no children are grabbing me right now

currently listening to The Arcade Fire

I should note that I'm listening to music sans headphones. That's right, because I'm in MY OWN HOUSE BY MYSELF DOIN' WHAT I PLEASE. Today I went crazy-go-nuts and went food shopping, unpacked and showered. I know, I'm out of control.

I'm really happy with my house right now. It's not perfect--one of the windows leaks a little on really rainy days, the butagaz in my kitchen scares the hell out of me and my landlord hung the mirror over my sink really crooked (intentionally, I suspect)--but the important thing is that it's mine. I finally have a place to go where I can just be.

And unpacking was FANTASTIC. I forgot about some of the stuff I brought. It's hard to keep track of everything when you live out of a duffle bag for four months.

Also. It occurred to me today that I've never lived alone before. Away from my parents, sure, but I've always had a roommate: my best friend from college and I lived together for three years then the summer before moving here I lived with some British exchange students. I'm hoping that living alone for the first time in a (very) foreign country is one of those rash decisions that work out really well.

One funny thing to end on: yesterday I was explaining to a kid at Dar Chebab that I had been really sick this week and she asked me "shrbti nkila?" which means "did you take nyquil?" But the thing is, in different contexts, shrb means drink, and when she said nkila I heard tequila. I think you can see where this is going.

I responded with a nervous laugh and said "No! Shame on you!" in Arabic while thinking a swirly margarita from Lauriol would hit the spot right about now. She looked at me funny and then I looked at her funny and then I kind of figured out what she said. Awk.