I have tried numerous times over the past few weeks to blog about my last bit of time in Uganda, but weeks have turned into days and days are quickly turning into mere hours before I depart from the land of green bananas and giant trash-eating birds. How am I supposed to talk about what it is like to leave a place I have come to call home?

I think I’ve written and erased twenty different sentences tonight, all of which attempted to convey my thoughts on leaving, but none of which adequately express them. As an English major I find it frustrating that I’m unable to put words together to effectively communicate what I’ve been experiencing as I prepare to leave Uganda. But I’m coming to terms with the fact that I just don’t know what to say and I’ve stopped trying to figure it out for now. But I’ll give you the basics: I am coming back to California in just a couple of days and this transition is one I anticipate with intense sadness and great joy. Let’s leave it at that.

I will say that whether happy or sad, I’m embarking on yet another adventure, which excites me. I’ll be living with the parentals in a new house (we sold the house I grew up in), looking for a new job, and reconnecting with old friends. There may be some fun stories to tell—even blog-worthy—from the adventure of the impending “transition phase.” My stories won’t include arguments with boda-boda drivers but who knows—maybe I’ve been away so long that I will commit cultural blunders in my own culture worth retelling online. Stay tuned!

Until my next post stateside, please know that no matter what I am feeling about leaving, I am truly looking forward to seeing friends and family in California again soon. I appreciate each one of you and am eager to catch up on each of your lives. Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Love,

Megan

P.S. I’ve written one more boda-boda anecdote. If you want an example of how I go about settling a price for a boda-boda ride from my friend Emily’s house to a favorite breakfast place called “Java’s” (located at a gas station called “City Oil”), see below.

I stand on the side of the road looking towards oncoming traffic and flag down a boda-boda driver without a passenger. The Boda-Boda driver slows down, looks at me and says: You go?
Me: Mm *raise eyebrows, stick out lips*. I must go to City Oil on Bombo Road. You know it?
BB: Mm *raise eyebrows, stick out lips*.
Me: You know? How much?
BB: Four-thousand.
Me: Eh! No, that is too high. Make Two-five. Two-five is fair.
BB: No, it’s so far—four thousand.
Me: No, it is not far—it is close. I go all the time for only two-five.
BB: But fuel is so much and it is far.
Me: No, it is not far, and fuel is the same. Come, two-five is a fair price, Ssebo.
BB: Ok. Make three.
Me: No, three is too high. It is a Mzungu price!
BB: *Grin* It is not a Mzungu price. The fuel—
Me: Two-five.
BB: Ok, we go.

Notes:
This conversation has many variations and can go on for many minutes.
“Mm *raise eyebrows and stick out lips*” is a Ugandan way of saying yes with very little effort.
Four-thousand Shillings is about $2.00. Yes, I argue a difference of $0.25.
Two-five means 2,500 Shillings.
“Ssebo” means “sir.”
“Mzungu” means “white person.”

I am eager to relinquish my "Mzungu" status.

How do I measure a month?

4 services at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Naguru

1 Book Club Meeting

20 – 25 jogs through Kololo

4 meals at the Lorenzen’s house

31 bowls of cereal

6 servings of matooke

20 staff devotionals

2,678,400 seconds

3 meals at New York Kitchen

31 Showers

1 internet bill

1 electric bill

1 water bill

4 new episodes of Grey’s Anatomy and The Office

62 cups of tea

500+ emails

12 AIM chats

31 mornings waking up to the comforting smell of burning trash

31 nights under a mosquito net

25 tuna sandwiches

50 boda-boda rides

Here's to one more month!

Time to Celebrate

Many of you have asked me how I am going to be spending Christmas this year, since I'll be in Kampala until the end of January. Most of my friends and colleagues have left town for the holidays, but I do know a few people who have stuck around and whom I'll probably join for a Christmas Eve service at All Saints Cathedral, a big Christmas Day meal (most likely cooked by me--we'll see how that goes) and general merriment as we simply do what we do best: "hang out."

I officially have two weeks off from work, which is a real blessing. I have had time off over the past year, but I am thrilled about these two weeks because they'll be so quiet. Introverted by nature, I love alone time. Don't get me wrong--I'd gladly trade these two weeks for a few days of busyness with my loved ones in California. But since I can't be with my family, I am grateful for a couple weeks of solitude.

