Due to internet and traveling issues, I'm just now posting sections that I've written over the past few days. I've tried to describe in detail what's happened, but it's very difficult to put everything into words. Some of what I'm feeling and experiencing I can't even express to myself. Maybe by the end I'll understand more. It is still just the very beginning. In the meantime, here are some observations, just for Zina:
1) We learned that tea must be "escorted" down the esophagus so that it doesn't get lonely. Thus why you take (not have, take) tea with a small morsel.
2) Malaria can be amusing, as long as the test results are negative. Nrupa came down with a fever today so the doctor tested her. He prefaced the test by saying that, in Uganda, 95% of malaria tests are positive. Not the most encouraging statement. But now she's doing much better. She took the afternoon off to sleep and will hopefully be able to come to work tomorrow.
3) We've invented a new game: Cockroach Golf. It involves swatting at a cockroach the size of my fist with a broom, trying to get it out the door, while Nrupa screams and jumps on top of the furniture. It turns out I'm quite good. I got it to the door in just one hit.
4) Despite the fact that lizards are necessary because they eat the mosquitoes, I really wish they wouldn't crawl on the ceiling, especially above my bed.
5) Anyone who has ever driven on Michigan roads--those potholes are nothing compared to the ones here! Lanes end up being more of a suggestion than a rule because cars and boda bodas end up weaving back and forth to avoid them, which is physically impossible.
6) Despite the fact that I don't like tea, I thoroughly enjoy milk tea. I think because it that's the only way that I can get my daily fix of milk, which really isn't enough but it's better than nothing.
7) An alarm has been going off across the street every morning at 6:45am sharp. Fingers crossed it stops...
8) I clandestinely took a few pictures on the walk home from work today. I'll try to post them this weekend.
9) So far, Robert is our go-to boda boda driver. He was waiting for us this morning when we opened our gate and he passed by me as I was walking home this afternoon and drove me the rest of the way for free.
10) Regina makes some damn good beans and rice. Sorry Tits. You have some competition... And she only uses a hot plate and a small coal stove.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
May 24, 2010—To Mbale
Today was a very interesting day. It started with an orientation at TASO and ended with a child sitting on my lap for 5 hours on a jam-packed bus. We woke up early and got ready for our orientation and the TASO Teaching Center in Kampala. Our special hire driver, Ram, wasn’t entirely sure where it was, but he knew the general direction, so off we set, 10 minutes behind schedule. After asking a few people for directions, we made it. Naturally, Ram thought it was going to be much farther than it was, so he grossly overcharged us (even after admitting he thought that the center was father out of town—special hires charged based on distance).
At TASO, we met Martha who explained the history of the organization and its operational structure. With her, we drank some tea and ate some raw maize (I wasn’t a big fan). Afterwards, she was able to negotiate a better deal for us for the ride home and make arrangements to have Ram ensure that we made it onto the bus safely.
Once home, we quickly packed our bags (it felt like we were fleeing from something we were moving so fast, though I guess in a way we were because we both were so anxious to get to Mbale). In the meantime, Ram found out what time the bus left for us and secured another driver to help him get us there. Nrupa and I exchanged the rest of our US currency for Ugandan shillings, wolfed down some lunch, checked out of the hotel, and piled into the back of the car with half of our bags on top of us.
The bus park was insane!!! When we pulled in, men swarmed the car. Despite the overcharging, Ram really came through for us in the end. He told us not to talk to anyone at the bus park and secured seats for us. He negotiated prices so that we each only had to pay Ush10000 ($5) for the bus from Kampala to Mbale. If we had taken a special hire, this would have cost between Ush250000 – 300000 total ($125-150), so the bus was a very good bargain. And it was definitely bargain travel, even on what we’ve repeatedly heard is the most reputable and luxurious bus line…
We were told we had two seats at the very back of the bus, but when I got on and headed for the back, I did not see two seats. There was a large woman on the end, two kids, and three men filling up the six seats in the back row. The bus employee behind me, however, assured me that there were in fact two available seats, so I kept heading back. The woman by the window pulled one child into her lap, squished the other next to her, and told me to “extend, extend,” which it turns out means to scoot closer to her, until our thighs were nuzzled up against one another and her second child was half sitting on her lap and half on mine. I managed to shove my laptop bag in between my feet as Nrupa slid into a space half the size of one butt cheek. So there we were, smushed into our seats with Nrupa’s backpack, laptop and half of a child on our laps. We were ready for a fun 5 hours.
