A continuation of the previous blog...
You live in a constant state of existential anxiety about whether or not you are driving on the wrong side of the road no matter which side you happen to be on...Well, I have never driven in Botswana...but I do worry that I am standing on the wrong side of the road when I am hitching or waiting for the bus.
Your aware of being the worse dressed person in your village but you don’t care...I used to be fashionable, but now...I don’t even know what matches.
You double up on words past “now now” so that “shop shop” and “soon soon” are part of your every day vocabulary...”I am coming now” and “I am coming now now” are two very different things, I also say things like “is it?” “shame” “this side”
If you had to chose between losing your passport or your adapter you would chose your adapter...Adapters are like gold. You passport can be replaced.
30 kilometers is considered a pretty short distance...Actually in Botswana I would argue, 30K is a distance!
You don’t think twice about going to the bathroom in a plastic bucket in your hut as not to leave your house at night...There is no way I am leaving my house at night. Yes, I pee in a bucket. No shame.
You have so many random bags that when you travel you look like a gypsy...A village lady told me that you can always tell who is a PCV by the number of bags they carry.
You will drink and enjoy anything that is cold...Anything that is cold.
If you take public transport and your lap is empty there is always room for more people....But, be careful about letting small children in you lap, they might pee on you.
You lose your ability to estimate distances and waving your hand to indicate direction is an appropriate way to give directions...Hand signs are an appropriate way of indicating direction, I tried it in America, it didn’t work very well.
If a problem arises your first reaction is to give a big long sigh...Sigh.
You enjoy African pop music...No, actually I hate it.
You enjoy eating maize meal and even order it at restaurants...You even cook with it in your own home! Pap and cheese=tasty.
Your cycle coincides with the moon cycle...If you even have a period, yes.
Basically you have no shame, you can never act more crazy than your African counterparts think you are...I have no shame. None at all.
Spiders are no longer your enemy but allies in the constant battle of bugs...The flat wall spiders eat the mosquitos. Its a win win.
You let strangers crash at your place just because they speak English...Thats happened.
You have lost track of how many marriage proposals you recieve...I feel like I am getting a complex from it...
You know how to make alcohol with local ingredients...done it. It explodes in your kitchen too!
A long work day is 6-hours...Or shorter?
You distingush between your Peace Corps family and your American family...I spent a wonderful day today with my Peace Corps Family! Happy early Thanksgiving!
Those eggs have been sitting out in the sun all day, sure I will take two...and I didn't get sick!
You realize that your village must have their token crazy perosn...the one and only
You realize you actually miss having a salad....yes, thats why I am growing a garden.
When someone at your site says “yes” it means “probably not,” “maybe” means most likely not” and “no” means “no”....it was one of the first things I learned.
You have a story for every possible topic on life that begins witth “when I lived in Africa...”Wanna hear them?
And thats been a year folks!
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