The Little Things

Now that I've been in Mbarara for a little over a month and a week, it's fun and encouraging to realize how much I've learned and become comfortable with in such a short time. Every day is full of conversations and experiences that lead to learning and a better understanding of the culture. Adapting to the culture and daily life here is something that takes a long time, but I'm rejoicing in the small victories.

• We always remember to turn on the water heater  now (when we have power).
• Kelsea and I have been embracing and fully enjoying the challenge of cooking everything from scratch. We've cooked some delicious meals, including pizza, enchiladas with guacamole and salsa, and stir fry. 
• We're becoming more competent at buying produce and negotiating prices at the market. Often we can communicate in Runyankole, as well! "Noobaasa kumpa nyaanya za rukumi." (Please get tomatoes for 1,000)
• I can confidently hire a boda driver and turn down "mzungu prices."
• I can navigate town and get to all the important places, like the post office, central market, the coffee shop, and the stores to buy more Internet and airtime for my phone.
• We don't think twice when power goes off as we're out shopping or cooking at home. Life continues as normal. (Unless power is off for over two weeks... then things change a little)
• I have a better understanding of why African time is the way it is. Phones here don't have satellite time, so you can set your phone to whatever time you'd like. Often people's phones are different by up to 15 minutes. Did you know that it's completely acceptable to cancel any plans you might have due to rain? Rain affects so many things here. If you're cooking over charcoal, and it gets wet, dinner might be two hours late because it takes so long to get the charcoal going again. If you order something at a restaurant, they might not have the ingredients on hand, so they'll go to the market to buy them. If you plan on traveling somewhere by boda and it begins to rain, you'll have to wait it out because boda drivers don't drive in the rain. And who wants to ride one in the rain anyway?
• Dogs don't bark much during the day here, but they howl and bark viciously at all hours of the night.
• My favorite Ugandan-English word (because they truly have developed their own version of the language) is "somehow." It basically negates anything you say. "Did you sleep well?" "Somehow." That translates to "No, not really." I find myself using it all the time, and it works for so many things. Things can be "somehow similar" (kind of but not really), and it tends to be a nice way to agree and disagree with someone at the same time. "I love all the rainy days we have." "Yes, somehow."

There are also some things that I've grown accustomed to that were very surprising when we first arrived. Things that are part of daily life here would never happen in the States.

• Mothers hold newborn babies as they ride motorcycles.
• Garbage often gets thrown on the ground or put on the floor.
• Most people don't have cars here, so most people don't know about car seats. I saw a baby in a car seat once since being here, and I was so happily surprised! Then it registered in my mind that the child was sitting in his car seat the front seat... facing forward.
• Teachers frequently answer their cell phones in class.
• Sticking a key, fork, or other small metal object into the top hole of the electrical socket in order to open the bottom two holes to plug something in
• The best feature on my phone is the "torch"

Sprinkled among all the surprising and different aspects of learning about this new culture are many, many sweet moments that I cherish.

• Teachers who get it. They laugh with their students, engage them in active lessons, have relationships with them, and smile often.
• My teammates and leaders who are genuinely encouraging and helpful
• Seeing children quietly practice the motions to "Itsy Bitsy Spider"  as they sit at their desks waiting
• Seeing the children come alive and laugh as they dance and sing in class
• The genuine roadside conversations with no ulterior motives that happen as I walk to and from school, and the surprise on people's faces as I converse with them in broken Runyankole
• Being dubbed "auntie" to some sweet, twin, baby girls at my favorite coffee shop
• Teaching Dade twice a week and seeing him get excited about learning and reading
• Baby King at school, who is really too young to be at school, who is content to just sit on my lap and hold my hand, and the opportunity it is to show other children what love can look like 
• The delight in the children's eyes and smiles as they count my fingers and toes and realize I have the same amount they do! The curiosity and wonder they display as they rub my skin and look at their own hand to see if my whiteness will come off (perhaps I'm covered in chalk?)
• Hugging children, giving them a smile and wink in class, and having the freedom to tell them "Ninkukunda na Ruhanga nakukunda." (I love you and God loves you.)

Nkyirimu ninyega mpora, mpora (I'm still learning slowly, slowly), but it's encouraging to look back at how much has been accomplished in just a few short weeks. I have wonderful people, strangers and close friends, supporting and helping me along the way, and I'm grateful for their patience, encouragement, and willingness to laugh with me at my mistakes and rejoice with me in the accomplishments!


Crested Crane: Uganda's national bird.
Yellow, black, and red, the crane's colors,
are also the national colors.