Month 2

This week will make 2 months since we left the states. And we have definitely settled in. At first we needed a driver to take us everywhere, but now as confusing as any capital city can be with no street signs and about 4 lights, we can easily manage our way around it driving by ourselves. At first we had to ask people we could trust to tell us prices so we wouldn’t get ripped off, but now we are well versed in all forms of buying in Kampala. The general rule of thumb is that there is no set price, so whatever you think is far in your head, you offer 2,000 shillings less. By the time you’ve agreed, you pay the price you wanted, and they feel happy they got 2,000 more out of you. We have found some great places to eat if we ever need to have a meal other than potatoes, rice, beans and cabbage and have finally gotten plugged back in…meaning we bought a cell phone here. We fought it for awhile, but they really are a must with how many contacts we’ve been making here in Africa. To buy a new phone was 40,000shillings which is $25.00 USD. Then each month you put on however many minutes you need. We put $6.00 on to start and it will probably last us 2 or 3 weeks. ($12 a month is definitely a little less than Kami and I were paying for our cell phone bills at home, especially since we share the phone.)
We have become good friends with 3 Americans who live less than a kilometer down the road, working on building a school. After long weeks, we go into the city with them on Fridays and talk normally again. It’s so nice to have the outlet. As soon as we started going out on Fridays, we began meeting different people every week. And normally, since white people are in Africa for some pretty cool reasons, we have had some incredible conversations with people from all over the world. It’s brought a sort of normality to life, and suddenly Africa has not only become a place we are enjoying because of our work and the children, but also because of the times and conversations we’re sharing with people who are like-minded from completely different countries. Its been really inspiring.
The thunder storms here are out of this world. We’ve never seen anything like it. A few nights ago it started raining at 4 AM and became this massive, ear piercing storm. The thunder was so loud outside our house it sounded like something was smashing against the wall. It was so loud and repetitive that both Kami and I got up thinking our metal door was not locked and was opening and slamming shut. But it was just the thunder. The wind was so fierce it knocked down several trees around the home. With all of this on a tin roof, and lightning continually coming through the window as bright as someone turning on a light, Kami and I lay in our beds for a long time without sleep just listening to the storm and yelling back and forth to see if the other could hear a yell over the storm.
We’re clearing land and starting a garden this week for the home. We’ve met some good friends who know how to garden better than Kami and I are at speaking English. Once we clear the land, they are going to teach the kids and us how to plant and keep the garden going. In a few months, our hope is that the kids will have vegetables apart of every meal from a garden they cultivate.