hope I did the right thing

[transpao]

I had two odd things happen this week where I hope I did the right thing.

1. I have a new friend I met online and have been talking to via the phone for a month or so now. She is very dissatisfied with her living situation, and has been talking about the difficulties with me.

I offered her several solutions.
1. enota ecovillage
2. check out some scholarships specific to her situation
3. a work study program at the folk school I wanted to go to a couple years ago. offers study and board
4. offered to let her room with me under the conditions that 
         A. her job will transfer her here
         B. that it is strictly a contract with Dad, Rona and her so I can't be
              manipulated into bailing her out if rents not being paid
        C. We do not have any romantic involvement for at least the first 6
              months she lives here.

The Second situation

I have a Russian friend I met through the hiking meetups group. He is very nice and friendly when we go on the trips. He even demanded I give him my backpack on the first trip when my chest started bothering me. Like I said cool guy.

Surprisingly I got an e-mail from him yesterday saying he'd like my address so he can send me an REI gift card for Christmas!!! How wonderfully sweet and thougthful. But I barely know the guy and I don't know the russian etiquette around gift giving. =/

So after talking it over with a friend I decided to e-mail him back with this response:

"I don't know what to say that is very nice and thoughtful of you. I can only accept though if you agree to sending your return address so I can send you something. My gift would be homemade though as I'm making all my gifts this year."

He replied with his address and said that I should make him a hat or something. So I think that worked out okay. I just hope I did the right thing.