What I miss about America:
•Wal-mart
•Ice-cream!! (especially mint chocolate chip)
•Going to church and worshiping in a language I can understand
•The bathrooms (enough said)
•Taking care of my own house – yes, even cooking and cleaning!
•Driving down the road without feeling bruised from all the bumps
•The food, and how easy it is to get it
•My cell phone... oh yes, and the people I talk to on it! (so I guess really what I miss is talking to my far away friends and family)
•Getting together with friends... no translators necessary
•Wearing shorts!!!
•Being able to invite people over to my house
•Um, did I mention ice cream?
What I don't miss about America:
•Work (ok, maybe I do miss it a little bit...)
•Doing my own laundry
•Rude, unfriendly people
•Being so busy it's hard to fit in the really important stuff, like people
•The news – I haven't seen a headline since I've been here
•Traffic and commuting (a 3 minute walk to the hospital is nice)
•The obsession with stuff and entertainment
What I will miss about Africa:
•The huge smiles on people's faces just from saying hello
•The bright colors people wear
•The little babies tied to their mother's backs
•Being awestruck every time I see the enormous loads women carry on their heads, and feeling small that I couldn't even carry that much in my arms
•Afternoon siestas! Seriously, how can they manage a 2 hr afternoon break in the hospital here and some days at work I can't even manage a 5 minute one?
•The beautiful harmony and rhythms in church
•The fruit! Pineapples, mangos, bananas...
•The sweet, friendly people
•Being with my best friend (Stephen, in case you couldn't figure it out) all day long
What I won't miss about Africa:
•The potholes big enough to lose half your car in (I finally found a place with worse roads than Baltimore city)
•Sweating
•The smell of sweating
•Bugs – little ones, big ones, slimy ones, crawling ones, flying ones...
•Bargaining for everything I buy (Stephen would put this in the “what I'll miss” category, but not me!)
•Never being able to just blend in and be normal
•Feeling filthy rich
•My new best friend, Cipro (only fellow medical people or fellow travelers will understand this one, but I don't think I want to elaborate...)
•Malaria pills
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
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3 comments:
I've LOVED these last two posts. It really gives a taste for the difference between what we know and are familiar with and what you both are experiencing. Praying for you and for the people of Togo! May their eyes be opened and their hearts be soft and humble to receive the good news of the saving message of Jesus Christ!!
Love you both and can't wait to see you!
ditto what Laura said. the last one ("you know you're in Africa when...") made me bawl with happiness! and lists just make me happy and orderly in general. :o)
I, too, loved both posts. A great picture of your trip! Especially loved the "dancing and drums in a Baptist church." And having been part of a medical team to Mexico and taking a trip to Guatemala while pregnant, I totally know what Cipro is. :-)
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