Retail Therapy

People back in the US are always asking me what the shopping is like here in South Africa.  What brands are there?  What stores do you have that are also in the US?  Etc...  So I thought I would write a little bit about retail therapy.

There are several indoor and outdoor malls just like in the US, some so big I get lost every time and others much easier to navigate.  Located inside the malls is what is most different from the US.  Here in South Africa the malls are filled with banks, pharmacies, grocery stores and of course clothing, shoes and jewelry stores.  Cafes and restaurants are also plentiful in the malls here.

Some of the stores we have here in South Africa are also found in the US such as Adidas, Lacoste, Polo, Aldo, Steve Madden, Rage, Diesel, Guess, Tommy Hilfiger and Sunglass Hut.  Found at a mall about 45 minutes from us is more upscale shopping with stores such as Louis Vuitton & Salvatore Ferragamo.  Then there are stores like JCrew which would sell to men and women in the US but here it's only for men.  A couple of stores here look likes ones back in the US but have different names.  I swear we have an Old Navy here as the displays, clothes and set up are just like that store, but here it's called Pick-N-Pay Clothing.  When I asked the workers if they had ever heard of Old Navy, they of course said "no".

The clothes in the stores can either come in sizes from the US, the UK, Euro, or South Africa.  It does not matter if I check the tags, I always have to try it on as I can't remember my size.  I have found that Adalyn wears a way bigger size in some of the South African clothes, for instance I bought her pajamas for a size 8 girl, though she would normally wear a 4-5 in the US.

Shoes are also different depending on where they are from.  In the US I wear a size 8.5-9 and here I am normally in a size 7.  Not all stores sell shoes in half sizes either, you are sometimes limited to a size too big or too small.  Clothes and shoes are labeled differently too.  Tennis shoes are know as tekkies and most of the baby clothing is called something different.  A onsie is called a vest here, overalls are called rompers or dungarees, and what I call footed pajamas is called a grower.

Regardless of any differences, I have been able to shop without any issues, having family bring over necessary clothing items that we need which I can't find here.  To get items at the same quality as in the US, I think you do have to pay more here.  It is nice to have a mall that is a one stop shop for banking, grocery, pharmacy and clothing needs.  

Grant is 6 months

On November 15th, Grant turned 6 months old, though it feels like he has been in our family for years.  It is amazing how a tiny person can fill your family with so much love.

  I think it is Adalyn who Grant loves most.  Every morning she wants him sitting in his high chair right next to her chair while she eats breakfast.  She is even willing to pick up all of the toys he so diligently drops on the floor.  When we change her clothes for school, he has to come along and often she will have a mini school session with Grant right before we leave.

Recently Adalyn received the soundtrack to the movie "Frozen" and plays it non stop, singing and "helping" Grant dance.  I love to watch them interact, he is pretty infatuated with her and will laugh and smile at anything she does.  This of course encourages the strangest of behaviors from her but they have fun together so that is all that matters.



My mom also bought Grant a walker which he can't "walk" with yet but loves to sit in and play with the toys.  Adalyn loves to push him around the house and we have speed limits now as she can get pretty fast.

Grant is enjoying life just being chill.  He has decided that laying on his stomach is not as horrific as he once thought, though he will roll over immediately once there.  He can roll from his back to his stomach with a little resistance.  Adalyn loves to roll him like a log and help him reach any milestone.

  

We are working on sitting, he falls over pretty fast but in time will acquire that skill.  Grant is very laid back so I am not sure he is in a hurry to do anything, except growing teeth.

At 4 months and 6 days old, Grant sprouted his first teeth.  The bottom two came in together and with very minimal teething.  He loves to chew on a frozen wash cloth and this vibrating teether.  Grant has not drooled much so sometimes it is a shock when another tooth pops through as his 3rd and 4th one arrived yesterday to our surprise.  He sure enjoys eating with his new teeth and seems to be a bottomless pit.

I decided to make Grant's baby food and I have really enjoyed it.  Way easier than I expected and luckily he has enjoyed everything I have put in his mouth.  I have introduced Grant to the sippy cup and he mostly likes to chew on it.  I was hoping he would take a bottle so I would not have to worry if I needed to be gone for a feeding, but he has protested.  Can't say that I mind, it is nice to be wanted and I love my time with him.

