Soaring Highs and Sudden Lows

After the flying bug plague and the red ant attack, I was not feeling too keen on this Africa thing.  The next 24 hours did little to change that. 

I started the following morning off right:   with a 220v electrocution that left me seeing spots.  From there, I dropped my towel on the shower room floor.  Fantastic.  

Moving right along, there was no morning tea.  They cook over a charcoal fire here and we never know if one has been started or not.  I know if we asked, Susan would just make tea for us but we don’t want to add anything to her plate.  We suffer in silence.

On our way in, the car started smoking and backing exhaust up into the car.  Literally, smoke was pouring up through the floorboards. And we just kept cruising along the bumpy-as-shit dirt road at about 80-90 km – narrowly avoiding both a goat and a pig. The locals were laughing.  Chelsea was terrified.  I was napping. 

Why you ask?  Because the dog continues to cry at the top if its lungs ALL. NIGHT. LONG.  I hadn’t slept for more than one consecutive hour since it arrived.  I am not a happy camper when I am tired, hungry, and caffeine-less.

Upon our arrival at school, the headmistress comes in and says “I heard you missed tea this morning.”  Apparently word spreads fast…. 

Thankfully we were busy at Keframa, so the day passed quickly.  Upon arriving at home, we hoped for consolation tea given the morning rumor mill.  And soon enough, Susan appeared with the telltale mugs.  However, as she put it down she told us it was “something different.” 

Little did I know, I had just met my greatest African food enemy – millet porridge.

Millet is this brownish gray grain (?) they grind up.  The first time we encountered it, it was boiled into this gelatinous glob that we had originally (and excitedly) mistaken for meat -- until I tried to fork a big mouthful from the serving plate and it rebounded like Flubber.  This time, it was added to hot water with lemon and boiled down into a thick sludge.  It is as appetizing as it sounds.

In an effort to be polite, we choked down what we could.  Then, naturally, ran around the side of the house and dumped the rest out at the first available opportunity.  Later, a neighbor came over and started laughing with Susan in the local language.  Susan told us the woman saying us taking our porridge.  Caught red handed.

However, by that evening things were starting to look up.  We confirmed plans for a trip out to Murchison Falls National Park this weekend, where we will be doing some game drives, a boat trip up the Nile and hopefully some monkey trekking.  We also got permission to spend ALL DAY at the internet café on Wednesday to finish work on a video and fundraising website (more to come there – get your checkbooks ready!).   As you may have read, the beauty of the internet café is not the wireless.  It’s the running water, real toilet and availability of western food.  After the porridge incident, we were both thrilled at the prospect of burgers and pizza.

That night, Chelsea asked Susan if we could watch the next time she makes the cabbage dish we like so much.  Soon after, Susan came out with cabbage and a knife and began teaching us how to prepare it.  We were excited to learn…but also for the feast we knew awaited us. Plus, it didn’t hurt to rack up some good karma with Susan after the Infamous Porridge Scandal.

But that was not the only culinary treat ahead of us:  lo and behold, Susan produced spaghetti!!  Real live pasta.  My heart sailed.  There was also a delicious pea dish to round out the night.  Hallelujah, NO BEANS!

But it gets even better.  From the depths of the TV cupboard two sauces were unearthed:  one sweet, one chili based.  Now, this is the first time we have encountered any sort of condiments. Given that much of the food is very bland, the introduction of any sort of additional flavor made us feel like culinary queens.  We feasted – going back for seconds and thirds – and with full bellies I got my first good night of sleep since the dog arrived.

Alright, Africa.  I got this.

The next morning we decided to try to tackle laundry for the first time, given that we didn't have to go to Keframa early.  After much laughing and convincing that yes, we did want to actually do it…Susan set us up with the appropriate buckets and put us to work. 

They REALLY scrub their clothes here.  I mean, every inch is rubbed with a hard bar soap and then rescrubbed in the sudsy water.  No wonder my socks always come back so white despite the red dirt everywhere.  This woman is impressive.

With the laundry hanging on the line, Chelsea and I set off for our afternoon at the internet café.  Things were really productive, and around 4pm we decided to celebrate with a beer while we waited for the interminable upload.  That is when Augustine walked in….

Now, they have never explicitly banned alcohol but we have heard Augustine talk about the town drunks and how alcohol has destroyed people in the IDP camps.  He never outright addressed our beers, but we felt like we had been caught with our hands in the cookie jar.  Especially when he suggested that he should sit at another table.

After arriving home from the internet café, we discovered the living room full of strange men.  Apparently Susan has invited her prayer group over to sing some hymns with us….and we didn’t come home in time.  In fairness to us, it was only 7:30 and dinner is not usually until 9.  Plus, no one told us they were coming!  Either way, add that to the American strike column.

It is amazing how the little things can really make or break your day here.  I have always known that a large part of my life revolves around food, but something as simple as rice, cabbage, pasta or tea can really boost my spirits and leave me feeling ready to tackle the next six months.  Even a masterful use of a pit toilet can leave you feeling like a boss.

But then just as quickly, an email from home or a cultural misstep can have you feeling lost, lonely and misguided.  The highs are great, but the lows are just as deep.  With so much down time to reflect (aka do absolutely nothing), you find yourself much more cognizant of your thoughts and emotions.  It’s both refreshing and challenging.  

And right now there is a GIANT bug of some sorts scampering up the wall behind me.  Thank you mosquito net cocoon.....