Not normal for Norfolk!

By Brae:

A while ago my Grampa made a comment on the blog and he said that maybe we’re getting so used to things in Colombia that we don’t even think about some of the things that are different in our life here. He said:

“Maybe you could do a blog entitled: ‘Now I think of it… here’s what’s different about an ordinary day in Santa Marta… I already take these things for granted, but now I think about them, they’re like nothing I’ve seen or done before…”

We thought this was a good idea so this week, just when we were going to school as normal, we tried to notice the things that we’ve got used to, and remember that they really aren’t at all like life in England. My dad asked us to look for things that would not be normal if we saw them in Norfolk!

  1. We see pelicans flying past and iguanas and lizards on the wallspelicannnfn-2-2
  2. I haven’t worn long sleeves or trousers for 8 weeks, even when we go out at night!
  3. Like I told you, people sometimes ruffle our hair as they walk past us
  4. Having a cold shower is just completely normal!
  5. The road to school hasn’t been built yet so it’s all dust
  6. We see stray cats, ducks, chickens, geese, big packs of dogs and donkeys all the time on wrecked streets (there is really a lot of rubbish here). These photos were taken on our way to school:nnfn-5nnfn-6
  7. Arepas, patacones and empanadas just seem like really normal food now. As normal as toast, chips and pizza!
  8. It seems normal to buy our breakfast at the side of the road on the way to school
  9. We don’t really think about not having a seat belt in a taxi or the crazy driving and beeping horns. By the way, you can have as many people in a taxi as you can squeeze in – sometimes 7 people in a tiny car!
  10. People here don’t talk about the weather because it’s always exactly the same. Boiling hot.
  11. We have got used to having bug spray and sun cream as soon as we wake up and now we do it really quickly
  12. If someone has no crash helmet (and no t-shirt on!) on a motorbike we just look at it like its normal now. (But we’re still not completely used to seeing small children and babies on the front of a motorbike, even though that happens a lot too!)
  13. We eat mangos and pineapples and passionfruits all the time, even on our cereal
  14. When we go in the sea we never, and I mean never, get cold, and there are tropical fish swimming all around your legs
  15. There are huge cactuses and palm trees everywherennfn-4
  16. On the way to school we see mangoes on the pavement where they’ve fallen off the trees and we just step over them like rubbish. IMG_8101

It’s weird how we were really amazed by lots of these things when we first arrived and it all seemed so strange and sometimes even made me a bit nervous but now it seems normal. I’m going to try to remember that when I am doing something new that I don’t really want to do, because now I know that I should just try it and I’ll get used to it.

I’m even used to getting up at 5.45am every day!

3 thoughts on “Not normal for Norfolk!”

  1. Great response to my question! I laughed and gasped at many of the items on your list, and especially envied you the tropical fish swimming round your legs, and the empanadas all the time. (Which reminds me: What are arepas and patacones like? Forgive my ignorance…)

    Keep on enjoying your new country.

    Lots of love,

    Grampa

  2. Great post, Brae. And a nice answer from Grampa.
    Speaking of gasps, the montage of pelicans/lizard is terrific. And the squashed mango! I find myself wondering about what I can do when you start missing Colombia: ruffle your hair!?!
    Lots & lots of love to you all,
    Anne

  3. This is a fantastic post. The one about the weather really made me chuckle! I’m not sure I could ever get used to getting up at 5.45 am though…

    We’re loving your blog and are avid readers.

    Jo

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