Things i Love: Uganda Edition

Hi ALL!

              Five (ish) years ago, Mom, Meagan and I were on a random adventure somewhere in Connecticut when we stopped at a Barnes and Noble.  Normally we don’t buy books (hey, the library’s free!!) but for some reason we decided to treat ourselves that day!  It was wonderful and we had a ball!  We ended up with some random books, including this small, thick book that was just a huge list of all the things the author loved.  She had started it in middle school and had filled many journals with things she loved!  I loved that idea and started a list of my own!  It’s something that I update every once in awhile and when I am having a blah-day I refer to to refresh myself! …and it works! 

                So the other day I was having a Blah-Uganda Day…I was peeved at the taxis, at being called “mzungu” all day, at being so far away from my friends and family- you name it, it was getting me down.  At that moment, I really wanted my list from back home to update, but it’s on my other computer so I realized I would just have to start another one and I decided to dedicate this one completely to Things I Love about UGANDA!!  Here’s a little snippit:

·         Bananas

·         Weather- cool breezes

·         Balcony on my room

·         G-nut paste with sim-sim

·         The way Ugandans say ‘Uganda”

·         People who are passionate about their country

·         Sunsets

·         Random rains and the coolness afterwards

·         “Boda Boda.  Boda WHAT? ….Boda.”

·         Fanta LIMON

·         When people question my American status- “you aren’t from the UK?”

·         Not being carded

·         Obama everywhere!

·         Watching the Marabou Storks

·          “Funny, Funny, ____”

·         “a small friend” – girlfriend

·         Preoccupation with weddings

·         Looking “smart”

·         Lack of sarcasm

·         Telling a joke and everyone not getting it

·         Chipati

·         Preston’s dancing

·         Shades of Sin

·         Bell Beer

·         Rolexes (chipati with a fried egg inside)

·         An apple with peanut butter- what a treat in this country

·         Juicy Fruit chicklettes

·         My toast in the morning

·         People preoccupation with “Blue Band”

·         Men holding hands

·         Good lecturers

·         Entebbe

·         Lake Victoria

·         Whizzing by on a bus with the window open

·         No traffic jams in the morning

·         Old Vespas

·         Watching the crazy outfits for sale as we drive by

·         All the shoes that get laid out at night

·         The HUGE buses and trucks that whiz by on Bomba Road at night!!!!

·         Knowing where I’m going

·         Being lost with nowhere to go

·         How easy (at times) it is to forget that I’m so far away from home

·         A good, non-scary plate of Beans & Rice

·         Getting a package (must be universal!)

·         The way Bebidi says “PresTON”

·          “You are welcome” as a greeting

·         Men wearing obviously women’s clothing and vice versa

·         Bounty- coconut and chocolate candy bar!!!  J

·         X-ray souvenirs

·         Riding Boda-Bodas in rural areas

·         Ugandan marching (Independence Day 2009)

·         Queenie- my new name!

So there’s a bit of my list of things I love about this country!  On that note: I hope you are having an amazing day full of things you love!

<3cm