Things I've noticed

So usually when I write these blogs I have my journal by my side to remind me of all the little details, but i filled my journal a few days ago, so now waiting to get a new one. Nothing incredibly exciting has happened anyway, so I thought I'd do this blog a bit differently and talk about all the things I've noticed about life in Uganda.

Religion

Religion has never really been a part of my life, nor has it been a big part of British/Australian life in general. I arrived here and was immediately struck by the importance of religion to the people of Uganda. Taxis have messages in the windscreen saying 'God is Great', 'Praise the lord' or occasionally 'Allah is great'. Christianity is certainly the most prominent religion, with one of the entry questions to the school being 'who made you and me?' to which I would have answered 'My mum and dad' and probably got thrown into Baby class. The school motto is 'We trust in God' and I've seen other school mottos or advertising slogans such as 'Concentrating on producing God-fearing citizens', because according to most of the people I talk to, Uganda is a 'God-fearing nation'. The one time we went to a pentecostal church, the service had so much crying that I thought we'd stepped into a funeral service, but it was just people crying while praising the lord. We had a woman come to our house last week to preach to us about how we must believe in what the bible tells us and release the 'evil, wicked spirits' trapped inside us. She didn't seem to dislike us but when I held out my hand to shake hers she wouldn't take it, apparently believing I might let some of the wicked demons inside me go to her. However, a Christian country creates Christian beliefs for the government of that country, such as the complete anti-homosexuality attitude that I'm sure you all know plagues Uganda. The pentecostal church service I mentioned before was full of hateful messages towards homosexuals, muslims and other 'Non-Christian' social/religious groups. We were advised not to grow beards because apparently this would make us look like muslims. We grew them anyway...1 point to multicultural understanding and sensitivity. Ah well, no one seems phased about my weak attempt at facial hair. Anyway, talking about how religion affects social and governmental attitudes towards homosexuals, i'll move on to my next point.

Physical and social gestures

In Australia or the UK when you see two grown men walking down the street holding hands, it is assumed that they are gay. In Uganda, holding hands is a sign of friendship. Men walk hand in hand all the time, in just the same manner that Westerners would with their significant other. The first time I saw it I believed it to be quite odd and out there for two men to be holding hands in such a homophobic country, but it became clear to me that it is completely normal. What isn't so normal is to see a man and woman holding hands. I think I've seen it once the whole time I've been here, while witnessing two men (or occasionally two women) holding hands is a daily occurence. Also, shaking hands is a drawn out process, where you can end up holding onto their hand for the entire conversation. Speaking of shaking hands, you don't shake hands when your hands are messy/wet. Instead you hold out your arm, hand facing down clenched in a fist and they take your wrist. All these physical gestures I've had to get used to (especially the holding hands) but I can generally get by without causing offence or feeling personally uncomfortable.

Poverty

Wherever you go, you can't avoid witnessing poverty. The worst of it is near Garden City (Mzungu central) in Kampala. The busy intersection next to it is full of homeless children who either follow you begging for money, sit down with their hands held out all day, or go up to the windows of cars and beg. I've seen kids no older than 10 with presumably baby siblings strapped to their backs walking around with their hands outstretched, and kids as young as 2 on their own begging strangers. Garden City is next to another mall called Nakumatt Oasis and every day, perched on the pavement, there is a man with his hand held out sitting on a piece of cardboard, using his other hand for balance as he has no legs and his body ends at the waist. While Kampala is the worst for it, children in the village walk around with scrappy ripped clothes and no shoes, occasionally coming up to beg for 'nusu chikumi' (100 shillings). It's terribly sad, but something that I've had to get used to, and something that is witnessed all over the world.

Attitudes towards colonialism

Our host was the first to argue with us that the Europeans coming to Uganda was a wonderful thing for the country. We kept explaining that while it has its benefits now, the dilution of Ugandan culture isn't a good thing, but no, the main attitude is colonialism was a good thing and Uganda has to become more Western. My P4 class today told me that they think Luganda is a stupid pointless language, and while that might be true if they wish to leave, which a lot of people, it seems, want to do, I tried to explain that it is important if they wish to stay in Uganda. Everyone I meet says they want to go with me to Australia, even though most of them don't even know where Australia is, because all people want is to be more like the mzungus, not caring for the damage that could do to the culture of Uganda.

I don't really have time to write any more, but I'll be getting a journal soon and will get back to telling you what I've been up to. OH! Today, we FINALLY got our bed. Can't wait to have our first night in it. We had money stolen from our house a few days ago while we were in Kampala (they must have opened the door hatch and used a long stick to get to our joint wallet, stealing 20-30,000 shillings ($12-20)), we're going to Rwanda on Friday and staying for the weekend. I can't wait.

Hope you're all well

Siba bulungi (have a good day)

Ben