Things that are not exactly noteworthy, but are part of my new and sometimes odd life:

1. You can't flush toilet paper down about 95% of the toilets, and the other 5% you probably shouldn't either. I have a special covered trash can in my bathroom for toilet paper disposal. I empty that trash every single day.

Which leads me to #2...

2. I put my trash out on the sidewalk every morning. We have trash pickup every day of the year. Mostly this is because I live in the village, and there really isn't anywhere to store trash, nor would you want to. They pick up on my street a couple of times per day.

3. My phone doesn't always work. Sometimes I'll have a dial tone, sometimes it will be hours or even days before it works again. There really isn't anyone to call and complain to. They'll fix it when they get to it.

4. You pay your water bill once a year. It comes around the middle of January. You have until mid March to pay it. If you don't pay it by then, your water will be shut off and you will not be able to get city water again until you pay some seriously hefty fines. When this happens, you hire a water truck to bring you water and fill your underground reservoir. If you pay early, you get a substantial discount. You bring cash (no checks or credit cards accepted around these parts) to what looks like just another house in the village. There are no signs on the house telling you what it is. You just have to know.

5. Electricity is super mega expensive here. It is currently running about 42 cents per watt. For comparison, Minneapolis is currently around 10.75 cents per watt. You don't keep anything plugged in that isn't being used or isn't necessary. I only plug my laptop in enough to charge it, then I completely unplug it from the wall. The only things that are plugged in 24/7 at my place are: the fridge, the answering machine, and my digital alarm clock (which I am thinking about only keeping plugged in on the days I need it to wake up). I never have to worry about finding an open outlet! I also turn off lights as I go from room to room. Luckily, my water heater and stove/oven are gas.

6. I don't have any light fixtures in my apartment. All I have are bare bulbs hanging from the ceiling. When you rent here, one of two things happen. #1 the place is completely furnished (cookware and all) or #2 it is unfurnished. You are allowed to paint and pretty much do whatever you want to the place. You can add ceiling fans, fixtures, etc. and when you move out, you are allowed to take all that you added with you.

7. I go to the store next door once a week and carry a 19 liter garrafon (water jug) home with me so I have water for drinking and cooking. I have city water for washing up, but I wouldn't drink it. I've had amoebic dysentery twice. Believe me, you don't want to drink the water. I also soak my fruits and veggies in an iodine solution. If you want to rinse noodles, you use the bottled water. I wash my dishes with the city water, but I make sure it is hot and use a pretty strong anti-bacterial dish soap.

8. I have a washboard sink and clothesline. This is my laundry room. I wash my clothes by hand and hang them, outside, to dry. Luckily, only the business downstairs and my upstairs neighbor ever see my laundry, as that balcony is in an inner courtyard.

9. It is not unusual for there to be a mariachi band playing until 3 or 4 AM on any given night of the week. Also not unusual, are fireworks being shot off any time of the day or night. It's a very celebratory culture.

10. On Christmas Eve, you will find families and neighbors all out on the streets with bonfires in the middle of the street and everyone eating and drinking together. This also happens (but not as much) on New Years Eve.

11. I am almost always, with very very rare exceptions, the only white person on the bus. I'm also one of the youngest expats in this area, and one of very few who have a legit work permit attached to their visa. It also is not unusual to be seated on the bus and have a mom and three kids pile into the one seat next to you. I've also been handed babies before. This is all okay with me. People help each other here.

12. About once a week I meet someone at the bus stop that tells me exactly where they work and live, just in case I ever need anything. Most of the time, these people fail to tell me their names.

13. Every time I have gone out to a bar, I have never bought myself more than one drink. Sometimes, I won't really want another drink, and I'll ask for the bill, but will be brought a drink compliments of some patron instead. I haven't found a polite way to decline a drink, yet.

14. Only imported crap has High Fructose Corn Syrup in it. This makes me very happy.

15. The good and healthy foods like veggies, fruits, grains, etc. are very inexpensive. This includes the organic items. Junk food is how it should be, expensive.

16. I have the home number and cell number of my doctor. When I am sick, I will call her and she will prescribe stuff to me over the phone, because she actually knows me, my medical history, etc. I don't really need a prescription for almost all meds (except controlled class drugs and antibiotics). She also will make me call her at night after having seen me and prescribed something to me to let her know how I am doing. I can always get in with her the same day and rarely wait very long, even when she works me in. She knows more about medicine than most US doctors I have encountered. In fact, she's really good at telling me ways to prevent things without having to take pills. Also, doctors here are very fond of the ol' shot in the ass. Why take a medicine for two weeks when one shot in the ass will do?

17. I have a neighbor that shares his wifi with me. He accepts food as payment.

18. It is normal to see a cow moseying down the highway, or a horse walking through the village.