Kid in the candy shop window

One of the most frustrating things about living in a foreign country is not being able to find the things you know you can find in America. In America you also know where to go to get the things you need, here, they just do things differently. This has been my recent experience with trying to buy material in order to teach the girls how to sew. I have searched the material stores far and wide for a variety of cotton material. I have found very little, and the choices were not to our liking. Recently I discovered that just a 2 minute drive from my house is a "fabric store". Today, I went to check it out. As I drove up, I had a hard time finding the door for the store. but as I looked in the window, I saw piles of material from the floor to the ceiling. I was so excited...JACKPOT!!! If only I could get in. I finally found a buzzer, where they buzzed me in. No one got up to help, I just walked back to the room with the material. I saw several men working. I thought, this is strange, I expected a few women at least. After I explained that I am American and my language leaves a little to be desired I told him what I wanted. As I stood in front of 100's of bolts of fabric, he told me that I have to have a business to buy from him. He allowed me to look around and said he would send any fabric I liked to a retail store so I could buy it tomorrow. I wasn't actually looking for material today, just for a way to buy it when I need it. Needless to say, I didn't get anything. I was more like a kid looking in a candy shop, knowing that what I have been looking for does exist here, I just can't have access to it. (Not yet anyways) The strange thing is, the stores just don't have the variety, and he even admitted that. Hopefully soon I will actually find a store that carries some cotton material, that I can buy...