My New Normal

It's amazing that I've only been in this country a little over three weeks and already so many things that are truly "foreign" seem so "normal" to me.

In this short post I thought I'd share just a few.

1) Cold bucket baths. No bathtubs. No showers. Just a bucket of cold water and a small handheld bucket (the size of a one-quart saucepan) and a bar of soap. I would never dream of showering without wearing flip-flops. It's amazing just how little water it actually takes to clean one's body!

2) Constant cock-a-doodle-doing of roosters. Yes, even in the residential areas of town like where I live the roosters crow all the time. Not just at the break of dawn (that's just a myth). It's a constant - and amazingly, I don't even notice them most of the time.

3) Dogs, dogs, and more dogs. Not just dogs, but skinny rice-eating dogs. They're everywhere (except for inside my host family home - Thank God!!!!) They have fleas and lice and all sorts of critters climbing on them, I'm sure. People don't really pet them much, but they do eat them from time to time (I've yet to get offered any "aso" yet, but other PCTs have!)

4) No traffic signals. Really, it's just a free-for-all on the roadways that seems to work out miraculously! And to cross the street you simply walk out into the traffic and they will slow down and let you pass. And really, the side of the street you drive on depends on what is most convenient at the time to get to where you're going. No traffic cops. No speed limits. Just lots and lots of honking going on!

5) Very little ice. Those of you that know me well know how very much I love to crunch ice. So, if you can figure out how to send me a bag of Sonic ice without it melting . . . I'll be your best friend :-) Ha! But really, it hasn't been a problem. They do have something called HaloHalo, which is a shaved ice drink mixed with lots of fruit and condensed milk and sugar. It's a yummy satisfying treat in the hot afternoons.

6) Blaring television and American music (mostly soft rock from the 80s). It seems that the belief is that the llouder you play your radios and televisions, the more money you must have. So . . . usually, the crowing roosters and barking dogs are accompanied by American music blaring from someone's house. (Remember, very few windows have screens or glass and the houses are pretty close together). Aaah, what a sweet cacophony . . .

7) The smell of smoke. People burn their trash here. Not in burn barrels out back like we did when I was a kid growing up in Oklahoma. They burn it in small piles by the street, every morning, every afternoon. The smoky smell of burning trash is just part of the ambiance, what can I say?

8) Fumes, fumes, and more fumes. And, if the smell of smoke doesn't burn your throat hairs - the smell of vehicle fumes will! There are SO MANY tricycles here and they each put off an amazing amount of smoke. The jeepneys also emit lots and lots of fumes. And then there are the MotorCoach buses that pass through - let's hear it for deisel fumes!! Many people (including me) carry handkerchiefs and cover their noses when walking on the streets.

Well, I guess that's enough for now. My compadres are leaving, so I'll go too. One last thing, just because I've noted all these seemingly negative points - I really do love it here and it is absolutely amazing to me just how all of these little things are beginning to seem so "normal". Love to all.