Sunny Day

The sun is up. The day is bright and sunny with the cherry trees in blossom and the tulips stand ready to open. All through town for Easter weekend the curbs have been painted newly white, often five feet white and then five not. Helps when you walk at night. In the day parishioners sit out on the benches and talk; solving world problems I am sure.

Today we are in hope of a date to pick up the completed pass ports. We are also planning to go see the girls on their lunch break at three. Our favorite translator will be going with us and I am wanting to speak with her on a general idea of how the girls look at the upcoming leave date. My opinion is the younger of the two is sad about it and the older girl understands she would only have a few months before she would have had to graduate. The younger I believe will have a harder time leaving her friends the older knows she has to leave. I feel we should talk or at least be sensitive to these different feelings. For all of us decisions are often made where the feelings and reasons behind the decision are mixed.

Mechanical comment or just noticing.

I have been told doctors are not well paid here, almost all do not have medical insurance and if you get sick it is difficult to get good medical help. Yesterday I spoke with a young man whose mother is a doctor and father works as a mechanic. I am shocked at ,by our standards, how little she makes. I am fairly sure she is a doctor as he said she went to university for eight years. As the cars are so expensive here, thirty year old cars are completely rebuilt, rust cut out, parts replaced, updated, new interiors, new paint. Those who can afford to drive chose between new at double (plus) what our cost is and the rebuilt older models. The labor rate for everything is low thus making rebuilding more of an option. Car theft is a problem and people often pay to park in watched lots, though there are more who do not pay for this. There are also Chinese cars to consider but their reputation is not as solid yet.