It's a Different World

In a previous post about culture shock, I touched on some of the things that are different here...but here are some more things you may not have ever thought could be different. I will also tell you which way I prefer :)

• There are no light switches or electrical outlets inside the bathrooms. I definitely miss this! I have to blow dry my hair in another room which is super annoying and I have to remember to turn on the light before I go in.
• There is a switch on all of the electrical outlets so you can turn them off. I'm neutral on this. I guess it saves electricity if you have it completely off. And maybe it would stop someone from getting electrocuted if they stuck something metal in the hole while it was off. But it can be annoying to plug something in and think it doesn't work and then you realize you didn't flip the switch.
• The water heaters have on/off switches too. At home, our water heater was in the garage...and it took FOREVER for the water to get warm in our kitchen. Here, the water gets SUPER hot...if you remember to flip the switch. Let's say that I have taken more than several cold showers because I didn't flip the switch until right before I had to take a shower in the morning.
• There is food all from all over the world here at various prices. You want Velveeta shells and cheese? You got it...for 17 dirhams (almost $5!) a box. Or you can get a bag of local noodles for less than $1, milk for less than $2, and cheese for less than $4 (depending on the brand of course...Kraft shredded cheese in a bag is almost $10!) and make your own. I LOVE going to the produce section and seeing where the fruits and veggies are from. Usually it's super cheap. Our beef comes from Australia, New Zealand, or Brazil. They have products from England, the Philippines, the US...it's just crazy what choices we have. Don't get me wrong...there are tons of things we don't have...but I'm trying to enjoy what is available.
• You have to take your produce to a little weigh station and have them weigh and sticker it before you take it to the register. I'm glad I read this before I came here! It's actually nice because you know exactly how much you're paying and it makes check out quicker. (If you've ever been to a store where the cashier has no idea what code to put in, you will agree.)
• Prepaid phones are very common here. It's actually what we have. We purchased a SIM card here (for like $10) and then we buy a code to load credits onto our iPhones (which we brought from the US). We also pay for monthly unlimited Facebook, Twitter, and Whatsapp. Super cheap and super easy...no contract and it comes out to be way less than our bill was at home with Verizon. The only thing I would change is adding Instagram to the unlimited plan we have.
• There are no taxes here! It is so nice to go to the store and know how much it's going to cost. No trying to figure out the 2% tax for food plus 7% tax on non food items. If it says 7 dirhams, it's 7 dirhams.
• All the units of measurement are different than in the US. This is where the US needs to get on the same page as the rest of the world. Why do we use pounds when everyone else uses kilograms?! Or miles instead of kilometeres?! Or Fahrenheit instead of Celcius?! I mean we seriously look like fools when everyone else is talking about it being 27 degrees and we're like "uh, what's that in Fahrenheit?" Come on math and science teachers...this is the "Common Core" we need to be teaching! 21st Century Skills at their finest!
• The Muslim religion is a way of life here, but it is never forced on you. They are going to do their thing, and they allow you to do yours. There are mosques EVERYWHERE. Prayer rooms on every floor of the mall, in schools, in government buildings. Businesses close for several hours in the afternoon for prayer time. You see groups of men praying together in the middle of the park after a call to prayer. Speaking of...the call to prayer is broadcast through the whole city 5 times a day. (I usually don't even notice it any more).
• Customer service here is phenomenal. The workers will bend over backwards to help you. They will remember your kids' names and greet them. They will carry your bags. And the whole time they are smiling and saying "yes madam". Take note of two things: 1. They are NOT American and 2. They are NOT locals. I will be writing more about this later.
• Most people either rent cars or ride in taxis. Even though I've heard you can get better deals if you buy, I don't want to deal with the hassle. We pay 1600 dirhams a month ($436) for a Hyundai Accent...but that includes insurance and maintenance. It was time for an oil change and they actually drove out a loaner vehicle to our apartment, took the car overnight to do maintenance, and then switched them out the next day. My friend had a flat tire and the same thing happened. So convenient! *Side note: It REALLY sucks going from a Honda Pilot at home to a small sedan here*
• Gas is SO cheap. That is probably obvious to everyone considering where I live, but let me tell you exactly how much it is: about $20 to fill up my tank.
• Everyone here gets water delivery. I've heard that even though drinking the tap water won't hurt you, it might give you a stomach ache because you aren't used to it. And I'm weird about water even in the US. And water delivery is SO cheap. For a 5 gallon jug it's about $3 and they bring it right to our door. The dispenser was about $100 and gives you cold water instantly. I LOVE IT and plan on trying to do this when we move back.