Sunday, July 13

I rested well last night for the first time since I've been here, but I did wake up very sore and stiff. I can't believe its Sunday already. I've been 8 days and only 4 more left.Yesterday was a good day even though I did get my full 10 miles in. After I recovered from my run I answered e-mails and posted my blog. Randy came back from his breakfast with Mohamed and Jonathan around 11am. I was just finishing my blog. Mohamed took Jonathan out on the town. That gave Randy and me some time for coffee and just talk. Something we really hadn't been able to do since I got here. We were on a tight schedule in the afternoon so it was good to just relax.
We left the house at 1:30pm to meet Mohan at 1:50 so we could be at the doctor's house by 2:00. You remember what I said in Tuesday's blog time is only a suggestion here. We were at the meeting place at 1:45. (Randy is not going to be late) At 1:55 Randy calls Mohan to see where he was and he said he had not made it to Salmaliya yet. (Which means he is probably still out his house) Mohan finally arrive at 2:30. We had to wait on him because we didn't know where the good doctor lived.We enter her house where she lives with her sister to a wonderful aroma of spices in the air and spread out before us from one end of the table to the other was an amazing variety of food.We sat down, prayed and started to dig in, I like to take a bite of everything before I know what it is. Here's what we had: chicken legs in a brown garlic sauce, fruit cocktail, ginger shrimp, (I found out it was ginger when I ate a round circle looking water chestnut thing, not water chestnut, ginger WOW) stir fried mushrooms, (I thought this was some kind of leafy lettuce, I have never seen mushrooms like this), Chinese salad, (not like Kay Mills' but it was still good) boiled squid (I did say I take a bite of everything before I know what it is didn't I. It turns out that I like boiled squid.), stir fried green chilies (I cut these up and added them to the other dishes they were pretty hot. The host couldn't believe I ate so many, I had 8), a corn and pepper dish in a milk sauce, and mutton in a spicy brown gravy. There wasn't anything I didn't like. While we were eating I kept thinking boy I wish I had some rice to eat this on, well after about 30 minutes the host asked if we were ready for the rice. "What I'm almost stuffed no room for rice." (It is the custom to eat first then bring out the rice and eat again. If only I had known.) The next thing they brought out was the mango cake Randy had stopped and picked up on the way. I don't normally care for mango but this was really good. Then they brought out my favorite fruit, watermelon, NOT, then they brought out some peaches (there were from Lebanon and were really good). Now I am officially stuffed. We sat around and learned how to speak a little Chinese. They got a kick out of hearing me try to speak; Randy caught on very quickly and really impressed them, of course. Well it is 4pm and I have to be at the TLC at 4:30. We said she shea' (that's thank you) and headed to the TLC.
I didn't have a lot to do at VBS but was just there for an extra hand. I took lots of video and help with recreation in 112 degree heat. Sister Bobby asked me to come early tomorrow 3:45 and explain the track instead of waiting until Wed. That means another tight scheduled day. I'm meeting Randy at the Filipino Embassy at 3pm to hand out shampoo. I left the TLC at 7:30 and almost became another notch in someone belt in one of the round-abouts. I enter the round-about and was on the inside lane going around to my exit when someone enter from a side street attempted to shoot across all three lanes at once to get to the inside lane. I hit the brakes, with tires squealing and rubber burning. He also slammed on brakes. We both came to a stop, bumper to bumper. I hit the gas and swerved around him a bit shaken.
I needed some gas so I pulled in a station and filled up. I put in about 10 gals. for 2.350KD that's $8.69 which is about 86 cents a gal. That's for premium. (Oh the pain, that's more than I spent last year.)I finally make it back to the apartment safe and sound. Jonathan was still out with Mohamed so Randy and I had a cup of tea and chatted. Jonathan came home about 9pm and then we all turned in for the night.Randy is going to try and set up a movie night for the ladies at the Filipino Embassy. I brought the Billy Graham film "Last Flight Out" so we are going to show that. Pray we can work this out.
Well another day done and another beginning.
Until tomorrow God willing
runrandall