Things Here Are Strange...

Things here are weird. I don’t understand but I feel like I should share them with you.

-You can’t flush the toilet paper. It has to go in a trash can or the toilet will get mad and flood

-But first you have to get the toilet paper. It isn’t in each stall, they have one TP roll dispenser on the wall by the sinks. So you have to grab your TP before you go in and hope that you grabbed enough…I’m just gunna say right now that here will more than likely be at least one toilet paper shortage disaster in my future

-Everyone here has showers YAY! But you have to turn on the hot water heater and wait for 5 minutes while it heats up. So dishes and hand washing is always done with cold water here.

-There is no central heating so if you’re lucky the bedroom has an estufa (little space heater) and if not you get a bag that you fill up with hot water and put by your feet while you sleep

-So its cold here. And the people complain that its cold, yet they don’t feel the need to close the window that is open right next to them

-Because it’s cold, when you are in the house you wear slippers at ALL TIMES. And don’t you dare bring your shoes onto the carpet! Its instant shame

-People on the metro will get up and sing or play music as they go wherever they are going and collect tips at the end of the song

-At the stoplights people will do cheerleading stunting, juggling, and break dancing while the light is red and then go from car window to car window collecting tips.

-The baggers at grocery stores aren’t paid, you also have to tip them.

-My family feels the need to put every item of food in some kind of basket or on some little plate. I want a piece of bread? I get a baby plate with a slice of bread on it. In the states I would have just grabbed it with my hand or with a paper towel. But no, there is another plate I have to wash…without a dishwasher

-People here make out EVERYWHERE. It doesn’t matter if you’re 12, 20, or 35, if you have a pololo or polola (boyfriend or girlfriend) and you are with them you are kissing them.

-But stretching in public? Oh no! That is not ok. And don’t you even think about yawning in public without covering your mouth

-They never turn on the lights. Last night I walked into the apartment and it was pitch black. I asked my brother where mom was and he said, oh she’s in the bedroom. It was kinda creepy

-No one here drinks water. Ever. I don’t understand

-The juice here is straight sugar. Every juice has sugar as the second ingredient and its crazy

-They don’t cook with spices. The food here never tastes like anything but salt or sugar or bread

I’m sure there are more but this is what comes to mind right now. I thought everything would have become normal to me by now but still, some things catch me off guard.