Things I Take for Granted

On Tuesday I had prepared groundnut soup and omotuo at my new place of residence in Ottawa. Since I only cooked for myself and my friend, we ate the leftovers last night. When I went to reheat the leftovers, my immediate reaction was to grab a pot and heat it up on the stove. My friend, so smart as she is, questioned why I wasn't just using the microwave to reheat it. I proceeded to tell her that the left over soup/stew is better reheated on the stove (to avoid soup skin and all!) but the truth is, using a microwave didn't even cross my mind!

So here is the start of my list of "Things I Take for Granted" :

1. The use of a microwave
2. The use of a washing machine and a dryer (to reshape your clothes!)
3. Using tap water as drinking water
4. Constant running water
5. Hot showers
6. No power cuts to save energy
7. The TTC, OC Transpo or other forms of public transportation in Canada that I have previously bashed! (Sorry ooo!) 

   

   Trotro's: The public transportation system in Ghana. They are crowded, hot and if you get stuck in the back...have fun getting out!

8. Safety and;
9. The ability to walk alone, even at night
10. Health care and;
11. Access to any medication you need
12. Blending in 
13. Customer service and service at restaurants (as much as we can complain about this, it's 100x time better!)
14. Access to a variety of foods (grown locally and imported)
15. Having a Canadian passport
16. Sharing a border with a politically stable, developed country
17. High speed internet
18. Access to free wifi, almost everywhere

What are your experiences?

You can also refer back to the "Things I've Learned" blog I wrote last year from Tanzania