My dear Fren,
We went to Walmart again,  Do you get the feeling that this is the height of our social activity?”) .

Had the time of our lives finding a small alarm clock (we had forgotten ours) and some picture frames. We drew pictures and mimed, but it wasn’t until, Maas Herbie’ beat him chest, flap him hand an’ “cock-a-doodled”, that they knew what we wanted . It worked, as after going :”Wah!” and laughing, a young man showed us the clocks – what colors?- lavender, pink and blue,( of course).

The photo frame wasn’t so easy- I asked a lady, who called her 10 y/o grandaughter -“Speaky Inglish”. The little girl listened carefully, looked at my drawing, said -“Ahh! -you come” an took off, across the store. I followed to where she stood triumphantly, next to the Camera counter. “Good job! but I need ( “wo yaow”) picture frame, not camera ! This is (“zheiger shi Kamera!”) The poor little thing, knitted up her brows, looked at my picture frame and took me immediately to the TV counter. In desperation I said “No ,no -bushirl’ ” and held my drawing up against a wall. “hah!” she said as, the ‘penny dropped’ and she darted away again ,( with me in hot pursuit) to the shelves,( near the clocks), and triumphantly pounced on the frames. “You no tell me” she said— as she stamped her little feet, then proceeded to advise me as to what size I should buy “Very good!” I told her many, many thanks and told her grandmother that her grandchild was very good English speaker. (Who said that Jamaicans are not resourceful)

I also went to the ‘Tea-room/ Boutique’, (of course) where I tasted a collection of new (to me) Chinese teas and eventually bought some candy made from what looked like ‘sorrel’. I also discovered that no matter what the label says, -it’s all MADE IN CHINA -. or -Packaged in China. Next week, we will try out the British Supermarket which, I was told, “is quite expensive but superior quality” (Sounds like ‘Mrs. Hyacinth Bucket’? )

Well, the end of the adventure, is that “himself” bought another wheeled ‘back pack’ (to add to his collection) and wheeled himself away with our groceries. Left me to plod along ( I treated myself to a Starbucks cupcake – I deserved it) and ‘ran’ up 72 steps (I counted them), ran across the 8-lane crossover and down 72 steps- as to get a taxi, you have to be in the right location They don’t like (and it may be illegal to make) U-turns –  Not to mention dangerous

So much for my Sunday afternoon adventure.

“Walk Good” me Fren

P.S. – Did I tell you that there is a “Starbucks” on every other corner in the Downtown Shopping area? And they are always full too (a great place for my weekly treat   )  I also ‘found’ McDonald’s (like Christopher Columbus) and have added a chicken burger and fries ‘ji’rou han’bao taocan’  to the “treat” venues.