Sarah in Banica: October 2010

So Kenzie, China and I have an ongoing “You know you live in Bánica when…” list which I thought might be amusing for you. Enjoy!

You know you live in Bánica when…

…when it’s more common to ride in the back of a pick-up truck than in it

…when there’s more than one way to snap

…when you forget the feel of hot water

…when the cutest kids with huge smiles wave to you and yell “profe! (profesora!)”

…when you are given dryer sheets to use as toilet paper

…when there is a break dancing contest in the back of a pick-up truck going 30mph

…when it pours buckets nearly every afternoon

…when they use a tree branch for a bat, and a popped basket ball to play soccer

…when your coffee is always sweeter than a jellybean

…when going to the library is the latest fad (a library was just built, so pretty much no one is used to the idea and the kids love it)

…when a lizard scurrying up and down the walls is normal and seeing a tarantula in the bathroom doesn’t faze you

…when to have street power in the afternoon is a rare, and to shower in the dark with a bucket of water is no biggy

...when frozen juice and bananas is your favorite dessert

…when you have to honk repeatedly at a cow or goat to get it to move out of the middle of the road

…when it’s not gross but accepted for women to spit (mostly to spit out seeds of fruit)

…when it’s common to hear multiple roosters crowing at 4am

…when there are pig hooves or chicken talons in your soup

...when you invent new rules to Monopoly in Spanish

…when you see two six year olds walking around solo at pretty much any hour

…when cats eat the bones

…when wearing jeans in 100 degree weather is normal

…when you can swim across a river to another country…Haiti, perhaps?

…when people say “ssss” instead of “shhh”

…when Mass is celebrated in a cave with bats flying overhead

…when you often hear music blasting at all hours of the night

…when you occasionally have cookies for breakfast, or bread and cheese for dinner

…when a twelve-year-old boy shows you how to do laundry

…when a thunderstorm is the equivalent of a snow storm and thus cancels school

…when wearing hair rollers in public is considered fashionable

…when you see dogs cooling off on the cement floor in the back of the church

…when they suck on a fruit called limonsillo instead of chewing gum

…when the ice cream men know your name and stop by your house to see if you want any today

…when you never know if your “ice” in the freezer is frozen or not because there hasn’t been power

…when lunches are at least a two hour affair

…when a child you have never met before will come up to you and hold your hand or give you a hug

…when a pen, good chocolate, or a watch is a luxury

…when a thumb wrestle can keep a child entertained for hours

…when arriving 20 minutes late is considered on time (mom and Seeky, that one was for you!)

Sarah in Banica