It occur to me recently that things that seemed unusual in southeast Asia at first are starting to seem normal. Our daughters had a friend come stay with us for two week recently and we would laugh when she would point out things she found strange because they didn’t seem weird to us anymore.

Here are some things that have become commonplace:

1. Dirt Roads

2. Restaurants with 3 or less walls

3. Bathrooms with the toilet and shower in the same space and a drain in the floor

4. Small children playing near roads or bodies of water with no adult supervision

5. Garbage on the ground, everywhere

6. Broken sidewalks

7. Animal body parts at the market

8. Souped-up pick up trucks used as public transportation

9. Ordering food from a cart on the sidewalk by pointing and gesturing

10. Having 10 different food carts or stalls on one block to choose from

11. People selling items from tables on the sidewalk, including but not limited to socks and underwear

12. Walking in the road instead of on the sidewalk because of said shops and food carts

13. Drivers only loosely staying in their own lane.

14. Drivers having to divert from their loosely driven in lane because of cows, goats, or dogs

15. More than 2 people on a motorbike

16. 7-11 on every street corner