Stress Free Living

September 5 – September 15

View of Pasture

Two weeks of absolutely no stress or contact with the outside world - I wish this for everyone. It is peaceful and solitary. Some days I have many hours to fill but I am not bored. With no internet I can only be on my computer as long as the battery lasts. Reading or journaling outside near the pasture or on my bed looking out the window at the banana trees and cows has become a favorite pastime. I pay more attention to my surroundings, soaking in the beauty of this place and attempting to experience what it is like to live off the land. Embracing the energy of the people, I detect that they innately understand that feeling unhappy or negative does absolutely no good and changes nothing. I will return to the memory of this place when I get caught up in the complications and frenzy of western life.

Life could not be simpler here… yet life is tougher than anything we know. It is difficult in a way that might be reminiscent of pioneer days in the US. The hard and laborious daily chores never seem to end. Everyone goes about their day working hard but also laughing and joking with one another. Only the most basic of needs really matter. No one cares about aesthetics. It is all about practicality and usefulness. Our 2 biggest luxuries include a generator that runs 3 hours each night, and a black & white TV with a 12 inch screen and a fuzzy picture.

Ronald & Paul
Chopping Onions & Tomatoes

The crowing roosters and the clanking of dishes being washed often wake me between 5 and 6 in the morning. Gloria and Carmy wash the previous night’s dishes before leaving for school around 7:00 am. Anita and Betty are up sweeping and wiping down the floors. Everyone works from the crack of dawn until dark and the women don’t stop until bedtime, usually around 10 when the generator is turned off. The children do chores before and after school. No one complains; the workload is shared; and, from all appearances, everyone gets along very well.

My day begins with an hour walk/run. It took several days to find a route that allowed me some peace of mind. One day I caused quite a ruckus as I came upon a primary school. The children had just been dismissed and were scampering out to the road. As soon as I was spotted shouts of “mzungu” could be heard from many directions. Students joined me on my run despite wearing no shoes. The bolder children kept pace with me; the shyer ones held back only to squeal and run away when I turned back to try and involve them. My feelings vacillated between that of the Pied Piper and a celebrity being hounded by paparazzi.

Another morning I passed a school that was in session and some of the kids yelled from the windows. I was worried that they would be hit for being disruptive. I finally found a great side road for running with no schools for me to disrupt; just families going about their daily chores, shouting out greetings and encouragement.

“Good Morning, Sir” is a common greeting. Most of the locals have minimal English skills. Because the language has no personal pronouns it is difficult to differentiate “he” and “she”. Greetings often include “Sir” or “Madam” and I have been greeted with “Good Morning, Sir” as many times as with “Madam”. The cows and goats are even friendly, meandering across the road looking for the greener grass. I always give them the right of way because they are bigger than me and some of the bulls have huge intimidating horns.

Running on my last day I added “Goodbye” to my regular greeting. They will realize in a few days that I am gone. I hope they will remember the friendly muzungu if I am able to return in a few years and run on the same roads.

When I return from running, Anita has a bucket of hot water ready for me to shower with. Breakfast follows my shower, usually including tea, bread and fruit. I have acquired a taste for tea with milk. The tea is made with freshly picked leaves boiled in water. I like dipping my bread in the tea and one morning shared a dipped piece with Vina, the 13 month old. She loved it and circled the table each time returning for another piece. We now have a morning ritual. Whenever I sit down for breakfast Vina is by my side to see what I will share.

Some days I am able to catch a nap. One of my first days at the House/Farm I thought it had rained but discovered that the wind blowing thru the banana trees sounds like a soft rain. I would like to capture this on tape and use it for a sleep aid. When it does rain, the pounding of the rain on the metal roof drowns out all other noises. I find its constancy to be very soothing.

The farmers are concerned about their yields for this year due to the lack of rain. The planting of seeds and crops occur during the rainy season. I have participated in some of the planting. The physical activity and sore muscles feel great. Locals stop just to watch a mzungu work and a few have asked if I might also come help on their farms!

Cutting Cassava Branches
 for Planting

I planted cassava, a root vegetable which, whether eaten raw or cooked, tastes like our baking potatoes. The process of planting cassava involves cutting the tree branches and chopping them in 10-12 inch pieces. One piece is laid sideways in a hole and covered with dirt. It rained for a short while during planting but nothing stops because of rain. The leaves from the cut branches are then gathered and fed to the pigs.

Digging the Hole

Planting the Branch

We have also planted corn. First dried for about a week, the kernels are then plucked off the cob by hand. It was harder than I expected and my fingers got quite the workout. Most vegetables are planted among the banana trees which mean more of the land can be used. Not being a shade tree, the banana trees allow plenty of sunshine for other crops to grow.

Me Planting Peanuts

Betty Planting Peanuts

Betty and I spent a large part of one day planting peanuts. Tedious and monotonous work, we used a hoe to make a hole then dropped the seed and covered the hole. This process was repeated for two hours before we took a break around 10 am for breakfast. We returned to our planting after breakfast for another two hours and finished before the rains came. Doing this on a daily basis is hard to imagine.

Ground Nuts

Many varieties of nuts grow in Uganda but I am only familiar with the peanuts. I peeled nuts from a shell that looked like a flattened quarter-size pea. For lunch we boiled and chopped the nuts mixing them into a sauce to be added to cooked greens. A mixture of pineapple, tea leaves and ginger was brewed over a wood fire for our drink. Both were delicious.

