You know you are integrated when...

Tim and I have been feeling very Guyanese lately, so we made a list.

You know you are integrated into Guyanese culture when...

1. You get complimented on how Guyanese your outfit looks: brightly colored/fluorescent/multicolored clothing and silver high heels.

2. You purposefully get up at 5:30 am on a Saturday to do your laundry so it will dry before the inevitable afternoon rain. When it rains at 2 and you have already folded and put away your clothes you applaud your Guyanese weather-predicting intuition.

3. When you see a small child walking in the middle of the road, you tell him to “walk in the corner” meaning, on the side of the road so you don't get hit by a car. When someone tells you the same thing, “Hey baby, walk in the corner” you no longer think this is rude, or wonder, “what corner?”, you simply move aside to let the car/bike/person pass you.

4. You no longer EVER put your water bottle/bag/backpack on the ground, but rather find a chair or table on which to rest it. You were tried of getting scolded for this by your co-workers, now it is second nature.

5. You feel funky if you do not bathe at least 2-3 times a day. The word, “shower” or phrase, “take a shower” are no longer in your vocabulary. Even though you only have a shower, and no bath, you only refer to the act of cleaning yourself as, “bathing”.

6. When you are walking home from the market, and the rain starts to pour, you flee to the hearest market stall for shelter and huddle under the awning for however long it takes for the rain to slack off or stop. You and 4 other Guyanese people wait there and gaff for a good 20 minutes.

7. You do not hesitate to discipline someone's child who is misbehaving.

8. Saying “Good morning/afternoon/day/night” to everyone you see is so routine for you that when you are sitting on a minibus and someone else enters and does NOT greet you and everyone else on the bus, you gossip with your seatmate as to how rude that it.

9. When you order lunch at your favorite food stand, you don't ask for anything specific, as you know there is likely only one thing available. You just say, “Please for a food.” and are happy with your box of chicken/fish and rice/cook-up dish. You never forget to ask for pepper and ketchup either.

10. You drink a Stag beer at 10 am on a Sunday. Ahh, refreshing.