Ugandan Friendships

I will miss my Ugandan friends so much. I love the relationships I have developed and the quirks of what our relationships consist of. At any point through the day I would receive a phone call that goes something like this:

Me: Wanji?

Friend: Hello Rolla! How are you today?

Me: I am fine how are you?

Friend: Mm. Bulunji – I am fine. Well done.

Me: Mm. Kale Gyebaleko.

Friend: *laughter* Mm Kale.

Me: Mm. Okay. What are you doing?

Friend: I am resting/in town/studying. What are you doing?

Me: I am at work/taking tea/going on a safari.

Friend: Okay let me wish you a nice time. And say ‘hello’ to Marsholay (Mallory) for me

Me: Okay Nice time t-- *click*

There are some who continue on about hobbies, plans for the weekend, and discussing when we will see each other again, but rarely do my conversations last longer than two minutes. I like this culture of checking in on friends just to see what they are doing at that moment and to tell them what I am doing right then. I hope my friends in the USA are ready, I feel like I will start calling them much more!

Musibye motyamo Bannyabo ne Bassebo!

Good afternoon Ladies and gentlemen!

In addition to Luganda language lessons, our first two days in Uganda have been very busy and eye opening.

I think our language lessons have been the most culturally enlightening so far. The phrase in the title above is more than an afternoon greeting, it asks, "How have you spent your day?" A typical greeting consists of a response to that question, reciprocation, and appropriate small talk follow up such as "Weebele emirimu" or "Thank you for the work you have done today." Our questions of how to say hello to people we see in passing were always answered with the basic conversation we had just learned. Until our pronunciation improves, that conversation could easily stop more than minute. The Ugandan social network and personal relationships are very important, and I see that reflected in this small piece of language. I hope to understand more of this as I begin my work with Organisation for Rural Development and move in with my host family on Tuesday.

For now, orientation continues at our hotel on the Nile. It is beautiful, and very green! Mallory and I have enjoyed travel luxury from free eye masks and socks from the floating palace which is Ethiopian Air, to the free wifi at airports and our hotel! It feels like a vacation. The other interns, we number eight total, seem great and have come from all over the USA. We make quite a scene walking around town, but I am proud to say none of us fell off the boda boda bike taxis today, fingers crossed we can make it through the summer!

Edit: view of the Nile from the garden behind our hotel