Back to the Basics

I've been back in Mbarara for four nights now. Many people have asked, "Does it feel weird to be back?" Honestly, the only weird part is how normal everything feels. All the awkward, different, bizarre, and challenging aspects of life here feel familiar and typical.

For example, my first night back I stayed at our team leaders' house partially because they knew I'd appreciate a day to get re-acclimated and also because the water had been out at my apartment for a few days. Water frequently goes out, especially since we live on a hill, but this time it was a plumbing issue rather than a water supply issue. The plumber was working on it, but moving into a new place with no water would've been difficult. Fortunately, he was able to solve the problem, and I moved in the next day, making sure to have at least one jerrycan full of "emergency" water.

That evening, I was working hard at unpacking and attempting to sort piles of my belongings. At one point I thought to myself, "I should put kerosene in my lanterns just in case...because who can forget The Great Power Outage of 2011? " But everyone had assured me that power has been great lately, so I pressed on with unpacking. A short time later, the lights flickered and dimmed ominously. And there I was, standing in the pitch black with empty lanterns on the other side of the room. Ah, Umeme. Just like old times... Thankfully, I knew where my flashlight was and was able to get to it without much trouble.

Besides water and power outages, there are many other aspects of my very different life in Mbarara that surprise me at how normal they still feel. Such as...

Methods of transporting items: 
A man driving a boda with a coffin strapped to the back and a chicken on top.
And chickens tied in bundles and hung from bodas.

Wildlife:
Notice anything interesting about this photo?

Oh, just some zebra grazing alongside the road.

Weather determines all plans:
Yesterday I went to town with a shopping list in hand and great intentions to be productive. Instead, it rained, and I got stuck at the very first store for hours waiting for the rain to stop. This is not the first or the last time this will happen.

Fortunately, I was trapped at the best possible store in town: Nakumatt! This Wal*Mart-like store opened shortly after I left Mbarara and is a huge addition to our tiny town. Huge as in school children come on class field trips to see it and people come ride the escalators for pure entertainment. After yesterday, though, I feel that I have thoroughly explored the store and now know that they sell everything from lamp shades to treadmills and cheese to charcoal jikos.

By the time the rain slowed down enough that bodas were driving again, it was time for our weekly team meeting. I crossed one thing off my list and decided to try again the next day. Such is life.

Bartering for goods (and flexible hours) (and a cash economy):
This afternoon, I set out with my list again, after deciding that it probably wasn't going to rain. I've been wanting to buy some pillows, so I stopped in a local store the other day to ask how much they cost. The man working that day told me they were 30,000 shillings each (about $12). I told him I was interested in buying two and asked if he could reduce the price. He readily agreed on 50,000 UGX for two, and I told him I'd come back to buy them after I finished my other shopping. When I tried to do so, the store was closed... probably for his lunch break.

I went back to the same store today, and a lady was working this time. I asked her how much one pillow was. "25,000," she told me. "Score!" I said in my head. I explained to her that I'd like to buy two and asked for a discount. She offered a total of 45k, I countered with 43k, and she agreed. After I paid, she realized that she didn't have the correct change to give me, so she went to the shop next door to get some smaller bills. Oh yes, she left the store completely empty, apart from myself, for several minutes. Again, this is very typical.

Basically, it feels like I never left. I cross the equator into the southern hemisphere, and my world gets turned upside-down. The unfamiliar is normal, and the unusual is typical. 

It's good to be back.