Grant is a great sleeper getting in 2.5 hours in the morning, 2 hours in the afternoon and a short 30 minutes before dinner followed by sleeping 11 hours at night without waking.  Beyond thankful for sleep training.









Grant now weighs 18.3 pounds and is 27.5 inches long.  He is in 6-9 month clothing, mostly due to a long torso as he can still wear 3-6 month pants.



Grant has had his first cold and visited the doctor this past week.  He seems to like taking his medication way more than having his clothes changed.  Grant loves to take baths and would sit in the tub and wilt if we let him.



His hair is growing and has stayed a light blond.  Grant is super quick to put anything in his mouth and has a strong hold so Adalyn's hair has been put to the test.  

Mark, Adalyn and I are in love with this smiling boy and enjoying every minute with him.      

A lesson in resilience

If you read my blogs then you have come to know a little bit about Joyce, the wonderful woman who works in our home.  I have talked about her living conditions, a bit about her childhood and her day to day life.  Joyce is the sole financial supporter of the 8 family members in her humble home with her husband helping out financially when he can find work.  Living off of approximately $350 a month with that large of a family definitely categorizes her as someone who lives in poverty, even here in South Africa.  What amazes me is how savvy and resourceful she is.

For instance, shortly after she started working for us over a year ago I would see her pulling items out of our trash and taking them home.  Items such as broken bracelets, torn flip flops, used coloring books, dried up markers, pieces of string, empty water bottles, etc…  What I had considered trash, Joyce knew a use for them.  The flip flops she took to a man in her neighborhood who could fix them.  Despite the coloring pages being all colored, she said her daughter would like to just look at them.  The string could be put together to make things, and the list goes on and on.  Now I think twice before throwing something away, as I know Joyce may be able to use it.

Sadly, there are items that I wish she did not have to pull out of our trash.  A few months after Joyce began working for us, I had about $4 in chicken breast spoil in our fridge.  I was about to put it in the trash when she stopped me and said she wanted them.  I asked her about being afraid to get sick from eating spoiled chicken, but she replied, “but it’s $4 worth of chicken!”.  Joyce said she would clean it off with vinegar and it would cook up just fine.   I told her I would rather give her $4 and she can go buy new chicken, but she said that this chicken was just fine. 

Now Joyce takes home any molded bread, rotten fruit and most recently green, furry, molded meat.  Just this past week I had bought some biltong (beef jerky type meat) and within a few days it had green mold all over it.  I feel the need to hide some items in the trash because I just don’t see how her family would not get sick from eating it, but Joyce once again said she would take it home.  Joyce said she would wash off the green, furry mold and cook it in oil, so I reluctantly handed it over.   To me she is brave and savvy in how she feeds her family, though the situation is horrific and heart wrenching.  

It is sickening to me that Joyce and her family are eating these items, but she does not think twice about them.  Her entire life she has had to be resourceful and I am sure her stomach can withstand different foods than mine.  When you are feeding a family of 8 with limited income, I bet you do what you can.  I don’t know what amount of money it would take for Joyce to feel comfortable throwing rotten food out, and I am not sure after 40+ years of her current mind set would even allow herself to do so.  When I bring Joyce home groceries from the store, she does not act any more content with “brand new and fresh food” than what she can find around our house that’s ready to spoil.    

Joyce has taught me so much about life.  She has had to make these types of choices so her family does not go hungry, and thankfully she says they have never have felt that way.  Your entire outlook is really dependent on how you approach obstacles.  Life is not about what you have or don’t have, but those you love.  While I think about her situation in sadness, it is good life to her and a happy one at that.  I constantly battle with the feelings if I am doing enough, am I being a good Christian and sharing my blessings.   I know there are people even worse off than Joyce and her family, who are starving and don’t have family members such as Joyce to help them out.  No matter where you are at on the scale of poverty and need, there is always something that can be done.  Not all the poor are starving but that should not stop everyone from giving.