My favorite "beep-beep"...looks like the queen of England is riding in the backseat!From roti to rusks....from "tuk-tuks to beep-beeps"... Being that I'm still a newbie to this part of the world, I frequently find myself making comparisons of everyday life here to life in other parts of the world that I've recently experienced.
"Tuks-tuks to beep-beeps" is a comparison of public transportation. In fact, rather than trying to put this into words, I should post a short video to illustrate this colorful part of my life. That would be a great idea, except that there are some real security concerns here in Cape Town. Thankfully, as long as I remember to use common sense (like not standing out on the street with a camera making a video), I feel perfectly safe.... with one exception, and that exception is what I call the "beep-beeps."
In Thailand, the streets were filled with a common form of transportation called tuk-tuks. The name described the sound the engine made. Well, in Cape Town, the most common form of public transportation is a full sized van that incessantly honks it's horn, not as a warning, but rather as a way of soliciting customers. Both vehicles in both countries are true road hazards in that they don't follow customary rules of the road. In fact, the other day I saw a bumper sticker on the back of one of the vans that said, "I stop whenever and wherever I want." Though I'm feeling more and more comfortable driving from the wrong side of the car on the wrong side of the road, I have a feeling that dodging "beeps-beeps" will forever be a challenge and an ever present danger. How I miss Ton and Ravi, our drivers in Thailand and Malaysia!
Another thing that's different and that I also miss is unlimited internet access. This past month I spent my entire allotment before the month's end. Fortunately, I was able to purchase a booster to tide me over. I neeeeeeed....not just want...to be connected! Anyway, this change along with others, can be challenging but not impossible. I'm just going to have to do things a bit differently like not posting pictures on Shutterfly, or at least not as many What's that saying? ... "When in Africa, do as the the Africans do!"
"Tuks-tuks to beep-beeps" is a comparison of public transportation. In fact, rather than trying to put this into words, I should post a short video to illustrate this colorful part of my life. That would be a great idea, except that there are some real security concerns here in Cape Town. Thankfully, as long as I remember to use common sense (like not standing out on the street with a camera making a video), I feel perfectly safe.... with one exception, and that exception is what I call the "beep-beeps."
In Thailand, the streets were filled with a common form of transportation called tuk-tuks. The name described the sound the engine made. Well, in Cape Town, the most common form of public transportation is a full sized van that incessantly honks it's horn, not as a warning, but rather as a way of soliciting customers. Both vehicles in both countries are true road hazards in that they don't follow customary rules of the road. In fact, the other day I saw a bumper sticker on the back of one of the vans that said, "I stop whenever and wherever I want." Though I'm feeling more and more comfortable driving from the wrong side of the car on the wrong side of the road, I have a feeling that dodging "beeps-beeps" will forever be a challenge and an ever present danger. How I miss Ton and Ravi, our drivers in Thailand and Malaysia!
Another thing that's different and that I also miss is unlimited internet access. This past month I spent my entire allotment before the month's end. Fortunately, I was able to purchase a booster to tide me over. I neeeeeeed....not just want...to be connected! Anyway, this change along with others, can be challenging but not impossible. I'm just going to have to do things a bit differently like not posting pictures on Shutterfly, or at least not as many What's that saying? ... "When in Africa, do as the the Africans do!"
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