That my hair skipped going gray and is going white instead.
That people who just met me will insist I come to their house and eat lots of their food.
Nema pari.
That just because I say something to someone in their language, doesn�t mean they will understand my idea.
That some people are not used to women being direct in verbal communication.
That I would have been just fine had I never used a Turkish toilet.
That a pathetically large number of Americans are extremely ungrateful for their opportunities, and ignorant of the living standards of other people.
That there is no such thing as an awkward silence.
That respect for others� time is not a universal concept; nor is �time is money�.
That most dogs don�t wear collars.
That people expect you to speak their language, observe their traditions, and eat their food, but sometimes become narrow-minded when it comes to learning about my traditions, food and language themselves.
That life is podarok i mnogu ubav.
That little kids will knock on my door for ninety minutes straight just to say �hallo�.
That people are used to being treated unfairly, even though they don�t deserve it.
That old people really like it when I speak Macedonian to them; in fact, they usually hug me, pinch my cheek, and try to feed me.
That you can fix anything that�s broken several times before it�s actually time to throw it away.
That connections can get you almost anywhere.
That you will find things in the most surprisingly unexpected places - who knew?
That some kids seem to think they�re invisible when they scream cuss words at me in my own language.
That some people get perturbed when you try to do something alone.
That road and highway lines are arbitrary, or ne e vajno.
That many people don�t understand my need to sometimes be alone.
That garbage dumps, good dental and medical awareness, environmental education, and seatbelt laws are some of the privileges of living in a wealthy country.
That pedestrians don�t have the right-of-way.
That people think my washing my hair every day is odd.
That �posle� is usually better than �sega�.
That spring in Macedonia is beautiful.
That just because I was waiting in line doesn�t mean I�m next.
That toast here is not the same as American toast.
That washing clothes by hand is not that bad.
That it feels very uncomfortable when I am being discussed and I don�t know what is being said and therefore how to respond.
That many people can�t imagine why I wouldn�t want to discuss my age, the cost of my laptop, or whether or not I like Macedonia better than California.
That people will tell me to take a break when I feel like I�ve been taking one for a month.
That I really do like Serbian turbo folk.
That it�s harder than I thought it would be for me to communicate in a foreign language.
That sitting down all day is the most boring thing I have ever done.
That a lot of people think I can get them a visa to the States.
That a lot of people think I should do their kids� English homework.
That I can live with people who don�t speak my language and somehow still make it meaningful.
That several cups of coffee make me feel rather ill.
That taxis are faster than race cars.
That passing at 70 km per hour on blind corners in the mountains during winter is perfectly safe...
That there are some places women just shouldn�t go.
That you can fit several hundred people at an indoor disco.
That sometimes I really miss Mexican food.
That sexism is alive and well.
The cigarette smoking indoors gets less noticeable as time goes on.
That smoking and spitting all over the ground are signs of sophistication (wait...).
That in a foreign country I might seek out other Americans, only to find out I have overestimated how much we actually have in common.
That oftentimes jobs, grades, and chances are not determined by merit.
That I am not as strong as I thought I was.
That sleeping on a foldout couch wearing jeans every night for two months is not terrible.
That homemade rakija can really make you sick.
That what might be common sense to me might not apply in another culture.
That electricity has a mind of its own.
That web-based e-mail is the greatest thing that happened in the 90s.
That I can watch Young and the Restless, Tom and Jerry, and Family Ties on Citel Televisija in English.
That try as I might, some people just won�t understand me.
That stuffing a folded piece of paper in the corner of my oven door keeps it closed.
That people everywhere just want a good life for themselves and for their families.
That I really, really miss driving my Mustang.
That Macedonian guys and American guys don�t treat me the same.
That twenty-seven months is not that long.
That the Macedonian people will really make you smile.