Life on the other side of the world has been filled with many ups and downs, much laughter and tears, and learning so much about culture, others and myself.
I often ponder the many reasons I love living in Uganda, some of them things which drove me crazy at first but which I now appreciate. Many things which those who have never lived overseas will think I'm crazy for but they are things which have become a part of my everyday life. Things that still frustrate other missionaries but which I find to be normal.
Last year while spending the year home, I realized I really don't fit any place. I'll never be fully American again. I'll never totally agree or love American culture again. But, I'll also never be fully Ugandan. It's like I'm stuck some place in the middle. Frustrating at times, but most times it's something I'm thankful for. It's given me a whole new perspective on life.
Anyway, I've been reflecting on things here. Many things have become so common that I no longer notice them but they are still a part of the life I love here. Other things still make me giggle. Other things will make some gasp in horror but I've adapted to it and also don't notice them much anymore.
Hope you enjoy this list of random things I love, or at least have grown accustomed to, about living inUganda:
-different accents and languages
-cows crossing the road (today I actually saw one taking a rest on the overpass near my house)
-thinking that 70 degrees is reason enough to put an extra blanket on my bed
-buying vegetables and cooked food on the side of the road
-buying just about any other item imaginable on the side of the road
-armed guards everywhere: the bank, the supermarket, homes, etc.
-military police driving through town
-riots and tear gas
-greeting everyone with at least 5 questions about themselves, the family, children, work, health, etc.
-ugly storks living in trees around town
-sleeping under a mosquito net (oh, I stopped doing that several years ago)
-hand washing everything, and I do mean everything
-the prayer calls at the local mosque 5 times a day, although I frequently sleep through the first one
-slum life
-outdoor toilets
-the smells of African life
-local food: matooke, cassava, yams, sweet potatoes (they're not the same as yams and they're not orange like the ones at home), posho, mukone, kalo, millet porridge, etc.
-the sunsets and sunrises
-drinking soda from a glass bottle
-the roads full of potholes
-gifts from the other side of the world bring an unrivaled excitement that they could never bring if received while living in the U.S.
-garbage piles everywhere
-dirty feet (it's impossible to keep them clean with the dust in the dry season and the mud in the rainy season)
-shared meals with friends
-dodging through traffic
-motor scooters
-matatus
-African bus rides with the chickens and the goats
-the patterns of the fabric of clothes
-electricity rationing
-water shortages
-time does not exist
-the reality of friendships (since time doesn't exist, there is time for friends)
-older women really taking time to teach younger women
I'm sure I can make the list go on and on but the purpose is not to write a book. It's just to give you an idea of my life in Uganda.
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