Stage 3

I may have mentioned it before but, before we left, we learned about the stages of adapting to a new culture.

Stage 1: Everything is wonderful and loved
Stage 2: Everything is horrible and hated
Stage 3: Everything is normal

I wouldn't be terribly surprised if my blog turns out to support this theory.

Now, if I had to place myself today, I would probably say Stage 3. It has been three days since I've blogged and I hardly pull out my camera anymore. Mini-buses are a way to get to and from - no longer a novelty. The plants are no longer foreign-looking and the rainstorms are pretty normal now. I've settled in.

But now what kind of blogger would I be if I didn't keep sharing my thoughts and experiences? A Stage 3 one. But I shan't let that stop me! Here are some things that have been on my mind:

The electrical outlets:
These outlets are so bizarre and difficult to get used to. The plug itself is a vertical line on top and two horizontal lines underneath. The problem? Many of our plugs are two circle prongs. Yes, this is because Zambia has two different plug standards. But, with some magic and ingenuity, they work together. Nat discovered one day that if she stuck a pen into the top whole while shoving the circle prongs into the bottom the circle prongs would be accepted. Amazingly, she has retained her higher brain functions. Other point of interest: each plug has its own switch that has to be turned on before it will work. Many kettles of water have sat cold for hours while we waited.

Burn or bury:
When we first arrived, we learned that garbage is either burned or buried. We were very careful to separate our garbage into separate bins. Until we learned that everything is dumped into a pit next to our house, burned, and then covered with sand. There is something very saddening about buying bottled water and then burying the bottle. There are, quite literally, no recycling facilities here. We have tried to switch to glass bottles wherever possible. Glass bottled drinks are cheap but you must return them to where you bought them. They are a bit less convenient but thank goodness they can be reused.

Oasis:
Though touted as the best restaurant in Mongu, Oasis (pronounced here as 'oh-ASS-iss') is the strangest place I've been. The staff is nice enough but everything else is just strange. The bills can't be split but you can expect to receive multiple (five or more!) bills with the various items split randomly. And now that is only if you are able to order anything. We have been at least four times for dinner and have never been able to order burgers. No reason behind it just that "we can't make them today". I've only been able to have pizza once and sometimes shawarma takes an hour and a half to make.