Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Things I have experienced in country...

  • Riding a little motorcycle called a boda boda, a main form of transportation here.
  • Eating a samosa (veggies and beans wrapped in a dough similar to a wonton, yum).
  • Atending church that makes me feel at home.
  • Riding a boat to the source of the Nile, Lake Victoria.
  • Making mud pies out of red clay.
  • Jumping on a trampoline.
  • Seeing a man fall off the back of a boda boda, then jump up and get on again.
  • Getting sunburned at the pool, even with enough sunblock to make my skin whiter than it already is.
  • Watching my hubby play futbol (soccer) with local kids.
  • A cockroach in my bed.
  • Attending a Ugandan Independence Day celebration, ie a political rally. We were the only muzungus in the crowd.
  • Shopping at the market for food for the children.
  • Ryans chips masala and chicken coconut curry at Kingfisher.
  • Seeing my hubby lead worship with an all Ugandan worship team!
  • Walking (or footing it, as the locals say) across an old foot bridge over the Nile.
  • Seeing a dead man in the middle of the road early on our way to Kampala.
  • Watching Auntie Aida eat a whole fish head. The others had the rest, not a piece wasted.
  • Pushing M. in the tire swing.
  • Extreme thunder and lightning storms.
  • Playgrounds that in no way would meet US safety standards.
  • Running from a huge stork diving towards me while making some sort of strange prehistoric/alien sound effects.
  • Feeling so impatient with the process.
  • Being called Muzungu (white person) everywhere we went. It's like we're rock stars!
  • Giving high fives, hand shakes and fist bumps (bongas) to the local children.
  • Buying beef at the local market, cut straight from the carcass.
  • Seeing a man carrying a queen sized bed on the back of a boda.
  • Making many new friends. People here are so friendly.
  • Small children begging for money.
  • True worship and prayers before bed for the children at the orphanage.
  • Beautiful birds.
  • Waking to a rooster crowing at 5 am.
  • Sweating buckets from walking a half a mile in the sun.
  • Difficulty sleeping.
  • Seeing too many people dumpster diving.
  • Having my feet turn orange from the dirt roads.
  • Swimming with M.
  • Court hearings in the capital.
  • Beautiful art and crafts.
  • A Christian rap concert and getting interviewed by a tv station prior.
  • Learning a bit about Ugandan history.
  • Opportunities to read books.
  • Buying and enjoying a fresh ripe pineapple.
  • Seeing a man ride the rapids on a water jug down Bujagali Falls.
  • Watch fisherman cast their nets on the river.
  • Holding M. as she is suffering from a seizure.
  • Off roading daily on unpaved, eroded muddy roads.
  • Seeing how SLOWLY things move here.
  • Watching a poorly edited local soap opera.
  • Loading four adults and 11 children into an eight passanger vehicle.
  • Taking several cold showers a day. You learn to love them.
  • Loving on 14 special children every day.
  • A lovely iced vanilla latte occasionally in town.
  • Witnessing extreme poverty.
  • Meeting wonderful missionary families who are doing wonderful things.
  • Extreme disappointment and let down.
  • Ugandan "drive thru", buying chapati from a stand while driving through the middle of a small village.
  • Feeling like there is a perfect plan in all this and a reason we are here now.
  • The "swimming attire" for some local kids at the pool, see through, suits on backwards, etc!
  • Feeling secure, yet not so much with armed soldiers, police and security everywhere.
  • Learning different English words. Like "shading" for coloring, "smart" for handsome or cute, and so on.
  • Drying off with a crunchy line dried towel.
  • Hearing a praise testimony at church about a village duck thief.
  • Going to the Speke Monument (explorer who discovered the source of the Nile).
  • Getting wet, slobbery kisses from M.
  • Stepping over goats in the middle of the road or path.
  • Feeding chickens from the dining table.
  • Spending lots of quality time with my husband.
  • Waiting too long to eat a popsicle and drinking it instead.

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