This has been a very slow day. We just hung out in the apartment most of the morning. Just before we headed out for lunch, we discovered we had no running water. We headed out and ended up at Subway -- where they had no electricity. We got sandwiches and ate by what light was coming through the windows.
Back at the apartment, we started getting ready for our appointment at the US embassy. We had been told that we needed to dress nicely for this. Not so much. No one else was dressed special, not even the other family with us or our escort from the Bulgarian agency. We had also heard today's appointment referred to as our embassy interview. Not really. We signed one paper per child and received a packet of papers with instructions to keep them with us at all times on the way home. The only questions we were asked were...
*How are things going with the kids?
*Have you been asked to pay any unusual fees?
*Has anyone told you what you need to do on the way home?"
The hardest part was getting in the building. It was like airport security only more so. Tim and I went through first and were ushered out the door at the back of the room. This led to outside where we stood waiting for the other family and for our escort to show us where to go. The guards inside motioned for us to go on. Really? We're just supposed to wander around the grounds of the embassy? Granted the walkway led eventually to the actual embassy building, but we didn't know that. I told Tim it would be really nice if the US embassy actually had Americans in the security office that greets you. Not very inviting.
We came back to the apartment and hung out for a couple of hours before heading out for dinner. We went to a new place that was recommended to us. They serve a variety of food, and they have English menus!! The waiter came to take our order, and Milcho spoke up first. We asked the waiter what he had said. The waiter said, "He said he wants to go to McDonald's." Ouch! Maybe that's the reason for what happened next. Since we couldn't ask the kids what they wanted, and at least Vanessa couldn't read the menu, I asked the waiter what he recommended that kids usually liked. He made a recommendation. Turns out it was one of the most expensive items on the menu, and the kids hated it. He also stiffed us for the one type of juice that was at least 3 times the cost of the others. We took the kids from there to a place that was not a sit-down place but not McDonald's. Milcho looked and talked to the guy working and then led us out. We went with the last resort. We went ahead and took them for ice cream as we had planned and then gave them an assortment of sandwich, cereal, and snacks back home.
More play time, baths, Skype, TV, and finally bed time. We are basically done now. We have no more appointments to make. Tomorrow we just wait around for all of our papers and the kids' passports to be delivered. It is hard to fill the day away from home, especially in a totally foreign environment and with two very active kids with whom we can't communicate. Should make for an interesting day.
Aching for my Colton and Eli...and my bed...and my own shower. I feel like I've not slept or bathed in about a week!
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