Monday, September 21, 2009

Monday, September 21, 2009           

            Last night I couldn’t sleep because of the heat – it felt like the mosquito net was trapping all the hot air coming off my body.  This morning I woke up and it was actually cold out.  Hmm…go figure.

            Today was my first MMM (Monday morning meeting) whereby all the mentors and Educate! staff strategize…discuss lesson plans…talk about stuff.  The meeting went well and I was able to speak to the three mentors I’ll be working with.  (I’ve attached notes from my meeting with Solomon…I’m not sure anyone will want to read them – but there are a few interesting social projects).  I also ate my first “rolex.”  It’s probably the favorite breakfast food for Ugandans.  Its eggs and tomato wrapped in a chapatti (a crepe-textured wrap with green onions).  They’re AMAZING.  You can literally get them outside our compound for less than a dollar.

            Afterwards I did some microfinance research and some reading (and working on this VERY time consuming blog!).  Then Emily offered to take me into town to return my cell phone.  What ensued is CLASSIC Ugandan behavior.

            We went back to the store that sold me a busted cell phone…one woman sat in the back.  The other woman was asleep…resting her head on her hands.

            Emily (who’s a pugnacious bugger) asked me which woman sold the cell phone.   I nodded at the one who was awake.

            “Hi – you sold him this cell phone –“

            “Yes – I remember.”  The woman replied.

            “Yeah, well, its broken.  It wont charge or turn on.”

            “Well – that doesn’t matter right now.”  The woman smugly responded.  “The power is out.  I cannot test your phone one way or another.  Come back some other time.”

            We both exhaled out loud.  It took us 40 minutes on a matatu and a boda boda to get there.

            “What is your name?”  Emily asked.

            “My name is not important.  What’s important is that you come back when I have power.”

            We walked out.  This is the type of thing you just have to get used to in Uganda.

            Emily and I decided to get dinner.  We took a boda boda to “Rocks and Roses.” 

            We picked up menu’s.

            A woman from behind the counter approached.  “Sorry we’re closed.”

            “But its only 5:03?”  Emily said confused.  “What time do you close?”

            “5:00.”

            We both looked at the food laid out behind the counter.

            “Can we just grab one of those?”  Emily asked.

            “Sorry we’re closed.”

            “By three minutes!”  Emily said.  “Cant we just grab something?”

            “It doesn’t matter how far past 5:00.  What matters is that it’s past 5:00.”  We sighed.  Another defeat.           

            We finally decided upon a hotel to grab dinner.  I had a club sandwich.  She had a filet.  It was a good time.

            On the boda ride home my flip-flop felt very warm.  I kept telling Emily but she said it was my imagination.  When we got home I realized why it was so warm…it had been resting on the exhaust and now I have two deep holes burned into the bottom of my flip-flops!  Oh well…at least it wasn’t my foot.