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Ode to the Banana Plant:
Well, I've finally figured out why the banana plant is amazing. After trying to stuff 5 balls of matooke, wrapped in banana leaf, wrapped in banana fibre, into a pot of water and hard banana sticks, and then wrapping the whole thing in one giant banana leaf - becoming taller than me when placed on to of fire, I realise now that I had truly underestimated the banana trees awesome power.
This giant banana-ey concoction was created yesterday because of St. Emmanuel's 'MUsic, Dance and Drama Day 2010', which was one of my best days at project so far. It involved teachers spending all of wednesday, through the night and the thursday mrning, preparing food. Although we did 'help' out on wednesday and thursday morning ( we got out of staying over using the whole mosquito nbet excuse ... although it still doesnt stop me getting ripped to shreds by the blighters everyday), I can't say if we were helping or hindering the situation. Whenever I peel a matooke with my favourite panga, the end result is a rather gooey looking mush, with most of the banana meat ending up in blobs around my ankles. Nevertheless, we continued on in our efforts, and I can safely say, that by Thursday morning, my efforts were turning out thin slivers of cream, ina somewhat crescent moon shape, which I was very proud of. In total, we sifted 30 kilograms of rice, to feed almost 200 people. It's another aspect of the Ugandan culture that I love so much - it is deemed beyond rude to host an event, and not prepare food, people expect it so much, that at our last event (a giant Church opening in nearby Naama), many of the guests brought their own plates!
Speech day went down a storm - the LC3 even turned up, along with a crazy old man who was around 90, yet had a daughter in p1, and a granddaughter in p3 - definitely a sugar daddy situation? The day comprised of songs, traditional Kiganda dancing (which I still havent quite got the hang of yet, I just need the hair of a rare monkey to wear, and then apparently I'm sorted!), interpretative dance - generally the beating of a drum, to which children wiggle their hips whilst impersonating their mothers digging, and poetry:
Oh my culture,
My culture is good,
People from far and wide come to admire my culture,
Oh my culture!
All of which I was forced to accompany on the guitar, if any of you have seen me play I am sure you can imagine how entertaining it was. We were then stood up with the other teachers under the tarpaulin tent, and asked to speak in Luganda - off the cuff the only phrase I could remember was ' We like Posho lots, can we have some more?', which they found hilarious. We were also asked to give our Luganda names: mine is Nadamba, it indicates that I am a member of the Mamba clan, Rosie is nambiru - so she is also a member of the mamba clan.
We received these names, the last tie we were in Mityana - when we discovered the amazing food market that is on every day!!! We bumped into a lovely lady selling Irish potatoes, who we got chatting to - on asking us which clan we wanted to be in (Mamba, obviously, because its amazing), we discovered, in turned that she too was a mamba, and so now we have damn cool names.
Needless to say, speech day went off without a hitch, and we hope that it will bring enough revenue to build the p4 classroom and different food (our cook is obsessed with matooke and beans) ...
But for now, we only have a week left of school, in which pupils are taking their exams, and we hope to leave for the Kenya border on the 2nd! I'll keep you posted of my travel plans more regularly, when I have better internet access.
Over and out.
Nadamba
- comments
Raina Gee Hi Nadamba Can you shorten it at all? Lovely blog really enjoyed it getting a real feel for Uganda through your blogs - wish I was there although I am sure I would cramp your style.
Dad I like the sound of the Bananas & Mum is enjoying free use of your MacBook !