7 Quick Takes (Volume 240)--The Out of Africa Edition

1) I am home from Africa! It was an amazing trip and I have so much to tell you in the next week or so. I'm sorry I wasn't able to post as much as I wanted to while gone. The internet was iffy. There were a couple days it was down all together. One day the entire country of Uganda was without connection because a cable had been cut somewhere. Apparently it was a KEY cable! My friend, Kelly, had a modem available for my use, but it didn't work for my computer and I was stealing little snippets of time at an internet cafe near the restaurant we ate at every night. The connection there was slow, however, and my time was very limited, so I chose to communicate with my family instead of wasting half an hour loading a few pictures.

You can expect the Africa posts to be coming soon, but for this Friday (and to rest of my tired brain), I decided post a few silly firsts I experienced in Uganda.

2) My second night in Fort Portal, I was getting stuff adjusted in my bedroom, when a big rumbling occurred. At first I thought it was just a bunch of teenagers running up and down the steps (this shows you what I am accustomed to), but the next morning I learned it was an earthquake. I was in an earthquake! How exciting is that? You don't get to experience THAT in Nebraska!

3) I ate some fruit I've never eaten before. I showed you the jack fruit already, but in addition I tried some guava,




and passion fruit.


(Don't worry. This looks completely disgusting, but it tastes really good. The best way to eat it is to slurp it like an oyster.)

I had a few Bible study sessions in a village called Kabasindagizi (Yep, that's spelled right, people. Now, try to SAY it!). We met under some mango trees and I saw probably 5 mangoes drop from them. I ate one of 'em.



Mmmm. Juicy.


The mangoes were SO MUCH BETTER than any mango I've experienced here. They were less like a melon and more like an orange. I wished I had tried them sooner than Friday, our last day in Kabasindagizi (it's just rolling off my tongue now).

4) We left Fort Portal last Saturday and set out for a 5 hour drive to Murchison Falls National Park to take our safari. Our five hour drive turned into 11 hours when we realized the roads were dirt the entire way. Eleven hours of rutted, narrow, dusty, red dirt roads in Uganda produced an unusual effect on our team.


We all looked like we had bad spray-on tans at the end of our journey! One of the team members had white hair and by the time we got to our lodge, he looked ten years younger with red hair!

5) There were so many times in Uganda I would stop and take in what was happening and just be astounded thinking, "Am I really here? Did I just get to do that?! Did that really just happen?" Going on safari and taking a boat ride down the Nile (on a Sunday, no less) produced a lot of those thoughts. On our game drives we mostly saw giraffes, lots of antelope like animals, warthogs, cape buffaloes and elephants. We held out for lions and stayed in the park longer than we were supposed to, but only managed to get a shadowy glimpse of a three-legged one.








Hippos line the sides of the Nile. We also saw a few crocodiles and the beautiful Murchison Falls.






The baboons are everywhere. I snapped a picture of these guys near the parking lot.


6) African names are very complicated. The Ugandans I met had an African sounding name, a Western sounding name and then they give each other pet names. For instance, someone might be named Kissembo Grace Akiiki. I was so confused as to which name I should actually use. Usually I chose the Western name I could say. There were cultural usages of the pet name that were meant as a form of respect. There were only about 12 pet names and often people had the same one which made it even more confusing. The only thing I could compare it to was the way we might use "dear" or "sweetheart" or "friend," but they gave the pet names more importance than that. I was given the pet name of Abwooli which has no specific meaning and having a pet name made it more difficult for me as there was a certain way to greet people once you knew their pet name. I was so confused and nervous about offending somebody. I decided to just try and the people seemed to respect the effort.

7) I must thank you for your prayers for me. I was out of my comfort zone A LOT while in Africa. My first day there I didn't know how I'd ever make it two weeks and wondered why in the world I ever thought it was good idea to go there. Everything was so different, even the smells. But each day I was buoyed by your prayers and able to do what was before me that day. You helped me make it through and find amazing things along the way. THANK YOU!

The hardest part of this trip, BY FAR, was not having much communication with home. I only called a few times and the internet situation made it difficult to skype. I could usually get a quick email off and that was about it. I really missed talking with my peeps! Again, your prayers sustained me.