Thankfully about 1.5 hours outside of Mbale some passengers got off the bus, making more room in our row as two men switched to now vacant seats. With our laps and legs free we were able to stretch out a bit and actually enjoy the ride a bit. Of course, the child who had been sitting on my lap and grown quite fond of me, so 30 minutes after I put her in her own seat, she climbed right back into my lap.
Finally, over five long hours later, we reached Mbale. Peter, one of our new best friends from TASO, met us at the bus line’s office (usually the buses go to a bus park, but after dark they go to the offices instead). Thankfully Peter was waiting for us because the crowds were again overwhelming. Boys of all ages were offering to help us with our luggage or get us a car, and when we refused they would simply stand next to us waiting and staring.
We again piled all of are stuff into a car and drove around the block the to supermarket so that we could get a few quick necessities since there was nothing at our house. We then went home, oh sweet, wonderful home. As much as we begrudge the department, it was nice to not have to worry about finding lodging. Peter left us to get settled for a bit (he lives just down the road), then came back about an hour later to take us to dinner. We had a mediocre meal at Mbale Resort, where we should also be able to access free wifi and a pool, and talked about life in Mbale. Peter has lived here his entire life; he even got his bachelors degree in Mbale, so he was a good person to give us our introduction.
After dinner, Peter walked us back home and Nrupa and I attempted to settle in a bit more. Some of the lights don’t work (though thankfully we have electricity), so we broke out our flashlights and thoroughly explored. The most important discovery we made was how amazingly comfortable our living room furniture is; we will definitely be spending a lot of time reading and relaxing there.
Finally, we met our night guard, Tom, who sits in a shack right next to our front gate within our property. The house is very secure and I’m not sure we need a night guard, especially because I feel guilty for making him spend his nights in a tiny, tin shack in our yard rather than with his family, but Nrupa pointed out that he’s getting paid which he might not otherwise be, so that’s good. It still feels kind of wrong though. We peeked in there today (Tuesday) and he only has some cardboard and a tiny blanket covered by a bed net to lie on. Nrupa and I were thinking about putting our extra mattress in there and getting him a new flashlight, just to make it a bit more comfortable, but we don’t know if that’s possible since someone next semester might need the mattress. Maybe we can get a cheap one in town…
We eventually made it to bed around 1am, thoroughly exhausted from the days’ adventures and ready to begin our orientation to TASO Mbale in the morning.
At TASO, we met Martha who explained the history of the organization and its operational structure. With her, we drank some tea and ate some raw maize (I wasn’t a big fan). Afterwards, she was able to negotiate a better deal for us for the ride home and make arrangements to have Ram ensure that we made it onto the bus safely.
Once home, we quickly packed our bags (it felt like we were fleeing from something we were moving so fast, though I guess in a way we were because we both were so anxious to get to Mbale). In the meantime, Ram found out what time the bus left for us and secured another driver to help him get us there. Nrupa and I exchanged the rest of our US currency for Ugandan shillings, wolfed down some lunch, checked out of the hotel, and piled into the back of the car with half of our bags on top of us.
The bus park was insane!!! When we pulled in, men swarmed the car. Despite the overcharging, Ram really came through for us in the end. He told us not to talk to anyone at the bus park and secured seats for us. He negotiated prices so that we each only had to pay Ush10000 ($5) for the bus from Kampala to Mbale. If we had taken a special hire, this would have cost between Ush250000 – 300000 total ($125-150), so the bus was a very good bargain. And it was definitely bargain travel, even on what we’ve repeatedly heard is the most reputable and luxurious bus line…
We were told we had two seats at the very back of the bus, but when I got on and headed for the back, I did not see two seats. There was a large woman on the end, two kids, and three men filling up the six seats in the back row. The bus employee behind me, however, assured me that there were in fact two available seats, so I kept heading back. The woman by the window pulled one child into her lap, squished the other next to her, and told me to “extend, extend,” which it turns out means to scoot closer to her, until our thighs were nuzzled up against one another and her second child was half sitting on her lap and half on mine. I managed to shove my laptop bag in between my feet as Nrupa slid into a space half the size of one butt cheek. So there we were, smushed into our seats with Nrupa’s backpack, laptop and half of a child on our laps. We were ready for a fun 5 hours.
