“Thank you for appreciating.” is a common phrase used in Uganda. It is used as a response after someone has thanked you for doing something or has just given you a compliment. You say, thank you for appreciating (something… my work, my clothes, my food, etc.). Personally, I love it. It humors me and I use it all the time these days. So today I will talk about some things that I appreciate.
Mr. Otoke is my best friend and source of companionship in the village. He is the geography teacher at Kamuge High. Over the past two terms I’ve come to know him better than most people I interact with in the village.
He is an intelligent, considerate, curious, and friendly man. One of the reasons I enjoy his company so much is because I can have real, meaningful conversations with him. I’ve visited him at his Kamuge home several times and he has come to visit me at my home. I say Kamuge home because his real home is in a different village. His real home is where his large family resides and where most of his land is.
This is very common amongst the professional class of working Ugandans. Most professionals in Uganda work outside of their home villages. They keep their homes out in the village, but work in the larger, more populated areas of the country, towns such as Kampala, Mbale, Fort Portal, etc. In Uganda, land ownership is a very important component to your social status. This is why they choose to keep their vast plots upcountry.
Mr. Otoke is curious. He is always asking me questions about topics that range from myself and way of living to life in the United States to global issues and conflicts to national issues and debates, both in Uganda and the United States. The Peace Corps calls this cross-cultural exchange. An important goal of the agency, maybe the most important.
It is truly a delight to be in his presence. He is almost always ecstatic whenever we meet. He is a great part of my village life.
Mr. Bulolo, the head teacher of my school, is a very interesting and unique individual. He is a really nice guy and in general looks out for me well being. This is something that I really appreciate. He has a tendency to talk extensively on just about anything you approach him with, so be prepared to stand and chat for awhile.
He is an older man with many years of experience. Often times you will approach him about one issue and the conversation will transform into a monologue of Ugandanish wisdom pouring from his mouth like a waterfall. Unable to swim upstream, I usually take in as much as I can, show that I agree or disagree with subtle listening cues and try to take away some sort of lesson from the conversation.
Today is the birthday of my Pops, Mr. Jeffrey P. Mathias, a great man, father, and true inspiration in my life. His email is jmathiasiowa@gmail.com. Send a shout out his way if you get a chance. Today is also the birthday of one of my best friends and a truly amazing individual, Miss Lindsey H. Diercksen, who is also serving in the Peace Corps in Mali. Her email is diercksen.lindsey@gmail.com. Again, if you feel so inclined, send a shout out.
I love the wonderful Ugandan cuisine I indulge in so often in my village life. Yeah, I just said that. Matoke and beans anyone? See picture below of one of my favorite dishes. Mmm…tasty.
I’m love my cat, Paka (pah-kah). Paka performs critical tasks essential to the survival and well being of the Mathias Ugandan household such as killing all living things inside of and within a 50 ft. radius of my home (examples: rats, mice, lizards, bugs, toads, snakes, etc.). He entertains my neighbor kids and serves as a companion for yours truly.
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