The Commute

I walk to and from work every day (usually twice a day, with the whole going home for lunch thing), and was recently taking note of the interesting things that happen to me along the way....

I have finally settled on the optimal route from my apartment to the office. What does the optimal route entail, you may wonder? Well, it is the route...

• where I spend the greatest amount of time walking on actual paved sidewalk as opposed to walking in the dirt (there is some very specifically timed street crossing that goes into this – because really, who wants to show up to work with dirty feet?)
• where I have the least chance of getting squashed by a chapa (mini-bus) while trying to cross the street, something that can be quite difficult to avoid considering that chapas...
• do not yield to pedestrians
• do not slow down for pedestrians
• do not swerve to avoid hitting pedestrians
• sometimes drive on the wrong side of the road
• where I avoid the majority of the trees that are likely to have a boy or man peeing behind them (behind being a relative word of course, as many of these trees are actually located in the middle of the sidewalk)
  

The things that are most frequently offered to me – for sale – while walking down the street

• credit for my cell phone (99% of cell phones here are on pre-paid credit plans)
• plug adaptors and extension cords (I think because I walk down a main street where there are lots of cafes frequented by foreigners?)
• really bad mass-produced “African” art (for the same reason)
• roasted peanuts (delicious!)
• fruit out of a basket that is skillfully balanced on some woman’s head
  

The things that are most frequently offered to me – for free – while walking down the street

• random men’s phone numbers
• random men’s eternal love (okay so they may not use the word eternal, but the feeling is there)
• marriage proposals (don’t get too excited mom....I don’t think these are the guys you had in mind for me)