So the other night, I was at my new apartment by myself. I was brushing my teeth, when some girls stopped by looking for one of my roommates. So I went to the door to tell them that she wasn't here, but to see if they just wanted to come in and sit for a little while.
[Side note: the door is a sort of chain-metal, so you can talk through it, and you need a key to lock it from the inside and the outside.]
However, I didn't have my key handy to open the door and in my attempt to pull out one of the five Somali phrases I have learned, I got completely confused and couldn't think of anything to say in French. So in frustration I just said in English "I don't speak Somali, I'm sorry, she isn't here." And they all looked at me and went away. During this whole episode, I still had the toothbrush hanging out of my mouth!
It is culturally appropriate to randomly stop by to see your friend or neighbor.
It is not culturally appropriate to go to the door with a toothbrush in your mouth and never open the door!
Oof, they must have thought I was completely insane. But its pretty normal for people to think I am crazy here.
