Frogger

Driving...well any type of transportation here is absolutely crazy.  Any time I'm on a road all I can think of is frogger... and how most of the time when you play that game, you end up smashed by many vehicles.  

First of all, there are no lights, stop signs, cross walks, lines one the road or any traffic laws.  There are traffic police that stand on the side of the road in white uniforms and whistles, but I really havent seen them doing anything. On the roads that are not paved (which is most of them) there are so many really deep pot holes to maneuver as well.   Most of the time there are not really sidewalks either and most people travel on foot.  Then there are boda-bodas which is small motorcyles-taxis that drive really fast, wherever they want, sometimes with 3 people on the back including the driver, or women sitting side-saddle in a skirt or anything that needs to be taken.  For example, a women sitting side-saddle holding multiple chickens, or a small cow with its legs tied sitting perpendicular on the bike with the driver behind it leaning forward to reach the handle bars (I really wish I got a picture of that one).  

Then there are mutatus, which are like our taxis except they are big vans which pick you up and drop you off wherever.  They have specific routes too so if your destination is on the way then you hop in and when you are getting close you pay, then say "conductor, stage" and he drops you off on the side of the road.  Most vans have seats for about 15 people but during rush hour its however many people can squish.  There are no seat belts either so it doesnt really matter.  

Then there are also people driving in personal cars and private hires, as well as huge mercedes-benz semi trucks.  

Put them all together with no sense of organization, laws or rules, and throw a ton of people on the sides of the roads and trying to cross the street at any given moment because they just go when they think they can get across fast enough without the cars hitting them.  

There are plenty of bikes carrying way too many jerry cans or giant bags of charcoal too.  

Basically, it is a fun time when you "move" which is what they say when you are traveling anywhere.  

Family!

Kisakye (pronounced: chi-sa-chi), Junior, and Daniel  (I dont know what the kind of peace sign thing is, I've tried to ask but I cant really get an answer)

Nansu

Classic picture of Samuel, whose 20th birthday is today

Maama laughing about something and eating the brownies i brought home for Bridget's birthday

Rogers, or Rojaz as he likes to say

I dont have a good picture of Alex yet, but I'll put one up soon!  (when the internet isnt taking a billion years to do anything) 

TOO MUCH FOOD!!!

Its all starch and way too much of it.  That basically describes the food here.  The staple foods are Amatoke which looks like green bananas that they cook and mash like mashed potatoes; white rice; irish potatoes; posho (which is basically congealed corn flour) and beans or gnut sauce.  All the foods are basically just fillers, which make sense if people dont always have economic means to buy food... however, the amount of these fillers they eat seem so ridiculous to me.  I have only been able to finish about 4 meals in the 2 weeks ive been here.  Its getting better though because they are starting to serve me less.  

In the dining hall at school its the same thing, except less good and the portions are waaayyy too much. 

However, I dont know if I will ever be able to eat fruits or avocados in the states again because when you want one here, you pretty much get it straight from the plant and they are so good.  Ive never tasted an avocado as perfect as the ones here.  So great! 

This is a picture of rice, the yellow is amatoke and the purple stuff is the gnut sauce... basically like peanuts a little bit...

Lately though we have been having pasta and cabbage.  The cabbage is my favorite because its really tasty and light and the closest thing i can come to salad. 

Also, I have craved iced coffee here every single day and I dont think that will change.  But, I did have french press at the interns apartment and when we went into Kampala there is this place called Cafe Javas which is a little more western and I had a frappucino which was to die for.  Alas, I will just have to deal with it.  

Also, I dont know if Ive mentioned this yet but I came to Uganda thinking I was going to lose a good 15 pounds... my mom says I'm not allowed to leave until I'm fat and she always tells me to eat more.  That stereotype is definitely long gone.  

Daily Life

So, if you were wondering, this is my typical day. 


I wake up around 7ish, get up and say good morning to my mom and whoever is out by the water tank, go to the bathroom and then she has hot water for my bath (aka splash of water).  Just kidding, I'm getting really good at the hole bathing thing.  And to bust a myth, Ugandans are very concerned with bathing and hygiene.  I have to bath in the morning and at night (especially to get all of the red dust off of my feet).  I usually just wash my hair at night though... its kind of a pain having to bath twice a day.  And its interesting that people still have strong body odor sometimes even with all of the bathing.  


Then, after I get ready I go have milk tea (aka hot milk and sugar), a banana (they have so many bananas here it makes me soo happy!) and either an egg (which they dont refrigerate), or a couple of samosas (cow peas/beans fried in dough that is basically the same as egg roll dough).  Then I head off to school.  


I usually have a class at 8:30 and when I dont have class I hang out with friends, mostly in the IMME quarters where I can keep all of my stuff and be during the day.  Then I walk home around 6ish.  


When I get home I have to take a bath right away because everyone is disgusted how the red dirt looks on my very white feet.  After words, I have regular tea and a chipati (fried wheat flour that looks like a crepe).  I usually just hang out with Alex, talk with Maama or watch TV with Bridget.  Hidden Passions is my new favorite show - a spanish soap opera dubbed into english, its great.  


We have dinner really late, like 9ish and we all just eat wherever we want, I am usually still just watching TV with Bridget.  Then we go to bed at around 10 or 11... then wake up and do it all again!  


Today is Saturday and I had class, but I'm going home now to bring brownies for Bridgets birthday, exchange some music with Alex, and listen/give advice to my brother Rogers about the visions God has been giving him about what he should do for his career now that he has finished school.  


