Things you don't see in the US

Unless you own an ice fishing cabin in Minnesota, here are some common things in Tanzania that most people don't see in the US:

These are our water tanks. Two hold 2000 liters each while one holds 3000 liters. We get our water trucked in 3 times a week because there is no city water out where we live (and we are not in a rural area at all).

This is our water filter. The water from the tap is not safe to drink so we have a water filter. To get your water you push the middle button. If you push the top button it will play a little tune so that you don't forget that your pot is filling.

This is our generator. The power goes off regularly so we have a heavy duty generator to run our lights and appliances until it comes back on. Lately we have had 24 hour power pretty much all the time but about 6 months ago it was off every day for 12 hours.

This is not the best picture but this is an African version of a security fence. Mortar is spread on top of a wall and while it is still wet broken shards of glass are set in it to deter any unwelcome guests.

Of course there are chickens in the US. However, they don't generally run free and I'm fairly certain that there aren't many in the suburbs. And yes, this one is crossing the road though I don't know why.

I don't know who designed this bathroom set-up but I wish they talked to me first. The shower is in the room on the left, the toilet is in the room on the right and the sink is in the hallway.

This is a very typical little shop (or duka). There are thousands of them in town. Inside the duka you can buy practically anything you might need from bread to toilet paper to rice to batteries to papayas to matches to soda. And, unlike in the US, the prices at these shops are cheaper than at the big supermarkets.

You might see a giraffe in the zoo but you'll never see one running free across the highway.