Expat Game Changers

Everything today is a lifehack. This overused term is located everywhere you turn on the internet. How this term, lifehack, is used today, isn't even close to the original meaning coined in 2004 among IT computer programmers (Source). You can find a lifehack for just about every facet of life, including cooking, how to manage your anxiety, how to set an efficient schedule, how to organize, you name it (Picture Source).

What I share in this article aren't exactly lifehacks to improve your efficiency on anything. These are just tips and tricks I have picked up living in the various places I have resided. They are in no particular order, I just wanted to write a simple and fun blog to start the year. Do you have any game changing tips and tricks? Comment below or send me a fan letter, and don't forget to subscribe. Hope you have a Happy New Year!

Driving:

Don't drive in water higher than your butt. You might just float away if you aren't careful. (Source: a missionary in Southeast Asia). This of course, mostly depends on where your air intake valve is located on your vehicle. According to Nick Gerhardt, "Water close to one foot deep can float cars and two feet of water can sweep away most vehicles, not to mention road visibility disappears when there’s flooding, which can lead vehicles off the road" (Source). If you can avoid driving through standing water, please let caution be your friend.

There are 3 things you need to drive overseas: Good brakes, a Good Horn and Good Luck. (Source: Hired driver in India).

Health:

If you are not feeling well, ask yourself 2 questions. How much water have you drank today? Have you gone number 2 recently? Most every ailment can be solved by knowing these 2 things.

Don’t trust your farts. They might just bring friends.

Homemaker Tips & Tricks:

Taking care of your home can sometimes be a full time job in itself. This is what I do to not get overwhelmed. Spread out your cleaning throughout the week. I use the Tick Tick app (this photo is the app logo) to keep my schedule, which is sharable with your spouse or roommates. You can schedule daily to yearly tasks and everything in between. For example: items can include:

• Daily: Make the bed and wash dishes.

• Weekly: Wash and change sheets and towels.

• Monthly: Dust rooms.

• Quarterly: Check window screens and patch holes. Malaria is a concern in Nigeria, no holes in your screens equal less mosquitos in your house.

To do lists allow me to stay focused throughout the day. I use Tick Tick for my to do lists as well. I keep lists for work and personal tasks. Living overseas things take longer to get done. Make sure you add some easy things to cross off: like feed your pets and take a shower. Sometimes those are the only things you cross off your list that day. (Picture Source).

Want to save money on your water bill? Put a full plastic bottle (filled with sand, dirt or rocks) or a brick in your toilet tank. This trick decreases the amount of water per flush per day by approximately 2 gallons per person (Source). You could potentially save 60 gallons of water per person monthly. I never noticed any difference in flush power when I used this in the States. Things to keep in mind (Source):

• Be mindful that bricks can decompose in water overtime and may damage the internal working of your toilet.

• Your toilet's gallons per flush (gpf) rating. This trick may not work well with a toilet with a 1.6 or lower gpf.

Use a plastic bottle to extend the flow of your faucets. If you don't own the house you reside, this is pretty effective. Pro tip: make sure you poke some holes on the bottom so water doesn't pool in the bottle.

South Asian Tips & Tricks:

In Nepal, if food touches your plate, it is considered impure and no one but you can eat it. It is also really offensive to not eat the food or drink that is given to you. If you are heading to Nepal or another South Asian country, these tips are for you.

• Always carry a plastic bag in your purse or backpack. When your host leaves the room, slowly put the food you can't eat into the bag to throw away later. You can also carry a sealable plastic container for liquid items.

• Protect your plate and cup when you are finished eating. Also be very persistent that you are finished eating. You can do this by putting your hand over your cup. A plate requires 2 hands. To be very sure you won't end up with seconds or thirds or fourths, hiding your items under a table is always acceptable.

West African Tips & Tricks:

For a girl who prefers a cold climate, the heat in Nigeria is no joke. Here is how I stay cool (Picture Source).

• Always carry a durable, hard-to-break hand fan wherever you go. Mine is a bendy plastic material and fits easily in my small backpack.

• Freeze water in empty plastic bottles. On hot days snuggle that bottle like a teddy bear. This is how I survive hot season.

• Take mid-day showers or a bath with cool water (temperature in pipes in Nigeria).

Nigeria has a tropical climate. Rainy season lasts about six months. With the rain comes high humidity (about 80-99%); with high humidity comes mold problems.

• Keep light bulbs on in closets 24/7. We use ultraviolet bulbs.

• Keep desiccant packs in closets and storage bins, like foot lockers. I like these rechargeable desiccant packs. (Click the affiliate link on the picture to go directly to Amazon.)

• Store money, so it doesn’t mold, in a sealable, air-tight bag with desiccant pack(s).

• Set up a schedule to check your fabric and paper belongings for mold quarterly. I use the Tick Tick app for this task.

A Random Expat Trick:

Power is not very reliable in many places overseas. Did your power go out? Try putting a full bottle of water on your cell phone flashlight (dumb phones don't work by the way).