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It's the little things that really let you know you are in a foreign
country. You expect some things to be different; money, language, food etc.
There are many more that you just don't think about. Here are some of the
things I've noticed.
Smoking. I mentioned before how everyone here smokes. Sidewalks are very, very narrow. To pass, you both have to kind of turn sideways and 'suck it in', but you still brush up against people. What you have to watch out for are those with cigarettes in their hand. I was at a sidewalk cafe last week in a non smoking section. Of the 8 tables in this area, 6 had people smoking, in the non smoking section.
I mentioned the narrow streets and sidewalks. The cities are like a maze of streets running every which way. They curve around so one minute you are waking parallel to the next street, then you are crossing it, then back to parallel. The sea is basically on 3 sides of me, so no matter which way I go, I eventually end up on the promenade, which is good. The bad thing is I may pass a shop that I want to check out later but then its really hard to find again.
Shopping is very different. Instead of a giant Wal-mart or Target, there are tiny shops all along the streets. There is a convenience store on almost every corner, but they are miniscule and packed to the hilt with a few rows of food, drinks and misc items. Think of an entire 7-11 being condensed down to one isle. An isle that you often have to turn sideways to get down and back. You have clothes stores everywhere, but again, they are just big enough for 1 or two isles. Same with shoes, purses, electronics, bedding, kitchen items, hardware, jewelry, watches etc. Each has its own store. There are fruit and vegetable trucks parked randomly on every other street. They move around, so you can't always find the same one if you like him. No matter, they all pretty much have the same thing. On my way to the grocery store, I pass a butcher, bread store, fruit truck, and flower shop. You can also buy those things at the market. The grocery stores don't have the same selection we're used to in the states. I've tried many new foods, some are good and some I threw away and made a different dinner all together. I found one department store called JB stores. Again, don't think Wal-mart at all. It covers both sides of a block, but there are about 4 stores, each with 3-4 floors. And they are jam packed! There is merchandise stacked everywhere. You walk in one door and have the choice to go up or down. Lets start at the top, you reach the landing and there are several rooms to choose from. Once inside the room, you can then go into other connected rooms, which also have steps going down, but they don't all lead to the same place. I've been there twice and the second time I found a whole other store connected by one door. One room could be all towels, sheets and pillows. Next room is all fabric, then plates and dishes, then toys. You finally get yourself out of that store and into the next one and you have assorted household goods; one floor is packed with kitchen items, another is all for the bathroom, another is pets and outdoor stuff. Again, its almost impassable, especially if you have bags and are trying to get around someone else.
We all know what a fan of pampering I am, so of course I had to check out the manicure/pedicure shops. The manicures are about the same, but not the pedicure. I walked into the shop and the girl had me sit on a sort of massage table/couch with a bunch of cushions. Next she had me lay down flat on my back with my knees bent. She at least gave me a wedge for my knees. After some filing, she finally put each foot in a small pan of water. OK first let me say, part of the reason they soak your feet first is to clean them. I felt really sorry for the girl because I had been walking around in closed toed shoe all day. I'm not sure I really cared for the experience, I might try a different shop next time, to see if they do it differently. It felt a little awkward laying flat on my back. I'm pretty sure I over tipped. In the US its about 20%. She clasped her hands together and bowed to me several times. (she's from Thailand). She then handed me a bunch of grapes then added a banana, bowing the whole time. When I got the manicure, the girls seemed equally surprised, she just left the money on the table. Note to self, no tipping for services. Even at restaurants, they only tip 5-10%.
Wash day. When I was living in my RV I got used to going to a laundry to wash and dry my clothes. I really didn't mind because you got it all done at once and were done. Here, they only seem to have drop off service. I have a small washer in my apartment, but no dryer. Apparently that's the norm, because everywhere you go you see laundry hanging out to dry. If you have a balcony, there are clothes lines strung up between you and the neighbor. I have a clothesline in my garden. It takes days to get everything dry because I'm in the shade and there is no breeze. And the washer is small, so you can only do so much anyway. The clothes aren't so bad, but the towels are pretty rough. I have some great towels from Bed Bath and Beyond, I can't wait to get them. They are much softer and should by OK even without a dryer. I left a box behind for my mom to mail to me.
