Hello from our new city!

At last, we have our very own Internet! We have LOTS to share, but I'll start with this post that I wrote last weekend. Look for more stories and photos coming soon!

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from 10/19/13

Our first week in our new city has been a whirlwind! Our time has been filled with flat (apartment) hunting. Now that we have found one and signed our lease (Woo hoo!!!), our focus has shifted to shopping for items to fill our flat. This is a task that sounds fun in theory, but the reality of starting almost from scratch is actually a little intimidating. But our plan is to just start with the basics and fill in with the "nice to haves" over time . We have also been blessed with some amazing friends who not only walked us through the hunt for a flat but also with shopping! It has already been exciting to see the wide variety of home items that can be purchased here, and a little surprising to realize that most household items are at least as pricey as in the States.

{Walking back up the hill to the hotel, carrying our purchases.} 

{Hanging out in front of the hotel}

{Walking with Daddy}

{Cutie!}

Little M is adjusting well to his new world ... Aside from still occasionally asking us to order him a cheeseburger from McDonald's! (Wouldn't we all love that?) He likes riding on the rickshaws and enjoys watching to see what animals are wandering along the road... Cows, goats, pigs, water buffalo, etc. He is still on the lookout to spot his first elephant, but we have seen one camel!

{Little M & Daddy in front of the hotel lobby}

{Phone booth in front of our hotel.}

{Rickshaw riding!}

When he hears people speaking in their local language or hears K and I trying out the handful of words we know, he will ask if we're "talking about a language." :) Last night, when we were trying to explain to our rickshaw driver how to get us back to the hotel, M jumped in, pointing and talking in gibberish. I guess he is ready to start "talking about a language" too! I am hoping that once we get settled, we can find some local kids for him to play with and start learning it for real.

Speaking of language, we plan to start our classes a few days into November! I know it will be tough, but I am so excited and ready to move beyond my handful of poorly pronounced words. Right now, the plan is for me to go first thing in the morning to work with our tutor for an hour or so and then come home and switch off with K so that he can go for his session. Then during M's afternoon nap,  we plan to take turns again, with one of us staying home and studying and the other getting out and about, putting what we are learning that week to use!

Between flat hunting & now shopping, little M has missed quite a few naps... and fallen asleep on rickshaws more than once!

He's fallen asleep in our friend's car...

 In the mattress store...

Can you spot little M? While I was out shopping for appliance, he fell asleep with Kenny on a rickshaw and took a little nap on some pillows!

And finally on his very own bed. Yes, I realize it is just a mattress on a floor, but we are trying to decide if we want to get a simple twin bed or possibly have some bunk beds built. The bonus of it being on the floor for right now is that he does not have far to fall if he rolls off! :)

{Helping Daddy load up the cart}

{We visited one big store that had little shopping carts for kids to push around.  He loved it, but by the end we were a little tired from chasing him around the store!}

{Eating at a food court. We have definitely eaten at our fair share of those since arriving!}

{One mall had a neat playground where kids could play. Of course M loved that!}

{Shopkeepers here are smart. They know that if they keep your child from driving you crazy that you are much more likely to make a purchase. So far, M has been given chocolate bars at the mattress store AND the furniture store!}

{Kicked back enjoying his chocolate at the furniture store!}

Overall, we are doing very well! I promise to post some photos of our flat very soon so that you guys can see where we are living. We really do like it, and we are so thankful to be here at last!