Also, I want to thank my husband and family for making this possible. Poor Kevin picked up most of the slack and did a fantastic job. He even tried some new recipes and figured out meals for this week so I don't have to think about it. Who knew I was married to the male Betty Crocker?! Cooking or not, I REALLY missed that guy. So glad to be back with him and the rest of the Boesiger bunch.

There's lots more to tell, so look for posts to come. While you're waiting for them, read more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.

The Children of Uganda

How about a little beautiful from Uganda? The children are everywhere. You can’t drive down any road without several coming out to wave at you. Sometimes they are clothed, sometimes not, but all carry a smile.

While in Mityana, I met a ton of cutie pies at the HOPE center.
















Many of the children of Uganda look much younger than they really are because their early years were marked with malnutrition. For instance, the girls in the last picture are probably at least 5 or 6, but look more like 2 or 3.

I’ve been to a few villages now, which is what they call the remote areas in the bush. There is no village to speak of, just primitive houses along narrow, winding, dirt roads with deep ruts. Here’s a couple of girls we met in a village near Mityana. They were proud of their work at school and wanted to show us.


Notice what looks like a dusty spot on the right of that girl’s head? It’s a massive patch of ringworm. Her little sister ran out to show us her work too.


Whenever you go, even along the side of the road, children clump up and greet you. They LOVE having their pictures taken and are fascinated to see themselves. As soon as you start, a mob will form. This happens everywhere we go. The kids crowd around and stare at the mzungus. When I went with Angie to a boarding school to meet a few of her older kids, we were immediately swarmed with schoolchildren, and I mean SWARMED. We’re talking a sea of children. I didn’t take any pictures because I would have been there FOREVER! The swarm followed us to the headmaster’s office and just stood by the door waving and grinning. It was so bad the schoolmaster kept shooing them away. I’ve never been anyone’s fascination before. It’s a strange feeling.

While in Fort Portal I spent a day at the Toro Baby Home. My nephews gave me some balloons as a parting gift at the airport saying it could be my “air conditioner” for the next few weeks. I remembered they were in my purse and blew them up for the kids who loved them. Thanks, Kaden and Kahle!


Often when holding one of the little ones from either orphanage, they took their tiny hands and rubbed them up and down my arm. If they sat on my lap or even nearby, they liked to touch me in some way, by either patting my leg or holding my hand. And they always smiled. It’s so beautiful.

I have tons more pictures, but they take so long to load. When I get a better connection maybe I'll try posting some more. Today I leave you with something to make you smile, a clip of musical chairs ala HOPE center. Be sure to note the jamming baby in the blue diaper. That kid never waned and was so funny. Also be sure to look beyond the circle to the little girls in the background enjoying the music.

Unique Ugandan Treats

My first day in Uganda, Angie served jackfruit.


Jackfruit grows on trees and is super cheap. This entire thing cost around two dollars.


You eat jackfruit by picking out the yellowish flesh that looks a little like pineapple.


It has a rubbery texture and not a lot of taste. Angie's kids think it tastes like Juicy Fruit gum. I wasn't a big fan, but it was fun to try.

I saw these gourd like things growing off a vine by my room and asked what they were. You know those expensive sponges you buy? If you peel one of these you'll find a high premium sponge inside.


Good cheese is expensive in Uganda, so Angie makes her own. She made some stellar ricotta and I helped squeeze the moisture out of mozzarella cheese with my bare hands. The ricotta in particular was super easy to make. She heated milk to a certain temperature then added vinegar and lemon juice and the cheese just curdled right up. She added sweet basil leaves, garlic salt and sour cream to make THE BEST ricotta I've ever eaten.

The mozzarella was a longer process involving heating it more than once and waiting for the cheese to rise to the surface. Once it is semi-solid you squeeze out the moisture, heat it and squeeze again. The more moisture you can squeeze out, the harder the cheese. It was good as well.

I tried some Ugandan soda. It tasted a little gingery and was pretty refreshing until I looked at the ingredients and saw one bottle had 56 grams of sugar. (Edie, you'd be shot for the day after drinking one of these!)