I have a small water heater that holds enough water to shower with, if you are quick about it. I then have to wait about 30 min if I want more hot water. Forget about washing clothes in hot water, the only option is cold. The hot water is propane, which again is pretty common since you see the propane truck everywhere. The stove top is also propane, but the oven is electric. And it has only 2 settings, off and on. There is no temp control at all. And only one rack, so you can't even move the pan away from the heat. I recently made cupcakes. The top was burned and the middle was pure liquid. I pretended it was lava cake and ate them anyway.
Smoking. I mentioned before how everyone here smokes. Sidewalks are very, very narrow. To pass, you both have to kind of turn sideways and 'suck it in', but you still brush up against people. What you have to watch out for are those with cigarettes in their hand. I was at a sidewalk cafe last week in a non smoking section. Of the 8 tables in this area, 6 had people smoking, in the non smoking section.
I mentioned the narrow streets and sidewalks. The cities are like a maze of streets running every which way. They curve around so one minute you are waking parallel to the next street, then you are crossing it, then back to parallel. The sea is basically on 3 sides of me, so no matter which way I go, I eventually end up on the promenade, which is good. The bad thing is I may pass a shop that I want to check out later but then its really hard to find again.
Shopping is very different. Instead of a giant Wal-mart or Target, there are tiny shops all along the streets. There is a convenience store on almost every corner, but they are miniscule and packed to the hilt with a few rows of food, drinks and misc items. Think of an entire 7-11 being condensed down to one isle. An isle that you often have to turn sideways to get down and back. You have clothes stores everywhere, but again, they are just big enough for 1 or two isles. Same with shoes, purses, electronics, bedding, kitchen items, hardware, jewelry, watches etc. Each has its own store. There are fruit and vegetable trucks parked randomly on every other street. They move around, so you can't always find the same one if you like him. No matter, they all pretty much have the same thing. On my way to the grocery store, I pass a butcher, bread store, fruit truck, and flower shop. You can also buy those things at the market. The grocery stores don't have the same selection we're used to in the states. I've tried many new foods, some are good and some I threw away and made a different dinner all together. I found one department store called JB stores. Again, don't think Wal-mart at all. It covers both sides of a block, but there are about 4 stores, each with 3-4 floors. And they are jam packed! There is merchandise stacked everywhere. You walk in one door and have the choice to go up or down. Lets start at the top, you reach the landing and there are several rooms to choose from. Once inside the room, you can then go into other connected rooms, which also have steps going down, but they don't all lead to the same place. I've been there twice and the second time I found a whole other store connected by one door. One room could be all towels, sheets and pillows. Next room is all fabric, then plates and dishes, then toys. You finally get yourself out of that store and into the next one and you have assorted household goods; one floor is packed with kitchen items, another is all for the bathroom, another is pets and outdoor stuff. Again, its almost impassable, especially if you have bags and are trying to get around someone else.
We all know what a fan of pampering I am, so of course I had to check out the manicure/pedicure shops. The manicures are about the same, but not the pedicure. I walked into the shop and the girl had me sit on a sort of massage table/couch with a bunch of cushions. Next she had me lay down flat on my back with my knees bent. She at least gave me a wedge for my knees. After some filing, she finally put each foot in a small pan of water. OK first let me say, part of the reason they soak your feet first is to clean them. I felt really sorry for the girl because I had been walking around in closed toed shoe all day. I'm not sure I really cared for the experience, I might try a different shop next time, to see if they do it differently. It felt a little awkward laying flat on my back. I'm pretty sure I over tipped. In the US its about 20%. She clasped her hands together and bowed to me several times. (she's from Thailand). She then handed me a bunch of grapes then added a banana, bowing the whole time. When I got the manicure, the girls seemed equally surprised, she just left the money on the table. Note to self, no tipping for services. Even at restaurants, they only tip 5-10%.
Wash day. When I was living in my RV I got used to going to a laundry to wash and dry my clothes. I really didn't mind because you got it all done at once and were done. Here, they only seem to have drop off service. I have a small washer in my apartment, but no dryer. Apparently that's the norm, because everywhere you go you see laundry hanging out to dry. If you have a balcony, there are clothes lines strung up between you and the neighbor. I have a clothesline in my garden. It takes days to get everything dry because I'm in the shade and there is no breeze. And the washer is small, so you can only do so much anyway. The clothes aren't so bad, but the towels are pretty rough. I have some great towels from Bed Bath and Beyond, I can't wait to get them. They are much softer and should by OK even without a dryer. I left a box behind for my mom to mail to me.