I hope you all are enjoying your weekends! 

Quick Insight Before My Walk Home

So Ugandans walk slow.  Like waaayyy slower than anyone in America.  Its like folliwng the two annoying people in the hallway at school walking way to slow when you need to be somewhere and it drives you crazy.  It gets kind of awkward walking to school or home because I pass people all the time and they just give me the weirdest looks (besides the fact that I'm the only white person..more on that later).  But I think they walk slow because if they walk any faster, they would end up sweating buckets by the time they get anywhere, like I am when I get to school or home.    Just a cultural difference to think about... 


I hope you are enjoying snow wherever you are! 

my favorite spot in the house

This is what I call Mama Mawanda's corner.  She loves sitting on the floor against that wall at night.  The far windows go into my bedroom, and I sit on the close side of the couch in the morning and afternoon to take tea.  

Homework... not yet.

So I decided that I would rather tell you all about my family and give you more information than the bathroom sitch.  I wanted to take pictures to show you with, but I'll do that tonight.  Here it is: 


I am now apart of the Mawanda family.  In my family (in age order) is Mama Mawanda, my older brothers Rogers (25ish), Alex (23ish), Samuel (20ish), then me and then my younger sister Bridget (14).  Then, there are also children who live at my home that arnt my mom's but are like somehow distantly related.  They are : Matirda (12/13ish), Daniel (8, who is very excited that our names are basically the same), Junior (6ish, who is such a good dancer i just want him to teach me), and Chisa (4, sooo cute).  And there are people who just show up all the time and moms who just drop their babies off randomly, one of which, Nansu (1.5) is super smiley and fell asleep in my arms the other day.  I also think that this kid Mike (13ish) might live with us but im not positive because there are just people who show up all the time.  


Ill have to put pictures up of my house because it will be hard to explain, but basically my mom, bridget and i live in one part of the house with our own T, and bath corner.  The four younger kids sleep in a small room not attached to anything.  There are 3 latrines and a bath cubicle for the boys across the way from my house.  Then next to that is a four small room building for Rogers, Alex, Samuel, and storage.  There is also and outdoor kitchen/wood storage behind the house and a little kitchen nook on the front porch of my part of the house.  


My favorite times at home have been when I'm hanging out with my brother Alex.  He is really funny and we joke around a lot.  He also loves American rap music and some country and things so we've had fun talking about that.  And, he is teaching my how to play guitar.  We have lots of fun :)


Rogers is fun to talk to about more serious or academic things.  He is a doctor but is home on leave right now.  Two nights ago we stayed up talking about communication differences between Americans and Ugandans... they do it better I would have to say.  All face to face mostly, although everyone has a cell phone, but no texting all the time (ahem, Emily Muri). 


Its been a little hard to talk to Bridget because she is really quiet and hard to understand sometimes.  We do a lot of watching TV at night together not really saying anything... but we are getting better when she gave me a "push" to school.  (Meaning she walked me to the main road).  


I havent really ever talked to Samuel because he is away at school during the week.  And I havent really been able to communicate with the 4 younger kids because they mostly speak Luganda so communication has been pretty difficult.  


Mama Mawanda is nice to talk to too... she is such a wise Godly women, I am learning lots from her. 


Well, thanks to those who read this much.. I'll have lots more stories but for a later date! 

P.S. to the squatty potty

I have lots more to update, like my family and schedule and all of that jazz but I have to start walking home now... so soon, i promise!  


I just wanted to say p.s.: I have found a toilet with a seat...probably the only one within a 3km radius, but days at campus will be much more enjoyable :)




Also, some prayer requests:


- better communication with my family/ability to be more comfortable
- that i can balance class, family time, homework, and computer time
- i feel a little overwhelmed at the moment looking at syllabi...a lot is going to get done this semester, i dont know how but its gonna have too.  
- Finally, this country.  Presidential elections are Feb. 18th and normally there has been a lot of violence or rioting... and there has been none of that which is making people even more nervous.... 
- praise that I am having this experience because it really is changing my life! 

First Impressions

Wait! Before you read this, take it with a grain of salt... Uganda is truly a wonderful country and dont let what I'm about to show you ruin your interpretation.  


I just wanted to share with you all my very first African experience... in the dark, at 11pm at night... after traveling for at least 18 hours... 


My welcome to Africa was what Americans have dubbed: "THE SQUATTY POTTY".   

I'll let you use your imagination... and notice, no toilet paper.  Thank the Lord I brought baby wipes with me.  

Bottom line: I have complete and ultimate respect for Ugandan women. 

So, most of the toilets in Uganda are like this with some variation.  There are toilet bowls that you still squat over at the university (and one of them has toilet paper if you get there on a good day), and then there are also just holes in the ground.  I actually have a very nice cement hole in a small brick and plaster building at my home.  I have a nice one because I dont have cockroaches in it (like some of my other homestay friends) and I bought some toilet paper at a store on saturday, so I am all set now.  It took me two days to face my fears but it gets better every time! 

Here!!

I am here and I have SOOO much to tell you.  Get excited. I dont have much time right now but I will soon hopefully.

Just wanted to say thanks for supporting me!

My address here is:

Danielle Muri, Uganda Studies Programme
Uganda Christian University
P.O. Box 4
Mukono, Uganda

If you are going to send me anything send it flat rate which takes 2-4 weeks, everything else takes 2- 4 months.

Peace!