the charm

Ok, this place is losing some of its charm. My 100 HDV cassettes for my camera arrived from FedEx, but they are at the airport and have to go through customs. The paper work alone is going to cost between 40-50 JD (one JD =$1.40). And who knows how many days it will take? But if I'm not able to retrieve the cassettes in 3 days, I have to start paying rental fees. . . . Apparently they have to open every single one of the tapes. Or maybe they're just giving me a hard time. It's hard to tell, except this is the story I'm getting from the ACOR staff, so it's probably right. The staff were a bit irritated w/ me for having it shipped. My diploma has not arrived (I need it to complete my application file at JU), nor has the information I need to get into my bank account. So every day I walk a mile and a half to cash a traveler's check at the Western Union Building. It's surprising how far 75 JDs does not go. I asked the guy at the Western Union Building (who smiles big at me every time I come in) where the closest sweet shop was (as I want to bring some tea and sweets with me for the interview tonight). He wrote down instructions and told me to give the instructions to a taxi driver--"not far at all" he said. The taxi took me on a 20 minute drive to the other side of town, where indeed there was a sweet shop. The sweets were 10 JDs, as was the taxi. Now I'm down to 50 JDs. . . .
I looked in the book store, thinking I would get a poetry book with which to teach my class, but they are 30-50 JDs. I've contacted the publishers of a couple of text book companies and they won't ship overseas (I'm beginning to understand why now). I think I am going to be winging this poetry class with ostrage wings (sp?--how do you spell that big bird in Africa? This damn Mac spell checker will tell me when I've misspell a word, but I can't seem to make it give me the correct spelling.), not the beautiful spread of eagle wings I was imagining I'd have. I find myself checking my email every half hour. . . . I want my dog. . . .