Observations

- Even the locals clutch their belongings on the streets and in the subway. Petty theft is everywhere. I wear my backpack on the front of my body.
- There is no white here. Once, there might have been, but now everything is a shade of gray. If you wear white, and it is truly white, you stand out. Everyone is a little bit dirty.
- Everything is slippery. A fine layer of sand covers the stairs, the floors, the sidewalks. If you are not careful you will slip.
- It smells bad when it rains. The stench comes up through the drains into our house but if we cover the drain it doesn't bother us that much.
- Nothing is as it appears. From the outside, a door is a door. But if you open it, you could find a palace or a hovel.