Apparently even Kampala will be dead quiet on Christmas Eve, Christmas and Boxing Day, due to the fact that most Ugandans pack up their families and head to their villages to be with their parents and extended family. There won't be any traffic, boda-boda's zipping up and down the street, and no one walking around. I can't wait to see such a strange sight in this busy city!

If you've spoken to me in the past three weeks, you've probably heard me complain that it doesn't feel like Christmas here. Due to the constant 85 degrees Fahrenheit, it's hard to feel Christmassy. But this year I have gotten to learn a lot about what Christmas is all about, and I am grateful for how I am celebrating this year. Although there are no presents under my little tree (pictured above, and which I bought and decorated to add a little "cheer" to my apartment), I don't miss them. Although I'm a bit lonelier this year than in years past, I am grateful to God for showing up and allowing me to draw closer to Him, and to learn more about the Son He sent to us over two thousand years ago. I have already learned so much and am in high spirits knowing that I won't be all alone this Christmas, but that God is with me, and He is enough.

I hope everyone has a fantastic Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year! Much love to you all from Uganda!

Mouse in the Couch

I'm not sure, but I think there's a mouse living in my couch. As I was watching an episode of Friends and eating lunch at my apartment today, out of the corner of my eye I saw a small, gray blob come up and over the top of my couch and slide down between the seat cushions. By the time I screamed, jumped and removed the cushions, the little gray blob was gone. Any ideas on how one gets a mouse out of their couch?

Pure Bliss

On Saturday I got out of bed at 10:36 a.m. and, still in my pj’s, wandered into my living room with Plain Truth, a Jodi Picoult novel I’d picked off of my roommate’s book case two nights before, under my arm. All Jodi Picoult novels are psychological and emotional thrillers culminating in an intense courtroom drama. These books are like literary dessert, and I’ve always had a sweet tooth. Needless to say, I was easily hooked. After grabbing a second bowl of Fruit ‘n Fibre cereal and checking my email, I closed my computer, stretched out on my couch, and proceeded to get lost in the story. Eight hours later, after finishing the book, I decided to get off the couch, put on some deodorant and join the real world for dinner. As I stepped out of my apartment and inhaled the smog for the first time that day, I felt happy and light. Bliss. I spent eight hours reading in my pj’s. I couldn’t have imagined a better way to spend my Saturday.

Fun Times

Last week was a fun week. On Sunday, Nov. 23rd, I got up at 5:25 a.m. to join 10,000 of my closest African friends at the MTN Marathon. MTN is a phone company here in Uganda and they sponsored a very well-attended marathon event. Luckily for me, there was also a 10K event, which is what I ran (sorry to disappoint any of you who thought I was crazy enough to run a marathon--I've walked 26 miles, but running 26 miles is completely different). Some of my friends, including my roommate, ran the half-marathon, but I stuck with the 10K. Although I run quite often, I rarely run more than 3 miles at a time, and considering my parents' visit and a crazy work life the week before they arrived, I had no to time to train (let alone run at all) before the event. But it was so fun! There was so much excitement as all 10,000 of us lined up for our respective events (marathoners at the front, 10K-ers at the back), and when I crossed the starting line at 7:30 a.m., I was overcome with energy and was ready to GO! I kept a nice pace, and completed the race in just over an hour. It was fun to run in a sea of yellow (MTN's color), although I probably ran closer to 11 K with all the weaving in and out of the hordes of people. It was such a rush to finish, too. In the last half kilometer, people really picked up the pace and it was fun to sprint across the finish line. I'm glad I completed the race, and who knows? Maybe I'll do a half-marathon next year.

After the run, I headed back to my apartment to shower, throw on some sweats, and went over to my friend Emma's house for our date with a very important man: Mr. Darcy. Although a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice, Emma had never seen the A&E version (yes, the 5 hour version), which I was eager to amend. With teacups full of our favorite teas, delicious pastries, and snap peas, we watched Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett work through their issues until, in the end, they fell in love. Although I can recite the lines along with the actors, I loved getting to watch it again with Emma. Emma has been a great buddy over the past 10 months, and I've loved getting to know her. We recently teamed up in Charades at her birthday party and enjoy discussing books, cracking up over funny incidents, and watching movies (we've also done a Lord of the Rings marathon--all three extended versions in one day!). It was a wonderful afternoon.

