Meg In Uganda: Go Hogs, Go!

Monday, April 25, 2011

Go Hogs, Go!

Yeah, I did.

I was walking around the mission in Lodonga and came across these kids playing. I taught them to call the Hogs. Yup. And took videos. My guess is that you are either sitting there being extremely proud of me right now, or you are laughing your head off at me. Too bad my internet is not feeling well enough to upload a video. I’ll post it when I get home.

Anyways, these kids showed up for rosary that same day and we became fast friends. For the week that I was in Lodonga, they would come pray rosary with me (I shared my rosary with them and they got really excited about that), then we would go play for a bit, then I would walk them home. Even though I spoke almost no Lugbara and they spoke almost no English, we were somehow able communicate through broken language and hand signs. I took many pictures of them.

Their names were Happy (5), Emily (6), Fred (5), and Boniface (3).

This was when we first met at their house (in the background). This was also when I taught them to call the Hogs.

From left to right: Emily, Happy, Fred and the little one in front is Boniface (or Boni)

Fred and Emily

Fr. David playing with them and doing some translating for me.

When they came to pray the rosary, they always wore their Church Clothes.

The four of them in front of the Basilica.

This was the only picture I could get of Happy's BEAUTIFUL smile. And that was only because she didn't know I was taking the picture.

So, I taught them to call the Hogs on the first day I was in Lodonga, so I had the whole week to get to know them. Whenever they would see me, I would hear quiet shouts of "Woooooo...............pig." I would give them this huge grin and then they would get all bashful.

When I return to Lodonga, I am looking forward to greeting them again. :D

Okay, so now that I have posted more blogs in one day than I usually do in a month, I think I will save the rest for later. I still have about ten blog ideas in my blog archive (a.k.a. the back of my mind). It might be another week before I get more up, but hopefully these will tide you over until then.

I miss you all back home, but rest assured, I am safe and well and having the time of my life!

Happy Easter!

Awadifo Pascasi!

Enya Easter A La!

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Things I Will Never Again Take for Granted

The fact that almost all the parents can afford to buy their children a simple ball to play with. Please don't take it for granted.
Nice roomy dormitories. No matter how small you THINK they are, they are bound to be better than an 8x15 brick structure with four bunk beds, two of which are stacked three beds high.
Public trash cans
Trash pick up service
Sanitation Department
DVRing your favorite TV show.
When you pick up your juice or soda that you left on the counter for a few minutes, and you DON’T look inside to see if dozens of ants have decided to claim it for themselves because you know that Terminx just came and sprayed. Don’t take that for granted.
The next time you go to the polls to vote, and the thought that their might possibly be violence hasn’t even crossed your mind. Don’t take that for granted.
Prepackaged meat (like chicken breasts and ground beef).
Lamp Posts and Street Lights that come on at night
Getting a mosquito bite and worrying how much it is going to itch rather than possible diseases the biter might have been carrying. Don’t take that for granted.
When you get a carton of eggs from the store and the chicken poop has already been washed off, please don’t take that for granted.
The next time you get irritated with a super slow internet connection (or no connection at all), please don’t scream at the computer. Don’t take high speed internet for granted.
Hershey’s products (and reeses, most all other American candy besides snickers). Next time you eat one, please don’t take it for granted. (You can take snickers for granted :P)
Email and skype. I don’t know how I would get by without it.
Take out
Public toilets in general, no matter how nasty they get. Don’t take those for granted, they are leaps and bounds better than public latrine pits.
Nice road trips, with long smooth highways and gas stations with working toilets
Going to buy something knowing that they are going to give you the same price they give everyone else and that they are not trying to take advantage of you
Paved roads and sidewalks
Eating out and not wondering whether the cook has washed their hands or not, because if he/she didn’t they would probably be fired
Going to a popular restaurant and just assuming there will be cold sodas (or any sodas at all)
Going to the cheese aisle in the super market and getting to pick out one of the MANY types of cheese
Seeing a kid walk down the street and not even think twice about whether that kid is being fed or loved properly. Don’t take it for granted.
A cold shower after an hour bike ride to get all the sweat and dirt off? Don’t take it for granted; you never know when the water will be off
Hot showers
And please, please PLEASE never EVER take air conditioning for granted again.