You Know You're In Zimbabwe When...

You know you're in Zimbabwe when you wake up, switch on the lights, and are completely shocked to find that you actually have power...

You Know You're in Grahamstown When...

While taking a stroll on campus at 8pm on a Friday night, you witness an extremely drunk, stumbling 19-year-old  girl screaming at her friend:

"But I want to go to Friars!!!!"

(Friars is a dance club that stays open later than any other bar in town and apparently is rated the easiest bar in South Africa in which to get lucky)

You Know You're in Asia When...

Traffic control signs have a cute little cartoon of a police officer...

(A little memory from my life and travels in Asia)

You Know You're In Africa When...

While walking to the gym, in the middle of town, you see three men riding along in a cart being pulled by two donkeys...

Later, on the way back, you almost step in donkey poo...

You know you're in a rural Afrikaans community when...

Background:
1. You go out to a really rural area to watch your fiance play cricket.
2. Not knowing anyone, you sit quietly, half-reading a book and half-watching the cricket match (which is particularly boring when said fiance is fielding).
3. The young-ish group of cricket-playing-farmers' wives are over at the other end of the building having a fat old chat in Afrikaans.
The Moment:
Farmers' wives start glancing over at you every few seconds and take pity on you, sitting all alone...one comes up to greet you:

Friendly farmer's wife: Goeie môre (I heard: Hoo-wee-ah Moor-ah, but fast)
Me: Oh, yeah... (big smile...if I smile big enough, maybe she won't realize that I have absolutely no idea what she just said)
Friendly farmer's wife: Oh, you're not from South Africa
Me: No, I'm from the USA...I'm engaged to that guy (pointing at Ross). We're just visiting now but might be moving here in a few months. This is my first time to Africa.
Friendly farmer's wife: Oh, that's an adventure. I've always been adventurous too. I'm from Cradock. It's been tough to live this far from my parents, but now I live Graaff-Reinet. I really enjoy it there.
Me: Oh, isn't Cradock about two hours from Graaff-Reinet?
Friendly farmer's wife: Yes, that's right.
Me: Oh...uh, yeah it's hard to be so far from home (thinking-to-myself that 2 hours isn't very far but also that this lady is really nice)
Friendly farmer's wife: Would you like to come sit with us?
Me: Oh yes, thank you! (big smile...cool, new friends!)


Then she took me over to her friends, set me up with a glass of wine, and they all continued to have a merry chat in Afrikaans, ignoring my presence.  Oh well, they tried...