Oli Otya!

Sometimes you just have to jump over the fence.

Yesterday class and site visits left me feeling sapped of energy and I went home early, only to find the gate locked. The call button induced no response, nor did my calls for Rose, nor did the questions I asked our neighbors. One little boy stopped and seemed eager to chat; even though he emphatically assured me he’d seen a muzungu jump a fence before, I’m pretty sure it’s the first time that a white girl in a stripped skirt and sandals has scaled that wall. I know because I recounted the event to each member of my family later that night. I’d been uneasy at home the night before, unsure of my place in the household, but laughing really helped last night and I’m glad to be living with the Tenywa family.

Today was the first day we have seen rain. Until now, Kampala to me was the red dust that envelops the city, swept up from taxis, boda bodas, and bikes breaking and accelerating erratically (to experience crossing the street, think Frogger). This morning all the potholes were filled with water. It’s hard to “look smart”, dress nicely, when the mud is so successful at clinging to shoes and ankles. Weather is usually sunny and hot, and it’s surprising how green the city is amidst the dust.

The 1^st week of orientation helped ease us into a new culture and a city completely unique to anything I’ve seen before. We talked safety, academics, social etiquette, etc, but mostly it was good time to get to know the other 28 people on the trip. During the first days of homestay it’s been reassuring to have others to compare stories with. Our first excursion to the source of the Nile. Like many things in the past week, it was surreal to personally witness what I’ve read and heard about. It’s sometimes hard to believe that things are happing to you, not just around you.

Despite the fact that sweets are not common here, my host family greeted me with a cake covered in icing the consistency of a valentine candy heart. It will take some adjusting to living with a new group of people, but my family has been incredibly welcoming and understanding so far. I live with a mom, dad, 2 older sisters Jackie and Barbara, 2 secondary school aged brothers, Ibram and Derrick, a helper Rose, Tina (6), and Divine (3). Barbara, whose room I’m sharing, is getting married in April. The fence enclosing the home contains the main house (3 rooms, living room, and dining area), a row of 3 additional bedrooms, a room rented to another Jackie, and the pit latrine. A large percentage of daily life occurs in the courtyard between the buildings.

In the back corner of the yard, I can consistently see more stars than I’ve seen standing next to any home. The constellations are almost as clear as I can ever remember seeing them (of course the power outage 2 nights ago did help). It’s a small unexpected surprise that in these first few days has helped me adapt to cool outdoor bucket baths.

Food, Luganda, taxi rides home, commuting into a city: all things I’m still adjusting to. Its exhilarating and exhausting at the same time.