flag waver

Slowly around town color is starting to crop up. We're a little less than a month from indepence day here and the streets are lining with flags. Not just the country flag but also colorful bunting and lights. In the neighborhoods around ours flags have gone up at houses. I've been trying to figure out if its the neighborhood chairman who is in charge or if each house takes care of their own. Well yesterday I got a letter informing us that as part of community beautification before Independence, there will be a neighborhood cleanup this sunday (I can't figure when) and each house is expected to clean the perimeter of their house. Now for me this shouldn't be a huge problem because I have a gardener and an ambitious houseworker. But I have a sneaking suspicion that the boulevard across the street where they've done construction and everyone throws there trash, may also be my responsibility too. The weeds are way overgrown and there's a ton of litter. Sigh... That's one problem, the other is that I need a flag. Now if you know us you'll know that Jonathan and I aren't flag wavers. We don't have a problem with the flag for the most part (Jonathan might) but we're not those people. So when we found a flagpole in our workroom we thought it was just junk. Jonathan ended up cutting into 3 pieces to use to prop up some of the pipes for the new water tank. Which at the time I thought was very industrious and resourceful. Well looks like we're going to be going out to buy a new flagpole because the expectation is that every house will at least have a flag Sigh...

Well while writing this the neighborhood chairman's wife calls at the front door with yet another letter. Sigh... This letter informs me that the large neighborhood streamers and bunting are 6 years old and would the 12 people on this list please share in the cost of buying 20 new streamers. Oh and we are 3 of the 12 (@ counts) Yep, now we're going to be forking out $25 for banners and streamers. I think it is the people who live on the corners that are expected to pay. Since living here we've also been asked to pay for new lights for the entrance to the university across the street. The letter does make a point of mentioning that even foreigners should help pay.

Sounds like they'll come around in another week to collect for the party. We'll have to pay a portion of the food and prizes. But this is what you do to be a good neighbor and so anyone else need some money for streamers and party supplies?