Thankfully about 1.5 hours outside of Mbale some passengers got off the bus, making more room in our row as two men switched to now vacant seats. With our laps and legs free we were able to stretch out a bit and actually enjoy the ride a bit. Of course, the child who had been sitting on my lap and grown quite fond of me, so 30 minutes after I put her in her own seat, she climbed right back into my lap.
Finally, over five long hours later, we reached Mbale. Peter, one of our new best friends from TASO, met us at the bus line’s office (usually the buses go to a bus park, but after dark they go to the offices instead). Thankfully Peter was waiting for us because the crowds were again overwhelming. Boys of all ages were offering to help us with our luggage or get us a car, and when we refused they would simply stand next to us waiting and staring.
We again piled all of are stuff into a car and drove around the block the to supermarket so that we could get a few quick necessities since there was nothing at our house. We then went home, oh sweet, wonderful home. As much as we begrudge the department, it was nice to not have to worry about finding lodging. Peter left us to get settled for a bit (he lives just down the road), then came back about an hour later to take us to dinner. We had a mediocre meal at Mbale Resort, where we should also be able to access free wifi and a pool, and talked about life in Mbale. Peter has lived here his entire life; he even got his bachelors degree in Mbale, so he was a good person to give us our introduction.
After dinner, Peter walked us back home and Nrupa and I attempted to settle in a bit more. Some of the lights don’t work (though thankfully we have electricity), so we broke out our flashlights and thoroughly explored. The most important discovery we made was how amazingly comfortable our living room furniture is; we will definitely be spending a lot of time reading and relaxing there.
Finally, we met our night guard, Tom, who sits in a shack right next to our front gate within our property. The house is very secure and I’m not sure we need a night guard, especially because I feel guilty for making him spend his nights in a tiny, tin shack in our yard rather than with his family, but Nrupa pointed out that he’s getting paid which he might not otherwise be, so that’s good. It still feels kind of wrong though. We peeked in there today (Tuesday) and he only has some cardboard and a tiny blanket covered by a bed net to lie on. Nrupa and I were thinking about putting our extra mattress in there and getting him a new flashlight, just to make it a bit more comfortable, but we don’t know if that’s possible since someone next semester might need the mattress. Maybe we can get a cheap one in town…
We eventually made it to bed around 1am, thoroughly exhausted from the days’ adventures and ready to begin our orientation to TASO Mbale in the morning.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Sunday in Kampala
Transportation terminology:
Boda boda (explained in previous posts): motorcycles/dirt bikes used like US taxis
Taxi: Bus/van that carries 12 passengers and travels on set routes around the city. Cheaper than boda bodas and special hires, but only usefully if traveling on predefined loop. Also must be caught and designated locations.
Special hire: like a boda boda except a car; drivers and passengers often exchange numbers so that you end up using the same couple of drivers each time
NOTE--none of these have meters, so the price is always discussed before riding
As expected, Sunday is a much calmer day in Kampala, though people are definitely still out and about. Today started with hymnals blaring through our room. We aren't entirely sure where the church is, but we can definitely hear them singing Hallelujah quite clearly. I thought it was nice, though I wish they would sing another word or tune or something. Nrupa was just annoyed. Apparently she doesn't like having her sleep interrupted, even in the name of God.
Our special hire driver picked us up promptly at 10am as we decided on the night before. We went to one of the 8 Baha'i temples in the entire world with one of the girls we met last night. It was amazing! The building is this small but beautiful structure perched atop a hill overlooking the city. It has 9-doors and a dome (standard on all Baha'i temples) to represent the different ways into the faith (doors) and the unification of the followers (dome). We were able to attend the service, which apparently was longer than usual because today was a holiday commemorating the day the Bahá'u'lláh acquired his first follower. The service was a mix of prayers given by the congregation and songs. I think the most interesting part was that no one officially leads the service. It is organized beforehand so members of the congregation are given prayers to read at certain times, but no one calls the participants up to the podium. The service merely flows along. It was kind of a nice change of pace. It put everyone at the same level rather than elevating some. I'm not sure if this is true, but it seems like this could represent the equality of all in the eyes of God. They don't have preachers or rabbis to relay the message of God; instead they all can access it equally.
We met some more people from dinner last night at the Kibera Country Club, a bourgeois hang out for expats and rich Ugandans. It was like being in a different world. Once our friends arrived, we left to go grocery shopping with them at a local market. There, three of us shared one of the juiciest pineapples I've ever tasted. The guy from whom we bought it cut it up with his gigantic knife and we all walked through the market dripping pineapple juice behind us. At the market we also saw avocados the size of my head and a plethora of beans, peas, and rice. I wanted to take a picture but I wasn't sure the stand owners would appreciate that. Nrupa managed to snap a clandestine one, so hopefully it turns out okay.
