Day 27 - Little reminders that we are no longer in Canada

1. The hot water is actually on the right, not the left. Important not to forget when taking your shower. After one month here, you would think I would get that down...brrrr.

2. The capacity to do U turns in the busiest intersections...for example, imagining deciding that you wanted to go back downtown midway up Regent street in Fredericton...Here, you just quickly turn the car around..and the streets are icy!

3. Yesterday, an eldery neighbour was outside with an ax while we were waiting for our drive. I wondered what he was up to. They sell frozen fish here - just on the sidewalk leading to the market. Since I don't like fish, I always dread that part of the walk...but was intrigued to see them in blocks of ice. Well..our neighbour was getting ready for his lunch. He took out his fish and just began hacking away.... Given my thoughts on fish...I was happy when Alexander arrived to fetch us...but it reminded me that things are never just quite as easy as back home.

4. The joy you feel when you actually see acquaintances. It's happened twice at the Iceberg now. Yesterday, one of the shop keepers where we go regularly spotted us in the Iceberg. She immediately gave me a big grin and said privyet. I told Cindy..she knows me!!! - then realized who she was (since she wasn't in my familiar environment). It gave me the feeling of familiarity which you don't realize how much you miss until you don't have it!

5. Words for items or brands. We had a good laugh with the Lajoys on this one. Shopping for "Moment" ;0)) It's not what immediately came to mind ;0)) It's actually a form of crazy glue that I needed to try to fix my old glasses (and makes probably more sense than crazy glue when you think about it!) Cindy has also warmed me about "Barf" - ironically, a cleaner. It's really fun looking at the names of stuff. I wish I could remember them all and write a little dictionnary. When we tell Irina what we think of in our North American mindset, she immediately gets it and finds it amusing. She would probably think that most of our stuff is somewhat odd as well ;0)) It's just fun to discover.

6. Time. Sun rises around 9:30 in the morning and sets around 5:00. It makes for very short days. We are really sleeping in these days...and I think it's because the sun is simply just not there to wake us up!