Choosing Sides

I learned to drive on the right hand side of the road while sitting at the wheel on the left side of the car. 

I think most American teenagers learned that way.

Last year I lived in Hong Kong and learned to drive on the left hand side of the road,

steering wheel on the left side of the car, stick shift to my right.

Living in Ango, DR Congo, I technically drive on the right hand side of the road. 

However, one of our two base Land Rovers are from Uganda. 

One has the driver’s side on the right, the other on the left. 

Seeing as there are only 7 cars in all of Ango,

 it is not particularly difficult to switch between them, 

sometimes multiple times a day.

I went on my R&R last week in Uganda 

and spent my time on the road driving on the left side of the road.

So, yesterday I arrived back in Bunia and offered to drive to dinner at the MONUSCO House. Took a Land Cruiser with the wheel on the right and came to a round-about… totally and fully confused. 

No, not even confused. I stopped and had no idea which way to enter it. 

No clue.

I could not remember where I was, what was normal and to top it all off, there was a motorbike who was driving on the wrong side of the road.

Everyone in the car was simultaneously laughing and shouting directions at me in a slur of French or English. 

Eventually we got home, in one piece and with me just shaking my head at myself. 

It is impressive how quickly our brains can adjust to altering circumstance, but I often wonder if there is a limit... 

...like how often I can change the DVD zones on my computer.