After the market we went back to Garden City, the shopping center we visited on Friday. We had some more good juice and sandwiches then decided to relax with a movie. After 3 days we already feel like we've been here forever, mostly because Kampala doesn't have too much to offer as a tourist destination. Thankfully we'll be leaving for Mbale in the next one or two days. We're excited to get settled in our house and start working. I know I thrive when I have a routine, so I'm looking forward to establishing one there.
After all our adventures today we were exhausted, so we came home and just ordered room service from the hotel. Unfortunately, it turned out to be quite disappointing. Nrupa's soup was over salted and my vegetable rice had chicken in it. Oh well. Hopefully TASO will feed us at our orientation tomorrow...
Boda boda (explained in previous posts): motorcycles/dirt bikes used like US taxis
Taxi: Bus/van that carries 12 passengers and travels on set routes around the city. Cheaper than boda bodas and special hires, but only usefully if traveling on predefined loop. Also must be caught and designated locations.
Special hire: like a boda boda except a car; drivers and passengers often exchange numbers so that you end up using the same couple of drivers each time
NOTE--none of these have meters, so the price is always discussed before riding
As expected, Sunday is a much calmer day in Kampala, though people are definitely still out and about. Today started with hymnals blaring through our room. We aren't entirely sure where the church is, but we can definitely hear them singing Hallelujah quite clearly. I thought it was nice, though I wish they would sing another word or tune or something. Nrupa was just annoyed. Apparently she doesn't like having her sleep interrupted, even in the name of God.
Our special hire driver picked us up promptly at 10am as we decided on the night before. We went to one of the 8 Baha'i temples in the entire world with one of the girls we met last night. It was amazing! The building is this small but beautiful structure perched atop a hill overlooking the city. It has 9-doors and a dome (standard on all Baha'i temples) to represent the different ways into the faith (doors) and the unification of the followers (dome). We were able to attend the service, which apparently was longer than usual because today was a holiday commemorating the day the Bahá'u'lláh acquired his first follower. The service was a mix of prayers given by the congregation and songs. I think the most interesting part was that no one officially leads the service. It is organized beforehand so members of the congregation are given prayers to read at certain times, but no one calls the participants up to the podium. The service merely flows along. It was kind of a nice change of pace. It put everyone at the same level rather than elevating some. I'm not sure if this is true, but it seems like this could represent the equality of all in the eyes of God. They don't have preachers or rabbis to relay the message of God; instead they all can access it equally.
We met some more people from dinner last night at the Kibera Country Club, a bourgeois hang out for expats and rich Ugandans. It was like being in a different world. Once our friends arrived, we left to go grocery shopping with them at a local market. There, three of us shared one of the juiciest pineapples I've ever tasted. The guy from whom we bought it cut it up with his gigantic knife and we all walked through the market dripping pineapple juice behind us. At the market we also saw avocados the size of my head and a plethora of beans, peas, and rice. I wanted to take a picture but I wasn't sure the stand owners would appreciate that. Nrupa managed to snap a clandestine one, so hopefully it turns out okay.
After the market we went back to Garden City, the shopping center we visited on Friday. We had some more good juice and sandwiches then decided to relax with a movie. After 3 days we already feel like we've been here forever, mostly because Kampala doesn't have too much to offer as a tourist destination. Thankfully we'll be leaving for Mbale in the next one or two days. We're excited to get settled in our house and start working. I know I thrive when I have a routine, so I'm looking forward to establishing one there.
After all our adventures today we were exhausted, so we came home and just ordered room service from the hotel. Unfortunately, it turned out to be quite disappointing. Nrupa's soup was over salted and my vegetable rice had chicken in it. Oh well. Hopefully TASO will feed us at our orientation tomorrow...
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Day 2--Getting used to Africa time
Today was a relaxed and semi-lazy day, though we definitely walked a good deal. We woke up a bit late, crawled out from underneath are bed nets, and slowly prepared ourselves for the day. We finally left the hotel around 11:30 or 12 and set out for a cafe called 1000 Cups Coffee House. We made it there without getting lost and only having to reference our map once! Two days and we're already learning our way. This place was great! They had an extensive menu with coffee and non-coffee beverages from all over the world. We stuck with good old iced coffee, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Nrupa, on the other hand, dumped an entire container of sugar in hers and still found it bitter. We had good sandwiches. I ordered Hawaiian french toast, which was a grilled sandwich with different fruits inside. Delicious. They also added different fruits around the side of the plate, some of which we couldn't even identify. I tried my first star fruit, which tastes like a tangy orange.
