Just wanted to correct my earlier statement and let you know that the fresh baguettes only cost me 12 cents a piece today!
We are making friends here in town. On our way to the store, we saw our gelato clerk on the street and she said hello and asked how we were. Then at our suprette, the clerk gave us two packs of free gum! We stopped at a pastry shop to check out the goods and then stopped to get our fresh bread. I learned how to ask for ground turkey at the butcher today so we are having turkey meatloaf for dinner. Then our last stop was the fruits/vegetables stand where we bought some grapes, bananas & tomatoes.
We attempted to say thank you in arabic...that is the only word we know! Everyone was very nice and I think they appreciate that we even try!
All the fruits/veggies and the eggs were promptly bleached and rinsed. The tomatoes were chopped up and made into a fine bruschetta which we enjoyed with a baguette, sliced into garlic toast. YUMMY!
We sat outside by our pool today while we waited for our laundry to get done. We are enjoying the nice weather before rainy season sets in.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Back online...for the moment!
How frustrating to want to communicate and have the internet not cooperate with me! The service has been on again off again for weeks. They are supposed to send a technician from the embassy over to our apartment building to see what the problem is. Our whole building is having issues.
Hopefully they will get it fixed for good this time. Especially since we have already paid for the whole year's service. We had to pay the whole year up front about 2 months before we arrived just to make sure that the service was set up and running by the time we arrived. The customer service is pretty much non existent here. I know we won't be receiving any credits or upgrades. We aren't in Kansas anymore Toto!!
Things are relatively quiet here, considering what has happened at other embassies around the region. The Algerian government has done a good job of keeping the embassy area protected. We are still somewhat restricted but not as much as last weekend. Transportation around town (to & from work) has to be in armored vehicles. We have been asked not to go out alone and to use a buddy so thank goodness Kirk is my "buddy"!! LOL There have been some tense moments when things seem to be heading out of control but so far, no huge events. Friday is prayer day here and after the afternoon call to prayer, there have been people talking in arabic over the loud speakers. This has only happened the past couple of weekends and made me wonder what was being said. The local mosque is a few blocks from my house so we hear the calls to prayer quite clearly.
Nothing much new to report since we have been on restriction and all of our trips have been cancelled. We were supposed to go on a coastal trip this weekend. Hope they reschedule it soon!
Kirk started his new job in the consular section and seems to be enjoying it so far. He is learning to take biometric fingerprints. The consular section is where they issue visas and give services to American citizens.
We have already planned a trip to Marseille, France for the long weekend in October. I can't wait! We are staying in a hotel near the coast and are so looking forward to some good food!!
We have been working out with our Playstation 3 EA sports until our stuff arrives from the states. I also go to Zumba class at the embassy. It is a good stress reliever! We are getting ready to go out to the local markets and butcher. They don't shop like we do in the states, it is more of an everyday thing here. But the good part is we get hot, fresh baguettes whenever we want and they only cost like 20 cents a loaf!! They are so GOOD! That must be the frenchman in me....good bottle of wine, fresh baguettes and some nice cheese....although the cheese here is not so good! But the wine and baguettes are A-ok!!
We will try and post updates when we can, assuming the internet cooperates. We will try and take some photos of our neighborhood to post so you can see what we see everyday! Don't get too excited...it is not much of a view!!
Hopefully they will get it fixed for good this time. Especially since we have already paid for the whole year's service. We had to pay the whole year up front about 2 months before we arrived just to make sure that the service was set up and running by the time we arrived. The customer service is pretty much non existent here. I know we won't be receiving any credits or upgrades. We aren't in Kansas anymore Toto!!
Things are relatively quiet here, considering what has happened at other embassies around the region. The Algerian government has done a good job of keeping the embassy area protected. We are still somewhat restricted but not as much as last weekend. Transportation around town (to & from work) has to be in armored vehicles. We have been asked not to go out alone and to use a buddy so thank goodness Kirk is my "buddy"!! LOL There have been some tense moments when things seem to be heading out of control but so far, no huge events. Friday is prayer day here and after the afternoon call to prayer, there have been people talking in arabic over the loud speakers. This has only happened the past couple of weekends and made me wonder what was being said. The local mosque is a few blocks from my house so we hear the calls to prayer quite clearly.
Nothing much new to report since we have been on restriction and all of our trips have been cancelled. We were supposed to go on a coastal trip this weekend. Hope they reschedule it soon!
