Informant, Chocolate, Cheap, Biir

A special date had been arranged today by my friend Gunther. He had me meet with a friend of his, Kristin, who had just returned from Ethiopia. I learned that I should bring some inflatable balls as children love to play football. I am sure I will be able to impress them with my skills of falling over and injuring myself while attempting sports. Also, I am told that people appreciate gifts of chocolate.
Ahh, Chocolate as gifts this reminds me of a time about 9 years ago.

In my preparation for Japan, I had taken a large box of Hersey's Chocolate bars. Of course the American supersized box did not fit in my Japanese visitmarketeveryday sized refrigerator. In my haste to make myself at home in my Japanese environment, I packed away the bars in my closet. This story has been told a million times and I suspect you know where it is going. The long and sort of it, is that to this day, every time I smell melted chocolate, I think of my tiny 5 mat sized room in Japan.
Never being one to waste food, I took the slightly melted bars to Cambodia. I figured that while the my Japanese students who appreciate beautiful food form as much as taste, did not appriciate my disfigured, yet perfectly tasty bars, Cambodians may have a different appreciation.
While I stayed in a hostel in Phenom Penn, paying only 1 dollar a day on the lake, someone did take an interest in my chocolate bars. Someone who was able to chew a hole through my backpack, plastic bag and through the wrapper of my precious if slightly disfigured Hersey's bars. That someone was a mouse. The whole incident made me disgusted with myself. I felt like George Costanza, (from Seinfeld) in my cheapness.
My super ego chided me.."Common Alex, you try to bring bars as gift and they melt due to your neglect. Just throw them away and start over. Here you are in Cambodia trying to give away melted disfigured (yet perfectly healthy and delicious) Hersey's Chocolate bars that you intended to give as gifts to you students thousands of miles away, several months away. Now you have a expensive travel pack that has its integrity compromised by the only being that is willing to eat your stupid bars"
Listening to my inner George Costanza instead of my superego, I went to the front desk of my hostel. There I tried to bargain my room down reasoning that I am sharing it with a mouse and I should at least be splitting the fare.
Maybe I will bring a different candy to Ethiopia. Maybe certs.

Oh yea Kristen also gave me 3 Biir which is the currency of Ethiopia. I am excited to see what I can buy!!!