Drink Orange Pop for Breakfast
Hey, sometimes it’s the closest I’m gonna get to orange juice and it does have vitamin C. But I want to assure my mom that I’ve only done that two or three times here and I usually have water or splurge on real juice.
Wear the Same Clothes (Even Socks) Multiple Times before Washing
And I mean multiple, not just twice. When you do laundry by hand and have a smaller supply of clothes, it’s the natural solution. Also, regardless of how ripe my clothes get, I will never smell as bad as some Turkmen in the summer.
Cut My Own Hair
Sure, in the States, I’d trim my bangs with hair shears. But here, I’ve trimmed my whole head with office scissors. I just took about three inches off yesterday. I must say, I do a decent job of cutting evenly.
Slap a Car as It Cuts in Front of Me When I Cross the Street
By slap, I mean haul off and whack the side as hard as I can. I do that a lot here to send a message about pedestrian awareness to Turkmen drivers. They tend not to get it though, but it makes me feel better.
Be Late for Work
Turkmen, like most non-American cultures, have little regard for punctuality and while I still try to get to work on time, I don’t sweat it if I’m running late. None of my kids show up on time for club, so it doesn’t really matter if I do.
Watch Four or Five or Six Hours of Media in One Day
Sometimes, you just need that break. That dose of English language, of American culture, of the chance to turn off your brain. And sometimes you’re that bored or that sick and bed-ridden.
Eat the Same Meals Day after Day after Day
This is for several reasons. One, my budget is limited so I can’t buy the more expensive food stuffs regularly. Two, the variety of food available is limited. Three, the kitchen and kitchen ware I have to work with limit my ability to make some things. Four, the meals I eat most regularly are an attempt to get balanced nutrition. Lately I’ve been eating toad in the hole for one meal, using the eggs for protein and ramen with vegetables for the other meal. Sometimes I add carrot sticks as a side or make grilled cheese instead of toad in the hole.
Count Walking as Exercise
I ran in the States. I really miss running here. I can do it at the stadium sometimes if the weather and my schedule permit, but it’s hard to stay motivated when your choice is to go twelve or sixteen times around a track decorated with photos of the Turkmen president. But I walk 45 minutes to work each way, five days a week and make sure to walk to a grocery store at least six blocks away on Saturdays and Sundays.
Skip Church
I never missed church in the States unless I was sick. I’ve been to church once here and I’ve already discussed this matter in another post.
Carry a Large Purse
All my purses back home are cute and compact. The only things I kept in them were my wallet, Kleenex, keys, a pen and lip gloss. But here I also have a cell phone, hand sanitizer and toilet paper, my mp3 player, my Turkmen passport (so I don’t have to pay foreigner prices for things), and a book (because I often find myself waiting for long periods of time). Thus, I carry bags I wouldn’t dream of toting in the States.
Wear a Dress with Tennis Shoes and a Bulky Sweater
If I’m walking across the city twice a day, I’m wearing tennis shoes, and if it’s cold I’m wearing a sweater. It’s easier to dress nicely in the States where I drive to work and my car and the buildings are temperature controlled.
Go Several Weeks (or Months) without Shaving
Now that it’s winter I’ve gotten quite hirsute. It goes along the same line as the laundering and clothes thing. There’s not much reason to care about looking good here.
Get a Ride from a Stranger
That’s how taxis work here. They’re just normal people who stop to pick people up. There are no meters. You arrange a price ahead of time or there’s a fixed price. For example, in Balkanabat, a ride from any place to any place in the city is 60 tenne. In Ashgabat, you have to arrange a price ahead of time and you can haggle. People here are too afraid of the government to do anything really bad, so I have no concerns about safety in terms of violence like I would in the States.