Kirk started his new job in the consular section and seems to be enjoying it so far. He is learning to take biometric fingerprints. The consular section is where they issue visas and give services to American citizens.
We have already planned a trip to Marseille, France for the long weekend in October. I can't wait! We are staying in a hotel near the coast and are so looking forward to some good food!!
We have been working out with our Playstation 3 EA sports until our stuff arrives from the states. I also go to Zumba class at the embassy. It is a good stress reliever! We are getting ready to go out to the local markets and butcher. They don't shop like we do in the states, it is more of an everyday thing here. But the good part is we get hot, fresh baguettes whenever we want and they only cost like 20 cents a loaf!! They are so GOOD! That must be the frenchman in me....good bottle of wine, fresh baguettes and some nice cheese....although the cheese here is not so good! But the wine and baguettes are A-ok!!
We will try and post updates when we can, assuming the internet cooperates. We will try and take some photos of our neighborhood to post so you can see what we see everyday! Don't get too excited...it is not much of a view!!
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Rockin' the Casbah!!
We went to the Casbah today. It is a very historical place. We toured several of the palaces that were built there and the architecture is absolutely beautiful. It is also right on the Mediterranean so the views from the rooftops on the top of the hill were spectacular.
Our tour guide took us to the top of the Casbah and we started walking down the hill through the winding and twisting alleys. It is so narrow and confusing in there....it would be so easy to get lost. It is also hard to imagine that people actually live in this place.
The smells are hard to describe. Wish we had "smell-o-vision" so you could share in the experience. Wow is all I can say!! There were cats & kittens everywhere. They were digging in the trash. There was a lot of waste everywhere. There were kids playing in dirty cement lots, playing soccer. Some of the kids got in a little tiff while they were playing and started throwing rocks at each other, not little pebbles, but good size rocks!!
At the end of our walking tour, we climbed to the roof of someone's home and sat on large cushions on the ground in front of low tables and were served a tradational Algerian meal underneath a beautiful pergola filled with flowering vines. We enjoyed the beautiful Mediterranean breezes while we ate and visited. We started with some fresh bread and water or soda. Then came a salad with shredded beets, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes and olives (no dressing). Then came borak, which is like an eggroll, filled with ground meat, cheese and olives and deep fried. They were good! Then came the sherpa (soup), which was a tomato based broth with pieces of meat (think it was lamb), still on the bone, and couscous. Then they brought out large tajines ( a clay pot that has a triangle type top) with noodles and a choice of either chicken broth with yucca & chickpeas or lamb broth. After that, came large baskets of fresh fruit, followed by pieces of almond cake soaked in something very sweet. We were very full when we were done!
All in all, it was a fun day! We saw some wonderful places in the city that we want to go back and explore.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Back on line...finally!
We have been without internet for awhile. The utilities and services are very spotty here and NOTHING gets done in a hurry! Last weekend we took a trip to the mountains, about an hour outside the city. If you didn't look at the garbage dumped all over the place, it was actually very pretty. We were up about 4,000 feet and it was a beautiful view, once the clouds cleared out. It reminded us of Colorado up at the summit...fresh air and lots of green.
This trip was an adventure for sure. We had two armored vans with armed escorts in front of us and behind us. By the time we got to the top of mountain, we were in the clouds. At the very top of the mountain, there was a ski lift (a very rickety old single chair lift) and during the winter time they get a little bit of snow, only at the top of the mountain. We were supposed to hike a little through the forest but as we got ready to hike, the sky opened up and it started pouring! It hardly ever rains in the summer here....just our luck! We got back into the vans and headed down the mountain to the hotel where we were scheduled to have lunch. The power was out when we arrived but they let us in anyway. The power came back on a little later. The lunch was actually pretty good. They served fresh baguettes with a spicy hot relish first. It was really good but really hot! Kirk tried a local appetizer (can't remember the name) but it was pasta stuffed with meat and covered in a creamy sauce. Our table ordered a bottle of local wine....big mistake! The smell alone would knock you out! We took a couple of tastes and that was it. This lunch was much better than the first trip we took...no visitors in the bread basket. LOL!!
