Smoke, birds, and men (witty observations)

EVERYONE SMOKES! I mean...EVERYONE! All of my professors... all of the South African students.. EVERYONE! Just to get to class, I must walk through a cloud of cigarette smoke. I don't want to judge people who smoke. My dad smokes. It's just that I didn't expect for everyone to smoke. The students from other countries also smoke a lot too. I think that only in America has smoking become unfashionable. Anyway, I'm sure my lungs are brown just from being around all of these smokers.

The birds here do not chirp. They have rhythm. It is the funniest thing I've ever seen and heard. I remember learning in African Music class at Vanderbilt that in Uganda, one of the instruments they use there is meant to mimick the sound of a particular bird there. I believe that the reason Black people are so rhythmic and musical is because of the birds in Africa. Each bird seems to have its own song here, and I'm sure the Africans couldn't help but pick up on the birds' music. Although waking up to some bird literally singing every morning gets annoying, I know I will miss their songs when I am back in America.

African men are... (looking for a nice word).... aggressive. Not all of them and definitely not the educated ones. The ones that are working class are the ones that scare me. When I am walking, they always whistle, honk, make kissing sounds, etc. This one guy had to have broken his neck looking at me when he drove past. The other day, this guy says something in Xhosa, which he realized I didn't understand. Then he goes, "Hey baby!" (sounds like "aye bah-bee"). It's not that men in America don't do the same thing, but here it happens everyday. I've had whole truck loads of men kiss at me and stuff. Even when I feel like I am looking ugly, I still get harrassed. It's ridiculous and scary.