So, I know that I'm far, far away from adjusting to living here on any kind of meaningful level. It has, after all, only been two months, and the entire two months have been in training so my "real" life hasn't even started yet. Still, with at least the surface stuff, I see myself taking baby steps toward adjustment. Here are some signs that I'm adjusting, slowly by slowly.
1. I say, "slowly by slowly."
2. I manage to rinse the shampoo out of my hair while bucket bathing with cold water 7 out of 10 times (this is trickier than it sounds).
3. I consider the apple the exotic delicacy it is.
4. I can understand about 1/3 of what a local 3-year-old says to me in Lusoga.
5. I have accepted the fact that my feet will always be dirty here.
6. I have accepted the fact that there will always be dirt under my fingernails here.
7. A cockroach (my mortal enemy) ran onto my plate while I was eating and I didn't scream.
8. A cockroach wandered past my big toe while I was in the pit latrine and I didn't scream.
9. A cockroach ran across my sheet while I was in bed and I didn't scream.
10. I can manage to sleep while literally dripping with sweat.
11. I can cook on a small charcoal stove called a sigiri and only burn my food half of the time.
12. I am only slightly embarrassed to be walking around in the sunshine with an open umbrella.
13. My urine hits the 2"x 4" hole in the pit latrine most of the time.
14. I dropped my toothbrush on the ground then picked it up and used it.
15. I know two tricks for getting the black stuff on matooke (plantains) off of my hands: rub them with cooking oil and rub a plastic bag on them.
16. I can look at my water bottle, see lots of particles floating in it, observe it's milky coloring, and then drink it anyway.
Fun Fact #1: The time in Uganda does not match its numbers. So 1:00 does not have the number 1 in it. The clock starts at the beginning of the day, or 7:00 A.M. This means that when it's 7:00 A.M., you use the Lusoga word for one, 8:00 A.M. is two, and so on.
Fun Fact #2: I described my mother's former profession as a "teacher of tomatoes" during language class and the instructors didn't even crack a smile. Professionalism!
Not-So-Fun-Fact: At sunset, cockroaches the size of small mice come out from the HOLE in the pit latrine, where they've been (presumably) eating the toilet paper, and hang out all over the walls and floor. Please read numbers 7-9 above again and be amazed.
1. I say, "slowly by slowly."
2. I manage to rinse the shampoo out of my hair while bucket bathing with cold water 7 out of 10 times (this is trickier than it sounds).
3. I consider the apple the exotic delicacy it is.
4. I can understand about 1/3 of what a local 3-year-old says to me in Lusoga.
5. I have accepted the fact that my feet will always be dirty here.
6. I have accepted the fact that there will always be dirt under my fingernails here.
7. A cockroach (my mortal enemy) ran onto my plate while I was eating and I didn't scream.
8. A cockroach wandered past my big toe while I was in the pit latrine and I didn't scream.
9. A cockroach ran across my sheet while I was in bed and I didn't scream.
10. I can manage to sleep while literally dripping with sweat.
11. I can cook on a small charcoal stove called a sigiri and only burn my food half of the time.
12. I am only slightly embarrassed to be walking around in the sunshine with an open umbrella.
13. My urine hits the 2"x 4" hole in the pit latrine most of the time.
14. I dropped my toothbrush on the ground then picked it up and used it.
15. I know two tricks for getting the black stuff on matooke (plantains) off of my hands: rub them with cooking oil and rub a plastic bag on them.
16. I can look at my water bottle, see lots of particles floating in it, observe it's milky coloring, and then drink it anyway.
Fun Fact #1: The time in Uganda does not match its numbers. So 1:00 does not have the number 1 in it. The clock starts at the beginning of the day, or 7:00 A.M. This means that when it's 7:00 A.M., you use the Lusoga word for one, 8:00 A.M. is two, and so on.
Fun Fact #2: I described my mother's former profession as a "teacher of tomatoes" during language class and the instructors didn't even crack a smile. Professionalism!
Not-So-Fun-Fact: At sunset, cockroaches the size of small mice come out from the HOLE in the pit latrine, where they've been (presumably) eating the toilet paper, and hang out all over the walls and floor. Please read numbers 7-9 above again and be amazed.
