Things I have learned in South Africa

A not completely comprehensive list, and similiar to "What I did on my Summer Vacation" sort of report.

I learned, just today, that in the townships, in the food stands that sell sheep's heads (I have mentioned the sheep's heads, haven't I??)(well, ok, they cut off the sheeps or goats heads from the neck up and roast them, so that when you walk past the food stand, there are often 5 - 6 heads looking at you from the top of the BBQ), the heads are called Smileys because when they roast, the corners of the mouths pull up into a smile.
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Is anyone still with me?  Or did that visual lose you all??

I learned that traffic lights are called robots.  So one might be told, turn left at the robot.

I learned to look right, left, right, left, right, left, right, left, BOLT, right, left ....

I learned to ignore how closely our car driver follows the car in front of us. We would call it tailgating, they call it good driving.

I learned to go up and down stairs with my feet turned to the side because my shoes don't fit on the stairs.

I learned that 7.5 mg weights are FAR heavier than 10 pound weights and that there just isn't a good non-metric conversion for weights.  I either have to use weights heavier than I am use to or lighter, and neither one really works.

I learned that no one really brews coffee here and that I am quite tired of Nescafe.

I learned (the hard way) that South African wine has a far higher alcohol content that California wines, and while one may not feel it in the moment, one most definately feels it the next day.

I learned that it takes an entire stack of the little tiny gold coins to equal one of the silver smaller coins.

I learned that I don't much care for "Macon" which is the Muslim variation of bacon.

I learned that it costs over $90.00 to phone America for a job interview, for 45 minutes worth of talk.

I learned that no one here wears socks, which baffles me because it is so darned cold.  What the heck!!  No socks??? Is this how I can make my milions is to come to South Africa and sell socks??

I have learned to be patient, that the meeting will eventually start, that the bus will eventually arrive, that the person will eventually call.

I learned what the odd smell is, which I only smell a few days a week when I am walking between the Bealuh Lodge and the LEAP School.  The odd smell is the crematorium creamating human remains and the plastic coffins that they use here.  LEAP asked public officials to test whether there were chemicals in the air that were harmful and the tests came out negative as to pollutants outside of the legal range, but my gosh. That is one harsh smell, especially when you learn what it really is.

And finally, I learned that, much like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, there is no place like home.