More diaper drama

The quest for cloth-like Pampers continues in Egypt. The Saudi-produced diapers we like still haven't returned to Egypt. We are super depressed about it. Fortunately, we found some imported U.S. and European replacement Pampers at a big mall in Heliopolis, hidden in a corner. We have just under two packs left and then we will be out. Aaah.

So yesterday we went to our neighbourhood pharmacy to ask the pharmacist when he expects the Saudi-produced Pampers to be back in Egypt. He said two weeks. So we hope we will make it until then. (Yes, diapers are sold in pharmacies here)

But then there was a lady (a customer) at the pharmacy who railed at us for not buying Egyptian-made Pampers, which by the way are plastic and leak like crazy. Plus they cause diaper rash and are really bulky, so it is not as nice for Maya when she is running around. So we told this lady that we just prefer the cloth-like Pampers as they are softer on Maya's skin and she doesn't get diaper rash as much, and that the cloth-like diapers are easier for an active toddler to run around in.

So then she said: "Well you could just put vaseline (yuck!) on her. All Egyptian kids use Egyptian diapers. These diapers are good enough for all Egyptian kids."

We just sort of stared at her, and she then told us if we wanted cloth-like Pampers we should just go get them at the embassy. Huh???

Okay so when we left I was really angry. First of all, I am not rejecting diapers because they are Egyptian. I don't care where they are made. If the Pampers factory in Egypt made good diapers, I would totally buy them. In fact, I would prefer that because it would be cheaper than buying imported Saudi-made diapers. It is not my fault the Pampers corporation chooses to produce awful, leaky plastic diapers at its factory in Egypt.

And it seemed like she thought I was saying my daughter is better than Egyptian kids because I want to use a better diaper. That is reading WAAAYYY too much into things. Just because I don't want her to have wet pajamas in the middle of the night??? Plus, Pampers is not an Egyptian company anyway. It is a western company -- a western company that is choosing to produce lower quality diapers in a developing country. If she is mad at anybody, maybe it should be the Pampers company for deciding that poor kids get plastic...

Anyway, enough of a rant. I am really crossing my fingers that the cloth-like Pampers will be back in Egypt soon. Otherwise we will have to potty train fast!

Happy Birthday Maya!

Maya is now officially two years old. She had a party with a real cake with Winnie the Pooh on it -- yes, she outgrew that wheat allergy from babyhood so we were super excited to get her a true birthday cake. She had a terrific time at her party. Her friends Bug and Giggle (who Maya seriously LOVES and who are also adopted from Ethiopia) came over to wish her Happy Birthday, as did our friend Elna and her family, and Teberh as well.

Maya was so wired by the end of the evening. After everyone left and we asked her about her day, she told us: "I made a birthday". When we asked what she did for her birthday, she said she played and shared with her friends. (Well actually I'm not sure she was really sharing, but who's splitting hairs here??) It's so great to see her having such a great time playing with other kids, and she is finally at the age where she is starting to have actual friendships. Very cool!

Then and Now...

Maya turns two!! Here are some photos of her on her last day as a 1-year-old, some of the first few weeks we had with her in Ethiopia, and a few more of the first day we met her (the ones of her in a checked dress).

Last day of being 1

Here are some pictures of Maya in her last hours of being one year old. She already got her big birthday gifts, since they were delivered on Thursday and we had the delivery guy put them together. She is enjoying daddy's old office as a new playroom!!

We are having a small birthday party with cake and a barbecue tomorrow. Maya should have a good time!

A new color for a new year!

Maya turns two tomorrow and I am giving her blog a birthday makeover. What does everyone think of the new color scheme. A few more changes may still come. I am not done tinkering....

You know you're not in the U.S. when...

You order pizza and pasta for delivery for dinner, then when it comes there are little red packets of ketchup in the bag. You think: Yuck. But your daughter, who has a plate of spiral pasta and Calzone pieces, demands: Ketchup, ketchup!

Then, she grabs a ketchup and actually succeeds in opening it and starts to drip it on her pasta and calzone. You take it away, because, well, yuck! But then she screams at you: "Ketchup, ketchup, ketchup" and refuses to eat until you apply it to her calzone and pasta.

Then your husband groans and says (about Maya's eating habits): Can you just kill me now!

Tag! I'm It

OK, I'll play! I was tagged by Mama Papaya (mom to another Maia).

Jobs I've held

1) Journalist
2) Day care worker
3) Mr. Peanut - yes, I dressed up as a peanut and handed out free samples
4) I inputed Arabic book titles into the university library computer system in grad school

Places I've lived (most recently, anyway)

1) Cairo
2) Jerusalem
3) Beirut
4) London
5) Just to keep it interesting, I have also lived in Evanston, IL; Racine, WI; Ann Arbor, MI; and Torrance, CA

Food I love

1) Doro Wat or basically any Ethiopian food
2) Kebab wa Muhammar (a really great kebab with sweet marinated rice that Mike makes)
3) Diet Coke
4) Kibbe Naye (that's Arab style raw meat with tasty garlic paste -- YUMMY!)

Places I would rather be

1) On home leave in the US
2) At the beach in Sharm el-Sheikh
3) On my annual vacation -- tentatively planned for South Africa next year
4) At the park with Maya

Movies I love

1) Any mindless action movie
2) Hotel Rwanda
3) Million Dollar baby
4) Did I mention any mindless action movie

TV shows I watch

1) CSI
2) Criminal minds
3) The Unit
4) Without a Trace

Friends I am tagging

1) egypt4 (maybe already tagged but...)
2) Jen
3) Cindy
4) Tesi