Differences

Sometimes being here is like falling down the rabbit hole. Things are never really well organized and most people are bad with time management. On top of that, their American companies are a little backwards. For example, Verizon and AT&T are totally flip flopped here. AT&T has the best coverage and service and is the preferred wireless company while Verizon has poor service. Sears and Kmart are also at the top of their leagues. Here, their sears looks like a nordstrom with top of the line designers, ritzy perfume and makeup counters, and designer handbags. Kmart is the best supermarket and it is comparable to our Target. What I don't understand is why these stores don't do this in the states so that they wouldn't be considered last resorts here. People at home usually go to sears only if they want an appliance and Kmart if Walmart doesn't have something or is closed. While all the Rainbow clothing stores closed in the states (or at least the ones in my area) they are one of the most popular stores down here and you can find them everywhere. Then there's Denny's. You wouldn't catch me dead at a Denny's in the states. They're run down with dirty dishes and the greasiest food. I consider the Denny's here as an Applebee's and I actually want to go back to try more of their menu items. Their breakfast was comparable to that of eatnpark and we get free wifi and flat screen tvs to watch. Mexican restaurants are in abundance and they don't wait on you, which makes sense considering how quickly the food is prepared. You order and get a number that they call for your food. The local restaurants here, and other stores, are really old fashioned when it comes to their hours of operation. Hardly any are open on Sunday or after 7 or 8 PM. They also have these signs that say when they'll be back throughout the day, giving them a "mom and pop" feel. You ever miss your fanny pack and wish one day they would come back in style so you could dust that bad boy off? Well then vacation in Puerto Rico, where fanny packs are it. They don't have a stupid name down here though, all though sometimes they're called "mariconera" which is essentially something for "fags" or a man purse. When I asked someone about them, they just told me how convenient they were to carry. They actually do sell some pretty cute ones down here, but I'm just too American to buy one. Another popular fashion is bright, obnoxious, sparkly, 6-inch wedge platform heels. The other student teacher, Carla, always has a different pair on. One day they were bright pink, purple and turquoise all in one, the other day they were just all sparkles. She took us to the store where she buys them and there was an overwhelming collection all for under $30. Jenn actually got a bright pink velvetty wedge for $12. Now you would think the adult/teacher dress code would be a little conservative, but these ladies love to work it at every age in every profession. My teacher wears tank tops, tight jeans, yoga pants, and everything must be matched with a pair of wedges. The teachers here look so fashionable and cute. I wish that we could wear skinny jeans to teach at home and just be comfortable with who we are and respect each other not by how professionally we're dressed, but by the education we have. It's not that our teachers don't look professional, but if they want to wear leggings under a skirt or jeans one day or a hoodie and huge wedges the next, they're still well respected. On top of that, every teacher at the school has a PhD. Once you have one of them bad boys, just wear whatever you want and tell me what to wear while you're at it.
Over all, I just like the way things are so relaxed here. I'm pretty lazy to begin with, so knowing that I don't have to be stressed about every little thing is pretty nice.