We took a drive and saw a local tea field. You can actually kind of smell the tea in the air. Workers are paid by the kilo of leaves picked and often only make about a dollar a day.




The tea fields provided some beautiful views.




Banana trees are everywhere. Did you know they only produce one bunch of bananas and then quit producing?


There are also a lot of papyrus trees.


Is it just me or do these remind you of Dr. Seuss too?

I join up with my team tomorrow at an engagement ceremony. I hear it's an all day affair, starting at 10:AM and lasting until around midnight. I'm anxious to see what THAT party is about!

Thanks so much for your prayers, friend. You're sustaining me more than you know.

My First Full Day in Uganda

I awoke this morning to the sound of roosters crowing, turkeys gobbling, and owls hooting. I’m not kidding you. I thought I heard my familiar owls from back home. The people here tell me there are no owls. When I pointed out the sound I was referring to, they said it was some kind of bird. Whatever it was, I've been hearing it all day and it made me feel closer to home for which I was thankful.

I was told before I left for Uganda to expect that they were 100 years behind us. Now that I've seen for myself I'd say it may be more. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it isn’t what I’ve been seeing. The first thing you notice when you arrive in Uganda is the smell of charcoal. Many people cook with either it or wood because they can’t afford any other way. Even the HOPE center cooks for the children this way.


Many people don’t have running water and those that do cannot drink it. I was told to keep my mouth closed in the shower so I wouldn’t accidentally swallow any. I’ve been brushing my teeth with bottled water too. Some people have filtration systems, but from what I can determine, it looks like they use the filtered water sparingly and don't really drink it.

With no running water, you might guess there is no plumbing either. Toilets and showers are not common. Most places just use a hole in the ground like this one at the HOPE center.


I’m so thankful the room I’m staying in has a toilet and a shower. I just have to flip a switch 30 minutes prior to showering to be sure I have hot water. The woman I’m sharing the quarters with told me not to turn the bedroom light on while showering unless I’m wearing shoes because the wiring is not grounded and I could get electrocuted. Needless to say, I’m showering in the dark.




After two full days of travel, that shower felt fantastic! I suppose I’m a stupid Westerner for wanting to look the same here as I do at home. I plugged in my hair dryer and within 10 seconds blew a fuse. So, as I suspected, I’ve got wavy, crazy hair that I’ll probably have throughout my stay here. It’s a good thing I don’t have a mirror. On the upside, Angie tells me I’m two pounds lighter in Uganda because we're on the equator and have the least gravitational pull. Bonus.

I have to sleep with a mosquito net over my bed and was told to make sure the bed was covered by 4:PM so none would get in. What’s weird is I haven’t seen any mosquitoes. But I’m no fool. If they say I need to do it, I will. I haven’t forgotten a malaria pill yet either.


I have seen all Ugandans washing their clothes by hand and hanging them to dry. Imagine how much work that would be for an orphanage. This is what I saw when I left my room this morning.




Angie took me into town today and I am astounded at the poor conditions. The roads are dirt and deeply rutted. People live in one room shacks. Rubbish is everywhere. It’s hard for me to get pictures of this while we’re driving and when we’re stopped, people are staring at me and it seems rude to take pictures of them. Here’s a few dwellings outside of the center and some typical roadside stands.










What you're seeing in that last picture are dried grasshoppers. Apparently the dry them and minnows and put them into food for a protein source. Can you say c-r-unch?! Later we walked through the central market. Angie warned me it was scary and she wasn’t kidding. I wish I would have been brave enough to take some pictures while walking through there. You just wouldn’t believe it. Booth after booth after booth of people selling all the same stuff. The vendors lie on the ground or sit on a barrel and eye you carefully, especially if you're mzungu. One vender asked Angie a rude question and they had a little confrontation. In the market was the aunt of a child Angie adopted and since he was with us, we went to see her. She was so happy to see the boy and I was surprised when she gave him and one of Angie’s other kids some money. Angie said we probably made her day by stopping. “Now she can tell everybody all day that the mzungu came to visit her.”

There is so much more to tell, but this post is already too long. I'll save it for tomorrow. Thanks for your prayers, friends. It would be easy to be totally freaked out here. Your prayers are keeping me peaceful and calm.