Fun, Facts, and Follies from the Last Few Days...
- It's not just a cultural stereotype -- black ladies here really do carry things on their head! I've seen women balance everything from a carpet to a bag of groceries. I wish I could do that...
- Slap chips are delicious! They are thick-cut french fries coated in salt and vinegar. We bought some at the drive-in along with giant hot dogs. Boy, we were our tummys loving life!
- "Siff" and "kiff" may rhyme, but they mean two totally different things. Siff = gross. Kiff = neat.
- Labor workers in SA such as gardeners, construction workers, painters etc. all wear the same blue overalls. They're essentially navy blue jumpsuits with reflective strips. Their overwhelming popularity makes me wonder why the same thing hasn't caught on at home?
- I've begun packing my suitcases! Pray for me! And please leave me any tried & tested packing tips or tricks in the comments :)
- Some medical-based SA points of interest :
- South Africans love their fizzy medications. Heartburn pills, aspirin, stomach settling meds,... these are all most commonly taken by dissolving an effervescent pill into water. I can't think of anything worse than chugging a glass of carbonated liquid when you're feeling ill. Yuck.
- How weird is this: here, acetaminophen is called paracetamol. Random!
- Quick-acting asthma inhalers are sooo cheap. Only $3CAN each! Not only that, but they are available without a prescription.
- Annoyingly, common meds such as Advil, Tylenol, Claritin, and Sudafed are all tucked away behind the pharmacist's counter. No, you don't need a prescription to buy them, but you do need to provide them will all your personal contact details before they will turn them over to you. The government wants to keep track of every medicine you're buying.
- You don't pay for your medication at the pharmacy counter in a drug store. They put it in a small wire cage and lock it with a zip tie. You take the box up to the front cashier to pay and they cut it open for you.
- The goodbyes are in full swing. I had my last bookclub meeting last Thursday at Nicole's house. It was so sad to have to say goodbye to such lovely girls. I also saw Veronica for the last time this past week. I will miss her hugs :(
- A couple pictures I've snapped recently while oot and aboot in Joburg that sum up the old adage, "You know you're in Africa when...":
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