The Punishment Fits the Crime

So, I’ve certainly mentioned this a few times before, but I think it is time for a full post to be dedicated to all that is “African Time” because honestly it dictates how everything operates here, not the least CHOGM. One could argue that the Western world, especially the United States, and perhaps in particular my old home, New York, overload themselves a bit on the hectic scale. Time is of the essence most often, and I have a distinct memory of having one of those brief out-of-body moments one day in the New York subway station at 14th St. and 8th Ave. as I rushed to catch the A-Train to head to JFK to catch a flight for which I was inevitably late—everyone around me was rushing, almost running, to wherever they were going. They couldn’t all be going to catch a plane now could they?

Now picture 180 degrees opposite—that’s Uganda, and most of Africa, I’m told (I will be able to give first-hand knowledge of this in a few months time I suppose). In some ways, yes, it is very relaxing, but it other ways, it’s enough to make one’s head spin like the little girl in the Exorcist. Now, the fact that I have been late for most of my life is a true and sorry fact. I genuinely work on it, but because I was almost always the worst culprit, I rarely felt the pain that goes along with having to wait for late people. Well, my friends, that time has arrived in full force. I wait, and wait, and wait around here it would seem.

Yesterday, I was pacing in my house at 9 am wondering where my ride was. I called the other driver, got no answer, so I decided to hitch a ride with my housemate part way and ride a boda the rest. Well, when we backed out of the gate, who should be sitting there, but Patrick, one of the drivers! I leapt out of the car and ran over, asking if he had just arrived? “No,” he responded, “I’ll been here since 8:30…”

“Just sitting here,” I asked astonished. Yes was his reply. He had told our gardner that he was there and to let me know, but still you’d think 10 minutes later you would assume that I had not gotten the message. Nope! He just SAT there and WAITED. No one really minds if you’re late here—they’ll just WAIT. Are you kidding me?? I would have been ringing the doorbell insessently after five minutes. He wasn’t even upset!! I was simply in disbelief. He probably would have sat there all day.

Then this morning, the opposite: he just didn’t show. I called finally at 9am and he said, “Maybe you should find another way to get to school.” He has no airtime minutes so he couldn’t call to tell me he wasn’t coming. Those are the moments where the sheer disorganization just drives me crazy. But Ugandans are unfazed, simply explaining whatever it is can happen tomorrow, or next week—why all the rush?? Because sometimes you just want to get things done. So I hopped on a boda and came to school and did two art classes, and this afternoon we are beginning to paint murals around the school and orphanage.

At break, I went up to buy my daily cassava, a tough root similar to yucca that is cut into thick sticks and fried until crispy and sprinkled with course salt—highly addictive. The lady I usually by from did not have any cassava yesterday but said she would have some today. Wrong. I arrived and she said, sorry, none today. “Tomorrow?” I asked. “Maybe,” she said. “So next week?” I inferred. “Yes,” she smiled. At least I’m learning.

So here it is: late, late Laura is getting a seriously dose of her own medicine. This weekend will probably more of the same. There is so much amazing travelling to be done in this country and region that it can be quite overwhelming. I am heading down to the southwestern part of the country for the long weekend, so a loooong (and probably delayed) bus ride is to be expected, but so too some very worthy sights at the finish! I’ll let you know…

But I will be missing Thanksgiving definitely. I hope you all have a delicious and delightful holiday. Eat some turkey for me (you certainly can't get it in Uganda!) I will be sorry not to be with my family and friends, but I know that I have many things for which to be thankful!