Maria Mashing Nuts

Peeling Ground Nuts

Anita, Betty and I peel bananas and cassava most days. We also cut up pumpkin which is steamed and quite good. I told Betty and Anita about pumpkin pie. Betty asked if someone helped me with cooking at home. She was also curious if anyone did my laundry. I explained about washing machines. I later shared our conversation with Mami who revealed that she had only ever seen pictures of a washing machine. I then described a dishwasher but added that when living by myself I rarely used it. I feel embarrassed talking about the machinery and technology we have that does our work for us when it may never be something these people experience.

Mama with newborn Piglets

Both the women and men are involved in planting. However, it is the men who take care of the animals. One evening Adrian from the Go Farm called with news that one of the pigs was giving birth. After dinner Uncle Peter drove Mami and me over on his motorcycle. Arriving, we found that mama pig had delivered 7 piglets, one was stillborn. Of course, they were all adorable. They were walking and falling over each other in their attempts to breastfeed. We stayed over an hour and when it looked like mama was starting to deliver the placenta we decided to head home. We got to the road when we were called back. Mama was delivering another piglet. Sadly it was another stillborn birth.

A couple nights we ate dinner in the dark because the generator was acting up. Gloria and I worked on her homework using the flashlight on my cell phone. She wrote a composition about how she spent her recent school break and included a part on my visit and the games we made. It had to be at least 100 words and we were the last ones to bed. Another part of my daily routine is to help Gloria with her homework. She appears to be a pretty smart child and often receives a “Good” on her assignments.

I feel a special closeness to Gloria and when I told her that I would be leaving she said she was sad and might cry. I told her I would miss her but would stay in touch thru Peter and Mami. I asked the date of her birthday but she did not know. I told her how we celebrated in the US and that we would find out her birthdate so I could send her a card.

As in Tanzania, the Uganda culture is very respectful of those who are older. The traditions in Uganda are very different than Tanzania in that people will kneel on bended knee or bow. The first time I observed this, a woman selling ground nuts lowered herself to the ground as Peter approached to purchase the nuts. My initial reaction was shock as it seemed like an act of submission. At the House/Farm the children, both boys and girls, bow to their knee when addressing an adult. Maria and Vina (3 yo & 13 mos)are also learning and bow to Mami. I had a very enlightening conversation with Mami who clarified that the tradition has nothing to do with submission, explaining that bowing or kneeling is a gesture of respect. Adults will also greet each other this way regardless of age. I must admit that the respect shown by the children is refreshing. I doubt they ever think about talking back or refusing to do something asked of them.

Also similar to Tanzania is the importance of music in the Uganda culture. One evening, several children gathered to sing and dance for me. Betty joined in singing and drumming on a plastic jug. I tried to videotape them but it was dark so the quality was poor. The kids still enjoyed watching and listening to themselves when I replayed the video.

Drummers

The tailoring women have started their own drumming and dancing group. The performers include the tailoring women, some of their children, and other local youth. Watching them perform, an energy of joy fills the room. The pride in their traditions and country is expressed so jubilantly thru their music. Here is a video of a few segments (less than one minute) 
http://youtu.be/6fjiRuq2MVM

Timothy with Jackfruit

Religion also plays a significant role in the daily lives of the Ugandan people. Most of the villagers are Catholic including Peter and the others at the House/Farm. Both children and adults commonly wear rosaries as necklaces. Because people farm, Sunday is still a work day. However, a large meal is prepared for lunch. My first Sunday at the House/Farm was a meal of firsts. We ate chicken and chapati plus jackfruit which may be my new favorite food.

Cooking Chicken

Chapati

 As my time in Uganda draws to a close I find that I need to lighten my load again. I gave away clothing, a flashlight and a rain poncho to Anita, Betty, Gloria, Paul, Ronald and Uncle Peter. Betty and Anita modeled their new skirts and the kids were excited to each have a new shirt. I apologized to Mami because I had nothing left to give her. She replied that her gift is seeing others receive.

Bingo, the kitten Mami brought from Kampala, is missing. She was last seen a few days ago before a thunderstorm and no one has seen her since. Bingo is the 2^nd cat that has been brought to the farm. The first one also disappeared. I suggested that maybe the 3^rd try would be the charm and they could name the cat “Charm” for good luck!

Mami and I were driven back to Peter’s house in Kampala on the 15^th. I would fly to Ireland on the 18^th.  The Ireland trip will help my transition back to the “ways of the western world”. I am not going to dwell on “how hard it might be to readjust” when I return to the states. I have been adjusting to so many changes in the last 7 months, my return to the US will be one more. I have also adopted the attitude that everything I do is temporary. This always gives me something new to look forward to!

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here. Everyone has been so kind. Mami is obviously loved and respected by everyone at both farms. She is a very kind soul and made my stay comfortable and relaxing. She reminds me of Nie, in that being around her brings out the best in a person. Spending time with people who are so genuine and kind cannot help but make one a better person. We can all learn from their simplistic and practical way of living. The difficult side of this lifestyle is, of course, the poverty. The work ethic is beyond comparison. When they work they work hard and when they have free time it is filled with stories, music and laughter. In their simple world, they make the most of life.

Me & Uganda Family

One of My Favorite Pics

Pasture