After enjoying the breeze and peacefulness at 1000 Cups for awhile, we browsed their crafts collection, bought some things, and headed across the street to more craft shops. The shops were part of a cooperative to help women earn money. I bought one thing and felt good about it since I was helping support a local craftswoman. Plus what I got is pretty sweet. After awhile, however, being in the craft market became very overwhelming. All the women sit at the front of their stalls and as soon as you walk by they perk up. If you show interest in something they have out front, they stand up and beckon, "Come in and look around. Come look at my shop." Then they proceed to shove random items into your hands, hoping to find something that you'll purchase. It gets so stressful after awhile; I just felt guilty for not buying anything. Oh well. They are definitely good saleswomen and they know their items intimately.
Next we headed back to our hotel to drop off our purchases and change our clothes--we had decided to head to Old Kampala to visit a mosque and needed to be dressed more appropriately. In Old Kampala, we ended up touring temples for three different religions. First, we visited a Gurudwara (guru=god, wara=door--door to god) temple, the place of worship for Sikhs. Nrupa told me a lot of interesting facts about this religion, but naturally I forgot a lot of them. Either way it was interesting. I love visiting temples of other religions and learning about the different customs. Next, we happened upon a Swaminarayan temple, which is a branch of Hinduism whose main god is Swaminarayan. Men and women pray separately in this religion, and we almost walked into the mens' room in the temple. Thankfully (I think) a few guys were praying in there so we knew we were on the wrong side. Plus the cleaning guy pointed us in right direction. The guys we almost walked in on came out after they were finished praying and gave us some fruit as a prasad, which is blessed food offered to god and then consumed. Lastly, after much searching, winding, and walking uphill, we found the Gadafi Mosque, the largest mosque in Uganda. It was only finished in 2006. We rolled down our pant legs and donned our long sleeve shirts and head scarfs and ventured in after our guide (who kind of ripped us off by charging us Ush3000 ($1.50) each for scarves to wrap around our waists since we were wearing pants, which was apparently taboo; thankfully we brought our own scarfs to cover our hair or he would have charged us even more). Inside, however, was beautiful. There was a large empty space with beautiful glass windows downstairs where the men pray and a much smaller but equally as beautiful balcony upstairs for the women. The women also have an area to pray on the lowest level of the mosque that is an entirely separate room from that of the men.
We then walked home, thankfully finding a much shorter route to prepare for dinner. We met up with a connection I had (thanks Joyce) for dinner this evening. She and her friends have been living in Uganda for just over a year, so were able to give us some really good advice, as well as discuss the interesting work they do with public health organizations in Kampala. We went to this Ethiopian/Eritrean place that was delicious. We sat outside in this little garden that was barely lit (we had a candle on our table that kept burning out), drank our first Ugandan beer (Nile special--very good, especially since I'm not a huge fan of beer), and enjoyed some delicious lentils and injera. They told us about a B'ahai temple (one of only seven in the world) in Kampala, so we're going to meet up with another girl we met at dinner there tomorrow morning, then check out a vegetable market in the city. At night we might take another stab at trying to find the Ghanaian restaurant we attempted to eat at last night. Apparently it does still exist, is delicious, and is located on the other side of the city from where our guide book directed us (shame on you Lonely Planet).
Okay, ready for night two under my bed net.
Things I've noticed today:
1) It's amazing how much weight people can carry, mostly on their heads and shoulders. I wish I could take pictures but I feel awkward taking my camera out in the middle of the bustling sidewalks.
2) I thought Saturday was going to be much calmer than yesterday, but the opposite was true. Maybe because the business people don't have work, so the stores are even more congested. I think tomorrow will be less busy since around 80% of the population is Christian. I figure most people will be tending to their religious duties.
