It has been two years since I last laid foot on your grounds. Since then I had forgotten many of the things that I love about you. Below you will find six significant features that I’m thankful to be exposed to again. This list is certainly not exhaustive, but it sums up my feelings quite well. Enjoy!
1. Your scenery
Compared to winter time in South Africa, Uganda right now is much more colorful. But, for the record, it’s not quite winter in Uganda and (from the pictures I’ve seen) South Africa’s summer scenery gives Uganda a run for its money. But this isn’t a competition, so let me just say that I had forgotten how beautiful dirt roads, deep-green plants, blue skies, and white puffy clouds can be. (In South Africa the clouds tend to look like they were brushed with a broad stroke of a huge paintbrush, though.) Sometimes I look around and think I’m in paradise. Sure, the roads are dirty and the buildings aren’t in the best shape, but I think that’s part of what makes you so beautiful. You’re all-natural!2. Your accents!
Okay, so I know that for you the way your people talk is not considered an accent and I’m the one who talks funny, but I love the way your people speak. I love the native tongues and the unique way that it affects how your people speak English (and especially that the accent is different in every region). It’s so cool just to listen to. Sometimes I just want to record people talking so I can play it back later… but that might be creepy and stalker-ish, haha!
3. Your drivers
Yesterday while driving into town Charles and Simon apologized for the bumpy, pot-hole-ridden roads. I chuckled and told them not to worry about it because it makes the ride more interesting. Later we talked about the differences between American drivers and Ugandan drivers. Honestly, I think that (some) African drivers are more skilled than many American drivers. Think about it: in order to navigate through literally bumper-to-bumper traffic and around pedestrians who walk freely between vehicles, one must know the dimensions of his car and its steering capabilities. (Keep in mind that most cars here are manual, so mastering sudden and sporadic gear-shifting is necessary in order to not stall or crash.) Africans are smoother drivers, in the sense that they must be able to respond very quickly to stopped vehicles and people in the roads. They navigate through narrow openings in traffic, maintain their balance six inches from 2-foot-deep ditches (see photo to the right), and avoid pot holes and mounds of dirt scattered about the road. (Some may call this reckless, but I call it an adventure =)4. Your patience
I mentioned in a recent blog post that I was impressed by Simon’s patience with helping us withdraw money and obtain SIM cards and airtime. This four-hour ordeal would’ve been unacceptable in the US. In most countries, people are a lot more lax and not in a rush. “African time,” “Asian time,” and “European time” refer to the difference between the stated time of a meeting and the actual time of a meeting. My transportation has been at least an hour late every morning, but it helps me to grow in patience and remember that there’s really no rush. I should make a more conscious effort to not impose efficiency-imperialism on others.
5. Your hospitality
Even though it’s hard for me to remember faces here and I have to keep asking for names, the people here are extremely friendly. It is rare, to say the least, for me to be in the same room as someone without him or her greeting me and asking, “How are you?” with warmness and kindness. This is something I can learn from the African people: to not be so pretentious, proud, and insecure and to acknowledge people’s presences because it helps to break the ice and build relationships with others. I’ve also noticed the drastic difference in the business environment. In my International Business class we learned about how in Japan (and many other parts of the world) businesspeople want to build a relationship before completing a transaction, whereas Americans want to finish transactions and maybe build a relationship if there’s extra time. The former is also true in Africa, and probably in many other parts of the world.
6. Your music/dancing
I love how no matter where I go, there is always music to be heard. Whether it’s a radio or person making music, Africans are continually expressing themselves. I love how everything’s got a beat and is easy to dance to. At the Cottages (in South Africa) the kids would be dancing at nearly every waking moment. Charles told me that Uganda has a jazz and swing dancing scene. This makes me very excited! Last week I taught Paul how to swing dance and on Friday I taught Charles and Jane the basic steps.I will do my best to savor these things over the next five weeks. To my African friends: I hope this leaves you at least a little nostalgic! ;)
With deep sincerity,
Jessica K. Nguyen
Michael G. Foster Business School - Class of 2010
University of Washington, Seattle
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