Marie-wind! Take Three

Fun, Facts, and Follies From the Last Few Weeks...

For Jenn, especially ;)

• You would be hard-pressed to find window screens in SA. While back home they are irrefutably necessary to shut out death-swarms of hungry mosquitoes, here they let things flow freely. The odd skeeter or moth clamours in now and then but it is a small price to pay for wide, open window frames that let the breeze flow through totally unobstructed (well, minus the burglar bars of course).

• Portion sizes are noticeably smaller. Whether this is because South Africans are thriftier or simply more heath-conscious is debateable, but there is no doubt that the Americas indulge in larger quantities. When you go up to the counter to order a "regular McChicken meal", here they come with a small french fries and soda. Imagine the outrage that would cause back home! Instead of coming in hefty four-rowed packages, Oreo and Chipits cookies come in slim tubes of 12.

• With yards encased by large gates and electric fencing, SA properties are designed to make Trick-or-Treating rather difficult for costume-clad youngsters. For that reason, the holiday isn't celebrated widely. However! Justin's sister, Tarryn, has decided to give her 21st birthday bash a Halloween theme. I am very excited -- not only to help plan it, but also to have the chance to celebrate a holiday from back home (even though it is not until Novemeber...). Please pass along any spooky party tips/tricks you have!

• Autopsies take.... wait for it........ 3 YEARS to complete. Imagine waiting that long to determine cause of death for a loved one!

• In Canada, we wear our shoes out in public and take them off the moment we enter the house. I have found that in SA it is alright to do things the other way around. I regularily see people marching around supermarkets, movies stores, and malls sans footwear. Yet while in the home it is completely acceptable to wear your flip flops and sneakers all through the house. After 23 years of being scolded for sneaking around indoors with shoes on, it has been a tough habit to break. I leave my shoes by the front door as a sign of respect only for Justin's father to ask me if I am planning on running away.

• .... in conjunction with that last point, it sort of makes sense why Justin told me that he's never seen a "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service" sign in his life.

• As for what I have been up to, with Justin and his friends in the midst of starting exams, the last few weeks have been pretty tame. We have mostly been doing small, fun things like mini-golfing, going to movies, and ten-pin bowling. A couple weeks ago I went to a street party in downtown Joburg with Tarryn. Her and her rowing buddies all wore baggy workmen's overalls that you could write on with permanent marker. She was sweet enough to pick me up a pair and I promptly commissioned Justin to draw a big red maple leaf on my left butt cheek :)

Friendly Reminder:

 Take a minute to send me a photo (or two! Or three...) of you enjoying Fall! I hope to post them on the blog by this weekend.

Mail them to mayflower_22@hotmail.com