I've arrived. I arrived safely on Saturday morning after 18 hours of flying, 8 hours sitting around Heathrow airport, and an hour waiting for my bags (which all arrived as well!). I was greeted at the airport by IJM's driver; Julia, the girl whose position I will be filling as of Monday; and Kristen, my new roommate. The ride back to Kampala was really cool--although I'm surprised I remember any of it, I was so delirious--huge banana trees, rolling green hills, and markets lining the roads made for a wonderful introduction to the country.
Despite my delirium on Saturday, Julia and Kristen thought it only fitting that I be immediately initiated into Kampala culture, which meant a ride on a boda-boda, or motorcycle taxi. I was not surprised by the reality of how dangerous they are, but I WAS surprised by how fun they are! And, to add to the joy of riding around town on a warm, sunny afternoon, Julia and Kristen taught me how they like to sing songs from The Sound of Music to one another as their bodas zip past each another on the road. Having grown up in a Sound of Music-loving family and having a semi-musical childhood, I eagerly joined in.
The past 7 days have truly been fun. I am constantly laughing at myself as I learn cultural "no-no's" (explanation to come) and try new foods. The food has been good, and I look forward to acquiring the tastes native to the area. Starches and carbs overwhelm their diet, so I've limited myself to eating Ugandan cuisine about once a day. But I love the fruit--there seem to be endless amounts of pineapple, bananas, and Jack-fruit (something that I've never seen before and honestly kind of tastes like Starburst). There is a remaining British presence in Uganda (they drive on the left side of the road here) and to my relief and comfort, British foods are easy to come by so I'm able to eat foods I am used to.
Work has been great. I love all 13 of my new colleagues, from the guard (such a sweet man!) to my boss, Ally. Everyone has been very warm in welcoming me, and all are eager to introduce me to their culture. I work with lawyers, social workers, community-relations staff, investigators, and accountants. I have been training all week for my role as Executive Assistant to the Director of the office, and am so glad that Julia, the Exec. Assistant that I am replacing (her internship ends today), has been here to show me the ropes and provide me with all her wisdom. I think this will be a really exciting time as I get to know my colleagues and actually be a part of the work IJM does here in the field.
And now for a "cultural no-no" story: Two days ago, Julia and I managed to offend hundreds of people in Kampala. Generally in Kampala women ride on the boda's side-saddle, not straddling the seat. And when they do straddle (when riding two passengers to a boda), it's generally in pants or a long skirt that still covers all of their thighs and knees. But Wednesday I was not feeling well and asked Julia to ride the boda with me. The trouble was, she and I were both wearing suit skirts--skirts that do not stretch much and can only "hike up" to make straddling possible. So here we are, sitting on the boda one behind the other, skirts pulled way high (I'm talking MINI skirt style), exposing all of our thighs. We're all settled in, albeit a little uncomfortable, and as we start to drive down the street, Julia finally decides to inform me that the uncomfortably bare status of our legs was not only weird for us, but was so taboo in Uganda that we were essentially riding the boda topless. To my dismay we were committed to riding the boda and continued to drive the 5 minutes home, "flashing" everyone around us. I'm sure there are many stories to come.
The ex-patriot community here seems pretty close-knit and I'm enjoying meeting other westerners who have a similar passion for humanitarian, development, and/or human rights work. I'm also amazed at the number of ex-pats who are Christians. I am thrilled to continue getting to know people from this community, and I am hopeful that I'll be able to develop strong friendships here.
Well, I'm off. I promise to put some pictures up soon. Most of the afternoons here have been stormy, so I haven't taken many photos. And as for the intense rain, we keep getting these intense downpours that can last hours, complete with thunder and lightning. I'm told this is the dry season.
Love you all!
3 comments:
Megan! Glad you made it to Kampala safely. I just met with one of my friends who just came back from living in Kampala. She had the chance to meet Ally and Julia and others at IJM. Sounds like a great place! Glad that those storms are just storms for now. What did my security assessment say? Just kidding- you are in essentially one of our safest offices. You will do awesome!
Don't let Austin scare you - at least you don't have typhoons and flooding and volcanoes and whatever else to worry about! I'm excited for the opportunity you have ahead of you to experience so many new things and I am confident that God you will use you mightily in your time in Kampala (and not just to offend the locals from the back of a boda-boda). Have fun, and I look forward to seeing pictures whenever the internet permits!
Hi Megan! What is the local word for hello?! What a tremendous experience you're having! I am so happy for you and so grateful that you have taken on this endeavor to help the African people. If only our government would put the billions spent on killing in Iraq to good use helping Africans. I can picture you there and can picture the people bargaining on the streets and chatting with their friends. Those women running after you, how funny and strange all at once.
You take good care of yourself. Your mum is very proud of you, and so I'm I.
XOXO,
Sam
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