Edit: as I started writing, I kept coming up with more and more so I’ll cap it at ten for now, and add to them when I have nothing else more interesting to write about.
1. Throwing any garbage you have out the window of your moving car, on the street as you walk by, even on the floor of a restaurant you’re eating in. More commonly known as pollution, it is illegal in Canada and is generally viewed as socially unacceptable; however, it’s the norm in Uganda. Me and Mike have tried to explain it to Asaph, but he just laughs and continues to do it. He even points out how weird it is when he sees me put an empty wrapper or other garbage in my backpack or pants pocket rather than just throw it on the ground. And no, frustratingly, there aren’t any garbage cans in Uganda where we can throw our garbage. But why would there be? No one would use them anyway.
2. Electricity, or lack thereof. Yup, it seems that no matter where I go, there’ll be power outages. That is, assuming there is power in that place to lose. In camp we operate (or sometimes, don’t operate) on solar power, meaning that if it’s cloudy, there’s no power. In Mbarara, we amusingly watch the voltage meter on the power bar fluctuate between 220 volts (the norm here) to 110 volts to less. And sometimes, the power just goes out completely. At the orphanage in Kampala, the capital city, and the biggest, most populous, most developed city in the country, the power goes out on a regular basis, several times a week, and often for extended periods of time. Kasese? The same thing. In fact, at one point, the power was so intermittent that we actually decided to bring our incubator into the diocese hospital (has its own independent source electricity) in order to ensure that our water samples were being tested properly.
3. Bargaining, for everything (well, almost everything, anyway). Yup, from food to clothes to internet to hair cuts to bus fares, you can usually barter for what you’ll pay for. I imagine that this one’s not entirely all that uncommon though, especially if you’ve traveled in pretty much any country outside of Europe, North America, and Australia. It’s awesome having Asaph around with me most of the time cause he knows how much everything’s actually worth and basically watches my back so I don’t get ripped off.
4. You, come! So this phrase seems to be the typical Ugandan request when you want something, usually, but not restricted to, a restaurant setting. Yes, while Ugandans are generally viewed as a very polite and kind people, things like P’s & Q’s just don’t have the same significance here. In Runyankole, for instance, the local language in the part of Uganda where I am working, there is no word for please or sorry… Other common variations of this phrase include ‘You, buy!’ and ‘You, take!’
5. Using your horn, a lot. Next to your pedals and steering wheel, the horn is the next most used instrument when driving on Ugandan roads. It has quite the range of uses, many of which are not construed as being rude or impolite. As Asaph puts it, most of the time the car honking at you is just to say hi; other times, it’s a heads-up that they’re coming up to pass you or to let you know something’s coming up ahead; or perhaps, that you’re in his lane (pretty common and normal here). How do you know which one he means? Asaph says, just guess.... I’m not even going to try and explain how they use their turn signals or headlights.
6. Public Transport. Ie. 25 People in one vehicle with you. What’s so unusual about that? Well, the fact that there are only 14 seats in the minivan. I really love that painted on the door of each vehicle is the phrase, “licensed to carry 14 passengers.” Similarly, you won’t often find a passenger vehicle without at least three in the front and four in the back. It’s the beauty of capitalism I guess, working at it’s greatest efficiency possible. One van loads up with as many people as possible, and then takes off. It’s a lot cheaper than public transport back home, (the typical fare I pay here is usually between 500-1000 USh, about 33-67 cents CDN) and it runs more cost effectively, with absolutely no drain on society or taxpayers. You pay for exactly what you get. The only downside to this, it often makes for a somewhat uncomfortable ride.
7. A hole in the ground instead of a flushing toilet. This is one of the things that makes me most grateful to be a guy. I’m still not an accomplished squatter yet, but I think my legs just aren’t made to bend into that position. Anyway, thankfully, most everywhere I’ve been has had toilets when I’ve needed them, but it’s always a bit of a guessing game otherwise.
8. Wearing the same outfit for days (or even weeks) on end. And no deodorant. Haha, no joke, the roving team (Me, Mike, and Asaph) kind of have designated a certain portion of our wardrobe to be working clothes. This is necessary because we often get quite muddy and dirty as we conquer the various Ugandan hills in search of water. And I got tired of having nothing clean to wear if I changed everyday. So, I’ve got one pair of pants that I wear five days a week, sometimes six if we’re out in the field on Saturday, and if I’m feeling clean, I’ll switch shirts halfway through the week. About deodorant, scents attract bugs, so au naturale is the way to go!
9. Eating the same thing for days on end. I found that Ugandans are not the most adventurous people, particularly when it comes to food. At camp, we have rice, matooke, posho, millet, and beans, maybe some Irish potatoes or sweet potatoes, but that’s about the extent of the menu. And that’s the menu day in and day out, almost without fail. When we long for something western and make something from back home, Mike’s made Guacamole, Nancy’s made Hummus, the girls tried their best to make donuts. Each time, the Ugandans will try a bit, just enough to appear polite, and then go back to their more traditional foods. I guess they’ve grown accustomed to only eating these limited foods, and are most comfortable with them. We, on the other hand, are often encouraged to try different things, so in a sense, we’re accustomed to eating the unaccustomed.
And last but definitely not least,
10. Guys holding hands…with other guys.
This awesome picture was snapped by Chris of Bern, the senior engineer, and Gordon, one of the construction crew. While it is the norm in Canada for guys and girls to hold hands, that isn’t the case in Uganda; rather, it is generally frowned upon for a guy to hold hands with a girl. However, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with two guys holding hands. This is even more surprising given the fact that homosexuality is still illegal in this country. Yet, and I am not exaggerating in the least, you can see guys holding hands on pretty much every street corner in any typical Ugandan town. And while some of you won’t believe this, and it was definitely one of the more difficult things to adjust to in terms of Ugandan Culture, I can now hold hands with a guy without too much distain or discomfort. No, it’s definitely not a normal feeling still, nor do I ever think or hope it will be, but I think I can do it well enough now that the person holding my hand can’t sense my discomfort. It’s just a sign of friendship right? If anything, I should be flattered… Don’t worry though guys, this is one part of the Ugandan culture that I definitely won’t be bringing back with me!
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