going, going, GONE

I made it..... FINALLY. After about 35 hours of travel, 4 different countries, 6 airplane meals, 5 in flight movies, 4 episodes of Friends, and 2 books later, I made it to Uganda in one piece, luggage and all. I would call that a success.

My travel adventures began with a shady encounter in the Houston airport- a security guard kept leaning over me while "helping" me get my laptop back into my bag, whispering his myspace user name into my ear and telling me about the good times we could have if I looked him up...

No, Master Mean, I will NOT be contacting you.... ever. (And yes, that is the real myspace name he gave me... Master Mean... really?)

But my trip ended in a much more pleasant way: Julie came and got me from the airport! Even though we had never met before, seeing her felt familiar somehow... and it was such a relief after so many hours of being in transit. (In case you didn't know, Julie is the Sseko country director, my roommate, and currently my only friend)

On the ride to my new home, I got a nice view of Uganda.... People keep asking me if it is what I expected, and I realized that I didn't have too many expectations coming into all of this... but for some reason I had been viewing country as an African Guatemala. I think this is because Guatemala was the first country I visited outside the developed world, so I suppose it is inevitable that I compare everywhere else I visit to it. But, Uganda is definitely not Guatemala.... They are similar in some ways, I suppose.... but I think Kampala is already stealing my heart. The people here are so friendly and welcoming, and the only word I can use to describe the scenery of the country is "green." It is SO green and lush everywhere. I can't wait to go explore other parts of the country.

And I know everyone is curious about my living situation... I will be post pictures soon, don't worry! But for now, I'll tell you the top 5 things I have to get used to while living in Kampala:

1) Travelling by boda boda- A boda boda is a small motorcycle, and believe me, there are some kamikaze drivers out there.... When you are on a boda boda, there are basically no rules except just get to your destination as fast as you can. Since I have VERY little experience riding motorcycles (only once before in the US), this was terrifying the first time... but even after two days, I am already getting used to zipping through traffic jams and dodging the side mirrors of the cars we pass by.
2) People saying "You are welcome"-So, I met the Sseko girls yesterday (they are GREAT by the way), and after I hugged each of them, they kept saying "You are welcome!"... and every time, I kept thinking "But, I didn't say 'thank you' for anything...." It took a second, but I put two and two together and realized that they were actually welcoming me, and saying that they were glad I was here.
3) Begging children- It has been a while since I have been in a place with street kids, and every time they come near me it hurts my heart a little... I know I can't just hand out money left and right, but it's just so sad to see them in that condition. I'm sure at some point I will get used to it, but I don't think that just being callous is the answer... there will probably be more to come on this topic at a later date.
4) Driving on the left side of the road- Today, while getting in a taxi, I accidentally tried to hop into the driver's seat out of habit of going to the right side to get in.... Ooops! We laughed, and it was only mildly embarrassing. A typical muzungu* mistake, I suppose. (*muzungu= white person)
5) The mice- Oh, the mice....Last but certainly not least are my little furry friends. We have several mice that scurry across the floor of our room periodically... but I am actually surprised at how okay I am with them. If there had been a mouse in 307 Francis, I would have been absolutely freaking out (roommates, you can vouch for that).... but for some reason, in Kampala, I'm just fine with it... but still a bit startled when I see them. Maybe when I take a picture of my room, one of the mice will pose for the shot.