So as you’ve heard, I have acquired both internet and running water and let me tell you: the sound of flushing toilets sends chills of happiness down my spine. Honestly.

 

There’re quite a few things that are worth noting make a different “norm” here.

Running water is awesome. It’s magic when you turn on a faucet and water starts coming out. Really, think about it the next time you step into a shower and water just magically starts pouring over you all nice and warm and fuzzy. With just a turn of a knob! Amazing.

Washing laundry by hand is something I actually legitimately have never thought about doing and so I actually have very little idea how to go about that. How weird is that? How spoiled am I? Don’t even know where to begin with washing by hand. Interesting.

Basotho have a special handshake. It’s really cool actually, when you meet someone they shake your hand and then go into a secret-handshake type handshake, and you just smile and introduce yourself and ask how they are. And that’s how you begin every conversation. After you’ve met someone once, you still have to ask them how they are and how their day is, before you begin any conversation. I think that’s nice. Takes more time of course, but it’s nice to begin every conversation cordially.

The language is slooow… The Sesotho language they speak in Lesotho is very round, and very slow and your mouth makes nice big round syllables. The laughter is great and sounds like a happy, pleased cackle. I love to see everyone smiling. All the time.

Internet is addictive. It’s interesting that once upon a time, when I forced myself to be in a place without internet I could survive and probably lived more healthy for it. Now? Can’t survive without it. Really can’t. Not just because I miss people and crave constant connection to people that the internet provides you, but I need it for work-related business, looking up information I should know but I’ve forgotten, even looking up recipes for dinner. Which leads me to the next:

Cooking… takes practice. Andrea and I are getting better! We’re carefully tracking our progress but let me just tell you: today, we only had ONE “instant” food on our plate. (Instant being… we put powder into some water and BAM: mashed potatoes). The rest we made ourselves! Chicken! In a pan! With some onions? We’re getting so good at this.