homestay in mukono

hey guys....sorry its been so long since i've written. i'm pretty busy here trying to figure out how to do homework, spending time with friends (and now family), and making plans for the summer. ok....so lemme tell you bout those things quickly (before lunch which like all meals on campus is only served for 1 hour and then tough luck).

soo....homework is interesting. access to books and computers is limited, which i already mentioned....im starting to get used to using the library and sharing books, but i haven't had to write any papers yet so that isn't really an issue. i can feel some stressful moments coming up soon though. :-p

friends here are interesting. boys are super easy to make friends with. they're outgoing and funny (and cute ow ow). girls are a bit more shy and so making friends with them takes a bit of work (and we all know that i have problems with people who aren't super nice to me....yes, i admit it. i dont know how to handle people who dont just love me loudly and proudly as soon as they meet me....everyone should, darn it!)....so yeah....i'm pressing through the awkwardness and making friends with some girls. (our intern says it's worth it....the girls are the amazing friends). i'm starting to see that that's true. if you tell someone you'll visit....and don't....you're in huge trouble. if you have work to do, but a friend stops by to visit....you visit. if your friend is carrying something....you help. if your friend has to walk somewhere....you walk with them. if your friend needs you....you're there for them. now....don't get me wrong....i'm not saying my friends at home wouldn't do most of these things....my friends are amazing. i AM learning though that i am not the best friend. i often escape to the library to do work so that i wont be "distracted" by my roommates.....haha.....if you know my roommates you can understand this. ;-)....butt really....how stupid? they are amazing people and now that i'm apart from them i can't believe that i missed out on that time with them....and im even more sorry that when i was with them (or other friends) i worried about the things i had to do. spending time with friends should be on the top of your list of things to do.....not an afterthought. guys.....i miss you all and love you so much. i get a lil teary eyed (yes, yes....stone cold jess meigel gets teary) when i read your notes....and its not because im all that homesick or because i hate it here, but because i love you all so much.....i hope you know that.

mmmm....so yeah.....this past weekend i started my homestay. im in a lil village outside of mukono. i live w/ my mom, dad (james!), and 4 sisters (millie 10, sarah 12, winnie 16, and flavia 17), brother (graceon 8), and cousin (modesto 13....butt looks about 9). they are amazing people. they are so welcoming and loving. my dad told me about my tribe (baganda) and clan (monkey....haha....go figure) and gave me an african name--nasalli. (whatdaya think ganja?) it doesn't mean anything, but its a name that brings great honor.

sooo....we are supposed to just do everything they do. saturday morning they woke me up @ the butt crack of dawn to do chores. i washed dishes and laundry (by hand, mind you). they tried to teach me to do it correctly (bending at the waiste, back straight....not squatting).....i thought i was flexible....i was wrong. then i helped my cook.....peeling with a giant knife is not the same as using a peeler....why didn't you teach me how to do that, mom?! my sisters and mom are crazy good at their work...they do it so fast and efficiently. they told me they start doing chores really young. when they're @ boarding school they peel their own food and wash their own clothes (oh....just about everyone goes to boarding school here....they're the best schools....all but 2 of my siblings go.....and most of the UCU students ive asked said they went to one.

hmmm....my house is very nice. i sleep on a triple bunk (and yes....i've banged my head @ least twice). i won't whine about our beeson room anymore. my dad works with digital cameras and camcorders so we have a computer, and a tv, and a dvd player--which is weird.....considering we don't have running water or toilets. so on sunday (after id swept, mopped, and gone to church--which is a whole other entry ill save for later) i went to a job w/ my dad.

we packed in a car 6 of us to drive to kampala. my dad insisted that i sit in the front while 3 adults crammed in my back w/ my sister. that was experience number 1 of my being super uncomfortable. i want to say that dad was treating my specially because im a guest.....but last night my sisters told me it is a great honor for them to be hosting a muzungu (white person). i HATE that i get preferential treatment because im white. they are amazing people....who work so hard....why should they treat me specially because i happened to grow up in the richest country in the world?

bah....anyway.....the service we went to was called a "first visit." the whole time i thought i was going to an introduction (a piece of a very long marriage tradition), but it turned out i was wrong. the ceremony was when a father was claiming an illegitimate child as an official child. this totally blew my mind.....such things are kept on the dl in the states....we don't throw parties and get families together. im still trying to understand this part of african culture. the father also has 2 wives and lots of children.

i couldn't figure out the purpose of the ceremony since the dad was already supporting his son....my dad told me it was so that he could start treating him like a son (he can now cane him....yes, child abuse and spouse abuse is perfectly legal here. they also beat kids @ school on a regular basis....all my friends said they were canned for various reasons....talking performing poorly, etc). yeah.....

so that was quite the experience. first of all.....the ceremony was LONG....there is NO WAY americans would do such a thing.....simply because we all have add from watching too much tv (hahaha....yay for being a comm major). secondly....what a strange thing to get together formally about. third....i was the only muzungu there (white person, remember? you can't forget here.....everyone on the street calls me that. especially the men and lil kids.....(its reminiscent of gringa from costa rica, remember guys?) umm....so yeah. that was a first. i felt out of place. have you ever felt that way because of your skin color? if not....you should try it. you'll learn something about yourself and your world.....i won't give that away to you. fourth....we had AMAZING food. most of it was what we have @ every meal--rice, beans, poscho, and matooke....but we also had tons of different kids of meat and yummy sauces and salads and even dessert! woot! we also had lots of soda (which is a bit expensive here). i drank like 3 bottles of fanta and 2 waters. hahaha. i was about to burst @ the end of the day.

i also got to talk to my dad's coworker and beautiful electronics student (who is born again....dad ONLY works with people who are) who supports himself and his mom as he goes to university in kampala. O:-)

one thing that makes me uncomfortable about my family is that my camera is nicer than my dad's....and he's so proud of it. i don't have the heart to show them mine. they think im rich enough as it is. :-/

my family is amazing though. i love them so much. i will prolly go home as soon as i get some work done so i can spend time with them. they are teaching me luganda and how to respect my elders (we get on our knees....yeah....it's weird and kinda uncomfortable, but really cool too. )

ummmm....summer plans are still up in the air. i have salva's number so im gonna try and call him as soon as i can buy some air time (cell phones are commong here and they're all pay as you go)...i also am trying to hook up with an assembly of god project in rwanda this summer (my friend andrew also wants to do it. he's awesome....a 3rd year law student who loves Jesus and talks like he's from the ghetto). i got another contact today too....so hopefully i will get to stay at least for a while this summer. i haven't heard back from my travel agent though....so keep it in your prayers.

ooooh.....i almost forgot to tell you that we went for a retreat in entebbe last weekend. we stayed in a convent and we got to swim in lake victoria and go to a game reserve....i saw lions and zebras and monkeys.... oh my! the swimming was beautiful and so much fun! i tried to teach some of my african friends how to float....hahah....that was quite the experience. :-) yay for lifeguarding (miss you jack and jordo and burt). speaking of which....such a career doesn't exist here.....jobs are scarce. they can't believe i get paid for such a position.

mmm....ok, this is just scratching the surface of everything, but this post is getting kinda long and i am starving so off i go. love y'all. enjoy the occasionally beautiful weather there (i hear it got in the 60s....grrr you frickers....figures. at least it hasn't snowed here yet, PTL). i love you all SOOOOO much! you're in my prayers! (renee how did foot go???)

xoxoxo