The Other 5

1. Driving - This list wouldn't be complete without something on the driving. I know that I have mentioned this many times before, but it bears repeating. Each time I venture out (yes, I am driving now) I am reminded at how crazy it is. People tell us it is worse in Dakar, so we will see! The number of motos is completely out of control - they are everywhere. They go where ever, whenever, however they want! Evidently traffic laws do not apply to motos. When you pull up at a light they squeak by and use up every inch. This past Tuesday I was turning left at a light - on my left was about 15 motos - some of them going straight, some turning left. When we get back to the States, we should be masters of defensive driving skills.



2. Weather - this is probably the most dependable item on the list, but it still remains a major difference. We arrived at the end of rainy season and once it ended it has remained fairly steady - hot (we have had some milder hot though). In Faith's home school math book, she was asked to graph the weather. It says - go outside and observe the weather. The categories are hot, cold, raining, windy, cool - we have used all of the hot blocks and have given up this pointless exercise!



3. Shopping - this is probably the most stressful for me. There is no set price for anything, unless you go to some of the bigger stores. The prices for the vegetables and fruits are pretty static, but anything not consumable, etc. you bargain. It goes like this - they start at 10,000 - I am appalled and offer 2,000 - they act appalled - I say 3,000 - back and forth until we end up around half - it can be exhausting, but sometimes it can be fun, if the vendor doesn't act like we are taking food from his children's mouth! After all of that, we often find out we have paid too much at half of the original price.



4. Kids - this is a pretty broad category. Some of the differences in regards to kids are - most of the babies don't wear underwear or diapers. A funny story to illustrate this is - I was in a village and I took a Vera Bradley cloth back pack (not very smart). I had it sitting next to me in the chair - they offered me a different chair and I moved and didn't take my bag. A mother sat down and had her baby girl standing next to her - she went right there and I watch to see the pee running down a trail right for my bag. I didn't panic, and praise the Lord it stopped before touching it! The kids ride on motos. Sometimes in the drivers lap holding on to the handlebars, sometimes in between the driver and the passenger and many times strapped to the mothers back while she is driving. Needless to say there are no seat belt laws here - you will never see a "Click it or Ticket" sign! We often see many kids just playing on the street - walking on the busy roads - selling veggies on the side of the roads with their moms - carrying big loads on their heads. It is a much different life here for children!



5. Life lived outside - for the most part people don't live in their houses, or even in their own courtyard. They are often outside drinking tea, walking, shopping, selling, living. Our neighborhood is a little different, but the street is hopping until late in the evening.