08 October 2013

First Impressions




I’ve officially been here for 17 days. Some first impressions of living here:
  • things aren’t necessarily better or worse, just different
  • it takes time to figure things out
  • it takes time to find things you like/don’t like (like Marwa water is the best tasting)
  • traffic is bad
  • there aren’t many traffic laws except don’t run a red light - our taxi driver got a ticket for running a red light (yes, the first time a friend and I went out by ourselves this happened)
  • some frustration comes from just having to change. We are creatures of habit. Something as simple as there not being Aussie Volumizing Shampoo or Tresumme, or almost anything familiar. You have to try all new products.
  • laundry takes longer - no dryer and the washer is smaller
  • there are many restaurants and you can get food to go, since there really isn’t any fast food
  • I don’t stick out as much here compared to the other country in North Africa I’ve been to - I don’t get stared at constantly.
  • many things are not necessarily about NOT being in the States
  • being sick is no fun in the states and it’s no fun elsewhere either
  • it will be really nice when all my furniture is in place and I have somewhere to sit other than my borrowed bed and everything is not in piles on the floor. (again, this happens when you move in the States too)
  • it is really nice to be able to walk to a small grocery store
  • it is NOT really nice to try to carry really heavy bags of groceries home from said grocery store
  • prices on many things are more expensive here
  • furniture is very modern - not really my style

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