Small things that go un-noticed

First of all new pics! here are the links...they are on my facebook page, but for those of you who don't have facebook, no worries just click on these links and you can still view them without signing your life away to the electronic beast of connections...

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2058620&id=71906336&l=f070522fc1

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2058618&id=71906336&l=09875cb712

now for the good stuff :-) I enjoy writing, just wish I did it more often.

The other day my roommate and I stopped by the metro supermarket about a mile from our house to pick up some groceries. When I went to check out the lady in front of me was obviously new to the system. From her accent I could tell American, which means in Maadi (the area of town I live in) the probability of her being in a military family is high, though she could be a teacher, or a skydiver (joke), but I like to try and guess. :-) As she was going to check out her total came to 102.10 LE (Egyptian pounds). She looked through her money a few times and finally settled on giving the cashier 102.50, with the explanation that she simply did not have any smaller change. The cashier tried her hardest not to laugh, she was a very sweet girl (I must admit I was tempted to break out a laugh as well, I am sure a grin did escape). The lady looked very concerned and explained it was her first time going shopping for groceries since she arrived. The cashier welcomed her and explained the amount of money she had given her was perfectly fine. I have long since forgotten the days of trying to pay to the penny (or piaster in the case of Egyptian money).

Here we usually round up to the nearest quarter, even then most of the time there is not change for those small amounts, so a few sticks of gum or a "mafeesh mishkilla" (no problem) is exchanged. If you go to the same shops frequently, one day they may be short a pound, the next day you are...so in the end it usually all washes out. The funny thing is I don't remember when a few pounds here or there stopped being a big deal, but the incident at the market reminded me of a change that has occured in my life without me even taking notice. It makes me wonder how many other things, perhaps even larger things, have changed without me noticing.