I'm sorry, what? I couldn't hear you.

The lessons you learn in another country can sometimes be cruel and harsh, then there are those moments, that there are either simply no words for or you just "had to be there".  

I officially went on my second grocery trip since arriving here two months ago.  Secretly, I've been quite nervous about shopping for food.  The aisles are a giant maze of weird textures, strange packages and fishy smells.  Not to say that you can't find some of the comforts of home, but you will pay dearly for them.  It's not uncommon to pay $6 or more (Canadian currency) for about 5-6 apples, and oranges...well that's just crazy talk!  Funky tasting grapes, pineapples, and bananas are in abundance, and therefore cheap, but let's face it, if I have to eat another banana I'm going to go bananas!  Anne and I were fortunate enough to find the "reject fruit" bin, where apples are as cheap as $2, but you have to eat them within 12 hours, otherwise, it's apple sauce. 

At last, the food shopping was over and it was on to housewares and toiletries where I could relax and shop freely.  Little did I know what was about to become my demise.

Two hours later, I was back at home, unloading my groceries and actually cooking for a change.  I pulled out my new economy box of 500 Q-tips that I also managed to snag from a bargain bin.  I proceeded to clean my ears fulfilling that inner ear scratchy feeling to my hearts content and pulled out the Q-tip in horror.  The cotton from the end of the stick was completely stuck in my ear!  I pulled out a new Q-tip only to discover that bargain Q-tips are sold as a "bargain" for a reason, the cotton has mearly been spun on the end of the stick with a quick twist and comes off the stick like a piece of cotton candy. I used the stick from another Q-tip to try to dig out the ball of cotton, but I was only successful in shoving it in farther.  I'm sure I reached brain! 

An emergency phone call home to access the situation ended in roars of laughter.  What was I to do?  The clock was ticking and it was already midnight!  I thought of taking a shower to moisten it and hopefully free it from the holds of my inner ear, but thought against that idea when I thought it may worsen this already dire situation.  There was no way I could sleep with this ball of cotton in my ear.  I had wedged it so far in that it was now starting to hurt and I was deaf. 

Thankfully, I remembered a guy who lived on the 6th floor of my building whom I met just a couple of times prior.  Without hesitation, I ran down to his apartment and rang his doorbell.  He sleepily opened the door wearing his flannel pajamas and replied with a "hey, what's up".  I proceeded to tell my story and then ask for some tweezers.  I only wished I had a camera to take a picture of the perplexed look on his face, before he too, broke out into hysterical laughter.  Me laying down on the floor sideways and he holding a flashlight and a pair of tweezers and 15 minutes later it was out! 

Moral of the story: Quality is better than quantity.

On the bright side: I have 498 Q-tips left to make an awesome Halloween costume.