Peapod on Purpose

If you’re an American who’s never spent time in Asia, there are some things you might not realize. Last week when visiting a public bathroom with no toilet paper, I remarked to a local friend “No worries, we’re used to a little spray and drip.” She jokingly responded, “You’re true Asians now.” And while our three months on the continent didn’t result in citizenship (yet), we have quickly become accustomed to a different way of life. 

We’ve written a lot about our time in Japan, Vietnam and Cambodia from the more serious side of things, but today felt like a good time for something fun. So, without further ado, here are 16 signs that you might have become accustomed to life in Asia:

1. You spend 3 days with western toilets before realizing it’s ok to flush the toilet paper
2. You ask for “take away” instead of “to go”
3. Paying more than $2 for a coffee seems ludicrous
4. You wear full length pants even when it’s 95 degrees with 65 percent humidity
5. Your kids start mixing up the different words for “hello” and “thank you,” accidentally saying “kap kuhn ka” to the cab driver in Mumbai and “arigato” to the restaurant server in Hanoi
6. You spend twice as much time figuring out how to get around the requirement for a local phone number than actually placing your online orders
7. Paying $12 for a 1 hour taxi ride seems expensive
8. You wash laundry every day. It takes two days to try, and everyone will be naked & have no place to sit if you wait and do it once a week
9. You get used to strangers walking up to caress the kids’ face and hair
10. You turn off the AC when you leave the house
11. You welcome the daddy long legs and geckos into your home because they are known to eat mosquitoes
12. Everyone knows their assigned seat in the car, because it’s the only way to avoid fighting when squeezing 4 people in the backseat
13. You get used to smashing bugs of all sizes with your bare hands
14. You’ve fully transitioned to using the metric system
15. You learn to add a TBSP of sugar anytime you cook with fish sauce, and can dice garlic and chiles like it’s no one’s business
16. You STAY AWAY from the monkeys at all costs

While our family will be spending the next few months in central Europe, we have more planned for you about our time in Thailand and India. Stay tuned!