Around town

I was shopping for a purse yesterday. I haven’t carried a purse for years, but I seem to be the only one wearing a backpack here. I thought maybe I should adjust, in the interest of not looking completely and obviously foreign.

I wanted something appropriate for summer and walking around the town and city. Not a giant shopping bag, but big enough to carry a water bottle, or maybe the camera, if I decide to take it without its own bag. And one last thing, I don’t want one made in China. That was the hard part. The prices ranged from a low of about 100 leu, to over 800 leu. That’s roughly $35 to $260. Ouch. And these are synthetic, like vinyl and plastic. I think some of the more expensive ones might have been leather, but honestly, I didn’t look that close. I wasn’t going to spend that much. Patience paid off. Three trips to the mall, and comparison shopping, plus spring sales meant I got a nice tan and black canvas bag, made in Belgium, for under 50 leu. I celebrated by spending 10 Leu on a jar of caviar. Probably not sturgeon, but small, black, and delicious anyway.

Then I walked home, because I had spent my cab fare. 

One of many street dogs, though most are pretty skinny, not fat like this one at a busy commuter bus stop.

 Building under construction. There are a great many things here under construction, or at least that appear to be under construction. Some are incomplete, but have been that way for years.

The bus ticket window, where I bought bus passes. Which I didn't use yesterday when I walked home in the 90+ degree (Fahrenheit) weather. I have to learn which buses go where.  

Many people leave water buckets and scraps out for the street dogs. I have seen meat scraps, leftover sandwich parts, bread, thawed frozen vegetables, and cottage cheese. I leave kibble with some distilled water in it for one of my favorites. I think her teeth are bad, so the dry kibble is difficult for her to eat. And oh, the regular water is pretty high in heavy metals and sometimes germs, so we only drink distilled and bottled water here. We were advised not to feed street dogs, but the poor thing was sooo skinny. I don't hand feed her though.