Catching up

My life the past couple days has been studying, with breaks to explore our grocery options...okay, and a few naps. There are a few major stores- Safeway, Coles, and IGA- as well as a Walmart disguising itself as "The Big W" (didn't fool me- I can recognize cheaply produced products sold in mass quantities by a smiley face any day!). I remember from previous trips abroad that there is always something- an ingredient or household item- that you just can't seem to find, or at least find as easily as at home. (That's part of the whole experience, I know.) Pinto beans elude me- when I finally find the bean section, which mostly has baked beans, I cannot find any pintos. I've tried asking a couple of clerks but they just look confused and point to the beans, eager to escape my silly questions. I made veggie burritos last night with some other kind of bean, and it was okay.

I'm trying to adjust to the smaller sizing here...the tortillas purchased for last nights meal looked a bit pitiful compared with our standard size at home. The 'tall' size latte I get at home is a 'large' size here. The toilet paper comes in packages of two or four, not eight or more. I notice, too, that women my age generally seem smaller compared to me, and I cannot help but feel like a typical overweight American...for example, I have gone up about two sizes in clothing here. Fortunately, the restaurants actually serve realistic portions so maybe that will make a difference during my stay.