Life on the Homestead

Welp. Life's kinda boring here. Not much to write about...JUST KIDDING! Just too much to say and not enough words! Chapati and peanut butter banana's pretty much sum up my life these days.

The past two weeks I've been spending at my urban homestay in Mukono. I was still attending classes, so I was only really there for 2 weekends and each night for dinner and Hidden Passions (cheesy Spanish soap opera with horribly dubbed over English. Check it!) My Ugandan family consists of my dad, the Reverend, my mom, the teacher, and sisters Rachel, the crazy college nursing student, Irene, the malaria infected senior in high school, and Phoebe, the smiley elementary student. Emma, the two year old nephew who never.stopped.crying, also lived with us. We had so much fun! No pictures of the whole family though. Fail on my part. :(

Story Numero Uno. Last Monday was my birthday! Because half of my family goes away to the nearby city during the week for work and school, Mama Kizito, Rachel, and Emma were the only ones at the house. I had subtly mentioned a few days earlier that my birthday was coming up, but I didn't want to make a big deal of it. So when no one mentioned it before school Monday morning, I was kinda relieved. (Ok, so maybe those last two sentences were lies. I was sad! Who doesn't want a huge African celebration on their birthday?!) After classes and mini celebrations at school, I returned home to nice lil surprise party! Wahooooo!! All the kids in the neighborhood, spaghetti feast!, a rock solid store bought cake, and more Hidden Passions? Who could ask for a better way to spend their 21st birthday in Africa?! :P

Story Number Two. Last Sunday, a new Bishop for the Mukono Conference was being consecrated on campus at UCU. Because my host dad was a friend of his, we decided to go support, along with about 20,000 other people! The ceremony was loooooooong. About 7 hours actually. Pretty necessary when everything possible has to be included! Marching bands, 4 choirs, scriptures, sermon in two languages, swearing in, costume changes, reading the bishop's entire new plan, and the arrival of the PRESIDENT OF UGANDA? What?! He showed up about 6 hours late, and because he's been in power for about 20 years longer than he's technically allowed (he changed the constitution of course), I'm not sure he won many people over with that. BUT he did come in style! Full entourage, campaign speech, and free car for the bishop! Yup. Free car. This had to have been a simulation. As we've been saying: T.I.A. This is Africa. Never know what you're gonna get.