Saturday, March 21, 2009

'Normal' ?

OK - by this point, I think we can all admit (especially me) that I’m not the most consistent blogger.  I honestly have the hardest time trying to decide what to write about because I’m actually getting used to living here!  Sometimes, I miss the feeling of looking out the taxi window and witnessing a bizarre situation for the first time.  Now, it’s bizarre that these things feel ‘normal’!  For example:

 - Trucks stacked so high with bundles of who-knows-what that I’m scared to pass them in case the load topples over.  Only to pass by and realize that amid the bundles there are Chinese men sitting between the bundles holding them in place.


 - Entire families riding on a motorbike.  Typically, a man driving with the woman sitting behind him, side-saddle.  She’s holding an infant (of course, that’s totally safe!!) and standing in front of the man, is a toddler holding onto the handle bars.  I used to constantly point this out to whomever I was with ... along with a comment or two about how unsafe it was.  Now, it seems like an affordable means of transportation (NOT :)


 - The seas of brown faces around every corner that shove, push, and crowd my personal space.. the spitting, hacking, and nose picking.. Although, I’ll always find it annoying and often down right disgusting, it doesn’t stand out like it used to.


 - A day of grocery shopping.  Yes, it often takes an entire day to get all the ingredients to make a meal.  No wonder we eat out a lot!


 - Walking out my front door to see a long rope hanging from the top of the building with a man latched onto it cleaning windows and gutters.  Other men standing on the top of the building peering below, yelling to the hanging men.  I just hope they don’t fall - I wouldn’t bet my life on the safety equipment.

 

 - The one thing that DOES still stand out to me are the Chinese babies and kids... can’t get over them... not sure I want to...

2 comments:

Sarah said...

Glad to hear you've acclimated, but don't worry about getting too comfortable, if anyone stateside sees you picking your nose in public or riding a vespa like a clown car, a comment will be made :)

Anonymous said...

Guess What? The families in Cozumel have tuned into the family on the scooter phenom. We didn't see as many, but there aren't as many people.
Please tell me the nose pickers and spitters still gross you out!