The cooking saga

So I decide to cook up a storm seeing as I have these packets of spices for curries, do dishes and do laundry at the same time.  The communal laundry room is right next to the communal kitchen so while the laundry goes, I reckoned, I'd cook.  First thing I had to do was to get everything over to the kitchen area, laundry, food ingredients from coconut oil to ready dough as I was going to make two curries and the steak pie since I couldn't find kidneys.  I'd asked Nasim, the caretaker, for another bar fridge to hold all this cooking as one was not going to be enough.  He'd promised since Monday that he would bring me one, it eventually arrived yesterday after my marathon cooking spree.

I put in the first load and how you pay is you insert your bank card and it deducts $1.50 for a wash and the same for the dryer.  With the laundry going, I prepare my first meal which is the chicken tikka masala and for this, I need half a large tin of tomato puree.  I had the tin and I had bought a tin opener but for the life of me, I couldn't get the opener to open the tin.  A guy comes in to cook himself some breakfast and I ask if he knew how to work the tin opener and he says yes very enthusiastically but give a few twists and gives up as it won't work for him either.  I must say that he did mention that he works for Proctor and Gamble and I guess his lily-white office boy hands were no match for that tin opener.  Me being a strong South African woman, was not going to let a little tin opener get the better of me and I battled on as I was now losing time. 

The chicken was all cut up and ready to go.  It was an easy meal to cook as all I needed was the tomatoes, chicken and the packet of spices mixed up in a cup of water.  If only I could get the darned tin open.  I battled for another little bit and then Nasim came in and I asked if he could help and he tried and gave up and went and fetched the same type of tin opener. I figured if I couldn't get this one to work, I wasn't gonna bother with the same type.  I eventually managed to get the tin open and by now it had a totally new shape and I could cook my first meal after I had to run back to the apartment to get garlic and ginger for the pie and again to get paper towel, spray and cook and butter.

With the first load of laundry done, I put in the second and prepped for the second meal which was even easier as all it needed was to brown the chicken and add the spices mixed up in a cup of water.  Easy peasy.  Then it was the turn of the steak pie.  I only had one pot so I had to cook, let cool and dish out into foil bowls which I had bought especially for this. I needed to roll out the dough so I cleaned an area and sprinkled some flour on there and then started to roll out my dough.  Doesn't some of the black stuff of the counter come off on my dough but by then I couldn't give two hoots.  I had to use an unopened 1.5l red wine as a rolling pin.  Then I had to make sure the dough rounds were big enough for the foil pie tins I had bought.  Managed to make two and a half pies out of the dough and had some left-over steak mix for another time. After baking my pies and eating the half one I made, I came to the conclusion that my dough was too thick.  I don't like thick dough on pies but nou ja.  It was at least edible with black countertop colouring and all.

By now laundry was all washed and dried and now I had the next mission, to carry everything back to the apartment.  Luckily or unluckily there are oven trays that I could use.  I couldn't leave my apartment door open and it's spring-loaded hinges so you have to unlock and push and slide inside.  On my first trip, I had one of the curries and rice and as I tried to manoeuvre it through the door, it slipped and nearly fell but I managed to hold on and just spilt some curry down the door.  Gave my left arm a bit of a wrench there. It took me about 7 trips up and down to get everything back, pack away the laundry and only then could I sit down and relax a bit.  Boy was I tired after that and I swore never again.  I anyway don't think there's much of a saving in cooking versus eating at the caf.  John doesn't think my no more cooking policy will hold as I enjoy cooking so much but it's just too much effort.  It's not that the kitchen is far, it's about 20m and up a flight of stairs but it's getting everything back to the apartment that's making it a not so nice experience.

Medical woes

Today I cried for the first time in Greensboro.  About 3 days ago my eye started showing signs of a stye and I thought, ag it's only a stye and will go away again.  Not this time.  Last night we went to Walgreens Pharmacy to buy some stye ointment and although the package says Stye, the small print says it helps for itching, burning etc but does not cure a stye.  Anyway, this morning when I got up, my eye was swollen almost shut.  So now to get an ophthalmologist.  I am on United Medical Care medical insurance and this was going to be my very first attempt at getting to a doctor. I sit down at my pc and I log into my medical insurance app to find a doctor as the doctor I go to has to be part of the network and if not, I would have to pay out of pocket. As mentioned before anything medical is extremely expensive so I had to make sure this doctor was on the network.  I called the first one on the list and got through only to be told that they only do eye surgery.  I called the second one on the list and the lady there gives me another number to call for the stand-in ophthalmologist.  I call there and get an appointment but now I have to make sure this doctor is on the network.  So I phone my medical insurance and ask them if he is on the network and they tell me that they don't have a list of docs on the network and that I would have to check online.  She walks me through how to do that and this doctor is not on the network. Ok, so I cancel that appointment.  I can hardly see through this eye and I can't seem to find a doctor to help me and I just burst into tears.  Then John took over.  He called another doctor on the list and was told that they only do retinas or some such.  Then he tries another doctor and gets me an appointment but I'm still pessimistic about this as anything could still go wrong.  I hadn't printed out my medical insurance ID card yet but they told John that the one on my phone would be fine.  I also haven't got my Greensboro ID yet but they said my passport would work.

