"It's All Coming Back to Me NOOOW!!"

6/14/11

The song title is proof of how much Ugandans love Toni Braxton and Celine Dion.  It was blaring over dinner at what's supposed to be a pretty trendy place.  

“Here you go, Grizzle.”  It’s followed me here.  Dani found out my last name, and it’s stuck.  I’m not complaining.  I grew to love going by my last name in high school, and I recently fought with a friend about the necessity of me keeping it when I get married, no matter how much of a source of pride it is for a man to have his last name taken.  Suck it up, men.  Grizzle is awesome, and if it was yours, you wouldn’t want to change it either.   

Anyway.  Today was uneventful compared to yesterday’s village excitement.  I have made a new friend at the clinic.  One of the physicians who didn’t say much at first, decided to ask me every odd and awkward question in the book today.  My favorite one was “Do all women have to have IUD’s placed before they come into the country?”  I assured him that was false, and said it was a little personal to ask, just in case he ran into another muzungu and wanted to ask her that, too. 

I went into a gas station to buy air time for my Ugandan phone today.  Aside: cell phones here have been really hard to get used to.  I have no concept of how to pay as you go in shillings, and it’s impossible to carry on a conversation.  Either person can only understand about half of the conversation, and I never hang up feeling like I got what I needed out of the phone call.  And cell phones trump everything!.  People answer them in staff meetings, medical rounds, in the middle of real life conversations, etc.  It’s amazing.  Anyway, the clerk at the gas station told me I was beautiful, and I could have cried and kissed her for it.  I felt dirty, hairy, greasy, and sunburnt (thanks malaria pills for photosensitivity), and it may have just been a sales tactic, but I don’t think she’ll ever know how much I was dying to hear that. 

The night ended with a dinner of fried chicken and chips (which are french fries, in case no one ever told you that), a cold shower, and a talk with both of my parents.  All in all, I guess it was actually a really good day.  I have learned from these new roommates that I have become a lot more tolerant of the way of life here than they have.  I think it’s a learning curve because this time last week, I had all of their same complaints.  I can talk to people when they ask questions, I have learned how to work restaurants here, and I’m grateful for my rural clinic peeps who are incredibly kind, and not creepy like some of the city folks. 

So my list.  I’m thankful...
1. for compliments.  Again, I’m vain, but it meant so much I can’t stand it.
2. for Grizzle.  It’s got pizzazz (which also has the rare double Z thing going).  I feel bad complaining about it for so long.
3. for sleep.  I need it, and I’m off to get some. 

Goodnight my loves!  I apologize for the random train of thought tonight.

OH!  And Lucy's dad is just fine.  He's stable, and probably going home in a day or 2, so she didn't have to change travel plans.