You Know You're in Africa When...

Okay. So I thought I'd take a break from the serious stuff  (sort of...). Since we've been in Africa so many crazy things have been happening to all of us, particularly in our homestay homes. Like I said before, a lot of poop stories. They call it "Dakaria" -- get it? Say it out loud. Okay so anyway we're always sharing stories of crazy things that have happened to us and laughing hysterically about them. We've figured out a good way to explain the stories is that they are the type of thing that would NOT be funny if they just happened to us by ourselves, but since we can share them with others in the same situations, it's hilarious. We have the best time at lunch just competing for who has a crazier experience. So we decided to keep a list. Not all of them are funny, though, and some are kind of disturbing. But for the most part they're a way for us to "laugh it off" because if we couldn't laugh about it, we'd be crying. We made a Facebook group for it but I'm writing it out here so all you old folk without Facebook can be included. Keep in mind this is an ongoing list and I will share with you as we come up with new ones. It's called, "You know you're in Africa when..." I think it's a good insight into our time here so far. Here you go kids:

Disclaimer:

The following are all real things that have happened to us since we've been here. Some are funny, some are disturbing, and some are just plain gross. All, however, are very very real.

This. Is. Africa.

YOU KNOW YOU'RE IN AFRICA WHEN...

1) ...you flood your homestay house on the first day by using the bathroom

2) ...you get excited to hear someone has a counter in their kitchen

3) ...your guest speaker in class is scratching his crotch during his lecture

4) ...your 15 year old brother has to flush your poo for you

5) ...you have to pay for the sand you sit on and shade at the beach

6) ... you refuse to pay more than $4 for a taxi ride

7) ...you crap your pants and throw up on the floor because you couldn't make it to the bathroom

8) ... you get pick-pocketed by a cop

9) ... you're carrying a plastic bag of your own feces

10) ... there are more bugs in your kitchen than there are outside on the street

11) ...having solid poop is something to brag about

12) ...your house has a full time guard

13) ...part of your house is a Western Union

14) ... it's more common not to have power than to have it

15) ... your full time guard has a full time guard

16) ...a local dies in the middle of the market

17) ...you've had the same meal for dinner 5 nights in a row

18) ...you wipe the ants off your butter knife and use it anyway

19) ...50% of any conversation is just the greeting

20) ...you forget what language you were just speaking

21) ...you don't know who out of the 20 people in your house actually lives there