After enjoying the breeze and peacefulness at 1000 Cups for awhile, we browsed their crafts collection, bought some things, and headed across the street to more craft shops. The shops were part of a cooperative to help women earn money. I bought one thing and felt good about it since I was helping support a local craftswoman. Plus what I got is pretty sweet. After awhile, however, being in the craft market became very overwhelming. All the women sit at the front of their stalls and as soon as you walk by they perk up. If you show interest in something they have out front, they stand up and beckon, "Come in and look around. Come look at my shop." Then they proceed to shove random items into your hands, hoping to find something that you'll purchase. It gets so stressful after awhile; I just felt guilty for not buying anything. Oh well. They are definitely good saleswomen and they know their items intimately.
Next we headed back to our hotel to drop off our purchases and change our clothes--we had decided to head to Old Kampala to visit a mosque and needed to be dressed more appropriately. In Old Kampala, we ended up touring temples for three different religions. First, we visited a Gurudwara (guru=god, wara=door--door to god) temple, the place of worship for Sikhs. Nrupa told me a lot of interesting facts about this religion, but naturally I forgot a lot of them. Either way it was interesting. I love visiting temples of other religions and learning about the different customs. Next, we happened upon a Swaminarayan temple, which is a branch of Hinduism whose main god is Swaminarayan. Men and women pray separately in this religion, and we almost walked into the mens' room in the temple. Thankfully (I think) a few guys were praying in there so we knew we were on the wrong side. Plus the cleaning guy pointed us in right direction. The guys we almost walked in on came out after they were finished praying and gave us some fruit as a prasad, which is blessed food offered to god and then consumed. Lastly, after much searching, winding, and walking uphill, we found the Gadafi Mosque, the largest mosque in Uganda. It was only finished in 2006. We rolled down our pant legs and donned our long sleeve shirts and head scarfs and ventured in after our guide (who kind of ripped us off by charging us Ush3000 ($1.50) each for scarves to wrap around our waists since we were wearing pants, which was apparently taboo; thankfully we brought our own scarfs to cover our hair or he would have charged us even more). Inside, however, was beautiful. There was a large empty space with beautiful glass windows downstairs where the men pray and a much smaller but equally as beautiful balcony upstairs for the women. The women also have an area to pray on the lowest level of the mosque that is an entirely separate room from that of the men.
We then walked home, thankfully finding a much shorter route to prepare for dinner. We met up with a connection I had (thanks Joyce) for dinner this evening. She and her friends have been living in Uganda for just over a year, so were able to give us some really good advice, as well as discuss the interesting work they do with public health organizations in Kampala. We went to this Ethiopian/Eritrean place that was delicious. We sat outside in this little garden that was barely lit (we had a candle on our table that kept burning out), drank our first Ugandan beer (Nile special--very good, especially since I'm not a huge fan of beer), and enjoyed some delicious lentils and injera. They told us about a B'ahai temple (one of only seven in the world) in Kampala, so we're going to meet up with another girl we met at dinner there tomorrow morning, then check out a vegetable market in the city. At night we might take another stab at trying to find the Ghanaian restaurant we attempted to eat at last night. Apparently it does still exist, is delicious, and is located on the other side of the city from where our guide book directed us (shame on you Lonely Planet).
Okay, ready for night two under my bed net.
Things I've noticed today:
1) It's amazing how much weight people can carry, mostly on their heads and shoulders. I wish I could take pictures but I feel awkward taking my camera out in the middle of the bustling sidewalks.
2) I thought Saturday was going to be much calmer than yesterday, but the opposite was true. Maybe because the business people don't have work, so the stores are even more congested. I think tomorrow will be less busy since around 80% of the population is Christian. I figure most people will be tending to their religious duties.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Day 1
Well, we made it through our first day! We spent the day exploring the city, getting lost several times among the unmarked streets. It started as soon as we left our hotel and turned the wrong way down the street. Nrupa says Kampala reminds her of a less crowded India. It probably doesn't hurt that a lot of the stores and brands here, like Bata shoes, are Indian, as well as a significant portion of the population. Since I've never been to India, I've associated the city with a more chaotic version of New York. The sidewalks are filled with vendors sitting on sheets on the ground selling things like wallets, bracelets, pens, and food. In between the vendors are MTN stands selling airtime for cell phones or calls (like a pay phone but you pay a person instead of a machine).
The streets are bustling with traffic, both motorized and pedestrian, at all hours. There are very few traffic lights in the city (I think I've seen 2 or 3), vans, cars, and boda bodas (motorcycles/dirt bikes that are used as taxis) drive in all directions, squeezing through spaces and edging out other cars. Technically Ugandans drive on the left side of the road, like their former colonizers from Britain, but its often difficult to discern this from watching the traffic. As there are no traffic lights, there are also no cross walks, so pedestrians are forced to dart across the street in front of speeding traffic. Nrupa and I are still getting used to this, though she's much better at it than I am. We've begun shadowing other people, staying close to them as they cross the street. Otherwise we spend several minutes on the sidewalk waiting.
