Market and care package

May 26, 2012

Happy Saturday!!! As of this morning I have been here 2 weeks and a day. Really only two weeks since I got in late Friday night and basically just lay down and slept. However, I've had a week of tourism and a week of work. So to start my Saturday I went to the Farmer's Market as usual. I only took one picture there since I forgot to charge my phone last night and it was about dead. I wanted you to see the carrots that they sell here. The round little balls on the right are orange carrots. The small colorful yellow, pale orange and purple ones on the left are also carrots. They are really neat. I'd love to make a dish and serve it with all those pretty colors in it, I bet it makes some amazing presentation to the food.

I got some broccoli, 2 Japanese cucumbers, 3 limes, and a rosemary baguette. We have the community garden at work so I didn't need much. I also still have mangoes and apple bananas. I spent $9.00 total. Then I went in search of my new things to try for today. I got a fruit lassi from the juice people. It was yogurt, cheery juice, pineapple, and something else I can't remember. Very tasty. I tried to take a picture but my phone was too uncharged. I also got some spring rolls from the vietnamese food stand. 2 Shrimp, 2 chicken and veg, 1 banana. I took a picture of each with the lassi once I got home and plugged up my phone.

The shrimp roll is on the bottom right, with the tail sticking out. There is one GIGANTIC shrimp in there, maybe a prawn, all wrapped in a crispy wrapper. I had two and they were yummy!The one on top is the chicken and veg. It is unlike the ones we have at home. Tasty but nothing exceptional. I had 2 of these and was getting full. The one on the bottom left was the banana roll. It was a perfect dessert to finish with. It had an apple banana (they call them sugar bananas) which has some cinnamon sprinkled on. The deep frying of the wrapper brought out the sweetness of the banana. It was delicious! I only had one and am GLAD I didn't get two.

My plan for today is to rest. I am extremely tired. I woke up with a bad headache. Just from allergies so nothing bad. After putting my market stuff away and finishing my food I tried messaging some folks back home but they are actually out doing things today. I decided to lay down and take a nap. the rest of my day is not going to be exciting. Read, nap, take it easy. I plan to go out tomorrow and explore more, so today is for resting.

Meanwhile, my care package!!!! I got home from work and found a box at my room door. WOOHOO! It was like a birthday present. Thank you Rob and Alex for getting me such a fun box together. It is a great mix of things.

They sent a nice big floppy lightweight t-shirt that says "All American" so nice to wear for Memorial Day on Monday :)  It is on the bottom so hard to see. Band-aids and neosporin in case my blisters need the help (hehehe). A mini kite for those constant ocean breezes. Glow stick bracelets because it gets dark earlier here (grin). Nutella because it's just freaking awesome and yummy. Three types of tea because I have been craving tea (Indian Darjeeling, English Breakfast and English Afternoon). And a box of mini moos because they know I drink milk/cream in my tea! A roll of tie dye duct tape (because it's ALWAYS handy). A super soft small stuffed black and white kitty (I do miss my kitties from home). And yummy nummy soup fixins including a can of chicky broth, can of black beans, can of diced tomatoes with chilis and a baggie of all the dried spices needed. The dried spices made the shirt and box smell DELICIOUS.

A super big thanks to you both for the care package. I feel uber loved :)

As a side note, Alex graduated from Lafayette High School yesterday evening. A big congrats to her and good luck for all her future plans. Time flies for certain. It doesn't seem like it has been long enough for her to already be looking at colleges. Alex graduated with several AP exams under her belt and great grades that landed her some good scholarships. She also was a SCAPA student for her incredible voice and was on speech team for many years and did very well with that. Everyone that is privileged to know her are proud and happy that she has become such a beautiful, brilliant and talented young woman. She and her dad gace permission for me to post her graduation photo.

Malama pono, (take care, be right)
~Melissa