I have a small water heater that holds enough water to shower with, if you are quick about it. I then have to wait about 30 min if I want more hot water. Forget about washing clothes in hot water, the only option is cold. The hot water is propane, which again is pretty common since you see the propane truck everywhere. The stove top is also propane, but the oven is electric. And it has only 2 settings, off and on. There is no temp control at all. And only one rack, so you can't even move the pan away from the heat. I recently made cupcakes. The top was burned and the middle was pure liquid. I pretended it was lava cake and ate them anyway.
TV is a challenge. Before I left I signed up for Netflix. Once I got here
it said Sorry, Netflix isn't shown in your current country. What the heck, its
internet based and we certainly have internet! OK, no problem, there is a
company that sells you a US based IP address for $5 a month, to trick everyone
into thinking I'm still there. It works like a charm, I can now watch most TV
shows on my laptop. I have cable in my apartment, but most channels are not in
English. I do get several news channels, but they are all international. Sky,
BBC, Al Jazerra... CNN is the only US channel, but its the international desk
for the most part. I like CNN and think its so funny when those who watch FOX
constantly complain about how biased CNN is. As if FOX is impartial!
LOL. They are both equally biased, its just a matter of which one you agree
with. Anyway, I also get Nat Geo, History, TLC, Discovery, MTV, Animal Planet,
and Lifetime. Quite the variety right? Next time you are flipping through your
500 channels and say there is nothing to watch, think of me. The best two
channels, though are FOX and FOX live. No not the FOX mentioned about. This
one shows the current popular US shows like Homeland, Scandal, Walking Dead,
Devious Maids, 24 and Revenge to name a few. So I get to watch Walking Dead, oh
happy day! I was really worried about that. The only problem is both channels
only show about 10 shows, over and over and over again.
Luckily bugs are not a huge problem here, because the windows don't have
screens. Because the apartment, (like all buildings) is cement, you have to
keep the doors or windows open so the humidity doesn't build up and the dank
smell along with it. There are mosquitoes though, they like to buzz around my
head when I'm trying to sleep. For the most part, if I shut the doors before
dark, they don't come inside.
The cell service is different too. Most people use a pay as you go system
vs a two year contract. All the convenience stores and grocery stores carry Top
Up cards. You buy them and add the minutes to your cell phone. For about $12
(€10) you get calls €0.10/minute, SMS €0.01, 3G Data 100MB. They don't have 4G
on the island but 3G seems to work. If I'm texting anyone, I use my home WiFi
and avoid any charges. If you are walking around, you don't usually have a good
signal unless you are in a business. And all business have WiFi.
I find that my habits have changed as well, partly because I made a
conscience decision to do so, and partially because I had no choice. LOL I
find I'm not eating nearly as much as in the US in part because there just isn't
the variety. I also walk everywhere I go, even if there is a bus. For example
JB Stores is about 5 miles away. I walk there, which is an adventure in and of
itself, then take the bus home. Everyone here walks, so I have lots of time to
people watch. So far I've lost about 8 lbs. I've had a lot of problems with my knees over the past year or so but I'm happy to say, they are holding up very well. I come home at night, very tired, but my knees are not particularly painful. Also, I don't shop as much, because I then have to carry
everything home. Plus of course, I'm only here for 6 months. I live at the top of a long hill, no matter which direction I
come from. Things get much heavier going uphill. I don't drink a fraction of the soda I did before, but again, that's
not will power. They only have about 5 kinds here; Coke and orange Fanta which
I don't like. Dr Pepper which is OK and Kinnie, a Maltese soda that is the
nastiest stuff I ever tasted. Its some kind of bitter soda with a hint of
citrus. Mostly I drink water but I must say I don't really feel any different
for those who said the Diet Dew was killing me. The last habit change I've noticed is much
less TV, but again, that is partly because there is nothing to watch. I used to
get up in the morning with every intention of going out and doing something, but
would get sucked into 'let me just watch the end of this show first. Before I
knew it, the morning was gone. Not a problem here since my choices are Toddler
and Tiaras, or Keeping up with the Kardashions LOL.
Next week I head to Naples.
That will be quite the adventure! I have to take two ferries and two trains. I
bought the train tickets on line and you have to validate them at the station
before you travel. The problem is the train station the ferry takes me to
doesn't validate, you have to go to a bigger station. The only way to a bigger
stations is by train. Hmmm
Link to pictures:
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