To start off, if you want to call/talk to me and have an iphone-download viber (free wifi calling and texting) otherwise I have skype. If you want to mail me something(=]) use an envelope or packing envelope (no boxes as they can talk up to 2 months) and send it to:
Allison Hultquist
UCU - Uganda Studies Program
PO Box 4
Mukono Uganda
There. I'm pretty not so great at writing blogs. And, I had this great one that I had been working on for a week and was finally happy with it and it somehow disappeared. I was heartbroken and tempted to never write a blog again, in my life. But I decided to do another, otherwise I'd probably never ever write a blog again. Also, this is now like 2 weeks crammed into one blog so bear with me. Also, also, its going to be jumpy/choppy/scrambled so prepare you brains now.
So, I got to Uganda at 11:28pm on January 1st. After getting my bags, exchanging currency and finding my ride to my hostel I went to sleep, exciting right? The first couple days were great, there were only 4 of us here so we explored, found a couple beaches, found a local village and ate at an amazing restaurant.
We met up with the rest of the group as people trickled in on the 4th and then finally we headed off the the school.
Highlights:
- Saw a camel walking down the road
- Had a scavenger hunt in Mukono - talk about being the minority and sticking out!
- Learning how to barter, the first time being pretty awkward!
- Having my first Rolex
- Swimming in Lake Victoria
- Eating fresh mangos that would fall from the trees as the monkeys ran away
- Squaty potties...
- Getting internet! =]
Some ideas that I had coming into the experience that have already been proven wrong:
- Eating a lot more than just rice and beans. And having more food than I can actually eat
- The "smartness" of Africans. Here, nice cloths, clean appearance, and bathing regularly are highly valued. (Seriously, I have showered more here than I do at home. Haha)
- One of our directors stated that Ugandans would rather have an iron that food, it's so valued to have ironed clothes!
- English is primary spoken on campus and most people have pretty good English
- The value of modesty here.
Granted, we haven't seen much past the University and the surrounding town. So... TBC
Coming from onething conference was hard. In some senses it prepared me to leave the states by leaving me with a lot of questions and internal conflict and I can see Uganda being a great place to let the things that I'm seeing and living in confront me, allow them the right to be offensive. This is a great place to look at my values, my concepts of the world and dissect them. It's interesting, I'm seeing lack, poverty, and hopelessness all around me as I walk through the town, or even in places on campus. But what truly defines lack? If someone has never had something I may consider a need, is it still then a lack --> Absolute vs relative poverty.
Today, we went back into town and it's crazy how much more comfortable we were just on our second day. It is kind of difficult to decide whether you want to ignore most of the people who are out, ie men, and come off as the stereotypical white person who doesn't really care, or you can say hey and smile and portray something more that you're wanting to... It will be cool to look at how I live and interact in the city changes as I get the hang of it more. =]
My prayer,
God would you grant me the power through your Holy Spirit to love the son of God as you do. Would you help my heart gaze in wonder at the I AM, the self-existent God which no creature can think. Would you help me embrace humility and open my eyes to see as you do. Guard my heart as I open it up to let my surroundings and the culture pull at what I currently believe and the way that I see the world. Help this trip become more than simply a pit stop in my life, I want to be influences, be confronted, be a learner, be steeped in humility and love. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Couple of pictures.. my hostel room the first couple nights and the early arrivers on the beach!
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