We had an early start this morning because the man we were supposed to meet set a time of 8 am. We had to leave at 7 to get there on time. We arrived on time, but got a call from Charles saying he stayed in the village and would be there at 9! We went out and got a snack of Chapati and then came back. Joseph was showing us an avocado tree. Then he went out and talked to the guy the guards the gate and came back with three avocados! He had told the guy I like them and he went out and picked them for me! He is so much more than a driver! Charles is a guy who my mom's cousin supports financially but has never been to Uganda. My mom visited two years ago to see his school and wanted to do something again with them. Unfortunately because the kids are on holiday there isn't much work for her. Instead, she brought materials over to help the teachers enhance their skills and encourage them in their work. It was so great to see her working in her own element. So many times on this trip, she is doing things that are out of her comfort zone. When it comes to teaching, she is an expert. She has been doing it for over thirty years! She brought a bunch of teaching materials and activities that can be done with very little resources such as tracing letters in the sand outside and using recycled items for games. She had great music, too, that she was teaching to the teachers (and Joseph the cab driver!). We spent the entire morning there. Charles really wants my mom to come back for an extended visit where she can work with lots of kids while they are in school. I think if we can convince my dad to come for month, the two of them could do some really great things at that school!!!
On the way back, Joseph was telling us a story in true Ugandan fashion. "You see that swamp over there. There are many pythons that live there. There was a man who was walking with what?....his dog. He turned around and saw the python had gotten his dog but when chased the python away. So then he decided to catch what?...the python. So he went and got a what?...a rope. He tied the rope to what?...a tree. Then he tied the other end to what? the dead dog. He waited for a long time and then the python came back. The python started to eat swallow the dog, but then he got stuck because why?...the rope. It was tied to what?....the tree. So the man killed the what?...the python." - okay, so it is not completely accurate in retelling the story, but it's very common for people to tell stories with all of these questions. For a long time I used to answer the questions when people would say things like, "We are going where?". I finally realized they are part of the language and I stopped answering a lot of questions. Now I wait to see if people will tell me the answer or if I need to give my own. Apparently, the way that questions are in Luganda is a bit different, so when it is translated to English it comes with questions and answers.
We stopped by Capital Shoppers to see the damage from the fire. It really isn't relatively too bad. Only a few stores actually burned completely, including the shoe store where it started. That store is a huge chain so I don't feel quite so bad, but the smaller ones are owned by some local people who lost a lot. In addition, a ton of stores have smoke damage. However, most of the stores in the complex were open and there were crews working hard to clean up the mess. I put up a couple of pictures so you can see what we saw.
We spent the rest of the day shopping at the craft markets and then having dinner with Angella and another friend at Javas. I always get made fun of for ordering the same thing....a avocado, cheese, and tomato sandwich. I don't care. I love it and I never eat them at home! I will eat them as long as I am here.
No comments:
Post a Comment