So one thing that is very noticable about living in a new culture are their beliefs, which to an outsider (Me!) can seem quite strange. Here's an example. The other night I was invited to dinner with a family with whom I've made friends. We were in the back yard playing with the kids, when a small chicken, who'd been trying to roost in the trees fell out of the roost, and landed on its back. This caused quite the ruckus, between the kids, the adults, the dogs, and other chickens in the trees. The grandmother ran over with a plastic washbin, and placed it upside down over the little bird, and procceded to drum the tub with a stick, with the little bird inside. She would lift the tub up, and check on the bird, continue to drum, check on the bird, continue to drum. Finally I snatched up the little guy, and checked it for potential breaks, cleaned off his little bloody wing, and gave it some water. The grandmother took the bird back, and drummed over it for the final time. This time the bird opened his eyes, and was moving his head around (an atestment to the success of the drumming). A kid ran over with a box, and took the chicken to another house in the complex. I asked the grandmother why this system worked. She told me that the bird fell because it was full of bad gases, and that the drumming worked to expell the bad gases. I'm not sure if I belief that this worked, but nevertheless the little bird seems to be recovering.

Other beliefs, (in my opinion) are less mild, and in a way fairly dangerous. These tend to be seen more in the rural areas,and i'm not sure how wide spread they are. For example, Women, after delivering a baby can't shower, or eat fruits or veggitables, or meat, for a fairly extended amount of time. Another which I think contributes to the large number of skin problems that are found here, is that the people believe that you can't shower in the afternoon because your blood is hot, and the cold water will make you sick. Because the people don't wash the sweat, or dust, or dirt off your skin, skin problems are really prevelant here.

I mean, there are wonderful things about this culture, the people are amazingly friendly, but some of these beliefs, I just have had a hard time understanding, and really, can be frustraiting. I try to teach people the facts behind the beliefs, trying to show the bennefits of shower, or how you need to eat fruits and veggitables to repare the body, etc etc. But I imagine its hard to believe a foriegner (me) who doesn't really speak the lanaguage (me)when you've grown up in a society that confirms, and teaches these belief. I have to be careful to not be culturaly-centric, or condescending, or preachy. I just present the information, and hope that someone will use it.

Its easy to reflect on a new culture, but I've been trying to think of beliefs that we live by in the US. We have our supersticions, like dont walk under a ladder, or break mirrors, and knocking on wood, but these aren't principles which we live by. can anyone think of beliefs we have stateside?

Hazel