Two hours later (remember I said nothing happens quickly here....that includes meals), the storm had cleared and we had a beautiful view from the mountain. There is a cable car at the hotel which we were supposed to ride but, of course, it wasn't working that day! So we headed back down the mountain and went to a local market place where they sell local goods and trinkets. We passed a place where you could feed the monkeys, but we didn't stop. Thank goodness because I don't like monkeys!! We did see a monkey climbing on the rock cliff on the side of the road as we were driving. The local people were filling up empty plastic jugs with the water that was running off the mountain. There were families bathing in the river and washing their clothes. All along the side of the roads there were vendors selling all kinds of things. The market place was full of families with their kids. They had miniature ponies and were giving pony rides, a playground area and there were several places where you could sit in a chair between two live peacocks and get your photo taken, for a fee of course.
We are getting settled here and getting into a routine. Kirk was offered the job in the consular section, then found out the funding had "disappeared" so he wouldn't have the job. The next day, the funding had "reappeared" and as of now, is in the process of being hired. He should be at work by the end of the month. Kirk has gone to the local markets during the day by himself...which is not an easy task.
We attended a "black & white" party last night at the Marine House, after attending an official reception before that. Everyone wore black & white and there was a dj and dancing. The weather was beautiful and we were able to be outside on the large patio to enjoy the clear skies and beautiful moon. There were about 150 people at the party and we had a good time. We didn't think to bring the camera to the party but I wish we had!
Tomorrow, we will be rocking the Casbah, for real! We are touring the Casbah and are having lunch at the home of an Algerian family who lives there. If any of you have ever seen the movie "The Battle of Algiers", you know what the Casbah looks like. We will post tomorrow our adventures at the Casbah and some pictures.
This trip was an adventure for sure. We had two armored vans with armed escorts in front of us and behind us. By the time we got to the top of mountain, we were in the clouds. At the very top of the mountain, there was a ski lift (a very rickety old single chair lift) and during the winter time they get a little bit of snow, only at the top of the mountain. We were supposed to hike a little through the forest but as we got ready to hike, the sky opened up and it started pouring! It hardly ever rains in the summer here....just our luck! We got back into the vans and headed down the mountain to the hotel where we were scheduled to have lunch. The power was out when we arrived but they let us in anyway. The power came back on a little later. The lunch was actually pretty good. They served fresh baguettes with a spicy hot relish first. It was really good but really hot! Kirk tried a local appetizer (can't remember the name) but it was pasta stuffed with meat and covered in a creamy sauce. Our table ordered a bottle of local wine....big mistake! The smell alone would knock you out! We took a couple of tastes and that was it. This lunch was much better than the first trip we took...no visitors in the bread basket. LOL!!
Two hours later (remember I said nothing happens quickly here....that includes meals), the storm had cleared and we had a beautiful view from the mountain. There is a cable car at the hotel which we were supposed to ride but, of course, it wasn't working that day! So we headed back down the mountain and went to a local market place where they sell local goods and trinkets. We passed a place where you could feed the monkeys, but we didn't stop. Thank goodness because I don't like monkeys!! We did see a monkey climbing on the rock cliff on the side of the road as we were driving. The local people were filling up empty plastic jugs with the water that was running off the mountain. There were families bathing in the river and washing their clothes. All along the side of the roads there were vendors selling all kinds of things. The market place was full of families with their kids. They had miniature ponies and were giving pony rides, a playground area and there were several places where you could sit in a chair between two live peacocks and get your photo taken, for a fee of course.
The ride home was very interesting. Kirk took some video from the van because no one would believe it until you see it. Our police escorts in the front were creating a third lane in traffic and pushing people out of the way...even in a tunnel we were going about 120 kph in the middle of road between the two lanes of traffic!! It was nice bypassing all the traffic, diplomatic plates do come in handy at times, but this was crazy! We tried to upload the video but our internet service just can't handle it...here is a photo instead.
We are getting settled here and getting into a routine. Kirk was offered the job in the consular section, then found out the funding had "disappeared" so he wouldn't have the job. The next day, the funding had "reappeared" and as of now, is in the process of being hired. He should be at work by the end of the month. Kirk has gone to the local markets during the day by himself...which is not an easy task.
We attended a "black & white" party last night at the Marine House, after attending an official reception before that. Everyone wore black & white and there was a dj and dancing. The weather was beautiful and we were able to be outside on the large patio to enjoy the clear skies and beautiful moon. There were about 150 people at the party and we had a good time. We didn't think to bring the camera to the party but I wish we had!
Tomorrow, we will be rocking the Casbah, for real! We are touring the Casbah and are having lunch at the home of an Algerian family who lives there. If any of you have ever seen the movie "The Battle of Algiers", you know what the Casbah looks like. We will post tomorrow our adventures at the Casbah and some pictures.
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