all the quirks

So we're getting used to all the quirks of our new (old) house. I'm not exactly sure how old it is...it could be as new as 10 years, or as old as 50. Or older. But it's fun. For instance, we know now to not have the geyser (the hot water heater) and the oven on in the kitchen the same time the computer is on the in office, because the electricity will blow. And we also now know that in order to have hot water for washing the dishes, the geyser first must heat up (that's a given!), and the hot water will run for 30 seconds, and then you must turn off the water and wait for it to reheat some more. Maybe 2 minutes, in which you continue filling up the huge bowl with soap and dishes to wash. This cycle goes on, as does the red light on the geyser, until finally, after several minutes, the dishes are allowed to soak in their steaming water. I suppose it may be faster just to boil up a big pot of water, but for now, the system works.

Also, we got the washing machine working today! It is actually on our roof, since there is no other available place to drain the water, except in the shower, which since we're not fond of electrocution, we thought the roof was fine enough. Plus, I can hang the clothes right there. I was in desperate need of kitchen towels, so even though it was after 4, I had to put in a load of towels. Of course, they weren't done washing until almost 6, and I doubt they will be dry enough by time to wash the dishes tonight, or even tomorrow morning for that matter. Plus, the pollen is bad right now, I can't imagine them still being clean by morning. But even if I have to use damp towels to try to dry dishes, I don't care, because I am so excited to have the washing machine!

And the biggest achievement in the past 24 hours is that I cooked chicken spaghetti last night from scratch! I was so excited, I even made the white sauce to put over it before baking it! And tomorrow, my language helper is staying after our studies to teach me a simple lunch - fried bread (my favorite!) and potatoes and vegetables and spices. It's one of husband's favorites, so I now he's looking forward to it. I'm so grateful that my language helper is so nice and helpful. She even looked at all my family pictures today, and oohed and awed over the babies (of course!), and my beautiful family, friends, and inlaws (she made personal comments on everyone), and loved seeing our wedding pictures. It's funny that I've always thought the pictures of their traditional weddings are gorgeous with all the colors and flowers, but since ours are exotic to them, our bridal gowns, and veils (or whales, as she calls them), and tuxedoes are incredibly beautiful. I love new cultures!