So I've now made it through the first several days of living in Africa again. Its been a blast, and I wish I could narrow it down to just a couple of stunning stories, but instead I'll give you just a snippet of some little things that thrill me:
1. Everywhere we go, we get our bags checked (because of the bombs that were set off during world cup finals in Kampala). The other day when we were getting our bags checked they started to call me the "mzungu" (i.e. white person) and then realized that the gals was hanging with and I were dressed exactly alike (not identical of course, but similar)... and they paused and then said, "ah, you must be sisters!". I couldn't help but agree.
2. Roaches: I hate roaches. That being said, the first day I was here Kia handed me a album and as I opened it something fell out and landed on my arm. It was dark in the hall and at first I thought it was a wallet sized photo so I tried to catch it. Yeah. It wasn't a photo. Try granddaddy of all roaches. After slightly screaming like a little girl and jumping around as it headed for my barefeet and having Kia die in laughter at my antics... I decided I wasn't going to act weird about them again like that. So fast forward a couple days and as I went to use the toilet before going to bed, there he was again. Seated atop the toilet paper roll. On the back of the toilet. I really needed to go, so only two options presented themselves. Either I could buck up and attempt to chase/kill him, or I could pretend he didn't exist and go about my business. Both options presented complications. If I pretended he wasn't there... I would have to face my back to him at some point, leaving an open advantage for him to make any number of advances towards me. And I still needed the toilet paper. However the other option was complicated by the fact that I was in barefeet once again, which doesn't lend itself well to annihilating the granddaddy of all roaches. So I chose neither. I needed to go really bad... but I can hold it. The bathroom will still be there in the morning, but hopefully my little friend wouldn't be.
It is my professional obligation as a journalist to tell you that the granddaddy roach saga ended rather violently however this morning when he met a fateful end against the tip of Kia's pie-server.
3. Janalee accused me of having only guy friends in Africa, but since I've been here its been like a constant girl-date. I love my gal-friends this side! Its been beautiful to reconnect with them and gain such a love again for all their strengths, tease them about their weaknesses, get frustrated with their struggles, laugh with their joy, and grow together once again. Of course this also makes me miss my gal-friends back at home as well, but I realize I can't have everyone at once. Its like some sort of twisted, sad story... like "The Lady or the Tiger", where no matter what I pick I am missing someone or something. Only of course that I am blessed by both options, so its only a choice of loosing one of my blessings.
4. Okay, this one might be kinda silly, but I went to the Bugolobi church yesterday for service. It was beautiful, and all the songs that the sang (that weren't in english) I knew, so I was totally rockin' it! lol. Actually they sang a hymn and I was like... "oh, oops" cause I knew all the words to the Luganda, and Swahili songs... but I didn't even know all the verses to "Stand up, Stand up for Jesus". EMBARRASSING! But it was beautiful to be worshiping in that church again. It probably helped that I hadn't been to church in a couple of Sundays before because of work and then travel. There is something so beautiful about a church full of people that are so passionate about their Savior that they just belt out their songs. (one of the reasons I really love Vintage Faith) Somehow it always sounds beautiful to me, despite the logistics of being on-key and what not.
Well, that's all for today folks! I'll write more as time allows! Sula bulungi, because you should all be in bed by now anyway!!
2 comments:
In the book The Strawberry Statement, the author said he had an understanding with the roaches in his apartment, that they had their territory, and he had his little corner. The only problem was that they insisted on coming into his little corner a lot. . .
yeah, i hate them infringing on my territory! lol
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