We are looking to borrow...

We're looking to borrow a tablet PC from someone willing to give up theirs for three weeks or so. Because we're going to have more time to play "Angry Birds" than you will.

Ha, no, just kidding. Actually, we want a tablet primarily to be able to Skype home...according to those who've been, Skype is the simplest, cheapest way to keep in touch with loved ones, and I'm determined to keep in touch every day if we can (see my previous posts about leaving our poor over-attached two-year-old). We'd also like it for ready access to Google Translate. If you haven't looked at GT's Russian translation service yet, you should check it out (here). Apparently others have found it useful in a pinch, and with a bright six-year-old who speaks nothing but Russian on our hands, we anticipate needing all the help we can get. (I am learning Russian, but I only know maybe three hundred words and phrases.)

If necessary we'll purchase one ourselves, but on our long list of things to spend a few hundred dollars on, a tablet PC isn't really a priority -- except for this trip.

Here's the deal. If you're willing to part with yours, we will send you a check for its value, which you can hold until your tablet comes home to you safe and sound -- or, if the worst should befall it, you can cash that check for a new one. We need one with a USB port...although Internet hotspots are common, we're not sure what Internet access will be like in the actual orphanage, and plan on going online with a USB modem (a little device that accesses the cellular data network).

Thanks, all!