The Top Unexpected (so far)

The Difference between Technology and Lifestyle. It’s obvious that when coming to a place like this there are going to be ‘stereotypical’ images; like the rundown houses, the dirty streets, the little markets that are not only filled with food but also with dirt and bugs. But what really surprised me is the contrast between the technologies and the lifestyle that they have. Walking into Masaka for the first time the other day, I was expecting to see this stereotypical Africa that everyone assumes, but there was an element that really surprised me. What surprised me was the number of people walking around talking on cell phones. You would think that they wouldn’t be available to this type of population, but EVERYONE seems to have them! It’s definitely something that I never expected.

The Amount of Things Accessible. Coming here I thought it was going to be ‘goodbye’ to a lot of different things I have at home, but there’s actually more here than I thought there was going to be. When we were at the grocery store, there were so many of the same products here that we have at home (though it is give and take a bit). I was even able to get my honey nut cheerios. Though it is available it is still limited to the major cities, and we don’t have as many of the same products within the smaller cities, like where I am living. But it’s nice to know that I can get most things that I want here.

The Accommodations and Luxuries that We Have. What surprised me the most is how amazing the place that we are staying is! We have (almost) everything that we need at our fingertips. The buildings are brand new, we have electricity and running water, our own water filtration system and wireless internet. On the weekdays we also have a lady who comes and does the basic cleaning of our house; it’s almost like having a surrogate mom. Coming into this I didn’t know exactly what to expect, but I am very excited about the amenities that we have for us here.

Apparently the Rainy Season is Actually REALLY Rainy. When I heard that I was going to be here during the rainy season it didn’t bother me too much because I am definitely used to it (living in Vancouver will definitely get someone used to rain). But I assumed that rainy season would mean a couple minutes of rain every other day, or something along those lines. But since we arrived here, it’s rained every single day but today (I don’t want to speak too soon because we still have the evening). And some days it POURED. Its definitely a different kind of rain; a lot more tropical and slightly more enjoyable. I just never expected this amount of rain.

The Different Ways of Giving. When we were in church on Sunday it came time for the offering to be given. Like in Canada, people brought their money, but there was one woman who brought something more. Instead of bringing money she brought a live duck to give as her offering for the week. Apparently this is pretty normal, but I have never seen anything like this before. I thought it was pretty interesting to have a live duck in the church service though!