Typhoon Updates and Rice-Cooker Brownies!

I've owed you all an update for a while now. The last time I wrote was early morning following our Typhoon. While I can't say I misinformed you, I can admit to not sharing the whole truth- but only because we hadn't yet left the house the morning after the storm. These pictures will help relay the damage. We were very surprised

to see that outside of our

complex, far more vegetation was ripped from the earth and scattered through the streets. Notice the whole tree blocking the road a

s Brett ducks below to cross. Check out this video on YOUTUBE if you are interested i

n more.

Typhoon warning (and thunderstorm warnings for that matter) are taken very seriously here. Offices and schools close when

warnings arise. I don't want anyone worrying that we aren't taking care in those

situations. Most people aren't as

stupid as those featured in this video. And just for the record, I have no desire to "experience" a typhoon anywhere but within the safe confines of the apartment! As I said before, there was such little damage in our complex, I think due to grounds crews being so cognisant of their preparations. More work ahead makes less post-typhoon? Perhaps. (This is our lovely complex on a nice evening...)

I'm thrilled to tell you that last night Brett and I managed to bring a fridge to our apartment- all the way from Hong Kong Island! I found a woman selling her

fridge on a website called geo-expat.com. A handy website to aid ex-pats in finding used stuff! As luck would have it, there are taxi vans that you can hire to move large-ish appliances and furniture. The best part is that we saved SO MUCH money by buying a used fridge. It was literally like $2000HKD less this way.

It was definitely more work than going to

the store and having it delivered, but this way we actually have money to spend on food to fill it. (By the way that is my afternoon coffee- on ice, which I made myself! In my new freezer!)

Speaking of food. At home, I've always had a bit of a "baking problem." That is, I grab a little of this and a little of that, throw it in the oven and see what I get. (I know all the classic, rule-abiding bakers are cringing right no

w, as the one rule of baking is always "Follow the recipe exactly!")... Welp- today, my creative side got the better of me and I threw a m

akeshift homemade brownie batter into our rice cooker to see what would happen. Voila! Brownies. Sweet. Tonight we will have decadent dessert with ice cream (FROM OUR FREEZER! Ha). Is it completely inappropriate that I'm this excited about food? I have included pictures of

the new fridge, and of course the rice-cooker brownies! :) ENJOY

** Thanks to Laura for the first postcard. Toulouse France is now represented! :)