Homesick!

8 days until Christmas and it's 90 degrees outside. Haven't received a single Christmas card, no Christmas carols to speak of, and our little Christmas tree is still in the box. As my fellow expat and friend Lyn says,
a move like this involves a process - anticipation, excitement upon arrival, bewilderment, frustration, homesickness, and eventually adjustment and acceptance. She's right, and today's stage is homesickness. There was a short children's program at church last Sunday and both of us were imagining Owen in a similar role back home. A picnic was scheduled for the afternoon, but the weather was so hot (105+) that they moved it indoors because even the natives couldn't handle the scorching sun.

To alleviate some of the homesickness I tried to bake chocolate chip cookies. My cookie sheets are too large for the oven. The "chocolate bits" here are not the same as Nestle's tollhouse, and to top it off I burned the lot. Will I ever figure out what "forced air" means and when to use the top-and-bottom heat instead of just the top?

But it's still beautiful, and we attended a Christmas party last week and I got to meet the people Vince works with. We had a lovely time, and even got to dance a little. I know things will get better, but meanwhile will somebody please email or send me news from home?