Accustom to list

Things I have become accustom to that once seemed weird, uncomfortable, disgusting, or inappropriate:

• Bikes, scooters, taxis, cars, car rapides, Ndiaga Ndiayes, chariots, Tata buses, and DDD buses sharing a one or two lane road.
• Crossing the barrier to get to work
• Being sandwiched on the bus next to large ladies and sweaty men
• Using landmarks not street names to describe locations
• Walking on sand
• Hearing “attention” after tripping or falling
• Being called “Madame” because that’s what women toubabs are called.
• People only knowing my Senegalese name (Soufi) and not my real one.
• Being gawked at by small children who seem both amused and appalled
• Greeting everyone I see, every time I see them even if 5 minutes has elapsed between sightings
• People not apologizing for being wrong or rude
• Listening to self-important men who aggrandize their work or capabilities
• Listening to other self-important men who talk too much and repeat themselves
• Restaurants that have many items on their menus but only a few actual options available
• Being told that something has “run out” or “finished” when the store or restaurant probably never had it in stock
• Not having water in the afternoons
• Toilets without toilet paper or toilet seats
• Cockroaches
• Having perpetually bad hair, bad skin, and dirty feet.
• Being able to see live music any night of the week
• Café Touba (very strong coffee)
• Tamarind sauce
• Fresh fruit that is in season- mangos!
• Bouye juice (made from baobab fruit)
• Gas station restaurants as the cool hangout place because they sell cheap beer
• Gaudy curtains and overstuffed couches
• The call to prayer and the Friday night chants
• Going to the tailor or having him come to my house
• Laughing at myself for various faux pas and laughing at my own misfortune
• Not paying the toubab price anymore