Joys of city life

When we first looked at our apartment, our road seemed like a little back road that had some traffic.  Well, compared to Creekwood and the extreme lack of any vehicles beside the one that lived past us on our street, it’s heavy traffic!  LOL.  But the street seems pretty quiet.  People walking down the hill to the grocery, one of the three cafes and the bakery and dogs barking here and there.  Of course, I expected there to be noise with living in the city.  Not the quiet of Liberty, that was only interrupted by the sound of the train whistle and the thudding basketball outside my bedroom window. 

 

The day we moved in it was like a different world out there!  Our moving trucks where causing some traffic issues but I couldn’t get over the number of cars (most of them honking) that when past my kitchen windows.  It was like rush hour on 152 thru Liberty.  And then all the yelling over the loud speaker.  I couldn’t figure out if it was the police or the Mosque having announcements or what. * Side Note - the Police don’t pull you over to talk to you, they just yell at your over their loudspeakers.  Not that we ever know what they are saying.*  It drove me crazy that weekend!  But at night, it was nice and quiet.

 

After a week, I finally, FINALLY figured out what all the yelling was about!  There is shopping right out side my door!!!  All day long, trucks drive up and down the street with fresh product, laundry baskets, mops, buckets, chairs and who knows what else.  I have even seen some guys selling shoes and sweaters out of the back of their vans!  I have yet tried out this wonderful service but I have seen my Turkish neighbors do their shopping.   It’s pretty entertaining to watch.  Mom is on the balcony yelling at their kids and the seller.  Then the kid runs up and comes down with money as the seller is weighing and packing their stuff up.  Then dad comes out and yells down, then the kid runs up and back down with more money and then lugs 50lbs worth of product up 47 cobbled stairs.  Now mind you, during the whole thing, cars are whizzing by at 60 Kmh.  And it’s a very narrow road.  Joel thinks it’s a great idea to send the kids to do the shopping.  He even thinks he’s going to send Jocy down to the bakery to pick up bread.  I don’t think so.  My kids aren’t anywhere near as street smart as these kids are.  Heck I don’t feel that comfortable walking down that road!  And I won’t go in to walking up it! 

 

But hopefully, soon I will be shopping like the locals.  I’m still working on communicating with the maintenance man (it’s a disaster) but I’m doing well the security guards.  Maybe I can get them to help me haggle!