Groceries 101

I began today by attending my kids English class with them.  It was fun to observe and I even was able to participate in an "ice breaker" game with them.  Their teacher is Finnish but lived for a long time in Canada and has been very welcoming to me.  She asked if I would be willing to do a short presentation on where I live in America and what it is like-where do I even begin??? 

I spent about 2 and a half hours in grocery stores today.  On one of the trips, the kids English teacher even accompanied me to help me find/identify things.  It was fun exploring the aisles to find things I could recognize and discovering new items.  I have come to realize that our families staples of dill pickles, ranch dressing, sour cream and onion dip, and dryer sheets are non-existent here.  However, I hit the jackpot with some chicken breasts in a mystery sauce and a new type of bread.  My kids have been surprisingly enthusiastic about the food here.

Today, a Finnish friend gave me a tip.  She told me that if I want winter clothes, I better start buying them now before it gets cold because when they're gone, they're gone.  Crazy to be thinking about winter clothes when most of the people I know are dealing with 100 degree weather.  I am beginning to fear this Finnish winter-I have been warned...

Tip of the day:  Actually, today I am asking for tips on how to do my presentation about America for 5th graders.  This assignment has me more nervous than a middle aged woman learning to drive a stick shift in a foreign country!!!