I've been here for 3 weeks now, but it feels much more! There's so much that struck me as weird and different when I first got here, but already I've got used to it and it is hard to think of what some of these things were!
In no particular order, here are some of them...
- One of the first things I noticed was that people are really into 'cute' accessories, men and women. For example, the taxi driver who picked us up from the airport had fluffy teddy bear car seat covers! I don't think I've seen a mobile phone yet without a huge, dangly phone charm with some kind of cute toy on it. It is nearly impossible to get plain stationary here. Everything is decorated with a cartoon or design, and there is LOADS of it! Stationary is very popular and shops have a huge choice. The kids at school are especially mad for stickers.
- Desk chairs here are odd. The backs are in 2 parts - it seems to support your back more...
- Drivers are mental! Cars often jump the red light and for some reason mopeds drive along pedestrian crossings on a red light, both in the same direction as the cars and the pedestrians! It is not unusual to see cars driving along the pavement!
- Everyone gets perms: men and women, young and old. Loads of the kids at school have perms and there's even a boy in Kindergarten with one! On top of that I reckon that every one of my classes has at least one kid with dyed hair.
- Infact appearance is everything here. One of the 6 year old girls at school is on a diet that bans wheat and dairy as her mum thinks she's a bit too rounded (she is totally normal, not chubby at all). A 5 year old boy at school was in tears the other day as his hair is naturally a bit wavey and he wants it straight. Maybe not surprisingly, plastic surgery is very common here. A common procedure is to get the nose enlarged. Women often tell me how nice my nose is!
- Loudly clearing phlegm from one's throat and making a performance of spitting it out on the street is apparently not rude. This can be seen and heard at least twice a day. Yuck!
- Rock, scissors, paper solves EVERYTHING!!! Adults and kids alike will use it to settle any small dispute, and the outcome rules, no questions.
There's plenty more, but that's all I can think of atm!
I'm finding myself very quickly getting used to living here. Perhaps not such a positive thing is that I'm picking up many Americanisms already from having to teach American English to the kids. Rubbers are now 'erasers'; rubbish bins are now 'trash bins'. I hate that. :(
No comments:
Post a Comment