A Lazy Rainy Friday Afternoon

So , its about 3:30 on Friday, I'm sitting in our IMME quarters listening to the rain fall softly outside. That is one of the wonderful things about Uganda, it rains consistently every afternoon. So, each day I sit with the door open reading or doing homework and enjoying the rain that is usually so sparse in Phoenix. I thought I would use this time to catch you up on daily African life...

First off, the Ugandans are notorious for going to be late and getting up before any one ever should think to. So my dad usually includes waking up between 6 and 6:30 usually to faith screaming or laughing. Yesterday I woke up to the loud commotion of my mom spraying Raid in her eyes...not good! Then I usually go right to my lovely bucket shower. They realized since I am a Mzungu-white person, that I would have a lot of difficulty if they did not also provide me with a cup to wash my hair out. Then I have breakfast which is always tea with bread, once now I have been given eggs. Then I'm off to school, there are 4 other IMME students who live close by so I have always had a walking companion for most of the way. My days at school are all vastly different, the class schedule is not done on any schedule at all. Class is when it is convenient for the teacher so it can change often. At 10:30 it is tea time again where I have a choice between milk tea and black tea. Then usually back to class until lunch time from 1-2. The afternoons either are full of class or homework, there are hundreds of pages of reading each week and the books are located, hopefully, in one of the three libraries. Then tea time again at 4:30...as you can tell they take their tea time very seriously. We usually leave to walk home at about 6 and I arrive home around seven. Tea, is again, promptly served as soon as I walk in the door. I then sit with Rachel, my adopted house sister, and she teaches me how to cook matoke-unripe bananas that have the consistency of mashed potatoes, cassava-a root that is pretty gross, rice and beans. Last night we had cooked pumpkin! When my dad comes home we usually watch the news together or he teaches me a little language. We have family devotion at 8:30 until whenever dinner is ready. Devotions is a sweet time where we read from a devotional book, and the Bible. Then we all discuss the application it has to our lives. I have been able to lead the devotion once and the prayer once. Their prayers are almost like sermons, they pray for literally everything but it is a really intimate time. Then dinner is usually ready. At dinner I am usually exhausted so they let me go to sleep as soon as it is over. A few times I have actually gone to sleep before Faith does. My family is pretty modern in that they let me serve myself and we talk at dinner. In very traditional families they do not talk around the dinner table but the first day my dad told me they do not do that because it is the best family time (just like at home!) so we should not waste it. My parents have realized my habits and are no longer offended when I go to sleep right away. In fact, a few days ago my mom told me I eat very little (they eat a ton!) and sleep very much. And that ends my day which starts the same the next day! Life has a bit more of a routine now so it more relaxing.

Tomorrow we are going to an introduction ceremony and a wedding if we have time! An introduction ceremony is when a woman introduces who her husband will be, before the ceremony they have dated but it is after he asks to marry her that they have the ceremony. It is a huge deal, even bigger than most weddings. It is also full of tradition and good food! I will wear the traditional clothes and it will take a lot of the day. In Ugandan culture, the friends pretty much pay for the wedding and bring gifts to help the new couple, similar to our engagement parties and showers but more. I am very excited to see this part of the culture, be anxious for my next post when I will tell you all about it. For now, I am off, my family should be calling soon!!!