Thursday, February 16, 2012

the things we do

The process of adjusting to new lifestyles a pis more or less a process of adopting behaviors that over time become customary. Last night I was brushing my teeth and outlining in my head all of the things I needed to do and pack before my 7am bus to Lilongwe this morning, and it occurred to me that i have a new set of habits..

For one, I don’t leave the house without first stuffing a wad of toilet paper in my pocket. Most restrooms (public, private, pit-latrine) don’t provide toilet paper. Or toilet seats for that matter.

Before bed, one must always pull down the sheets and check under the pillows for scorpions, before climbing in and securing the mosquito net. I’ve never actually found any, but I have found cockroaches, spiders and maggots.

When travelling, one should carry their own sheets, to provide a buffer from the bedbugs potentially lurking under the mattress. Towels and soap are also a good idea since both are likely to be vintage editions from previous years’ guests.

Just a taste of some things that you’ve probably never thought about doing and that somehow, I’ve stopped thinking about doing, yet still get done. 

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