Yes We Have No Strawberries

I've been here over eight months now, and I've learned a lot:

• how to drive on the left side of the road
• how to get around large cities and pass slow cars in your own lane of traffic
• a new vocabulary
• the metric system
• how to shop, live, pay bills, etc.

I've also learned a fair amount of flexibility. Things that would have made me quite upset in the States are now only "minor irritations" - power outages, no garbage services, being one hour late for an appt., etc. (Mum and Dad, I know you are giggling uncontrollably at this point, thinking of me and the word "flexible" in the same sentence, but I can assure you that it is indeed an emerging skill for me!). I was really proud at how much I have grown... until the other day. Until I took my daughter on a "Mommy date". Until we walked up to the smoothie counter.

They make six kinds of fruit smoothies. Emma wanted a berry smoothie. They couldn't make it, because they had no berries. So Emma ordered a different smoothie. They couldn't make that one either, because they had no pineapples. Emma ordered a third smoothie. They couldn't make that one, because they had no strawberries (which we knew, but even though there were other fruits in it, they couldn't just leave the strawberries out). To make a long story short, they could only make two kinds of smoothies, both heavy on the banana. So Emma ended up with an... I don't know... banana-something smoothie.

As for me, I just wanted a peanut butter smoothie (which doesn't involve strawberries or pineapple). I asked them to leave out the banana, as I am not keen on bananas. The following conversation actually ensued:

Smoothie worker: No bananas?
Me: No bananas.
Smoothie worker: Are you sure?
Me: Yes
Smoothie worker: Just peanut butter and yoghurt?
Me: Yes.
Smoothie worker: No bananas??
Me: That's correct.
Smoothie worker: But then you will only have peanut butter and yoghurt.
Me: Yes, I know. That's okay.
Smoothie worker: Are you sure?
Me: Yes!
Smoothie worker: You really don't want bananas in it?
Me: NO.
Smoothie worker: Sure?
Me: YES!! I DON'T WANT BANANAS IN IT. I DON'T LIKE BANANAS! I AM QUITE SURE, NO, I AM MORE THAN SURE, THAT I DON'T WANT BANANAS IN IT. JUST PEANUT BUTTER AND YOGHURT. WOULD IT HELP TO SIGN A WAIVER THEREBY RELEASING YOU FROM ALL LIABILITY? PLEASE!!!! NO BANAAAAAANAAAAS!

Suffice it to say, that whatever pride I felt in having made progress with regards to flexibility flew out the window that day. I have yet to get it back. Every time I look at a banana I feel a twang of guilt.