Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Quick update from this part of the world

We went to the baptism.  What a mess... I don't remember hearing babies cry so much and so friggin' long!  From the moment they were passed on to their respective godparents, they started wailing.  It was a nightmare.  Those kids are a little savage shy to start with, so not just anybody can go to them.  When they realised their parents were standing by the altar and they were in the back of the church, the screaming started.  It was a somewhat long ceremony (anyway, anything in church is always too long!), but when they got to the oil bath and dunking part (they do that the Greek Orthodox) the kids went nutts.


Here's the boy getting ready for the bath - can you see how sad he looks?  It was almost funny to see them squirm so much and the crying... I felt sorry for them... and yet I smiled.

The girl was just as upset, as her twin brother... even if their parents were holding them.  By that time, they were beyond themselves, and wouldn't stop screaming.  They were bathed in olive oil (the kind we buy at the grocery store) their whole bodies covered with it.  Everything was oily.  Supposedly they are no supposed to wash their hair for three days after that.  We helped the parents packed after dinner (a nice party/reception at a Greek restaurant) and everything was slippery, unreal.  We had a very good dinner, and a good time overall, despite the screeching.

Last night we went car shopping.  For the first time, I'll be getting a second-hand car.  Until now I've always bought new cars.  I didn't want someone else's problems.  I still don't, but don't really have the budget for a brand new one, nor do we want a loan, so... I'm going "pre-owned".  We visited two dealerships and made a deposit on a promise to buy a car with one, and they promised to find us one with the criteria we wanted.  We'll see how that goes.  We have to return our rental car on Friday, since the insurance will only cover it until then.  We also have to finalised all papers regarding my loss car (registration, cheque, etc).  As of Friday I'll be car less, unless the dealership found me one I like.  They were actually nice enough to offer to give us a courtesy car until they find what we want.  My main criteria:  a non-smoker car without ANY beige.  We have a budget which they know of, so it should be relatively easy.

Today I received a letter from the Doctors' College regarding my complaint.  They were asking my permission to share my letter with the quack.  Sure, I have no issue with him knowing how much I thought he was a quack, share away.

I'm not going to write about the heat wave we've been hit with.  All I'll say is if I was corn, I'd be popped corn by now.

Hope things are good in your neck of the woods.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like being an observer was the exact right move.. ;)

Robert the Skeptic said...

My baptism they just sprinkled water over my head, no worse than being sneezed on. No "limbo" for me ha ha.

Daddy Papersurfer said...

That child turned out remarkably normal considering the faces of the parents ......

lizgwiz said...

We do a little oil during baptisms in the Episcopal Church, but it's just rubbed onto their foreheads in the shape of a cross. The whole body rubdown seems excessive to me. Unless it comes with a massage. ;)

stinkypaw said...

Monkey: I was the designated photographer...

R t S: Ha, well, these kids won't be able to say that, they were truly bathed...

Daddy P: You're one funny man!

lizgwiz: I agree with you wholeheartedly!