A new normal

When you live in Africa, there are certain things that become a part of your everyday life or your "new normal". I forget the strangeness of the things I do or see until I am talking with a friend back in the States. I can be in the middle of telling a story when they bust out laughing and I don't understand why. A typical phone conversation is spent with these thoughts running through my head, "Why are you laughing at the sound of a goat outside my window? Of course there are days of the week and months in Africa! Did you really just ask me if the dirt here is sparklier?" Then I am reminded of the fact that I live in a foreign country. This place, along with its customs and culture, have been adopted as my own. But it is still foreign to everyone else.

Here's a look into my life. You know you live in Africa when....

• You check your glass and pull out any unwanted bugs before taking a drink
• You and your roommate have a time of singing and dancing when the power comes back on
• A car speeds an inch past you and you don't even blink
• A day is not complete without at least one marriage proposal
• You drive beside the road, instead of on it, to avoid the potholes
• You frown when you see a skirt tied the wrong way and wonder what village they came from
• You acquire a selective hearing and learn to ignore the sounds of men and vendors hissing at you as you walk by
• You see another toubaab (white person) and automatically stare at them like an animal in a zoo wondering where they came from and what their purpose is here
• You set the milk on top of the fridge instead of in it. And no, it will not spoil
• You are surprised when lunch is served at 2:00. It's early today! 
• You answer yes or no by clicking with your tongue once or twice 
• Laundry is an all day event. Washing, hanging to dry, then ironing every piece to kill potential mango worms (had that experience and it's not fun)
• The best place to sleep at night is on a foam mat on the rooftop beneath the stars
• Never eat with your left hand
• Never ask a newborn baby's name, until the naming ceremony has been completed a week later
• Food is the usual topic of conversation. When Americans gather together you can ooo and ahh in amazement for hours over something other than the usual rice and fish. We've been told by visitors that we're boring....
• Get ready to bust out dancing in church!
• You begin to lose your sense of time and have trouble keeping track of the days of the week
• If at first someone does not understand, go through a list of about 5 other languages to see which one they speak
• While riding in a taxi, you pray that you will make it to your next destination. The duck tape on the windows, the door flying open, and the broken gas gauge are questionable. 
• You've got the bargaining skills down!
• You must accept the fact that you will be late every where you go because of traffic or some kind of cattle blocking the road
• You must always be prepared for a transportation strike or food shortage of some kind
• Food always taste better when you've walked a long distance to buy it 
• Sermons always sound better when sitting on a wooden bench squished next to others