We went to this shopping center to get out of the sun for a bit. Apparently other muzungus (it means "white person," but Ugandans use it to refer to all non-Africans; its not derogatory) had the same idea because the placed was packed with tourists. There was one store there I had read about in one of my guide books called Banana Boat that sells handmade crafts from all over Africa. Another is this gigantic super market where we got some fruit (in peels) and learned that we had been getting really ripped off when buying bottled water. We bought a liter from the store for Ush650 when the hotel had been charging us Ush1000 for a 20oz bottle. Oh well. That's the fate of being a muzungu in Uganda. The Ethiopian hotel manager told us that even he gets charged higher prices despite the fact that he's African and has lived in Uganda for 7 years.
From the shopping center, we took a boda boda home. I wasn't really keen on the idea, but Nrupa was excited to do it and I figured I might as well. I'd have to at some point anyway, so why not today. So the two of us clamored up behind the driver and off we went at top speeding weaving through the rush hour traffic. With no helmets. Me at the back and Nrupa squished between me and the driver. I grasped the little handle behind me with one hand and Nrupa's waist with the other. We hit a few potholes that made me feel like I was going to fall off the end of the bike, but we made it back safely, after our driver asked a few of his fellow boda boda friends for directions.
The sun was blazing, so we took a bit of time to rest and figure out where we wanted to go to dinner. After deciding on a Ghanaian place that we though was relatively close to our hotel, we set off. Naturally, we got lost again as soon as we left the hotel and had to has no less than 5 people for directions. Unfortunately, no one really seemed to know where this place was and pointed us in vague directions. The lack of street signs didn't help our confusion. After about 45 minutes of walking and several more requests for directions, we learned that the restaurant had gone out of business--thanks Lonely Planet. Lesson for the day: call establishments before we leave to make sure they still exist. We tried retracing our steps back towards the hotel, but got lost again...of course. So, we hoped on our second boda boda and headed for home. Upon spotting a promising looking restaurant (in that it was open and people were there), we got off, paid our driver Ush1000 then he was trying to charge us (though we still overpaid him) and had ourselves some delicious rice and beans in a place with about 8 tables and a TV playing Benjamin Button. Thankfully from the restaurant we spotted the neon sign for our hotel...right across the street...so we were able to walk back.
To end the day, we had an in depth chat with the hotel night manager (Andrew) about the politics of the US and Africa, ranging from the financial crisis to evangelical Christians to homosexuality (as most Africans, he's not a fan, though it doesn't seem like he supports the bill in Uganda proposing the death penalty for homosexuals, so that's good news). Now we're off to bed to prepare for whatever craziness tomorrow holds. Perhaps the Uganda Museum...)
The streets are bustling with traffic, both motorized and pedestrian, at all hours. There are very few traffic lights in the city (I think I've seen 2 or 3), vans, cars, and boda bodas (motorcycles/dirt bikes that are used as taxis) drive in all directions, squeezing through spaces and edging out other cars. Technically Ugandans drive on the left side of the road, like their former colonizers from Britain, but its often difficult to discern this from watching the traffic. As there are no traffic lights, there are also no cross walks, so pedestrians are forced to dart across the street in front of speeding traffic. Nrupa and I are still getting used to this, though she's much better at it than I am. We've begun shadowing other people, staying close to them as they cross the street. Otherwise we spend several minutes on the sidewalk waiting.
We went to this shopping center to get out of the sun for a bit. Apparently other muzungus (it means "white person," but Ugandans use it to refer to all non-Africans; its not derogatory) had the same idea because the placed was packed with tourists. There was one store there I had read about in one of my guide books called Banana Boat that sells handmade crafts from all over Africa. Another is this gigantic super market where we got some fruit (in peels) and learned that we had been getting really ripped off when buying bottled water. We bought a liter from the store for Ush650 when the hotel had been charging us Ush1000 for a 20oz bottle. Oh well. That's the fate of being a muzungu in Uganda. The Ethiopian hotel manager told us that even he gets charged higher prices despite the fact that he's African and has lived in Uganda for 7 years.
