Well, we are off the island and into the developed world. As anticipated, there are adjustments necessary and small faux-paux to be made.

The first one I noticed was at the airport in customs. Turns out that someone sticking out their hand may be for the paperwork. They don’t want to shake my hand.

The biggest readjustment is the amount of stuff. I am just a bit overwhelmed by all the everything. There are so many different stores. There are so many cars. There are so many food choices. There is so much English. So much everything!

As a subset of the everything, there are so many options for things. There are over twenty soaps to choose from. There are so many breads and cheeses that my head spins from the choices. I almost had to find a mop because I was drooling over all of it.

I’ve been feeling less welcome here, which is interesting. Not that people we chat with aren’t lovely by any means, they are. The big thing I notice is that people walking by don’t necessarily say “hello” much less ask where you are going or what you are up to. It’s not unfriendly here, it’s just less friendly than the extreme of Vanuatu.

I’m sure there are plenty of other differences I’ve noticed but there is a taste of it. Look out for a part two.