Time in the Big City- Kampala

If you are interested, this is how I experienced the Uganda culture in Kampala. It's hard to capture the experiences in words. It's one of those things that you HAVE to do it yourself. The full experiences are the smells, the noises, the thoughts and emotions, how hot is was that day, the interactions with the people, everything. I do not think that video recording would help. Although I am determined to video tape a boda-boda ride in the Kampala traffic.

Thursday 1/28

I was a little nervous not about finding Raising Voices, but finding my way back. The major roads in Kampala have street signs, I haven’t seen them but I know they are there. The other roads do not have street signs, so I assume directions are given by major landmarks and areas in Kampala. From the map of Kampala there are quite a few “suburbs”. I was fortunate enough to meet a young boda-boda man at the end of the street, Bonny, who was willing to drive me across the city, then also pick me back up whenever I called or texted. What a blessing. The stress, anxiety, worry, etc of trying to figure out how to get back was gone. Bonny was my Knight in Shinning Armor!

Raising Voices gave me an enormous amount of material- posters, pamphlets, training materials, programs, and research papers. I am excited to show the team when we return to the Islands. I have my reading cut out for me these next few days.

I always seem to meet the most interesting people when I am waiting. This man, Sharif, sounds like my Niger name Charifa but without the “a”. Anyhow, we started chatting and loves Obama, wants to know why I am not married, asks me why I can’t have a boyfriend in the states and a husband here, he tells me about his wife, and is shocked that I only have a brother while he has six children and his wife is pregnant again. It was an interesting, quickly changing topics, short conversation.

Leicia was kind enough to invite me out to dinner with her home-school mom’s group- mom’s date night out. We went to a place called The Lawn. One could sit on the lawn in huge chairs or in the covered outside restaurant area. We chose the restaurant area because it had an actual table. Dinner was fabulous; I had a vegetable pasta in a white sauce, of course. It’s still weird to me that water cost money, somewhere between 1,000 to 1,500 shillings, not even a dollar. So from what I have seen, instead of paying for water people will order soda because it’s the same price or just a tad more. Public Health issue? Can be. I do not think that obesity is a major concern in this country, at least not among the locals. But I have decided that Uganda does not have calories.

Friday 1/29

On a practicum note: I am hearing stories about sexual violence in Kampala with girls riding on boda-boda’s. However, the stories I have heard, happen in the evening or late at night. My personal safety awareness has extremely heightened, and I am only traveling in the day. But I assume that with the topic at hand, I will be affected some what emotionally.

Today I spent the day at American Club reading the material from Raising Voices. Wow. So many ways to take this practicum. I have a small feelings that my actual practicum contract goals may change or alter slightly. That’s Africa, and that’s life! As public heath people we must be flexible. I know I will be continuing to enhance my adaptability/flexibility skills.

Saturday 1/30

Saturday = Shopping day! I went to a craft fair to experience the culture, see parts of Kampala, buy some gifts, and just enjoy a lovely 80 degree weather day. I did a funny tan line from riding on the boda-boda with Bonny. He was actually nice enough to stop at the little stores on the side of the road so I could try to bargain for a new skirt and shirt. Well not new but new to me. What crazy prices they were trying to give me a because I am a Mzungu. (white person, actually means English in Luganda from what I‘ve been told)
While at the craft fair I was very on-my-guard, probably a little to much. I would not go into this man store because it was in a little corner part of the market where you had to walk a few steps in best describe as a hallway built by the walls of surrounding stores. The man was sitting under a tree, saw me walk by, him and his three males friends got up trying to get me to look at fabric in his store. I was polite and went as far as I was comfortable, which wasn’t very far, and made him bring the cloth to me. It’s horrible to think like this, to judge someone, however, in my defense, my safety is my first priority.
I have been thinking of what kind a gift to get Brent, and I didn’t have a clue. Buying a gift for your boyfriend is completely different than buying your dad, brother, and male friends presents. Now buying for my mom and female friends and family, that was fun! But Brent . . . I’m lost, nothing seem to fit what I was looking for, nothing really grabbed my attention. Then . . . I found it. It’s perfect, just the right touch of manliness, love, Uganda, with a twist of my taste/style. I cannot wait to give it to him, I would have probably already spoiled the surprise if I knew what it was called or how to describe it well enough to were I don’t have to end with, “Well you just have to see it.”

Vince and Leicia had a lovely date night at an Italian restaurant. I babysat, the least I could do for their hospitality, and made the kids the American classic dinner: mac n cheese and hotdogs! (with a side of carrots) The two younger kids, fully enjoyed it, as did I!!!


Sunday 1/31

I accompanied the family to church, I think the name was Kampala International Church. The pastor was very inactive with the members. We went outside to act out the passage, which the sermon was based upon. Luke 5:17, Jesus Heals a Paralytic.
After lunch with some friends at a restaurant that reminded all of us of an Applebees, or TGIFs the day was very relaxed, as Sundays should be. Oh, I had a steak that was covered in cheese and a creamy mushroom sauce with chips (fries).The steak was good, but the cheese I didn’t care for. I have learned very quickly that cheese here, has aged for quite some time before it is used.
While I was packing, I think I lost my jump drive that I started to use. Luckily, it wasn’t one of the nice ones Brent bought me for Christmas in my “Uganda Survival Kit” but one that he had received from a teachers’ convention seminar thing that I took and cleared off. Another luckily, I had been writing my journals on paper in note form and just began to type them, so I only lost a few. I think I still have the notes. The only downfall, was that I was not able to upload photos this past week.


Monday 2/1

A SPECIAL THANK YOU!!!

After almost a week of being spoiled by good food, hot running water, a/c, electricity, a comfy bed, and new friends it was time to say goodbye and head back to the Islands. Many thanks and a special place in my heart for the Golembeski family.

The Golembeski family: Vince and Leicia and their beautiful children: Matt, Carter, Josh, and Bailey. I cannot say thank you enough for hosting me for the few days, and then even more when my second connection fell through (a young American lawyer in the city, I met her parents in the visa line at the airport). The Golembeski’s made me feel apart of their family, it was like being at home. When you are thousands of miles away from the ones you love, with limited communication, away from everything that you know, finding the feeling of “home” is a blessing. You guys are forever on the Christmas card list!

Dr. Sean Norman, thank you so much for connecting me with your old friends from college. What would we do without Facebook? And I heard some stories . . . Haha just kidding.