From the shopping center, we took a boda boda home. I wasn't really keen on the idea, but Nrupa was excited to do it and I figured I might as well. I'd have to at some point anyway, so why not today. So the two of us clamored up behind the driver and off we went at top speeding weaving through the rush hour traffic. With no helmets. Me at the back and Nrupa squished between me and the driver. I grasped the little handle behind me with one hand and Nrupa's waist with the other. We hit a few potholes that made me feel like I was going to fall off the end of the bike, but we made it back safely, after our driver asked a few of his fellow boda boda friends for directions.
The sun was blazing, so we took a bit of time to rest and figure out where we wanted to go to dinner. After deciding on a Ghanaian place that we though was relatively close to our hotel, we set off. Naturally, we got lost again as soon as we left the hotel and had to has no less than 5 people for directions. Unfortunately, no one really seemed to know where this place was and pointed us in vague directions. The lack of street signs didn't help our confusion. After about 45 minutes of walking and several more requests for directions, we learned that the restaurant had gone out of business--thanks Lonely Planet. Lesson for the day: call establishments before we leave to make sure they still exist. We tried retracing our steps back towards the hotel, but got lost again...of course. So, we hoped on our second boda boda and headed for home. Upon spotting a promising looking restaurant (in that it was open and people were there), we got off, paid our driver Ush1000 then he was trying to charge us (though we still overpaid him) and had ourselves some delicious rice and beans in a place with about 8 tables and a TV playing Benjamin Button. Thankfully from the restaurant we spotted the neon sign for our hotel...right across the street...so we were able to walk back.
To end the day, we had an in depth chat with the hotel night manager (Andrew) about the politics of the US and Africa, ranging from the financial crisis to evangelical Christians to homosexuality (as most Africans, he's not a fan, though it doesn't seem like he supports the bill in Uganda proposing the death penalty for homosexuals, so that's good news). Now we're off to bed to prepare for whatever craziness tomorrow holds. Perhaps the Uganda Museum...)
Thursday, May 20, 2010
UGANDA!
We made it! Nrupa and I are tucked into bed in our nice little hotel room in Kampala. Our flights weren't too painful--the one to Amsterdam passed very quickly, while the one to Uganda took FOREVER. And this woman in the row next to us got sick. Thankfully there were several doctors and nurses and on board, so she was fine.
Anyway, it's almost midnight here and I didn't sleep much on the plane so I'm going to try to get some sleep. More this weekend after we explore Kampala!
Anyway, it's almost midnight here and I didn't sleep much on the plane so I'm going to try to get some sleep. More this weekend after we explore Kampala!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Ready to leave...
So, my apartment's empty, my stuff is in storage, and my bags are packed (mostly). I guess I'm ready to go. Nrupa and I leave at 6:30 tonight, as long as the Icelandic volcano doesn't go off again and cause the Amsterdam airport to close. I can't believe that the day is actually here. I've wanted to work with TASO for about 4 years now, so the fact that I'm actually getting this opportunity is completely unreal.
I've heard so many stories from past fellows who have work with TASO telling me what an amazing experience they had and how fantastic all of the TASO employees are, so I know it's going to be a great time. But, being me, I'm still quite worried and a bit anxious. I just want to get there and start working.
We land in Uganda Thursday evening at 7:30 local time (12:30 on the East coast) and are spending the weekend in Kampala. We have an orientation at TASO Headquarters in Kampala on Monday, and then will be heading up to Mbale on Tuesday and probably start working at the local TASO Center there on Wednesday. So far we have trips planned (well, more discussed rather than planned) to Rwanda, Kenya (hopefully for a safari), and several places around Uganda. I'd like to go to Tanzania too if possible, but we may not have time/funds to get there.
Okay, off to finish packing...
I've heard so many stories from past fellows who have work with TASO telling me what an amazing experience they had and how fantastic all of the TASO employees are, so I know it's going to be a great time. But, being me, I'm still quite worried and a bit anxious. I just want to get there and start working.
We land in Uganda Thursday evening at 7:30 local time (12:30 on the East coast) and are spending the weekend in Kampala. We have an orientation at TASO Headquarters in Kampala on Monday, and then will be heading up to Mbale on Tuesday and probably start working at the local TASO Center there on Wednesday. So far we have trips planned (well, more discussed rather than planned) to Rwanda, Kenya (hopefully for a safari), and several places around Uganda. I'd like to go to Tanzania too if possible, but we may not have time/funds to get there.
Okay, off to finish packing...
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