things we've learned...#2

More surprising things we've learned living in a foreign culture:

- Men who make lip-smacking, kissing noises in your direction are NOT being fresh.  It's just their way of calling attention, like clearing the throat, or saying "Hey, you!"

- Unwashed eggs don't need to be refrigerated, and will stay fresh on the counter for a couple of weeks.

- Two-lane roads really can support 4-6 lanes of traffic. Sidewalks make good parking space.

- In a cash society, small bills are extremely elusive.  Making change for larger bills is often a challenge. Employees will sometimes say, 'please wait, ma'am' while they run off to the bank or to another store to make change.

- Not all products made in foreign countries for U.S. sellers make it to the U.S.  That means we occasionally find good deals on 'not quite perfect' items that didn't make the cut.  These finds are few and far between, and you never know where or when they will turn up, which makes it all the more fun when you do find one!

GAP t-shirts and jeans for Michael for under $4 a piece

Pfatzgraff mugs for $1 each

Ann Taylor blouse for another $4

- Hair stylists don't work alone.  

- And the cost of labor is very low.

     When we go for a haircut, one woman washes our hair, the stylist cuts it, another woman dries it, and then the stylist comes back to trim it to perfection.  The last time that Amy, Elise and I all went together to get haircuts, the grand total bill was about $17.  This included the three haircuts, a pedicure for one of the girls, and tips for all of the 5 women who worked on our hair.

- Rice should be washed multiple times before cooking.

- The freezer is a great place to store flour to keep it bug-free.

- Ice cream bars from the roadside store on a hot evening are just as refreshing as a gourmet Cold Stone Creamery treat would be.

Not wrong...just different!