Occasionally, though, I do think fondly of my ultra-modern Yaletown apartment, with its cleaning service, huge computer monitor and instant access to everything. I’ll be cured of the travel bug when those days of longing for familiar create comforts exceed the exciting days of discovery and new pleasures.

~ Darren Barefoot

i was working on a post along similar lines when i came across Darren waxing poetic about the comfort and discomfort of living abroad. okay, i’ll admit, my post was more like a whiny list of things i miss about North America, Vancouver, and home. but i’ll save that for another day. after all, i’ve only been here a week.

Darren said exactly what i wanted to say: things are different here, but it’s the “thousand subtle, little things that are trickiest.”

familiar brand names just do not taste the same. the Oreos are positively shameful. the water pressure in the kitchen sink is barely enough to rinse dishes, let alone suds them up. we’re not even going to discuss the shower. the humidity makes my hair insanely unmanageable. the clock on the microwave has managed to push itself over 20 minutes fast in less than 48 hours. i have no way of bringing frozen goods home from the grocery store without them melting. frogs smaller than the tip of your thumb are louder than most car alarms. i’m still not sure how or where to recycle things.

on the other hand, it’s also the zillions of small positive things that will make living here bearable and downright heaven on earth-ish…

in the shower i only have one knob that can go OFF or ON, but the water is never too hot and never too cold. rain here actually RAINS. and then stops. and even if you got soaked, you’re dry again in minutes. the local beer, pizza, and seafood are goooood. i never have to put on an extra sweater in the house. i will never have to shovel snow or scrape ice from my windshield. there isn’t a single traffic light on the whole island.

there. is. no. McDonald’s.