I know I have lived in South Africa long enough when...

I was thinking the other day about all the aspects of South Africa that no longer seem new or surprise me any more.  Of course there are several things that I can't get used to, but others are second nature now.

I started writing down all the things that make me feel like South Africa is not new anymore.

1. For instance, when people say "shame" I no longer think they are being passive aggressive or condescending to me.  Although when I say "shame" it probably sounds just that way.

2. At restaurants I now ask for a card machine when I ask for the bill to save the server a trip, and of course I no longer say "to go box" but say "take away" instead.

3. I don't hear the Hadedas anymore, those annoying birds just seem to blend in with the surroundings.

4.  I bring my own shopping bags even to the malls so I don't get charged for plastic bags.

5. I am not annoyed at the different options for electrical plugs and having to find an adapter even for items I have purchased in South Africa.

6. I have become extremely good at preparing for load shedding (electricity company shutting off power to an area so the power plant does not get overloaded)  and have a good back up list of things I can make for dinner without electricity.  I even back my car out of the garage when I get notice that load shedding is about to happen so I don't have to deal with manually lifting the garage door.

7. I now laugh at slow customer service and having to spell everything out over the phone.

8. It seems quite normal to change my clothes several times a day in the winter, freezing in the morning, step outside at noon and I have to change for the 30 degree increase in heat, and again at 5pm when the sun goes down I change again.

9. I have become quite good at swerving around pot holes and it does not bother me that they never seem to get filled.

10. It is second nature to check for wifi at places and to make sure my phone is connected to our wifi at home as phone plans don't have unlimited wifi and I hate to burn through it.

11. I am well versed in pool maintenance.  When we moved here I was annoyed at learning all the chemicals and dealing with the creepy crawler but now I troubleshoot like a pro.

12. I make sure to carry an extra R200 ($20 US) when traveling on the highway just in-case I get pulled over and need to use it as bribe money.

13. I don't even bother to go to malls/stores on the weekend, as I now just figure they are not open or it's super crowded.  If my shopping can't be done between 8-3 Monday-Friday, it has to wait.

14. It feels quite normal that we can bring our own wine to restaurants and only have a corkage fee of R30 ($3 US).

15. I now know that if I have to visit a government office to plan for a full day there with my own food and entertainment in tow, with plans to return again in a week to repeat the same process because someone does not do something right.

16. It no longer bothers me that businesses can't get their own bank account straight and even if I deposit money straight into their account, I still have to email proof that I did it, and probably have to answer a few phone calls or text messages about the account that they show is unpaid despite being paid in full weeks ago.

17.  Now I seem to fully trust the parking guards to back me out of my parking spot and rear view/side mirrors go unused.

18.  I now find small coins useful (including the gold ones) and find myself paying with certain bills at stores just to get some R1, R2, R5 for tips. ( 10cents, 20cents, 50 cents US).

19. I no longer talk in US currency or even bother to make the equivalent to US prices when talking about the cost of items here, it's Rand all the time.

20. I still have no idea what "now, just now, and now now" mean, but I pretty much figure whatever it is, it's not going to get done in a timely manner.

21.  Opening and closing door/windows/curtains when the sun comes up and goes back down no longer seems like an annoying chore, but just something that has to be done.

22.  I no longer worry about turning left on red or speeding as I never see a police officer in town.

23.  Now when I see people waiting outside our community gates looking for work, I look at some of them and thoughts actually go through my head about hiring them for the day and what I would have them do.  For example, "That guy looks nice, maybe I could shut off the sprinklers and have him just water the lawn for money to give him a job".  I have never acted on these thoughts, which I am sure Mark is very thankful for.

24. Lastly, I know I have lived in South Africa long enough when I refer to it as home and going to America is a holiday (or vacation as they say in the US).