Friday July 10, 2009

I learned how to do laundry today. The machine has an open top and you have to put the water in yourself. After it spins you have to take each garment individually and rinse it in a bucket. After everything is rinsed, the clothes are placed in the other side of the machine that spins them, then they are placed on the line. Surprisingly it was faster than the machines in the states, but it was more work and you have to wait a while for the clothes to dry. I went to work and then had my first night out. Pearl, Philip Jr., and I went out to dinner and ice cream in this area of town that “never sleeps.” It was however pretty empty due to Obama’s arrival that night. It is interesting to see how another country reacts to a visit from our President in comparison to foreign leaders coming to the U.S. Roads are shut down, people gather, flights are delayed, hotels are closed . . . honestly it is pretty ridiculous. Obama comes for less than 24 hours and people’s lives are totally disrupted. People couldn’t get to their homes because of traffic/road closures, women were going into labor and couldn’t get to the hospitals, etc. In general people were really excited for Obama’s visit but frustrated by the traffic and road closures. City “beautification” has also taken place due to his coming such as road repairs, weeding, and the white-washing of the castle which people appreciate but are frustrated that these things don’t happen regularly.