What? Is not a question.

my host family with the cake I made Daniella for her birthday- chocolate with flowers

Outside our hostel in Kamapala
A Hindu Temple

One of hundreds of old school bikes everyone rides

You know when you have a really great trip and someone asks you how it was and all you can manage is a measly “good”, well I have no doubt that upon returning my own answer will pathetically be the same response, completely dismissing the near death experiences, the moments of air gasping laughs, and penetrating thoughts. So I will tell you know this trip is better than good, it is amazing, challenging, ridiculous and perspective altering. How? Let me share a short list of notes:

If you were thinking that bribery is being reduced or exaggerated in developing nations, I am here to tell you it is alive and well. Upon speeding back from dropping off school supplies, our taxi was flagged down by a cop. Our driver, after exchanging some words with the cop, came over and asked for 5,000 shs (about $2.50). Apparently, our cop was willing to let our 100,000shs ticket slide for a small exchange of money for lunch

Sometimes at night, when I am sitting on a coke crate watching a soccer game with a bunch of locals, commercials come on promoting South Africa as the site for the FIFA World Cup this summer. The announcer speaks, “Africa, walk tall.“ with a voice that gives me chills. I look around and want to whisper to the people surrounding me, you are African, do you know how cool you that is? Do you know that people are as fascinated and drawn to you as much as they don’t understand and are fearful? Do you realize how penetrating this country really is?

As opposed to the flurry of gas station, fountain machine, plastic bottle, Costco packaged nature of United States, a single glass bottle of soda here is a special occasion. You know it is an event when a crate of all glass bottles arrive. People don’t drink while they move and the exchange of the bottle is as valuable as the liquid. As the coldness of the bottle fights the heat of the day, there is a rare pleasure in the weight of a bottle in my hand and the thickness of the rim to my lips.

Ugandans have this odd little quirk. I had heard about it before arriving but assumed it was a long gone habit. Nope. Basically, Ugandans will throw in a “what?” as a question in the middle of their sentences, pause and then continue with the answer to their own question. It is as goofy as it sounds. However, after the first few times of you trying to answer the question before getting cut off as they continue to answer it themselves, you get use to it. So, Ugandans like do what?. . Ugandans like to add an unnecessary “what?” into their sentences. . .See its not so bad once you get use to it.

I sometimes joke that it seems here even the goats stare at me. The other day I was sitting on the porch, I turned my head to look and there it was. A large white goat just staring, right at me. A staring match was held and it won. Apparently, even the goats find my presence curious.