It is strange being home to be honest with you. After being away for five and a half weeks, I was starting to get used to the rhythm of life. I was becoming used to the African way of doing things, from waking up and waiting for the rain to stop to start the day, working with my hands, being bent over and washing clothes for a few hours in the morning, throwing bricks, washing dishes under the mango tree, carrying jerry-cans of water while laughing the entire time, waiting some more, building a wall, visiting friends on their door-steps, holding hands with friends while walking from point A to point B, closing the evening with singing and dancing, the daily rhythm of Africa got under my skin!
Time worked in a different way in Tabiro village. Rushing and stressing about time and order was not necessarily a priority for anyone. It was greatly understood that general life chores and tasks took priority over anything else. Once the rain stopped in the morning, then people could start their daily chores of collecting water, and toiling the soil in their gardens (which may be up to forty-five minutes walk away from their dwelling) , washing clothes, collecting more water, tending to livestock, children, neighbours, then once all of the essentials are completed, then life can continue, and other commitments can take place.
For example, if we were to say lets meet at 2:30, that really does not mean that we will be meeting at 2:30. It more or less is a statement saying that once all of the essential chores have been completed, we will meet up...and really, that could mean any time between 3:00-6:00 in the afternoon! The sun goes down at 7:00, so if 2:30 somehow turns into 6:00...maybe whatever was planned won't happen today, but maybe instead it will be tomorrow. Somehow it will work out.
I had the best intentions to have a continual update coming through my blog to update people while being away, however somehow the internet connection in rural Uganda had an entire different agenda for me. Rather than spending my time connecting to the 'outside world', communicating what was happening in my life, staying updated with what was happening in the rest of the world, I was made to be present with what was happening in the village, in the lives of those who were immediately surrounding me. Do you know what, I feel as if I was more able to create and sustain better relationships with those around me than I would have if I were continually connected to the internet.
Even though at the time it was frustrating that I couldn't send or receive notes from home, it was the best thing that could have grounded me in a distant land. For the first few weeks, I was frustrated that the internet connection wasn't working, however, after a while I just got used to the fact that I wasn't able to really connect to the outside world, and in some ways it was a little relieving.
I find it hard sometimes to relate and retell what I am experiencing whilst being away, as I indulge in a new place and fall in love with different ways of life and the people in the community. So not being able to connect to the rest of the world gave me time and space to really engage in what I was doing, to internalize what I was experiencing so that later, my retelling of what I was faced with on a daily basis could somehow be more rich and meaningful, more intentional somehow.
To be honest with you, I am still not sure how I am even going to begin to unravel all of my stories and experiences and emotions that are wrapped in this journey to the Pearl of Africa, nevertheless I believe taking time and writing it out may be what I need the most. So bare with me please, as I begin this journey of processing along with you.
from a feather who drifted to the Pearl of Africa.....
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