It is a breezy overcast morning here in Kampala, Uganda and rainy season seems to have officially kicked off. I arrived Wednesday after a long three days of airports, plane rides and layovers and have been staying in the home of Jeff and Christine, NSI missionaries here in Kampala.
I was immediately struck by the orderliness of Kampala compared to Yaoundé and how similar Kampala is to Nairobi, though Nairobi has much more of the international city feel with high rises and such. I went shopping with Christine Thursday and was able to access a bank machine, buy a SIM card for my phone and purchase groceries and very reasonable prices. Uganda has a very productive dairy and produces delicious yogurt and milk. I certainly won’t go hungry while I am here. Food here has a heavy East Indian influence owing to their large population in the country, especially before the Amin era. This may also help to explain the over abundance of Jackfruit trees. Just as common as mango trees, every plot and wild space has multiple jackfruit trees growing and the fruits can be found for sale all over the place. I have yet to try one but I am told they are quite low in latex. This is definitely on my list of things to do. I will also have to pocket some seeds for Roy.
The expatriate community is very large here compared to CAR (about 3500) though relatively small compared to Kenya (about 30,000). I attended a bible study Wednesday night with expats who are involved in missions, business and even security operations in Somalia. There is instant community here though I think this would also make it difficult to meet and make friends with Ugandans depending on the job you do here. Kampala has all the perks of the US including dinner parties,pilates classes, golf and coffee shops. It is a completely different lifestyle than that of our little community in CAR.
Living in a large city like Kampala or Nairobi as a development worker, missionary, business person, etc, is certainly a lifestyle choice. It is expensive but less so than London or New York and the climate is much better! All of the houses are gated in with guard dogs and razor wire and I feel trapped behind walls that don’t let you see out or others see in but I suppose this is the point really. My first reaction is that I could live in a place such as this though it wouldn’t be my preference and I think I would enjoy it about as much as I would enjoy living in Toronto or Dallas or LA, which isn’t very much. I am definitely more comfortable and at home in small towns, where things are more open, people come and go and you can walk to the stores and markets. I suppose any of the towns in CAR would serve me well, even perhaps Bangui. What I have discovered about myself n these few days so far is that I would love to visit the big city on occasion, but I am definitely cut out for more rural situations. I think this also satisfies my desire to learn and rely on a second language and to be challenged to find kindred spirits among the local people (which can be a real challenge).
I am so thankful that there are metropolitan-like people,such as Jeff and Christine, who choose to live and enjoy city life in places like Kampala. They and their two boys have a lovely and welcoming home. Christine raises chickens which she slaughters and sells to the expat community and is just starting to raise meat rabbits as well. We need her to come to Gamboula so we can raise our own big fat meat birds as well!
I am heading over to Makerere University today to settle into the guest house and do some pre-reading for the start of classes on Monday. I am very nervous about this residency, as nervous as I was on the first day of classes. We are undertaking a very big project during our three weeks (details to come) and I feel unprepared and totally out of my comfort zone. I suppose it wouldn't be a learning exercise if I knew exactly what I was I doing though, so I guess I am in the right place.
