Top 10 lessons learned so far

1. This is a God loving country. You will be asked what church you belong to and if you would like to go on Sunday within a 20-minute conversation. Note: agreeing to Catholic mass means waking up at 6am to attend a 2 or 3-hour mass; bring snacks.

2. Cabs are in greater supply than demand, and so they are costly and not our favorite form of transportation. Tro-tros, however, although not the best smelling or safest of vehicles, will take you anywhere and everywhere you want to go for less than a US dollar. We loooove the tro-tro.

3. If you search long enough, and talk to the right people, you’ll find delicious meals for super cheap and of sizable portions.

i. Adding a hard-boiled egg or fried egg to any form of rice, will instantly make it a tastier dish.

ii. If you tell the canteen staff you want Red Red for lunch, and then stop coming to the canteen on a regular basis because they don’t have it….you will find yourself eating piles of Red Red by the end of the week. Many thanks.

4. South African soap operas are the best form of television entertainment. But commercials inviting you to South Africa are played at every break and they are really enticing.

5. It’s perfectly acceptable for people to yell Obruni! (aka white-person!) anytime, anywhere. The inflection does vary.

6. There are goats EVERYWHERE just roaming around. The come in all different colors, shapes and sizes. They’re the equivalent of our squirrels.

7 . “Please, I’m coming” really means “Excuse me, I’m leaving.”

8. We already think it feels so much cooler outside if there’s a 2-degree temp drop.

9. Running water is not a given, therefore, showering every other day is perfectly acceptable.

10. Hand washing is the only form of washing clothes. It is best to push the time frame between washing to two weeks given the amount of time and labor that goes into this process. After your clothes have dried out on the line, it’s important to check them for any insects or critters. For example, one may find a giant ant in her underwear. Just saying.