Joy Among Frustration

I get frustrated here.  Part of it is culture shock.  I've lived in Nicaragua and several places in Japan, so culture shock is something I can deal with.  My health is never 100%.  I can't always get to the internet.  I never know how much anything is supposed to cost--and merchants tend to be disinclined to give me an honest price if I appear to not know the price.  It's raining and a lot of rain is forecast for the next few days.  The food is never as good as you hope it could be.  There are all manner of bugs everywhere.  I'm sick of Flag beer which pretty much means I'm sick of beer.

But despite the frustrating and depressing tone of some of my recent posts, and despite the fact that I'm not particularly enjoying this voyage I undertook, I am doing fine. (I didn't really expect to enjoy it.)

So while I'm getting frustrated and depressed, here are some of the things that bring joy to my life:

ABBA

B-52's--yes Rock Lobster never gets old.  The part with "motion in the ocean/his air hose broke/lot's of trouble/lot's of bubble/he is in a jam/said a giant clam" cracks my up every time.

Fellow travel blogger Stacey Waterman who I never met, but I loooove her travel blog.  http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/trippin-out/

Fanta--Strawberry when available, otherwise orange.

Slog, the Stranger blog

http://www.CapitolHillSeattle.com neighborhood blog from my old neighborhood.

Updating my facebook status.

When somebody understands something I say to them in French.

When I actually understand something somebody says to me in French.

This American Life.  Trying to figure out why Ira Glass says "of course" when he says "Each week, of course, we choose a theme and bring you a variety of stories on that theme."

Minesweeper (16x30 with 80 mines)

Spider Solitaire in 2 suit mode

Reading Cormac McCarty's The Road and La Route.  Knowing that I'm currently experiencing what life in America will be like in 50 years while reading about what it'll be like in 100. ;-)

Paging though my passport looking at the stamps I've earned.

Trying to read Tocqueville.

A description of our hot water situation in Marrakech from Paris: http://pollyvousfrancais.blogspot.com/2008/08/h-2-oh-la-la.html

When the hotel has a room.

When the shower actually has hot water--increasingly rare.

When I hear French spoken by a French person.  A much more beautiful accent than the African French even to my American ears.

When the power comes back.

When the sept-place or minibus fills its last seat.

When I have a mosquito free night.

Every third night where my sleep is refreshing--though probably from sheer exhaustion because my sleep sucked the previous 2 nights.

When the ATM cooperates and gives me money.