Observations from the "squares" I've encountered this time around the board:
1. Passing items with my left hand is suddenly ok. In fact, using my left hand might be preferable in a cafe when my right hand is slightly greasy from food.
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| What? No one is insulted if I use my left hand? |
2. Brushing my teeth with tap water is also ok. (Oh yeah, I used to cup water in my hand to rinse... weird...) As is splashing tap water onto my face.
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| Danger! Amoeba! |
3. My bed at my parents' house is shockingly soft. I sink into it. Not sure the same word can be used to describe this thing and the thing I sleep on in Tanzania.
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| Firm, taut bed vs. Soft, cushioned bed |
4. Sugar looks completely different. I couldn't find it in the cupboard, and once I did, I was scared to spoon some in my tea. And that's after I'd tasted it! The kids in Musoma feel sorry for anyone who has to live with white sugar: "How do they tell it apart from the salt?" I'm starting to agree with them.
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| Our sugar in Musoma looks more like this. |
5. Electric stovetops do not need to be lit with a match or lighter. That would explain why I can't find anything of the sort near the oven.
6. The sun is in complete rebellion against this country's value of timeliness. In Tanzania, the sun has mercy on foreigners trying to navigate a society that couldn't care less about time. It sets consistently between 6:30 and 7:00 year-round. Here the sun relaxes, partying late half the year and getting lazy the other half.
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| Phone must be messed up. If it's not dark outside, it can't be after 7 pm. |
7. Grocery stores provide excellent opportunities to exercise will power. After an extended period of time without many foods, it takes a great deal of determination to select only ONE treat. As opposed to one item from each of the categories in which I need treated. (One kind of chips, one kind of ice cream, one kind of...)
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| My friends' son in Nairobi, exemplifying the missionary's supermarket dilemma |
8. I will forevermore pause to determine the appropriate side of the car to head for when I'm the passenger. Thank goodness I don't drive in Tanzania; at least heading for the driver's seat can remain instinctive.
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| I rode to the airport on the left side of the road. The next day I left a different airport, riding on the right. My brain has given up. |
9. I will forevermore pepper my speech with certain Swahili phrases. If you don't catch something I say and then see me smack my mouth in frustration... yeah, that's what happened.
August 3 Update
A couple more observations came up after I posted this entry. The first is from my friend Heather, who also left Musoma recently:
- Withdrawing cash from an ATM in your passport country can throw you off when you're accustomed to a currency whose largest bill is worth about $6. Heather wrote, "I received my cash and stared at the machine in disbelief. I honestly thought I'd been shortchanged because I only received eight notes instead of forty!"
- A heavy or bulky purchase does not have to be physically carried across the gigantic parking lot to my car. I picked up a couple big trunks and was standing at the check out counter, wishing I had parked closer to the store. But before I could hoist the things onto my shoulder, a helpful store employee offered to bring me a shopping cart! How convenient!
