Think Big, But Start Small

Sorry that this is coming to you so late since my arrival here in Uganda! I hope you all are doing well! I saw that quote on the back of a bus on our way into Kampala, so once I got beyond the tail pipe smoke I thought I found an appropriate encouragement for how to start blogging about my experiences thus far. I know I’m not the best at staying in touch, but hopefully this will be a good jumping point for the rest of the semester. I love it here in Uganda J After my first week of class we embarked on a new journey with our home stay families, which has been interesting to say the least. So, for these past two weeks I have been learning different aspects of Ugandan family life. I live with my “jajas”, which are my grandparents. They have been so gracious with me as I have stumbled my way through their language and customs, but not without some laughter on both sides as well. I have several brothers, who are actually all cousins, but we call each other brothers and sisters. The eldest, Denis, is 20 years old and very bright. He has such an appetite for knowledge, always asking questions (especially about the United States). I had a sister, Liz, too (also a cousin), but she left just a few days ago to return to her mom, who actually is her aunt. I have learned that most of my siblings’ parents have died, which is why ‘jaja’ has taken them all in. They are such a loving family, I love them so much! The second oldest brother, Joel, is 18 years old, and quite the class clown. He loves to tell me all sorts of mythical stories and take advantage of my gullible nature, which has provided ample amusement for both of us. I also have many younger brothers, who I can’t always keep track of, but a few are Rino, Jason, Paul, Ramon, Andrew, and Allen. They love to follow me around and have me repeat phrases in the local language, Luganda, which is usually also followed by laughter because of my awesome pronunciation. One thing I wasn’t expecting was the kneeling. I have to kneel to my grandparents and anyone who is elder to me, which males do not do at all. Surprisingly enough I don’t mind it all that much. They see it as a sign of respect and I kind of like the different approach to interacting with others.
Food has been another interesting experience. On campus each day there is usually rice and beans for lunch and dinner (or supper as they call it). Some days they have mtoke, which is their staple food. It’s this form of banana which is peeled and cooked and mashed up like mashed potatoes. It doesn’t have much taste to it, so they usually drench it in the sauce from the beans. Another food they have is posho, which basically is flour and water cooked together and served as large chunks of white stuff, which is also tasteless and usually drizzled with the bean sauce. Some days though they have meat or sweet potatoes. I always get excited when they have fruit because the fresh pineapple and bananas are to die for J you can literally peel the banana and smell the scent within seconds, it’s so ripe. Chapati is one of my favorite foods, but it’s pretty heavy too. It’s flour cooked in cooking oil. It’s kind of like flat bread or tortilla bread. I’m not too sure what else to write just yet, I’ve had so many experiences already that my mind is on overload. Hopefully I’ll be able to write more later, maybe next week when I am living on campus again instead of with my family, which has dominated my time thus far. Well , I love you all and pray you are doing superb!!

P.S. Snail mail if you get the chance is:

Carolyn Stoeckle, Uganda Studies Program
Uganda Christian University
PO Box 4
Mukono, Uganda

( FYI: They recommend padded envelopes instead of packages because of processing)