Penang -- Week 17 -- Sorry We're Closed

WEEKEND, July 5th & 6th

Over the weekend, we almost went to the movies with the Millers, but plans fell through.  We have to get to the movies soon though.  Eric told George that the theaters are really luxurious and for so little money you get these huge, recliner seats and meals are served.  Wow!  The movie we were supposed to see was Hancock.  Hadn't heard of it.  We're so out of touch with no TV or anything.

I couldn't handle connecting my laptop to the TV for another day, so we broke down and bought me a fancy new monitor in town.  Course, knowing us, we arrived about five minutes before closing, we discussed, we thought, and we chose our item, but they wouldn't take George's credit card and he had no cash.  The guy told him, "sorry we're closing" and to come back next week with cash!  No way.  I'm not living that long without a monitor, and there's no telling how long it would take us to actually get back there again.  George shrugs and accepts it, but when he comes outside to tell me about it (I'm out there waiting with Regin) I'm like, "Well go in there and ask them to wait five minutes while you go to an ATM!"  George refuses.  They probably aren't accustomed to keeping stores open for customers.  I go in and put on my best helpless look, and the guy says, "ten minutes."  

So George has to walk way far away (they don't have ATMs all over here) and while we're waiting, Regin is picking up trash around this building and handing it to me.  Meanwhile, he's deliciously unaware of his cuteness and how many locals are taken with him as he walks by.  He's in his own little world, until... BOYS!  Now that I'm a mother of a little boy, I understand that there can be another, entirely different definition of "boy crazy" than a teenage girl hungry for males.  My dude is fascinated by other little boys.  When did he learn how to identify genders?  And how is it he just gets, in his gut, that he has more in common with them and their antics than he has with the little girls?  Anyway, little girls walk by and he barely notices, two older little boys walk by and BAM!  He follows them, he stares at them, he smiles at them.  It's so cute.  He's done this at the little play ground at the mall too, but I've seen him admiring some very questionable play (climbing on top of play houses and jumping off of roofs) by some very obnoxious boys.  But I know I have to get over that.  I had a boy.  He's bound to start acting very boyish, even if I find it annoying and uncouth.  

I went to the market really early in morning on Sunday.  You know what?  Even that early in the day, the chicken section still smells so rank that it makes me gag.  I could really go off chicken altogether if I keep going to the market.  I learned another lesson this week:  never hand carry heavy items to a location if you don't know for certain that it will be open.  I folded up our large (and heavy) white rug from our family room and carried it all the way to the dry cleaners (right next to the wet market).  They are apparently closed on Sundays, so I had to add that to the lode I bore home which also included all kinds of fruits, vegetables, eggs, and a whole chicken.  I carried this back home alone; George was home with Regin.  I was a physical wreck when I got back.

So our maid's room, which is off the balcony that is our laundry room, is really now being used as a storage room and pantry.  I had once thought of making it a little studio, but as there are no real closets in this place, we desperately need the storage.  Well, we were making dinner one evening and I went to grab something from the pantry and... the door was locked, and the key couldn't open it.  This has happened also with Regin's playroom and the adjoining bathroom.  The doors here keep locking themselves!  We have a doorstop to keep Regin's room open now, and we don't really need that adjoining bathroom, but the pantry is kind of important when your food is on the other side of that door, especially when you have an illness that demands you keep a fairly regular meal schedule.  But we ended up having to figure something else out, because there was nothing we could do to get the door open and it was too late already to call maintenance.