The Small Things

Yup you guessed it, this is the part where I talk about how much I appreciate all of the things I used to take for granted. The concept really hit home when I found myself stuffing my ruck sack with as much French wine and Swiss chocolate as was physically possible at Entebbe international. In fact, there was something quite romantic about it, akin to the soldier returning to the front line bringing luxuries from foreign lands. Here is a list all of the things which are not easily accessible here:

Food

Vegetables (beyond flaccid carrots and prune like green peppers)
Dark chocolate
Wine
White cheese
Fresh fish
Fruit juice with no added sugar
Plain yogurt
Brown bread

Practical Matters

ATM's (general access to cash)
Hot water
Electricity
Being able to walk out of my front door on to a high street (or any paved walkway for that matter)

Culture

Initiative (erm.....is that a washing detergent brand?)
Spatial awareness (cars actually speed up when they see pedestrians)
Orderly queues (this used to SERIOUSLY annoy me but now I just find it hilarious)
Not having to negotiate (take the price, halve it, minus 1000 and your still being screwed)

Admittedly, not long after returning to my comfortable western life I will quickly forget what it means to truly appreciate. But for now I will sit and reminisce about the good old days when ricotta cheese was plentiful, wine was as abundant as the grains of sand in the Sahara and well groomed bank tellers would eagerly await my command before handing over as much cash as I wanted..indeed the small things.

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