Normal

Things I'm Used To That I Wasn't Used To 6 Months Ago:

• Driving on the left side of the road (I'm pretty good now).
• Being honked at (people here do it as a warning signal--most aren't angry or suffering from road rage). 
• Making small-talk in Swahili (I'm not good, but learning).
• Not owning a T.V. 
• Flipping on the hot water switch before I get in the shower.
• Sleeping under a mosquito net.
• Being called "Mama Kenya". It's common for children to call a woman "Mama" and the name of their child. In America a child might say to me, "Hi Kenya's mom!"  Here, they say "Mama Kenya", because out of all 4 of my children, Kenya was the first name they could all remember (go figure). So to at least a hundred children in Kitale, I'm "Mama Kenya". Kinda makes me sound like the mother of the whole country.
• African greetings: usually a handshake for men, even if I just saw them yesterday, and a handshake and double-hug for women, starting on the right and then on the left. This is a source of a lot of head-butts and inadvertent kisses for first-timers. 
• Losing electricity on a regular basis; usually several times a week, sometimes for over 24-hours. 
• Having dirty--no, filthy--children most of the time.  
• Wearing "crunchy" clothes (if you've ever hand-washed and line-dried then you know what I'm talking about).
• Bed bug bites. I wish this weren't true, but these little devils are hard to get rid of, and I'm kinda used to the itching now. 

Mya's little leg, after being eaten alive. 

• Mosquito bites. We thank God that only one member of our family has had malaria so far--just Little How! :-( 
• Chapatti, green grams & rice -- the Dinner of Champions.
• Unrefrigerated milk.
• Unrefrigerated eggs.
• Cheddar cheese that smells like feet.
• Buying things in the store that are already expired--only to find out once I'm home.
• Haggling for prices on produce. 
• Street children--most high on glue--running to see us when we get to town.
• People begging for food or money almost anywhere we go in town.
• People assuming I'm rich because I'm caucasian. (I'm used to it, but I don't like it!)
• Having "Mzungu!!" yelled at me. (Mzungu means white person, and is used for almost anyone who is not black, whether they're European, Mexican, Asian . . . )
• The sounds of some crazy tropical birds in our trees . . . some sound like monkeys. 
• Brushing my teeth with bottled water. Ok I'll be honest, that only lasted a month, but I still make my kids do it. 
• The metric system. Still learning, but it is a better system--sorry America.
• High-altitude baking. 
• Hangin' out with monkeys.

Howie and his little friend hangin' out at the Kitale Club