Ah, the good old American lifestyle, where everything is manufactured to make life easy and enjoyable. Where everything is about convenience and independence. Life is actually quite sweeter than you think up there. I am constantly reminded of the little things I take for granted in the states when I am traveling in another country.
For instance, it is such a letdown to me that each time I eat out I have to choose if I want water OR something else to drink, not AND something else to drink. With water at a restaurants costing anywhere from $2-3 US dollars, it is quite frustrating to have to order that as your drink. But I have found that if I don’t, I never end up drinking enough water. Water is not readily available for free wherever you go…just as bathrooms aren’t always readily available. At my host family’s house it is always coffee for breakfast and Tang for dinner (which is somewhat a hydrating drink, right?). If I don’t get water at the restaurant for lunch, then I am on my own to make sure I drink some water during the day. And, it is not overly common to
see people walking and eating or drinking here, so it always feels slightly awkward to walk down the road drinking out of a water bottle. Forget the American way of eating wherever and whenever. It definitely feels like there are proper places and times to eat in this country…although it probably doesn’t help that this was also a tip in one of the guidebooks I read- don’t eat on the streets.
Another thing all you Americans should be grateful for…right of way for pedestrians. Now, I have been in other countries before so I know that the pedestrian right of way is really an American thing, but in those other countries it was usually noted when pedestrians could have a chance to cross the street. Here most of the corners are lacking stop signs or stoplights, so finding a time to cross usually involves a prayer beforehand. Especially since right when you think you have an opening, someone decides to cut the corner close without putting on a turn signal! I have found that jaywalking (whether legal or not) almost is safer on these one-way streets. Most of the time I end up going halfway across the street slowly as a car is coming down the other side and then quickly crossing behind them before someone else can sneak up on me.
Finally, no matter how much you hate picking up after your pet, be grateful that you are
required to do so. I was looking up runs online to see if there were any 5k type race while I am here and ran across someone’s posting on where to run in Buenos Aires and Rosario. His first line of his post was classic…”I never thought I would find somewhere in Buenos Aires where I could run without the fear of tripping over uneven sidewalk or stepping in dog poop.” It is very true. Dog poop is everywhere on the sidewalks and it is a constant balancing act between looking around and enjoying the scenery and remembering to keep your eyes on where you are going so you don’t end up with a lovely mess on your shoe.
So all you Americans living in America today. When you walk out your door today start noticing the little things that make life easy to live up there in those 50 United States. You never know what you will do today that others do not get to enjoy…even the little things like free water, easy crosswalks, and fairly poop-free walkways.
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