Updates

Oh, there have been so many random things to write about...

I hope nobody minds if I just got for efficiency this time and report everything in list form and in no particular order.

1. I am moved into my permanent residence for the summer. It's a nice house that is empty for the better portion of this summer, and I have to say that I got really, really lucky with accommodations. It would've been very difficult to find a furnished residence for just two months, especially for next to nothing!
2. I have a new housemate who arrived last week. He's a Japanese student who's come via Spain because that's where he's pursuing his MBA. He's supposed to learn Spanish as a requirement for his program, so we practice our broken Spanish together. Haha. It's pretty sad, but I'm his best and only option for a conversation partner.
3. I did my first out of town trip to Jinja. It's a really nice area about 2 hours outside of Kampala where you can enjoy nature, go rafting, bungee jumping, etc. I actually didn't get to do any of the rafting and adventure stuff, so instead, I decided to follow the lead of some Aussies and sort of body surf through the rapids. Seemed harmless enough. Yeah, I almost lost a chunk of my pinky toe in the rapids. It seems my poor form at entry left a lot to be desired. Haha. Good thing I wasn't in the Amazon, or I would've lost a limb to piranhas. I have a great picture of my toe looking pretty gnarly, but I will spare you that for now.
4. I tried my bunch of the local food since my last post. First and foremost, the rolex. No, not the watch. It's a different kind of rolex. Say it very slowly... rooolleexx = roll-eggs. Basically, it's a roti/chipati with a friend egg in it. The fancier option is basically like a veggie omlette (always best with fresh avocado). It is soooo delicious and my favorite thing so far. Too bad they are so greasy and usually wrapped in newspaper. This is why I try not to eat them too often -- the grease and the off chance that I will be poisoned by the news ink that I know I'm ingesting. Next, I tried the big staple foods of the country -- posho (a doughy mash made of maize) and matoke (green banana mash). These were ok. As one of my colleagues put it, Ugandan cuisine can be "a bit uninspired". I don't know if I'd quite put it that way, but I don't think that I'll be craving any of this stuff once I am gone. And talk about starch...
5. This one gets its own bullet point. I got to try Korean food in Kampala -- it's totally fake!!! Fake Korean food made by Chinese people. Haha. Not to stereotype, but I find that fact kind of amusing. I mean, I know that they are the ultimate purveyors of bootleg DVDs, but I didn't know that it extended to cuisine. All my colleagues seemed to love it (I don't think a single person, not even the expats had ever had Korean before). I was appalled because it was soooo not representative of how truly amazing Korean food can be, so I was apologizing the entire time, even though they were enjoying their meal immensely.
6. I had my first really negative experience in the town center at the taxi park. A bit of harassment during the day when I was out commuting by myself for meetings. I had to wack a passerby, who couldn't keep his hands to himself, with my umbrella. That and I had to repress the stream of profanities that were about to pour out of my mouth. I think I was reluctant to be the foreigner causing a scene in public. But I've decided. Next time, I'm totally causing a scene! Oh, and maybe drawing blood.
7. I also got to start my field research as of this week. I've been out in an area called Iganga, and it's been an interesting experience to say the least. Being different has never been so welcoming and isolating all at once. It's fairly poor and rural here, so the sight of a muzungu (european/white/foreigner) is pretty rare. The groups/communities I interact with for my research seem to be laughing about or at me fairly often from what I can tell. And I realize that I am a grown woman, but I think no matter how old you get, that is never a good feeling. However, when I walk down the street, the children are soooo excited at the sight of a muzungu that they always yell, "how are you muzungu?" and "bye muzungu". They love it when I wave at them or acknowledge them. Some children will even run down the road just to greet me and for the chance to shake my hand. The novelty of the experience literally gets them all giddy. It's the cutest thing ever.

Okay. I'll stop there for now. I wish I could share pictures of all of this. Hopefully soon. For now, please use your imaginations. =)