Another Saturday Passes

Just a Painted Door at a Hotel we Visited

          

 Today is Sunday. I slept in a little this morning a and then woke up, planned my math lesson for tomorrow, and had something to eat. I just got done doing my laundry, and am trying to figure out how I want to introduce decimals to my students this week. It is difficult for me to plan because I doubt they have a very solid understanding about basic fractions, so it could be challenging to help them wrap their heads around decimals. Tomorrow I think I am going to give a pre-assessment to see where they are at with fractions so I know how to better introduce the new content that the Ugandan curriculum says I need to cover. So, that is what is on my mind right now. It will basically consume me this whole week as well. I am excited to teach it though. I will feel very accomplished if I can have them possessing a basic understanding by the end of the week.

Yesterday was fun. We picked Deborah up at a little after noon and took off for Bwera right way. She lived just outside of town in a beautiful compound. It was only about 20-30 minutes from where our school is. We were welcomed by her mother and a few of her brothers and sisters. Though we never got to meet him, Deborah’s father is the head politician of the Kasese District. So the family did fairly well for themselves, and their property was gorgeous.

When we first arrived we sat down and were welcomed by a man, Chris, who worked for the family. He introduced himself to all of us and then brought us some cold Coca Colas. This was exciting because we have been basically living off of air temp water since we have been here. We get juice or pop every once in a while, but it is a treat to have something so sweet unexpectedly. I don’t even really drink soda in the States, but here it is pleasure. I don’t want to make it sound like we do not have access to sweet beverages here, we just do not buy them that often. Anyway, the sodas, or pops, or colas, or whatever you call them based on wherever you are from were excellent.

He then informed us that we would be having lunch there. It was quite comical because of the way he listed what we would be having. He was like, “First you will have some steamed rice, then you will have noodles, then you will have some matoke, then you will have chicken, then you will have beef, then you will have chapatti, etc. It sounded like so much and so amazing! We asked him if we could help, but he informed us it was not necessary because he was an expert. I didn’t want to be rude and ask if I could watch him prepare the meal, but it would have been fun because the meal turned out amazing. I would have liked to see how he made some of it.

After looking through some of Deborah’s family photos, we took a tour of their home and property. Walking the property was fun for me. We first went around the side of the home past where they keep all their chickens. It was neat to see all of them in their pens and running around, but Jess reminded me that one of these chickens would be our lunch. That sort of changes the way you look at them. We went through another doorway that opened into an open common area. From here you could access different little homes in the compound. It is common for families to live together even as they age. So if they are not in the exact same dwelling they are next to each other or on the same property. A few of Deborah’s family members lived behind the different entrances.

Walking through the Matoke Yard

Look Familiar?

We left the common area which opened up into a fairly decent sized matoke farm, or field. I think Motoke (Banana) trees are such beautiful trees and I had not yet walked through a cluster of them. They also had a row of coffee trees in the back of the field. I had never seen these either, so it was cool breaking open the bean and seeing what it is like before it is sun dried and roasted (super slimy!). They also had palm trees that are like giant cacti. The seeds grow out of the base and they are broken open to extract palm oil for cooking. Exploring the trees, seeing their pig and chickens, and seeing their living situation made for a fun time.

Coffee Beans Still on the Tree

We returned to the sitting room and basically chatted amongst ourselves until dinner. We did not really know what to expect before we had went, so it was kind of funny that it was just me Jess, Kayla, Francesca, Doreen, and Samson sitting in their house entertaining ourselves. Due to the heat and hunger, we got a bit slap happy for a bit, but that was interrupted by a quick trip into town (Bwera) to see three different hotels.

Some Followers from Bwera

The first hotel was owned by her family. The second was owned by her family friends. The last hotel employed Doreen’s "brother" (actually her cousin), John. I enjoyed looking at the establishments and the rooms. Though they were fairly basic rooms, the design and feel of the hotels were very different than that of a Hilton or Super 8. Just seeing that part of town was an experience too. It was not surprising that on our way to the third hotel the news of our presence was traveling fast among the neighborhood children. It was not long before we were once again being followed by a group of excited children. Much of the poverty and garbage on the streets is kind of difficult to explain, but I am getting more used to seeing it and am less shocked by it now when I see it. Not to say that this area was poorer than others we have been through, but it was there. Anyway, I enjoyed going into town and seeing the hotels and some of the people. It was also nice to meet Doreen’s brother.

Samson on one of the Hotel Porches

So back to the compound and to the dining table. I don’t really know how to talk about it. I absolutely loved the meal! I wish I would have taken a picture of my plate to share the sight. I ate a ton and enjoyed every bite. End of story.

Dinner is Served!

So after taking some pictures with the fam and saying thank you, we took off for home. It was an enjoyable Saturday. I am already beginning to realize how few Saturday’s we have left in Uganda! So we will have to make the best of the rest of them as well. We still need to visit King James’ family, go on a Safari, visit King Fisher Lodge, and do a few other things. I can’t wait. But, now I need to keep planning. I will update soon!