includes the walk to and from my house.  I found the produce that I needed, got some more seeds for my garden, and picked up a few outfits as well.  Most of the clothing is used and comes from the U.S.  If you have the patience to dig through the clothes on a table or look through racks hanging up inside the tents...you can always find a bargain or two! 

Tasty Tuesday...Spiced Chai Mix

A few weeks back my mother in law sent me this recipe along with a gift to help me out with the ingredients.  Last fall I was blessed with a care package from my friend Sharon that had cardamom in it.  I remember us joking about needing to find a recipe with cardamom in it so that I would be able to use it.  You can imagine what a pleasant surprise it was to see it listed among the spices needed in my mother in law's recipe!

After gathering up the rest of the ingredients I put this mix together on Sunday.  I love the taste of this tea.  It is so comforting to sit with a cup while I slowly wake up in the morning.  Or it is also great as a relaxing treat at the end of the day.

Spiced Chai Mix

3 cups non-fat dry milk powder

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup unsweetened instant tea

3/4 cup vanilla powdered dairy creamer

1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cardamom

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

Directions:

Combine in a food processor and process until powdery.

Store mix in an airtight container.

Makes about 5 cups of mix.

To serve:

Stir 2 Tbsp of mixture into a mug of hot water.

Enjoy!

Plaza Las Americas

On Sunday after checking out of the hotel in Orange Walk Town we hit the road to go Chetumal, Mexico... just across the Belize-Mexico border.  Our friend, Ritchel, agreed to go with us so we had someone who knew the ropes and who speaks Spanish fluently.

Leaving Belize

Entering Mexico

 View as we crossed the bridge

Father and son selling cold water ...

I wish I could have gotten a shot of the" no vendors on the bridge" sign

We didn't drive around the city much because we only had one destination in mind for this short trip.  With Ritchel's help we drove straight to Plaza Las Americas a shopping center we had heard so much about.  

 I chose to eat at Mickey D's because I was in need of a taste from home.

Tom and Ritchel chose the Cajun Grill

Tom and I shopped for the things that we had on our simple list, a harness for Harley from the pet shop, 100% cotton yarn for me, and some office supplies from Office Depot.  It was easy to find everything we were looking for. 

Maybe next time we will try going to a movie!

We were told that most of the time the movies are in English with Spanish subtitles.  

I think we may have set a record for the shortest trip to another country.  Shopping with two men meant that we hunted down what we needed and then left.  Next time maybe we'll stay a day or two and check out more of the city and the local cuisine.  The women at church were thinking of making the trip...and that would be fun!

Helloooo!!

When we were down in the village of Esperanza I went to this little store front just adjacent to the community center where the conference for girls was being held.  I wanted to get a couple of cold bottles of water because it was an incredibly hot day.

No one was manning the store when I walked over.  So I called out fairly loudly to see if I could get someone's attention.  No one came so I called out again.  I did this at least four times and was about to walk away when two of the neighborhood kids came running across the field.

They pushed the call button, smiled at me and then ran back to the house they had been playing at.

I was embarrassed by not even noticing the button but so grateful they came to my rescue.  The call button rang out like a doorbell and it was answered very quickly...next time I'll know better.  Or maybe I should hire a local kid to teach me the ropes!

something new...

Tom and I usually enjoy trying something new.  While at the supermarket I found these Cream-Os.  Yep, fake Oreos.  The first bite almost fools you.  But after the that the brain takes over to remind you that something is not quite right.  While the price of the Cream-Os made it tempting to buy them the taste will keep me from making that mistake again. 

In the battle of Oreo versus Cream-O our old friend Oreo is the clear winner!

books, Books, BOOKS!

It has been a joy to find several different bookstores that have books in English! We are stocking up on gems to take back home with us.

Paulo Coelho, J.D. Salinger, Toni Morrison and few others have already found a place in our suitcases!

shopping at the Galleria

Spencer and I went shopping Saturday at Galleria Krasnodar. We didn't make any purchases... he is still adjusting to being back in Russia after his year abroad and wanted to see what had changed while he was away.

One of the stores that he enjoyed was Cropp Town. It is sort of like Hot Topic or Urban Outfitters in the sense that it is the kind of place the teens love to go for trendy clothes, sarcastic t-shirts or a great pair of jeans.

If you would like to check out their selection just click here: Cropp Town

how much would you pay?

I found Dr. Pepper in our supermarket for $2.94 a can. I only bought 2 cans... didn't feel like splurging on a 6 pack!

window shopping

Natural Hair Care

A few years back the founder of our language school, Diane, told us that you can tell to what extent you accept the culture around you by the number of changes you have made in your life. When I first got here I stuck with products from the states that I was familiar with. I am glad that I got over that. This conditioner so much better for my hair than any of the brands I have used in the past!

The brand name is Clean Line... all of the products contain some natural ingredients. Give them a try if you find them in a store near you. I am so glad that I did!

Whole Wheat Flour in Krasnodar!!

 

This may not be a big deal to you... but we have lived here for 4 years and this is the first time I have seen the type of whole wheat flour that we are used to in the states. What we would call white flour is labeled wheat flour here. At the beginning I purchased bag after bag hoping to find wheat... it was wheat just not whole wheat!!

For those of you here in Krasnodar I found this at Tabris for 55 rubles!

the everything for 40 Rubles Store

Tom and I went out to the Mega Mall today to pick up some energysaving lightbulbs. As we were walking around the mall we spotted a 40 Ruble store. At today's exchange rate it would be the Everything for One Dollar and Twenty One Cents Store. We found ear plugs, an elbow brace, a pill box... just to name a few.

When Tom teaches he likes to use props. He had already found a compass he needed for a teaching he will be doing next month. And while we were at the 40 Ruble store he found his second prop... a pregnancy test. Now neither one of us looks like a spring chicken anymore, so can you imagine the look on the cashier's face when I paid for the pregnancy test??!! She looked me up and down, smirked and keyed in the item. As soon as we got out of the store I explained to Tom what she had done.

I would love to hear the version of the story that she told her friends after we left the store!!

Shopping on Krasnaya

The sign with green letters is for a Bank.

The sign with red letters is for a Beer Bar.

The yellow sign is a for a Christian book store.

So if you are wondering which one I chose... I will give you a hint.  I don't like the taste of beer and that particular bank is not mine!!

getting ready for winter!

Tom and I decided this year to go shopping early for our winter boots. We found his at a place called the Shoe Factory and mine at Clark's. Mine are last years model but were on sale for 50% off. My feet won't care that they are sporting last year's boots... they will be glad for the nice warm lining inside when it is -30 or more!!

Spinach Pasta

I shop at Tabris for most of our groceries... it is a European style market and carries items from various countries around the world. I like shopping there because I get a discount on everything that I purchase.

With Spencer and Nathan both gone Tom and I are trying new things that we know that guys would not like but think we might enjoy. So with that in mind I purchased the spinach pasta.

All of the instructions were written in German...I did figure out that it needed to cook for only 4-6 minutes though.

And as for taste... it was great!!