A Day In the Life

My alarm goes off around 6:30. I sit up in bed under my mosquito net and talk to God, knowing that as soon as I leave my room I will have virtually no time alone that is not looked upon with suspicion. After preparing to face the day, I fight my way out from under the mosquito net, grab some TP and head out the back door, as indoor plumbing is a thing of the past for me. I say "Good morning" to Mama Irene and Rita, who have already been up cooking breakfast and washing clothes. I make my way up the stairs of the backyard, to the latrine, and am greeted by swarms of flies, and 4 lizards which we have named Lima, Eva, David, and Solomon. I'll spare you the details of the smell.

I return to my room, gather some things and head through my parent’s bedroom to the bathroom. After engaging in the task of bathing from a small basin of water, I finish getting ready for school and have breakfast - tea with "biscuits" (cookies). I then brush my teeth with bottled water, spitting into the dirt by the brush of the backyard. Every day I realize how much I took running water for granted.

Caroline and I sometimes walk to school, though lately our dad has been driving us since Caroline hurt her knee. On a typical walk, we tread down the rocky, dirt path to a more traveled dirt road, looking downward so as to not trip on the rocks and unpredictable crevices while wearing dress shoes. A few cars and boda-bodas (motorcycle taxis) whiz by, missing us by an inch or two. We pass the spot where some taxis wait for business and the drivers shout to us, "Mzungu! (the non-derogatory term used to identify a white person) Mzungu! You are so beautiful, let me accompany you!" We smile and shake our heads no, continuing our walk up the hill in the hot sun. We pass Ugandans heading to work, and women carrying 10 gallon jerricans of water atop their heads. Birds are singing, laughing, and some sound like monkeys, as we pass tall green grass and banana trees. We finally enter the back gate to the university and make our way across campus to the IMME lounge - the equivalent of a commuter lounge - where we can access the internet, study, and share our experiences with the other off campus USP students.

Classes vary from day to day. Some are 2 hours, some 1. Mine are all in the same classroom, but for my missions class we meet in a hut and have tea, discussing things more than enduring lectures. In African literature we are taught by Dr. Mukakanya, whom I could listen to all day. He’s sort of like Wilbur Williams, only Ugandan. For African Traditional Religions, Islam, and Christianity, we strain to understand Dr. Opol through his thick Ugandan accent, but we are all amused when he giggles at certain points of the lecture.

After a long day at school (usually 8:30 – 6:00) we return home and greet our family as they take a break from cooking and serve us tea. I think about how we would normally be eating dinner back home at this time, and I am thankful for the tea and biscuits that tide us over till dinner. Throughout the evening we talk to Mama Irene as she irons, learning Luganda and talking about everything from food to serious relationships. We wander outside and chat with the girls as they cook over the fire. The matoke has been steaming away for 3 hours in the pot, enveloped in banana leaves. Ema is washing dishes, Grace is stirring porridge for Enoch, and Rita is cutting fresh peppers and onions to spice up the Irish potatoes. If Enoch is not eating dirt or rocks, he is “singing” and banging something around – anything to make noise! Reverend talks in a high voice to Enoch, who replies in the same tone with baby talk, resulting in a sweet song of father and son “conversation.” As we wait for dinner to finish cooking and helping where we can, we sit on the back porch under the stars, watching the girls dance to the radio in the moonlight. The power goes out about every other night. When this happens, we light oil lanterns and life continues as usual since we do not rely on electricity for much here anyway.

It is somewhere between 9 and 10 PM, and we finally all gather in the sitting room for dinner. After we pray, we wait as some get food from the thermal pots on the coffee table in the center of the room. Mama Irene invites us to get food. I take a bowl and fork from the stack on the table and scoop matoke, potatoes, and sometimes fresh fish into my bowl, topping it all off with some kind of vegetable “soup” (sauce). We may talk of the things of the day, or eat in silence, content with each others company. Mama Irene asks, “Is it sweet?” meaning, “Is it delicious?” “Yes, very sweet,” we reply, thanking those who cooked the meal. Reverend wishes everyone a good night and we help the girls clear the table.

After talking a little while longer with the girls, sharing stories and pictures, we wish everyone a goodnight and return to our room. Caroline goes straight to bed, so I write in my journal by flashlight, processing the day. I go to bed around 11:00, thinking of how I would never get this much sleep at IWU, and thanking God for this incredible Ugandan family of which I get to be a part.