Sunday, May 30, 2010

Exploration

We had to pay our landlord four months worth of rent today (even though we're only here three months, which is ridiculous and another reason why GW sucks, but that's a conversation for another day), so we headed in to town to go the bank. Naturally, we had more issues, but were finally able to get everything sorted and pay him. He was surprisingly more cordial today, probably because we handed him an envelope bursting with cash.

After that, we decided to explore Mbale a little bit. Since we had already gone to town to go to the bank, we head the opposite direction, and ended up walking around villages on the way towards Mt. Elgon, which looms behind our house. Everyone was so friendly. They would call hello and ask how we were. Children ran to the front of their yards calling, "Muzungu, how are you?"

Realization: We like to stare at the people here just as much as they like to stare at us, only we are more self conscious about it. I really wish I could just stare openly and not feel awkward about it.

I was going to post pictures here, but I think it will be too difficult. I'll put a few, but for more go to my facebook page. As you'll notice, a lot of the pictures are taken from behind or secretly. I'm not sure how people react to their pictures being taken, and I'm not quite confident or comfortable enough to just take them openly.

Descriptions of pictures, from top to bottom:
1) Our house, with Nrupa on the porch
2) A house on our walk into the village. I wasn't sure how happy the woman sitting on the porch would be with me taking pictures, so I did it in a way that she couldn't see.
3) Three men on a boda boda going to town. I was actually trying to take a picture of the two cows lounging on the grass on the other side of the road, but I heard the boda coming up behind us and timed the picture perfectly to take it just as they passed.
4) Some people walking back to their homes in the village. The little girl closest to us in pink was really cute. She ran up behind us and walked with us until we reached her home, even waiting for us as we took pictures.

















1 comment:

  1. You should ask Tom or Peter about photos, they might have a better idea about what is or is not "socially acceptable"

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