A uber ride later, I get to the doctor.  My appointment is at 11h30 and I get there by 11h20.  You have to announce yourself at the counter, which is normal, but there's a queue because they are implementing a new computer system. Eventually, I get to the front and the lady is not happy that I don't have my medical insurance card printed out and to top that I don't have an ID. She explains that it would take a while as she now has to load me on two computer systems and I say that's fine.  After about 10 minutes she says we're good and I can take a seat.  Just sat down and she calls me again and asks to see my medical insurance card and she explains stuff to someone at the medical insurance office as they have to make sure that I'm covered or else to pay-up. The lady explains to me that they cannot call up United Medical insurance on their computer but that it would have to be phoned in, I guess by the insurance company.  She says this will take a bit longer.  Ok, I'm fine with that.  About 15v minutes later I get called by Felicia, a nurse, who first does eye testing and all of that.  Gets my medical history etc.  Then she goes off to test my specs and tells me Albert will be in shortly.  I have not idea who Albert is and what he would be doing for me.  About 15 minutes later again, Albert pops in and he asks some questions and checks out my eye, dilating it.  He says it's a stye that has infected my eyelid and that he would put me on a course of antibiotics and that I need to do a warm compress on the eye as regularly as I can, like every hour.  I had to put some rice in an old sock, and put it in the microwave for 20 seconds and keep that on my eye after checking that it was not too hot for my eye by first testing on the outside of my hand and then my cheek.  If it was not too hot for my cheek, it was ok for my eye.

I got out of that surgery by 13h36 exactly, Got an uber to Walgreens in Spring Street, which is the closest one to us.  The doc had sent my script there and all I had to do was to collect.  I go to the collect window and tell my story and the girl says yes she can see my script, halleluiah.  Then she asks me if I have a prescription card and I ask where I was supposed to get that and she says the medical insurance had to send me one as my meds would then be cheaper.  She suggests I call my medical insurance which I dutifully do cause who doesn't want a saving?  Now calling the medical insurance is not as easy as it sounds.  It's press 1 for this and 2 for that and a whole long waiting time.  Eventually, I get through and I'm told that with my plan, I have to pay upfront and then claim. So that is what I will do and hopefully get all my money back.

We don't have a printer here, which is quite a schlepp as I have to send all my printing to John on email and then he prints it at the university. So now he's been sent the claim form which he'll print and then I have to complete and then he has to scan it in so I can send it to the medical insurance for reimbursement.  I just find everything takes so much longer here than in SA.  I guess I will get used to it in the long run but I'll just start getting used to everything and then we have to leave, such a waste of time and energy.

Getting used to a different way of doing

The shopping spree did not happen as planned.  So last Sunday we went to mass, this time at 11h00 because then the organ played.  After mass we walked to the cafeteria for lunch and then got an uber to Indu Indian shop which was not at all as I envisaged.  Spices are so expensive and if I had to buy all the spices I needed, it would cost a small fortune and I would end up leaving it all behind in May when we go back to SA so I bought some packets of pre-packed spices for Lamb Rogan Josh, Chicken Tikka masala and Butter chicken. We got some authentic Indian tomato sauce which they call ketchup.  There was so nothing authentic about it as it was Maggie tomato sauce and tasted just like the ordinary one. 

One thing I noticed about food stores is that there is such a huge variety of things.  For instance, if you want milk, there are half and half, 2%, low fat, whole mile with vitamin D, etc.  You stand there for 10 minutes just trying to figure out which one to take. I wanted cream crackers and there was a whole aisle, I promise you, of crackers to choose from.  As I needed the crackers to make custard slice, I needed custard powder and as I couldn't find that anywhere, I luckily also did not have to choose cream crackers for now.  I need to get to Walmart, apparently, they have custard powder or else I have to order it online.

