Seattle - the camera hunting 1st day

Interesting night in our room facing the street in a high nightlife area. As I went to sleep beside my already sleeping family I felt very lucky to be here.  In the background was the hum of people talking, street bar cafe culture, laughing. It felt soothing.

Comparing nights in the morning it seemed Sarah hears more than I do. She heard shouting, sirens in the early morning. After tinned pineapple and toast hostel breakfast we set off to get a sim card. Evan who onboarded us had custody of his six yr old son and had been to Costa Rica. First call on new number was him saying I'd left sunnies behind. Then to Target to research cameras.

There it is. On the display stand.  The new line of Sarah end of line one. Oh but the dude in red scans the bar code and says last one. Can we buy the display model. Yes if all the bits are out the back. Can you check. Yes. Oh they are not there I cant sell the demo model to you.

For lunch kids had pizza from a led zeppelin playing pizza bar whilst I queued 15 mins for trip advisor restaurant number 8 out of 3000 Take away chowder from Pike Place Market ie tourist central. There was also a large fish stand where 30 orientals were watching 5 young servers throw the fish around in a semi Cocktail film style

Now an interlude

Each hostel room is done by a different local artist

Bloke on left has an early morning tobacco pipe.

back to the pizza. Rowan ate so much his tummy hurt so he 'lay down'

Then back to hostel for the kids to rest a bit and me to catch Froch Groves II

Then off to another camera shop

Eventually we got to the US equivalent of Jessops. Looking thru the window it was empty. Relief at seeing 'we have moved over the road'. Sarah got what she wanted. I went outside at the paying time. Then food. Oh no I dont want stodge and I am feeling tired. Then the oasis arrives

Kids gorged on fruit. I was happy eating it and happy watching them enjoy it. As I paid the young server had many many cuts on her arm of uniform size and length. I presumed rightly or wrongly they were razor ones. ( I have seen these before) After a moments consideration I told her of last nights stand up and speak gathering I witnessed and showed her a picture with the name on it. I am not sure if this was an overstep but she was not defensive and tried to remember the name. 

As we got outside a homeless 6ft4in bearded 50 yr old came up and mumbled 

"Can you help me get some weed?"

He moved on when we declined. There is a visible prescence of underclass here which is often thought provoking. How was their childhood? Can they ever get out of this situation? Is it better hidden or genuinely different at home? 

As we came back to the hostel Mary introduced herself. She took our telephone booking a week ago and as we are the only family.... I told her about helpx. I commented how amazingly helpful the staff are and noted the buzz they have. She said they exchange 25 hrs a week for living there so they like it to be nice. After a few mins chat then there was that moment where I have to consider if I am overtalking in the face of friendliness. Is the person REALLY still interested? Don't overdo it Guy

Now kids are in downstairs hostel cinema and I am blogging

Xxx

Ps. Many thanks to the lady from Auz who put the longest very lovely comment on recently. Very much appreciated