Everyone thinks life here in Africa must be soooooo hard. Like I'm really roughing it. And while some things are tough, there are actually some things that Africa does better. So I'm counting my blessings:

1: cheap fruit and veggies. In Chapel Hill I would pay$1.99-$2.99 for one stinkin' avacado. (I know y'all are feeling the pinch this superbowl season)I bought one at the store the other day and paid $2.10R. About 40 cents, and I was told I over paid. Ha! I love it. Soon the Avos on my tree will be ripe and I will have as much as I can stomach for free. Same goes with bananas, popos, mangos, and lemons. And I can tell you, you haven't lived until you've eaten fresh pineapple or mangos.

2.milk in a box I know it sounds weird, but they pretty much do it everywhere but the US. They process the milk as normal and then put it in a special light-proof box. So it can sit on a shelf in your pantry for up to 6 months. Only catch is you have to drink it within 4 days once you open it. But, it's only one liter so that's no problem. This is great because it elimiates dreaded out-of-milk delima. You can by a case of 6 liters, put it in the pantry and when you are out...just grab a new one.

3. Dry lemon- the greatest drink ever, but somehow it is disappearing. Maybe Scwepps is no longer my friend

4. Child discipline Rarely do you hear a child throughing a tantrum in public. And when you do.... trust me, it's an American Child.

5.Bostick (see previous blog) it's way better than scotch tape. Only problem is you can't wrap presents with it...or can you?

6. Animals you have squirrels in your yard. I have monkeys. Need I say more?

7. Stone houses (at least in the summer months.) they don't burn down and they keep cool in the summer. Come winter I might change my mind.

8. Christy sized everything Everything here is very small. From furniture, to tea cups, to chickens, it's just smaller. Perfect in my eyes.

9. Cereal yes you can get the old stand-bye corn flakes or rice crispies. But African cereal is nicer. It's real food. You can read the ingrediants and know every one,- oats, nuts, seeds, honey, raisins, ect. No partially-hydrodinated, high fructose enriched sawdust stuff. That's true for lots of African foods,- they don't add much sugar and they laugh at us. "Oh I don't like the way XXXX bakes, she puts in so much sugar!"