You couldn’t read.
You were married at the age of 15 to someone your parents chose for you.
Lived in a house made from bamboo and a few other plants found in the forest.
You ate rice at least twice a day
Never went to school
Had grandchildren that were older than your some of your own children.
Professed to be a Christian but not really know anything about Jesus.
Bathed in the river.
Used the great outdoors as your great bathroom.
Killed chickens and wild boar for food.
Died before you reached age 60.
Ate with your hands.
Thought 70 degree weather or below is cold
Got a new house that Habitat for Humanity built last year…built for electricity which you might get in a few years. Otherwise the only electricity comes from generators.
Cooked over an open fire.
Were incredibly fit just doing your daily chores…carrying children, building houses, killing wild boars, making baskets, walking uphill after bathing…
Ice was a rare thing. Almost all drinks are hot. Hot Milo ( chocolate milk), tea- with condensed milk…so good, even coffee. Room temperature cokes might be for sale if you’re lucky.
Made “rice burritos.” Put rice in a banana leaf and fold it up. Then put it in bamboo with water and cook it over the fire.
Made cups, floors, tables, benches, etc. from bamboo.
Didn’t own a car or a computer.
Saw a two year old carrying a machete and didn’t think anything of it.
Played a game that is a cross between volleyball and soccer. (Only if you’re a man).
Lived in a society where it was normal for men to play an active role in taking care of small children. (Unlike many societies especially in Latin America and Africa.)
Could squat for 30 minutes without experiencing (or at least showing) any discomfort.
Trash cans were non-existent.
Ate dinner at 9pm.
For women, being pregnant or nursing (or both) for most of your life…from marriage until menopause.
To reach the nearest paved road required an hour ride down the mountain on a motorcycle.
This has been my life for the past two weeks, living in the jungle of Malaysia.
