I spend a considerable amount of time wondering how it is that I managed to grow up without a pair of Crocs. I distinctly remember that I spent lots of time barefoot (and had many stubbed toes), so I guess the best alternative to these wonder-shoes is actually no shoes at all. Santa brought brand new Crocs to the smaller members of the family this year for Christmas and while they have not really started wearing those yet, I'm thankful that Santa had the foresight to realize how essential they would be to life here.
Streets here are full of dirt. Not like "red clay" dirt or "potting soil" dirt. More like "fine sand" dirt. And it gets everywhere. Since we don't have any sort of sidewalks here, "taking a walk" really just means wandering around in the streets hoping not to get hit by the cars and rickshaws. In the short time since we've been here, the kids have already developed a routine of walking in the front door, taking off their shoes, and heading straight to the bathroom to wash hands and feet. Luckily, like in Korea, we have a sprayer attached to the wall that allows us to easily do this without making a huge mess.
Last night we had our first rain storm since our arrival (the first of many I might add, since the rainy season is approaching) and I got to see what happens when "fine sand" dirt mixes with water. We avoided all major puddles and still came back looking like this:
K was in a stroller which is why hers look so nice and clean still. And no, my shoes aren't Crocs. I went in to have my Birkenstock's resoled and I discovered that they make an "outdoor" version which will likely stand up to the weather here a bit better than my suede ones. So I immediately bought them even though they only had them in blue. They are my new favorite shoes, and I will even forgive them for giving me a small blister - after all, I've been wearing them non-stop since our arrival. While I think Crocs are adorable and perfect for kids, I have yet to find a pair in grown-up sizes that I think looks normal on my feet.
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