So then I felt like making steak and kidney pie and the steak was easy enough to find but you don't get kidneys in-store or butcher, you have to order it online and then you go online and they're out of stock.  If I could give anyone advice who will be staying overseas for just a short while, it's best to buy pre-packed food, not very healthy although the package will tell you no GMO or MSG or whatever but it's cheaper than having to buy every ingredient and getting utensils and spices and everything else that you need to do home cooking.  At least the communal kitchen has a biggish pot, a smaller one and a few pans but everything else you'd have to buy, like tin opener, peeler etc.

I now am the proud owner of a Wells Fargo banking account with my own card. Soon we will apply for our Greensboro ID's and a social security card so that we can work here. You are not allowed to earn any income without a social security card. 

We met with the pastor/music director at the Baptist Church just opposite us, and John might be starting an internship there and I was offered one as well at $100 per week.  Not much but better than nothing.  So hopefully we'll be able to generate $200 dollars per week between the two of us.  The pastor also has a classical guitar that he's never used and I would be able to practice on it and maybe join in the band.  I would rather sing though as I haven't touched a guitar since November because of the shoulder operation.

I've now been to gym twice with Preston Ellington, my personal trainer and it's going well.  Instead of just concentrating on getting my arm up to speed, he also wants to help me get more fit. The food in the caf don't help as it's top-heavy with starches.  On a good day, I could make up a plate with some protein and veggies, depending on the time of day.  We've discovered that if you go there after lunch, then only a few stalls still have food and it's mostly burgers, pizza and pasta. Best to then rather wait till 16h00 when they all open again for supper.

Uninvited guests

Shopping day but first John has to be at orientation again from 10 so we agreed to meet at 12 or so to take the bus to Friendly Centre where he has to open a bank account.  Then from there we'll Uber to Target, Walmart and Indu Indian shop.  I crave roti and curry so badly.  It's quite difficult to find fresh produce at local convenience stores.  You have to visit supermarkets which are all not withing walking distance. We've spent a small fortune on uber already.  More on the shopping spree later.

About 2 days ago I saw a small cockroach in the sink area and told Nasim who said if I should see another, he would organize fumigation.  So I saw another bigger one in the bath last night and let him know so fumigation will happen today at 16h00.  I hope we don't come home to some awful smells again.

Our place is looking kind of homey now but we don't spend much time here.  Once John's classes start I guess I would spend more time here cooking and cleaning. We were promised lovely warm weather come March and I can't wait.  It's freezing cold here and even though I had brought all my Winter clothes, it's not the same kind of cold as in South Africa so most of my clothes would be too warm for inside as the aircon is on in every building.  You need to dress warm enough for outside but then not die of heatstroke when inside or while walking.

I forgot that on Tuesday we also went to the UNCG gym.  It's free for John but I had to join on his membership so that I could get my arm strength back after the operation.  It was cheaper to do it this way than to see a physiotherapist which we heard was quite pricey here.

Help, it's so cold

Wednesday the 8th, we left the apartment early morning as John had to be at orientation by 9.  It was so cold that I thought my nose would get frostbite. They were given breakfast and John said I should join but I didn't feel comfortable as I wasn't an exchange student so I walked over to the canteen which is still closed and will only open when all the students are back but there was a Barnes Noble in the same centre with a Starbucks.  I decided to have my breakfast there but what a disaster.  Anyone who knows me knows I love eggs.  They only had egg white muffins with Canadian bacon.  The waiters were all trainees as the muffin I got were so hot I had to wait a while before I could touch it and then it was so tough, I was glad I still had my own teeth as dentures would not have been up to the task. When you order, they ask your name and write it on your coffee cup, so a cappuccino arrived with the name Kelly on it and I asked could that possibly be Candy and the girl said "well it's a cappuccino" so duh it must be mine then.

I then decided to walk around in the centre as I was on the lookout for a stand to put my phone and Kindle on when I wanted to read something.  Found nothing in Barnes & Noble and then decided to go check out Yum Yum.  Everybody we spoke to had said that this was the best restaurant on campus for hotdogs and ice cream.  I wasn't interested in the ice cream but the hotdog.  I ordered one with slaw and expected to be wowed but at $1.90 I guess I shouldn't have expected much.  It was the tiniest little red worsie with heaps of slaw and some ketchup.  I was not impressed.

I then walked to the library and decided to sit there and read a book while I waited for John.  It was called Sister of Mine by Laurie Petrou and it was such an interesting read that I went to ask if I could join the library.  I was told that it would cost $35 a year but as we were only going to be here for 5 months, John, who had free access, could take out books for me, which he did.  I finished the book in half a day and now need to go back for more.

