uganda IX

still out in the country...

thursday, august 21/08

last night before coming from uncle george's to uncle eric's we went to the local bar in kyayi. much attention.  brad said it was like paparazzi without the cameras.  actually, we had the cameras.  there was some alcohol-induced, unwanted attention but it was dealt with by beezman and steve.

at one point i was relishing my cold water (yes water, because i already had enough beer) and as i was drinking, i looked at the many children watching me.  when i finished i sounded a long, satisfied, "ahhh!"  one of the braver kids copied me with a long, "ahhh!"  then i took another swigg finishing with an ecstatic, "oooh!"  now, half the kids copied with a chorus of "oooh!"  this went on and on with me changing the sounds of satisfaction and all the kids (membering 15 or so) copying whatever i did.  after a long, fun time, i thought i must be getting tired and went back to visiting with the adults (most of them old friends of roger and steve).  the kids stayed to stare.

we headed off to uncle eric's long after mid-night which should have been a 3 mile ride. unfortunately it was through pastures which were muddy with just a semblance of a path.  we got lost twice and ended up at another farm.  that farmer climbed into our already crowded car to give directions.  apparently, we weren't lost the first time; we just didn't go far enough.  lola was right, roger was wrong.  and there was much rejoicing.

there was an uncomfortable silence with all the families in the compound (much the same idea as uncle george's place.  we finally settled, all of us sleeping in eric's wife #2's house (she was away at a funeral).

there is a custom in uganda that you kick off your shoes before you enter a home and leave them outside (you need to be careful of spiders and bugs when you put them back on.  here, too, you need to watch for wasps, which i didn't and got stung).  as i prepared for my nightly nocturnal journey to the latrinal hole in the ground (a quite nice one actually) i discovered that my sandals were gone.  somewhat perturbed and REALLY needing to make the journey, i went barefoot - over the grass and partway into the banana plantation; quite dangerous, i knew, (the stumps and leaves of fallen banana trees are very sharp) but i didn't know the half of it (there are creepy, crawly things that are poisonous for which there is no antidote).  by the way, i found my shoes this morning at the back door...i left them at the front door.  hmmmm.

this morning we were invited to join the herders for milking.  these cows are amazing!  huge horns bigger than any longhorn i've ever seen and thicker as well.  generally, it's quite safe walking among them.  one inadvertently hit me when she turned her head and almost knocked my off my feet...not an easy thing to do!  their milking procedure seemed so much more humane than our dairies in north america.  they just walk through the pasture from cow to cow milking.  and they milk them into little black jugs.  (these jugs are the pride and joy of each wife, not unlike the pride some families have in their china dish sets.)  the children take turns gathering these vessels one at a time, running them back to mom's hut where she either boils the milk (for pasteurization) or to make into yoghert...which tastes great by the way.

the rest of the day was spent sleeping but for roger's many trips to try and gather the cows he and lola received at their wedding.