On Thursday I got to celebrate Thanksgiving at the second-largest Thanksgiving celebration of my life (the largest was in Oxford). I was invited to dinner at the home of a couple who have lived here for over 20 years, and who have made it their Thanksgiving ministry to invite all the "orphaned" ex-pats they can find between the ages of 18 and 35 to their home for dinner. The food was fantastic, and the company of 22 friends and acquaintances even better. I knew many of the guests, and enjoyed conversing with new and old friends. It was such a blessing to get to be in a home enjoying really good food for Thanksgiving. I felt so loved, and was very aware of all that I had to be thankful for, especially having friends who've become family. As we digested our meal and fought the effects of tryptophan, we had a Thanksgiving-Trivia competition. Split into two teams, the Pilgrims and Indians (I was a pilgrim) went head to head on questions of a historical and pop-culture nature. Did you know that Felix the Cat was the first balloon in the Thanksgiving Day parade? And that Plymouth Rock is no bigger than a car engine? I am pleased to say the Pilgrims won, after which the Pilgrims and Indians resumed friendship over homemade pies, store-bought ice cream, and coffee. It was a wonderful night and I am very grateful to have been a part of it.

This weekend I spent my time watching Miracle on 34th Street, reading Twilight cover-to-cover and had a friend-date with my good friend Emily. It was a very laid-back weekend, which I really appreciated. The next few weeks shouldn't be too hectic, but I am preparing to leave in less than 9 weeks! I can't believe my time here is coming to the end--I don't want to leave. But more on that later.

Top 10 of the Parentals’ Visit to Uganda

In an attempt to give you a sense of the week I spent with my parents, I’m giving you photos and a top-ten list of our week. I did take some videos on the iFlip my dad brought me, but give me a few more days to get the videos up.

Top 10 Highlights of my Parents’ week in Uganda:

10. Putting my parents on boda-bodas for the first time. Both rode them like pro’s, and humored me all week as I risked their lives to save a buck or two.

9. My Dad reminding me that he, in fact, can understand me without use of my Ugandan accent.

8. Walking an extra mile in Jinja because I was too proud to accept that I didn’t know my way around a foreign city and wouldn’t take directions from the locals. Although not one of my best moments, it did make finding the “Source of the Nile” sign that much more rewarding! Another Jinja highlight: having a chicken and guacamole wrap for lunch (the lack of Mexican food in Uganda is depressing and makes these rare moments very exciting).

7. Getting back rubs and “kisses all over my Shmucky face” from my mom. A girl can’t go much more than 10 months without these things, so it was a good thing my mom showed up when she did!

6. “You look just like your father!” Within the first three minutes of introducing my parents to my colleagues, at least five people proclaimed me my father’s mini-me. I can only wonder…is that a good or a bad thing?

5. My Dad enduring three hours of “girl talk” as my parents and I enjoyed dinner at a favorite local hangout with some of my closest friends here in Kampala: Kristen, Liz, Bo, Meredith and Ally. (In all honesty, my Dad said he loved getting to know such cool ladies.)

4. Bringing my parents to staff prayer on Wednesday and Friday mornings, where they met my Ugandan family, learned about our casework, and prayed with us. It was such an overwhelming moment to have both of my families come together like this. It was a very clear indication of God’s love for me--that He’d love me enough to bless me with a family here in Kampala and then bless me with a visit from my parents.

3. Watching the ferryboat drivers attempt to fix the ferry that was supposed to take us and our safari vehicle across the Nile and into the game park for our morning game drive. We watched them attempt to start the engine like it was a tiny speed boat, give up after a fruitless hour, and call a maintenance man. A while later a Uganda Wildlife Authority truck pulled up and a maintenance man jumped out to examine the problem. A few minutes later he walked back to his truck, drove off, only to return 20 minutes later with nothing but a pair of pliers. Oh, Uganda.

2. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Although we didn’t see any lions, we did see a plethora of giraffe, buffalo, elephants, gazelle, baboons, hippos, antelope, crocodiles, warthogs, exotic birds, and tsetse flies on our safari to Murchison park.

1. Getting to spend time just with my mom and dad. I loved the evenings we spent watching movies or episodes of 30 Rock. I enjoyed going to bed, knowing they were in the next room, and getting up to have breakfast with them. I enjoyed our meals with the Lorenzen family (who allowed my parents to stay in their guest house), and our walks to the office or the grocery store. I just loved having them around, to show them my life here, and help them experience some of the things Uganda has to offer. I am so grateful for their willingness to take time out of their lives to visit me all the way in Africa. It was such a blessing to have them here!