Nice little things

No in the last two days, just a bunch of nice little things

I started giving unofficial English lessons to Rebecca, the cleaning lady yesterday.  Although she was pretty good at pronouncing words, it's fairly hard for them and it would be easy for her to forget.  So I wrote the words I taught her in English and Spanish and then gave her the paper.  As I pronounced them I told her to write them phonetically, with "Spanish sounds".  Wow! It seemed to make a real difference.  All of a sudden, she seemed to be able to picture the words.  I'm glad.  It's very cool to empower someone.

Yesterday evening, I went back to Billy's BBQ.  I discovered it last year.  They BBQ in a cut open oil drum.  For about $8, I got 1/2 kg of BBQ porch chops and ribs, and rice and coleslaw to go with that.  I cooked some onions, green peppers, and mushrooms to go with that.  Now I have at least 3 meals! Super yum!

At lunch today, I ate at a place called Las Palmas with a couple from Colorado and the couple from Oliver BC I mentioned the other day.  Lunch was super cheap and really good, with great Karma!  For about $6, I had tomato/noodle soup, corn chips and beans, "flavoured water", and a meal.  I chose a porc stew, yummy!  I got to taste 2 new flavoured waters: tamarind water - slightly tart really refreshing, and rice (with rose I think)  water - like a mild liquid ice cream.  I also had Jamaica (spelling?) water, but I had that before - like red coolaid!

This afternoon, I lounged around the Villa pool with Chris and Susan, my downstairs neighbours. Dennis, the owner, and Sylvia, his very nice girlfriend, joined us too. Turns out they met at Salsa dance classes.  Apparently Sylvia is very good and Dennis not so much and he was known to be a cranky Gringo.  But the teacher introduced them, Dennis worked 12 hours / week to get better, and the rest is history.  They even showed us their fancy dancing shoes!

This evening, I went for a long walk and a bit of shopping.  I bought a pretty silver ring, and some fun coloured things for my house - pink, blue and green clothespins, a polkadot shower cap, and a purple dust pan. I am soooooo out of control!

Photos:
Top: a fun "sculpture" at a little roadside store I saw with Christelle when I still had a camera...
Middle: A neat view of the crocodile swamp and observation tower
Bottom: BBQs in the window of a hardware/welding store - notice the fun and practical oil drum and wheel rim models!