The other day while I was in town with someone who works with us we were talking about what the UK was like. We have this conversation fairly regularly. Either I will point something out that absolutely, totally, would never, ever happen in the UK or he will ask if we have dirt roads, question why you can't buy live chickens... or something like that. It got me thinking. There are so many things here that are different, yet after living here a while its just normal.
This time our UK vs Zambia conversation started driving through a compound. (Township) This was the edge of the road. Look at the white line, you can see how close the cars pass by the market tables. Imagine the health and safety and risk assessment paperwork on that!!
If you need credit for your phone, fruit, a newspaper, cockroach killer, dog leads, games, posters, CDs or a wide selection of clothes all you need to do is wind down your window as you pass by. You don't even have to get out of the car to fill your car up with fuel. Just wind the window down, wait for the man (or woman) to fill the car and hand over the cash.
There is advertising everywhere. Big and small billboards, tv screens, adverts painted on walls, signs... you are bombarded!
Shops can be made of pretty much anything. Old pallets, plastic bags and asbestos sheets taken off the last building to be pulled down. (The wooden poles stacked on the first level of the building are scaffolding poles.)
Scaffolding is not always made of metal, doesn't have safety nets and doesn't look that sturdy.
This time our UK vs Zambia conversation started driving through a compound. (Township) This was the edge of the road. Look at the white line, you can see how close the cars pass by the market tables. Imagine the health and safety and risk assessment paperwork on that!! 
If you need credit for your phone, fruit, a newspaper, cockroach killer, dog leads, games, posters, CDs or a wide selection of clothes all you need to do is wind down your window as you pass by. You don't even have to get out of the car to fill your car up with fuel. Just wind the window down, wait for the man (or woman) to fill the car and hand over the cash.
There is advertising everywhere. Big and small billboards, tv screens, adverts painted on walls, signs... you are bombarded!
Shops can be made of pretty much anything. Old pallets, plastic bags and asbestos sheets taken off the last building to be pulled down. (The wooden poles stacked on the first level of the building are scaffolding poles.)
Scaffolding is not always made of metal, doesn't have safety nets and doesn't look that sturdy.
You can also buy ANYTHING you need or want on the side of the road.
Live chickens so they can be eaten fresh.
Ornamental concrete ducks. (Or flowers/vases if you prefer)
Some tyres for your car... brand new second hand!
An armchair.....
or 3 piece suite, if orange is your colour!
Drawers or baskets
A school bag, hand bag, man bag or clutch.
Plants
Bricks to build your house, or school. Actually, any building material you can imagine can probably be bought from the road. Roof sheets, building sand, cement, concrete pillars, stones...
it really is very different to 'back home' but you get used to it and now, having to get out of the car at a petrol station seems very inconvenient!
and just as a side note... check out the clear blue sky! You get use to that as well!
