Titles are Lame.

I finally bit the bullet and went grocery shopping. Which I knew was going to be an adventure. But wasn't quite sure how much of an adventure it would be. There are a surprising amount of Western options at the local Park N Shop, for which I am grateful. Familiar foods rock in this environment. There are also (this should not surprise me as much as it did) an inordinate amount of Ramen noodles, as well as dried noodle bundles and rice options. I have not quite figured out what exactly to do with them yet, but I am open to suggestions. Feel free to email me recipes with basic ingredients that are easy and delicious. Even better if I can improvise, which I love to do. I did manage to find the basic ingredients for quesadillas and cereal, as well as some American milk, so I am feeling pretty good about that situation.

Take-out is a huge part of the culture here. The kitchens are often super small, so it makes sense that there are as many restaurants as there are and the people all walk around with plastic bags full of deliciously smelling styrafoam boxes. But it is pretty cheap to eat out here, so I suppose it can be justified.

Back to grocery shopping. {I almost forgot the most important part}

THEY HAVE ZAPP's HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Honest to God, I almost cried when I saw them on the shelf. They are not my favorite flavor, the Spicy Creole Tomato kind, but I bought a bag (umm, hell-o. Of COURSE I bought a bag) and ate half of said bag that afternoon. We all know how much I love all things Louisiana, but they mean even more to me here. I mean, what are the chances??? If you said: "Slim, at best" you would be absolutely correct. They also have Jiffy cornbread mix. Which I will be purchasing on my next grocery stock up trip, as there are few things better in life than hot cornbread and butter. Ah, Louisiana.

Work is still super. I have bruises all over my legs again, so I know I am working. I feel like I am learning a lot... I spent 2 hours yesterday learning the ins and outs of PAT testing and European standards for electricity. There were lots of diagrams involved, which was excellent because if I have learned anything about myself over and over again, it is that I am a VERY visual person. I am no longer "the" new person in the department. I am now "a" new person in the department. We got a new team member this week. I do not know when I will stop being new. Maybe it is a gradual transition instead of the instant I am looking for. I got a helmet that fits yesterday, so that was pretty huge. It's all about the baby steps people.

I feel like I am ending this quite abruptly. Forgive me. I have simply run out of things to say!

*This post has a post script (Wow, hello redundancy), which I am adding in an edit 12 hours later. Tonight, when we got off work at 130 am - night shift - I had an adventure. Late (super late) night take out. Legit Chinese take out, the kind where you point and order a picture, rather than a description and they show you a number and you pay the number on the calculator. While I admit I was with a coworker and that I never would have done this on my own, the point is, I did do it and it should not matter whether I was with someone or not. It was delicious. Best food I've had since I got here (well, Thai was pretty good, too, but a different good. So let's say best Chinese food since I arrived.) 30 MOP well spent and so I salute anyone who stays open long enough to feed weary employees just getting off the late shift. Thank you and even though we don't speak the same language, your efforts are appreciated all the same. And now, as it is 330 am and night shift works day shift tomorrow, I am going to bed. With a happy and full stomach. {That was a much better ending than my previous ending, yeah?}