ARRIVAL= sweat, bright shiny thing, dark skin people everywhere, sweat, mounds of luggage, paved roads with no lines, sweat, OCEAN, cool breeze, fish smell, sweat, all different kinds of house, grocery store outside, no AC, nets over beds, no toilet seats or sometimes no toilet, bucket baths, sweat!
What’s that?? A bird, a plane, no it’s just the fruit BATS…more and more bats! I think I might forget what really birds look like after living here. I’m not talking about little bats we know in the states or ones we see in the zoo. OH NO, they are HUGH and I get scared every time they fly just little too close for comfort. During my homestay I asked what they were called and they told me the name and then I said YUCK! They laughed like it was just a normal thing they see all the time, I wonder if they have even ever seen BIRDS!
Did you know it’s possible to wash your hands and dishes WITHOUT soap? I didn’t until my homestay, boy did I learn a lot. J Keep it together, don’t freak out, and learn to eat off of a dirty plate and unwashed fruit, clean your hands as much as possible without hurting their feelings. Of course I’ll try something you have made for me but I’d really love to wash that spoon after you just used it. What’s that, you want some of my water that I’m drinking from? Can I just get you a class or bottle just for you!
PRAISE the KING for FANS!! I love our new house but I think my favorite part is that our power hardly ever goes out. This means working fans ALL the time! It does have its up and downs though, I get very spoiled when I’m in the house and then when I go to other people homes and they don’t have power or just out walking in the SUN…I sweat like crazy! Vitamin D is good though, I can’t wait to just lay on the beach, that’s very close by, read and people watch. I’m a BIG people watcher, if that’s even a word. I could be like one of those “wise” people sitting around the mall back in the states or little men sitting by the door at Wal-Mart waiting on their wives to finish the shopping. I even see them doing it here but you don’t see to many women sitting around, way too much for them to do.
I love living in this small town/island where everyone knows me. It’s kind of like in the states where they might call me Alan Smith’s girl or Lisa (I look just like her but so close enough). They know me here as MAZUNGO, name roomies names, Abby or the one I like to answer to Al-i-soN! J Some of the beach volleyball people like to call me Ali, reminds me of home. Everyone loves getting to see each other every day and if they don’t see you then something must be wrong. Why wouldn’t you go see someone every day, you should have enough time and energy to see them every day! I love how every woman is a mama, coco or sister to me. They call me auntie of their children or during my homestay I became Mama to one little girl. Always looking out for me, showing me a faster way to get home, and telling me what to wear or how to wear it. Asking how did you awake up, how are you, what did you eat and did you eat enough?
Someone could make a killin’ teaching the Islanders how to drive a stick or driving lessons period for that matter. I personally don’t know how to drive a stick shift but I do know the way they drive doesn’t measure up. I’ve been in the passenger seat enough to know that there is way to change gears without it throwing you forward every time. But then again, we’re thought to drive in the states, here you jump in a car and drive at whatever age you feel like. Hitting your breaks can be an option here on the Island whereas in the states it’s polite to slow down wait for someone to turn or cross the street. When you see hole in the pavement you slow down or try to avoid it but here there are too many to avoid and we only slow down at THE LAST possible second before hitting the crater. I’m not saying I’m all knowing when it comes to cars or taking care of them but I do get my car serviced when it says to, have the breaks checked and tire pressure checked as well. I’ve noticed in taxi that “flashing lights” in the dash are purely decorative here. When the taxi “stalled” the guy driving looked mystified as to why his call wasn’t working. I politely pointed to ONE of the many lights flashing and he noticed he was out of gas. Who would have thought it! J
Dark spots, holes, empty spaces, gaps and more gaps, do you know what I’m talking about? Roads? Well, this could be true, that would explain all the car sickness but no that’s not what I was thinking. It’s an ISLANDERS SMILE.
PRAISE HIM who has RISEN!
