Here are some random thoughts that I've collected since arriving here. I'm sure I'm forgetting some so be prepared for a part 2 at some point...
The tp is green… and you have to carry it with you cause
there’s no guarantee it’ll be in the bathrooms.
There are road signs reminding people to stay on the left
side of the road… on a two lane highway. That would be like a sign reminding us
to stay on the right side of the road.
You lose internet access when it rains
Like most 3rd world countries it seems like
everybody is selling the same things. I spend the whole time wondering how
anybody makes enough money to survive.
There are goats EVERYWHERE. And chickens.
Things here are cheap, compared to the States. Except that
we’re always told a Mzungu price… and at what point does it get ridiculous for
us to bargain for 23 cents?
It no longer shocks me to see how much stuff can be fit on
the back of a boda-boda or bike, but it still makes me laugh.
The amount of air pollution here does gross me out, and I
comment on it every time I see it.
Life here seems to be centered around water. It’s amazing
how much we take it for granted in the States. Everywhere you look there are
people carrying water back to their homes in the bright yellow jerry cans. There’s
a water source by the road on the way to the clinic, and there are always many
kids carrying heavy jugs of water up a hill that makes me and Jamie sweat with
just our backpacks on. We were without water here at eMi for a day, and it was
a great reminder of how the rest of Uganda lives.
The environment here seems to expand your senses:
There is always some sort of noise outside you can hear, no
matter what time of night it happens to be. I’m just now getting used to
sleeping through the night without earplugs. Plus it’s weird to be surrounded
by a language that I don’t understand AT ALL.
The roads are red, and so there is always some color in your
life. Plus the shops are brightly colored and since all the wares are sold in
the street there is no bland grey when you look around.
Things smell more here too. People don’t wear deodorant, and
burning your trash is a very common activity. There are also good smells,
especially when walking by a pineapple stand, or bakery.
Food tastes different, as well. Ketchup is a paste,
pineapple is so good it’s almost a different food, chipati (the main food here)
is always fried, as are the second most popular food, samosas. They’re
triangular and as far as I can tell like eggrolls. They can be filled with
either meat or veggies, and are nice and cheap.
Clothes are line dried so are harsher. You wake up tangled
in mosquito netting. The roads are rarely paved, and even when they are there
are so many bumps and pot holes you can literally feel your ride.
