This woman swiped up Thomas for a picture. He was a good sport!
And Kris got fussed at by an older woman who did not approve of Daniel’s pant leg being scrunched up to reveal his long johns. They are super-serious about not losing body heat, and staying away from the cold. They fear the cold, truly! They are afraid of ice in their drinks, for fear the reduction in body temperature will make them sick.
Their concern for sickness does not transfer to being as careful about spreading germs, however, which the men learned the hard way after lunch...
We had lunch at McDonald's, and thoroughly enjoyed the hot chocolate, for it was really cold outside! After lunch, we strolled through the mall and found a kid’s play area. Just before we went in, we witnessed a young boy being held over a trash can to relieve himself, which we hear is quite common here.
Here's Dan-man, rearing to go!
Kris and Kevin stayed there with the kids while Ashley and I went shopping for a few things. After a little while we got a call that they had made an abrupt exit from the play area because another child had vomited. The employees simply took a rag and wiped it around enough until it was relatively dry, and then gave the okay for the kids to climb back in. The guys were completely grossed out, and realized that the play area was no doubt teaming with pathogens. They couldn’t get enough sanitizer on!
That afternoon, Ashley drove her three wheeler out with Anna, David and Thomas, and Karis and Eil, all in the back on the covered benches. The three wheeler is a rechargeable battery-powered tricycle-like motorycle with pedals, which Ashley had to use one day recently when is was very cold and the battery ran out of juice before they got home!
The kids were so cute all packed in. She instructed them on how important it was to not be silly, and off she went to the market, with me riding behind on her bike. It was such an adventure for me! Riding a bike through busy city streets in this country is not quite the same as riding down the neighborhood streets in Sachse!
We enjoyed looking around at the outdoor market, and we also stopped to buy some yummy popcorn from a vendor. We got chocolate and ice cream flavors...quite tasty!
We made it back to the apartment safe and sound, and enjoyed seeing the sleeping quarters of the "dungeon master" - the woman in charge of keeping the bikes in the basement of the apartments. She recharges and parks them, and makes sure that no one steels them, and she lives down there. That is her place in this society.
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