On Tuesday, we had bought a chicken salad at Bojangles that was so huge I had brought half mine home for dinner but only got to it on Wednesday and the little fridge had been set to the coldest and had frozen my salad.  So last night for supper I fished out the chicken between the frozen lettuce and cucumber and had that to eat. John had one of those pre-packed microwave meals.  I need to go grocery shopping but to cook.  I'm so scared of what it's gonna cost though as I have to restock a kitchen from scratch but for only 4 months and a week. I'm not sure how I'm going to do that without bankrupting us, but shopping day is tomorrow so we'll see.

This and That and pepper spray

The days flew by since my last post on 1 Jan.  I would have to guess what happened between then and now.  I think on the 2nd we went shopping for some groceries and a pair of boots for me as the ones I had had for over 10 years decided to break.  We went to Four Seasons Centre and walked about to see which shops were all in there.  We needed to buy pepper spray as we were advised by Hamsa that that would be our best friend over here.  John spoke to a security guard at the mall and the security guard reckoned that we needed a licence to have pepper spray and that not many people knew about that.  Anyway, there was no pepper spray to be found there but we found Starbucks again and later on we discovered the food court.  We ordered some pasta with meatballs and tomato sauce and the portions were huge enough for me to bring home half for supper.  All the meal portions are enough for two in my opinion.  The food was good but pricey, like $26 which equates to R390!!

We had walked from our hotel to the Fours Seasons Centre and then took an Uber to Target where we found pepper spray amongst other things.

On the 3rd we found a studio apartment but was shown some other one similar to ours as ours weren't ready for viewing.  Apparently, the carpet still had to be cleaned.  We weren't sure if we would have a queen-size bed or two twins so we couldn't go out and buy bedding just yet.  Nasim, our contact for accommodation said he would check in storage if they had a queen-size bed and let us know. The kitchen was communal although the apartment had a mini-fridge and microwave inside.

Sat the 4th we just lazed about in the hotel room.  There was nothing to watch on tv except news, weather and adverts so we caught up on some sleep.  Our sleeping patterns were way out and we would wake up three or four times in the night and just try to fall asleep again.

On Sunday we finally saw our apartment and it was a dump and had the grossest smell.  The carpet had not been cleaned and there was an added smell of paint.  Our Uber driver kindly gave us some Febreze to spray as well as some anti-bacterial spray he had had in his car.  He was a retired Methodist minister and really helped to get the bad smell reduced. We were supposed to move in and had all our luggage with us but then Nasim offered us their Airbnb apartment to stay in overnight as the carpet was going to be cleaned on Monday.  The Airbnb was a bit better but the bed was crappy as it rolled us to the middle.  We so hoped our bed in our apartment would be better.  Anyway, we now knew we had a queen-size bed so off we went to Target to get bedding and a bathroom mat.  Luckily I had brought towels along so we didn't' need to buy towels as our bill came close to R7000!!!!!   I nearly died.

On Monday the 7th we moved into our apartment.  The carpet looked a bit better but the place still had the smell of paint.  That couldn't be helped so we set about fixing up our place to our liking.  We moved the bed so that we could fit a bedside table on each side.  On moving the bed we realized that the carpet cleaners had not moved any of the furniture around but only cleaned where they could see so there was this black mark on the carpet.  We just took pictures and sent to Nasim.  Our people in SA do a much better job.

Finding accommodation

While Hamsa had so kindly given us a tour of campus and surrounds we had made note of rentals around campus.  After breakfast yesterday we called some of the numbers.  One person just put the phone down in John's ear when he asked her to repeat herself.  Rather rude.  He left messages for two others but gave his telephone number incorrectly so we'll need to phone these people again and leave the correct number.  One of the places advertised was on S Mendenhall Steet and we called and spoke to a lady named Chrystal who told us to come and get the key for viewing.  We took an uber out there and continued to fill out a form so we could get the key while she went off to find it and she couldn't find it anywhere.  She was very apologetic but we had just wasted money on an uber.

On our walk yesterday through campus and off-campus we identified a few more places and we'll be giving them a call as well. We will be viewing one apartment this morning at 10am and then another at 16h30.  The price differences are crazy.  This morning's one is $775 per month which equates to about R11625 and this afternoon's one is $550 per month which equates to about R8250, all-inclusive.  We've seen places advertised for as little as $375 per month which is about R5625 and we'll be checking them all out. We don't want to be sharing either kitchen or bathroom with others as I'm not sure how clean the others will be.  We also would not like to share with youngsters who are rowdy.

Hopefully, we find a furnished place else we still have to worry about getting furniture that we will need to sell when we leave. I think I'd opt for furnished and then maybe just get a new mattress or something. This is taking up so much of our time right now that New Years came and went while I was sound asleep. It loses it's importance a bit when you realize that other countries are into the new year already.