Let the Rains Come

Pula!

Let the rains come...
That way I can almost believe it's Autumn at home, and then maybe I'll be ready for the cold when I get home. Probably not, though.

Yesterday it rained. A lot. For a few hours. My friends and I, who had been playing cards by the pool, (I know, life is tough) were forced to huddle in the bar for a few hours. I didn't even have time to change out of my bathing suit.

It rained from about 4 until 7. I sat there hoping the rain would stop soon so I could cook dinner. I had finally managed to create a four-person campfire-co-op for one night's dinner, and I was worried it wouldn't happen. I had a bag full of fresh veggies that probably wouldn't last a whole other day.

Then it stopped raining. I grabbed my headlamp, my pot, the hotplate, and some rice...and discovered the electricity at the campsite was out. Damn. If only my gas stove hadn't caught fire the other night...

But, wait! Germans to the rescue! Two German couples I had befriended at Kaziikini and who appeared suddenly at Sedia this week were trying to communicate something to me. "Gas"...gas? "Come here. Gas. Put on table." And then they turned on a gas stove and put my pot on it. Sweet. The Germans saved the day. My dinner party will happen yet. Hot rice on a cold, rainy night is perfect. Maybe Germans are not all as evil as I've been led to believe...

I didn't want to overstay my welcome, so I politely said "Thank you SO much" and decided a salad would be more practical than stir-fry. And it was delicious. Fresh veggies withe a not-fry stir-fry dressing of oil, soy sauce, garlic flakes, and ginger powder. Mmmmm ginger, oh how I've missed you.

And dessert was dark chocolate.

There have been so many discussions of what food we look forward to when we get home.
Sushi...
Refrigerated anything...
Frozen anything...
Soy yogurt...
Chamomile tea...
Popcorn...
Lactard cornbread casserole...
Coconut milk ice cream...
Anything with fresh ginger...
Fresh berries...

(Hey, mom, care to share my wishes with Peapod?)

Our group numbers at Sedia are dwindling. Yesterday we gained one, today we lose three, tomorrow we gain another. That makes 8. My classmates are amazing, but only when they're here. I'm going to see how many I can bribe back here on Tuesday night with the promise of fried things.

Oh, also, I hate when you smash a mosquito and end up with someone else's blood staining your shirt. Eeew.

One final thought: There are no rules against celebrating Hanukkah with birthday candles stuck in the sand, right? The campsite doesn't have a whole lot of windows. Or maybe it's all windows. I wonder if they sell dreidels anywhere around here...