I was told once that after you have been in Africa for a few months, you stop noticing the things that might be different from life back in the United States. For example, it no longer seems strange to see someone slashing grass with a machete instead of using a lawn mower. In no longer seems noteworthy when you see a 6 year old child carrying a 1 year old on her back. It doesn't seem unusual to see a line of people at the bore hole waiting to pump water and carry it back home. To counter this, I decided to do a brief blog entry on things that are different in Africa. This is by no means inclusive - it is just a small sample of how life is different.
This is something a teacher might not say in the United States: "Now children! What have I told you about leaving the classroom door open! The cow will come in here and make a mess if you don't keep the door closed." While we were showing the video at the school in Potika, I saw a cow walk into a classroom. I went over and decided to take a picture. I think the entry of the cow into the classroom was assisted by the open door and the fact that there was no chairs, desks, books, or other teaching materials in the room - just a chalkboard on the wall.
The condom slingshot. Perhaps a little different than the slingshot boys buy from Walmart back in the US.
Ah, the wonderfully repulsive smell of women brewing local alcohol/beer/moonshine. I actually don't know what it is. It looks like used paint thinner and smells much worse. They dry the ingredients by laying them on a piece of fabric or directly on the ground. Perhaps slightly different than buying alcohol at your local dumpy gas station.
Beans anyone? These are World Food Programme beans that were for sale the day after the WFP trucks came and delivered the food. Technically, I think that people can get in trouble for selling their food rations, but I don't blame them. They are not all that amazing.
Africa's version of "Payless Shoes." And they really are payless shoes. They are made out of old bald tires and apparently one pair can last 20 years (+ or - 5 years). They don't have arch support and they give you bloody blisters for the first few months, but the price is right - less than $2.00 US.
Dinner. Dried fish with posho/ugali. The big white blob is the cooked corn flour I have talked about in previous posts. The fish is completely bone, skin, fins, and head. However, it was much more appetizing than some other meals we had. Maybe slightly different from the lemon roasted trout you can order and the Red Lobster.
This is something a teacher might not say in the United States: "Now children! What have I told you about leaving the classroom door open! The cow will come in here and make a mess if you don't keep the door closed." While we were showing the video at the school in Potika, I saw a cow walk into a classroom. I went over and decided to take a picture. I think the entry of the cow into the classroom was assisted by the open door and the fact that there was no chairs, desks, books, or other teaching materials in the room - just a chalkboard on the wall.
The condom slingshot. Perhaps a little different than the slingshot boys buy from Walmart back in the US.
Ah, the wonderfully repulsive smell of women brewing local alcohol/beer/moonshine. I actually don't know what it is. It looks like used paint thinner and smells much worse. They dry the ingredients by laying them on a piece of fabric or directly on the ground. Perhaps slightly different than buying alcohol at your local dumpy gas station.
Beans anyone? These are World Food Programme beans that were for sale the day after the WFP trucks came and delivered the food. Technically, I think that people can get in trouble for selling their food rations, but I don't blame them. They are not all that amazing.
Africa's version of "Payless Shoes." And they really are payless shoes. They are made out of old bald tires and apparently one pair can last 20 years (+ or - 5 years). They don't have arch support and they give you bloody blisters for the first few months, but the price is right - less than $2.00 US. 
Dinner. Dried fish with posho/ugali. The big white blob is the cooked corn flour I have talked about in previous posts. The fish is completely bone, skin, fins, and head. However, it was much more appetizing than some other meals we had. Maybe slightly different from the lemon roasted trout you can order and the Red Lobster.
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