3 for 3!
Our group has been treated to another taste of true African living. We have experienced first-hand all unreliable household services. Over the past week here, we have had electricity for about 2-3 days total, and as of today have also lost all water privileges as well as access to any phone line. Thus the title, 3 for 3. We'll buy bottled water, but our luxurious flush toilets are not going to be functioning for a while, so it's back to the pit latrines! At Canada house, ours is a six foot tall, 3' by 4' room with nothing but a small hole in the middle. Saddle up and take aim.....or would this count as bareback? To accompany us in nature's calling are geckos to the left and right, flies above, and who knows what below.
Mbarara is beginning to feel like a good home town. It has three or four streets, all lined with meat shops, locally-dubbed "supermarkets", 5 by 5 foot salons, some nice clothing shops, and of course the cell phone stores. Everyone in Uganda has a cell phone. It's another crazy phenomenon; these people will dress like champs, whip out their cell phones, and go home to their cement shack or mud hut. Talk about cultures colliding. Of course, the cell phones are pay as you go, so everyone "flashes" or "beeps" their friends. This just means that they call a friend, but hang up in time to not have to pay for the call. Then, ideally, said friend will call right back. As you can imagine, we have all been the victims of flash calls already, as we are loaded mzungus who have cash to burn.
Sadly, it's kind of true. We are high rollas here, and we can't deny it. We've been feeding a group of 14 for about $30 per dinner. A "special hire' taxi costs about $5, split between four people, just over a dolar each. That price gets us to town every day. We went to a restaurant down the street, where we dined on goat stew, chapati, a delicious fried flat bread kind of like nan, and Stoney, a drink sort of like gingerale but multiply the ginger by about 100. Burns on the way down, but I'm sure does wonders for the digestion. We were able to feed 5 of us for about $9. No wonder we are apt to get ripped off, we pretty much deserve it.
We've been taking Runyankole lessons here, and let me tell you that this language is a huge bitch. Maybe it's the fact that it is about the farthest thing from any latin based language I've ever heard, but my mouth can barely form most of the sounds. But it is a fun language, and I am actually really enjoying studying it. For exapmle, to say "repeat", you say "kukarugamu". R's here are essentially interchangeable with "L", kinda like you'd roll an "r" in spanish. Try it. How fun is that to say? That's what I thought. Makes me wish I could stay longer than just 2.5 months! During our lessons, some neighbor kids always crowd around the hedges of canada house and giggle at our pathetic attempt at their language. I'm sure they thought it was great when we sang a song meant to help little kids remember how to count to ten. The verse of the song (besides the numbers) translates to "we little sheep know how to count". But to be honest, I enjoyed singing the song so much that my dignity has remained unharmed.
As I might have mentioned before, we are leaving for Rubingo on Monday. There I will begin my work researching the fuel efficient stoves and other previous ACTS projects. I'll probably get to use a bit of my runyankole, although I don't know much more than greetings, basic foods, and some numbers right now. I'll also get to begin my incredibly varied and nutritious diet of posho matooke, beans and rice three times a day, everyday. Oh! We do get to eat fruit, and god damn, you who have not visited africa have never truly tasted a pineapple. Words fail me. Sure we have running water, electricity, health care, etc, but man do they ever have some delicious pineapple.
It may be a while before I get back to Mbarara for another post, so sit tight and don't worry, I am not yet dead.
Mbarara is beginning to feel like a good home town. It has three or four streets, all lined with meat shops, locally-dubbed "supermarkets", 5 by 5 foot salons, some nice clothing shops, and of course the cell phone stores. Everyone in Uganda has a cell phone. It's another crazy phenomenon; these people will dress like champs, whip out their cell phones, and go home to their cement shack or mud hut. Talk about cultures colliding. Of course, the cell phones are pay as you go, so everyone "flashes" or "beeps" their friends. This just means that they call a friend, but hang up in time to not have to pay for the call. Then, ideally, said friend will call right back. As you can imagine, we have all been the victims of flash calls already, as we are loaded mzungus who have cash to burn.
Sadly, it's kind of true. We are high rollas here, and we can't deny it. We've been feeding a group of 14 for about $30 per dinner. A "special hire' taxi costs about $5, split between four people, just over a dolar each. That price gets us to town every day. We went to a restaurant down the street, where we dined on goat stew, chapati, a delicious fried flat bread kind of like nan, and Stoney, a drink sort of like gingerale but multiply the ginger by about 100. Burns on the way down, but I'm sure does wonders for the digestion. We were able to feed 5 of us for about $9. No wonder we are apt to get ripped off, we pretty much deserve it.
We've been taking Runyankole lessons here, and let me tell you that this language is a huge bitch. Maybe it's the fact that it is about the farthest thing from any latin based language I've ever heard, but my mouth can barely form most of the sounds. But it is a fun language, and I am actually really enjoying studying it. For exapmle, to say "repeat", you say "kukarugamu". R's here are essentially interchangeable with "L", kinda like you'd roll an "r" in spanish. Try it. How fun is that to say? That's what I thought. Makes me wish I could stay longer than just 2.5 months! During our lessons, some neighbor kids always crowd around the hedges of canada house and giggle at our pathetic attempt at their language. I'm sure they thought it was great when we sang a song meant to help little kids remember how to count to ten. The verse of the song (besides the numbers) translates to "we little sheep know how to count". But to be honest, I enjoyed singing the song so much that my dignity has remained unharmed.
As I might have mentioned before, we are leaving for Rubingo on Monday. There I will begin my work researching the fuel efficient stoves and other previous ACTS projects. I'll probably get to use a bit of my runyankole, although I don't know much more than greetings, basic foods, and some numbers right now. I'll also get to begin my incredibly varied and nutritious diet of posho matooke, beans and rice three times a day, everyday. Oh! We do get to eat fruit, and god damn, you who have not visited africa have never truly tasted a pineapple. Words fail me. Sure we have running water, electricity, health care, etc, but man do they ever have some delicious pineapple.
It may be a while before I get back to Mbarara for another post, so sit tight and don't worry, I am not yet dead.
posted by graeme at 5:43 AM
1 Comments:
Mmmm, pineapple - that sounds good! You are right, who needs modern conveniences if you can have grat tasting fruit. I like the dichotomy of the 3rd world culture with high tech cell phones. That is a trip. Living below poverty line (I guess) and dressing great and having cell phones. I dress like a slob and don't have a cell phone, heh, strange. Be safe and good luck with the plumbing!
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