The state of being disorientated (Amy)

Moving is disorientating.  Moving to a new country is even more disorientating.   Things that took absolutely no brain power in my old life (knowing the best way to go to the store, what day is garbage day, who are the parents and siblings of my children's friends etc.) now require almost all the brain power I have available at any given moment. 

I have actually enjoyed watching and realizing how little I truly understand about most of the conversation that goes on around me.   The library staff speaks in Arabic unless it is something I need to know.   Sometimes I can figure it out, often one of them will say, "we are just talking about the beaches on the north coast" or whatever it is.    

Having a teenager is disorientating.  Having a teenager in a new country can be even more disorientating.  Here is a good example - yesterday at 3 Pm A. calls (yes the campus is so big that we call each other often from the same 11 acres) and asked if she could sleep at m's house with a bunch of girls.  She also volunteered that they would leave school at 5 after m's soccer practice with the driver and she lived  in a  safe part of town.   I don't know M.  I don't think I know M.'s mom, but one of the other girls is a teacher's kid so I essentially borrow the other family's trust of M's  family and I wish her well.    I do ask for M's mom's number, receive it and confirm she will be home. 

Now it is the next day.  As of the night before, the driver would return A about noon.  After yoga I call home to say I plan to stop at the store but want to make sure David is home to receive the delivery.   He tells me that A and M are at our house because G is going to move to the U.S. tomorrow so they need to have a swim party today AND  M will spend the night at our house because it is the holy day and her driver can't come back and get her today.    Is any of this true?   Who knows?  It sounds plausible, but almost anything is plausible because everything is so disorientating.    

As it turns out M is lovely and I actually do know her mom because she hangs out in the brary fairly often and we chat.   We make lunch, A and M do not act tortured to sit at the table and eat with us, the groceries get delivered, E orders a McDonalds shake delivered for dessert and the girls go to I's house so her driver can take them to the pool.  Does any of that resemble a Saturday lunch in SC? Yes, but only the sitting and eating part   Delivered groceries, drivers, delivered shakes - all new.  

There is a huge amount of blind faith required when you move abroad and a huge amount required when you have teenagers.   The combination of the two require an unshakeable faith in the goodness of others and a whole lot of street smarts.

These are my new garbage people - a father and son and donkey.   I have no idea what days/days they come.