A cultural difference that I can't embrace

There are several cultural differences and quirks regarding life in Jordan that I just can't get behind. The serious ones being the daily harassment that my friends and I experience as well as the assaults and groping incidents that happen surprisingly frequently to Western women. {Seriously, get a bunch of Western women together who've lived in an Arab country for a few years and ask for assault and attempted kidnapping stories. You'd think you were at a victim support group meeting, not an Embassy party.}

One of the lighter ones is the practice of putting plastic bags in the microwave. I know. I nearly screamed when one of my Jordanian housemates wrapped up some bread in a plastic grocery bag, popped it into the microwave, and turned it on.

A European housemate said, "Yeah, that's how they do it here. I was really surprised the first time that I saw that," and the Jordanian promised me that the bag doesn't catch on fire, doesn't melt, and that you can't smell or taste the plastic on the bread.

Just....no. I will never be okay with eating plastic microwaved bread.

Still transitioning back

The scene today:

A lingerie store in suburban Boston. A rack full of long sleeved ankle length black garments.

My thoughts: No, those can't be! Can they? They wouldn't sell abayas here!

No, no they wouldn't.

Turns out they were robes.