Fun Days

Thursday

Cataloguing the Books

On Thursday I finally had the opportunity to do something I had been eagerly anticipating for a little while - I was able to rid the top of my dresser drawer of the books I had brought from Canada. At first I was a little worried, because when I asked Dan about them he told me that their policy on books is they prefer monetary donations so that they can buy culturally relevant books, as this is a priority of the library. I wasn’t sure whether my books were culturally relevant, so I worried that Dan would tell me that I would have to give away my books or take them back to Canada or something (I hoped not… there were a lot, and most of them were kids books.) However, luckily, all of them were fine. In order to catalogue the books are numbered by when they were received. Then, they are sorted into genres like Modern Stories, Traditional Stories, Historical Stories, History, Art, Nature, Environment, Science, Mathematics, etc. Dan used to try and keep them organized within the sections by the numerical order, but it became too hectic. Now it is just by genre. 

Friday

Kickboxing with Moses

Moses, I think I mentioned him before, is Julius’s brother and often volunteers at the library. Unfortunately he is going to school next week with Elizabeth, Dan, Flora, Monica, Innocent, Julius (although he will, I think, still be working here part-time) and Roman. Anyways, on Friday I mentioned to Moses that I do kickboxing at home, so he asked if I could show him some moves, and so I did. It was fun! 

Some of the men were giving me funny looks as I was showing him some of the stuff, probably because it’s a bit weird to see a woman fighting - especially when it’s socially inappropriate to straddle a boda-boda, which is a scooter/motorcycle, as a woman while riding on it (they’re like taxis). It was probably even weirder to see me teaching him. Anyway, he’s eager to learn more whenever I have the time. I keep meaning to teach him some kicks, but I keep wearing skirts so, for obvious reasons, I can’t. 

The Computer Lab

We have been spending a lot of time in the computer lab. We have had a couple of days where we’ve been here from morning until night, often using facebook and chatting to Moses and Julius as well as the other patrons. It’s a medium sized room with a table in the middle, on top of which is a small stool which holds the modem up high. Around the edge of the room is a table for more people to use the computers. The library has 10 computers in total, all netbooks in order to conserve the power generated by the solar panels on the roof. 

This is the only place in Kitengesa, which is a very small community, to access the internet. Masaka, which is only 10, 20 minutes away by boda-boda, has internet, but it’s a bit far for many people. Anyhow, the internet is at an extremely reasonable price for US, at 500 shillings for 20 minutes (CAD $0.21) and 1,500 Sh for an hour (CAD $0.64), but when you think that you can get a chick for 300 or 400 shillings, and 1 kilo of coffee beans is sold for 4,000-5,000 shillings and a pop is 2,000 shillings (!!!) it’s not that cheap, although it’s not exorbitantly expensive. However, the internet must be paid for in order for the library to continue to provide it. 

Another issue is that people need to learn how to use the computers (while there are quite a few people who come in to use the computers regularly, there are many others who don’t know how) so we will be teaching computer lessons. Once more people know how to use the computers and the internet, there will be a higher demand for the internet, which will help to support the library and will be beneficial to the community members who can access the internet’s resources. 

Saturday

Singing with Ssentume Julius

On Friday Julius and I discussed me perhaps coming to a function where he was performing and doing a number with him, and then one alone. We had scheduled to leave at two, but there were some complications, and Julius only got here at about 3:15 PM and then we only left at about 3:45 PM. 

The function turned out to be a Graduation Party, which is apparently a way bigger deal than it is at home, where people just don graduation hats and uniforms, listen to a bunch of speeches, walk up to a stage, get a certificate, and then sit down to watch everyone else do the same thing. In Uganda, it is an actual PARTY. People gather and sit in chairs to watch some speeches from the family members and the graduates and the whole community comes out to watch. In between there are fun performances, music, dancing and all sorts of good stuff. People eat and everyone is dressed in their best. It was really awesome to get to see.

When I arrived a woman offered me something to drink (“Soda or Water?” she asked, and I immediately went for the water-- I had run out at home) and seated me behind some of the graduates and their best friends. I was to wait there until Julius started coming toward me in one of the performances. 

Because of the amount of water I drank I got to experience a real latrine/squat toilet twice, which was interesting. I admit I held my breath, but it wasn’t that bad at all. And it was organized in a curl/swirl/maze so that you had privacy, too, which was good. 

Anyways, after a couple of hours of listening to songs and speeches in Luganda (and reading A Storm of Swords-- it’s hard to listen for too long in a language you don’t know) Julius finally came up to me. This was our act: He walks up to where I’m sitting in the audience, sits on my lap, I stand up with him and he does a twirl under my arm. Whenever he looks sad, I comfort him. The rest of the time, I dance. I think he was singing about how women are pillars and comfort their men or something, but I really don’t know.

After I sang “On My Own” from Les Miserables. I worried that there would be a cultural disconnect, but apparently people knew the song and would like it. Julius said people liked my performance, so that’s good. Ivan, a man he performs with, videotaped the whole thing on my camera, so I can show it to you if you want. However, you can’t really hear me sing because the girl on the video-recording is singing in the background.

It was actually kind of freeing, because when I sing I usually get so anxious about the sound quality that I tense up and my performance worsens. Julius also gave me some advice the night before which was really useful, although most people would say it’s really basic. He just said “Relax. When the audience laughs it’s because they’re into your performance,” or something along those lines. Somehow, maybe because someone else was telling me and I was able to trust their advice, it was a lot easier to just go for it. 

Anyways, after we went back on the boda-boda. Leila and Heather hadn’t come because they wanted to stay at the library and Heather I think wasn’t feeling very well.

Song-Writing with Ssekayiba Moses

Moses and I are writing a song. He has actually been on the radio here, which seems crazy because at home one doesn’t just know people who have been on the radio. They are far away and untouchable, but he knows some of the radio people. Anyhow, we’re collaborating. He had to get a few teeth pulled today, so we weren’t able to work on it, but we need to get together again to review the changes he’s made and the translation etc.