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Ways RPCVs* Know That They Have Readjusted: --source? (*Returned Peace Corps Volunteers) I like this list because by using things we taked for granted, it offers good insight into Third World daily life. You've stopped carrying toilet paper with you wherever you go. You no longer eat all of the hors d'oeuvres at dinner parties. Some of your clothes don't have that genuine stone-washed look. People no longer avoid the dishes you bring to potluck dinners. You have a friend who was never in Peace Corps. You occasionally stay in a hotel in a strange city. You dream in English. You use tissues to blow your nose. You think twice before taking a 15-hour bus/taxi ride. You're not afraid of swallowing water in the shower. You stop boasting that you got a dial tone immediately. You travel with baggage instead of cardboard boxes or plastic bags. You use a watch as you are no longer able to tell the time by the sun. Your meals no longer consist solely of vegetables. You start to eat rice again. You use the phone instead of sending a telegram. You no longer stand in stores amazed at the quantity and quality of goods and you stop trying to pay with exact change. Parasites (both yours and theirs) cease to be a topic of conversation during meals. You motion someone towards you with fingers up instead of fingers down. You stop expecting a customs inspector to check your baggage after a domestic flight. You stop proposing that Charmin be nominated the 8th wonder of the world. You throw out your plastic grocery bags. Your underwear has holes only in the correct places. When you hear rustling in the trees you expect to see squirrels, not monkeys. (this one is my favorite.) You have more than three changes of clothes. If a fly lands in your drink you actually throw out the whole glass. When turning a corner while driving you know exactly which side of the road you're supposed to be on. Your Birkenstocks are no longer considered your "dress" shoes. When something breaks in your house you call a repairman instead of reaching for the duct tape, Crazy Glue and Swiss Army knife. Rain is now a verb rather than a plural noun. Your Teva tan lines have finally faded. Your hand no longer twitchs reflexively when you see a white sports utility vehicle in the distance. You no longer respond to "Mzungu" (or saahib) as if it's your given name. (these added by me, based on my Nepal experiences) Reading National Geographic doesn't make you homesick. You don't worry whether little kids will scream when they see you. Your first thought in catching a bus isn't whether or not the driver will let you ride on the roof. You don't know what phase the moon is in. You stop having dreams about grocery shopping. Salad bars don't make you laugh. You don't don't feel weird buying toilet paper. |