Fresh Eyes
It's hard to believe I've been here just a week. It feels like a month, maybe more. Which is to say I'm getting to know Kampala and the way things work.
My proudest achievement may be cracking the inscrutable taxi (or matatu) system. (More like a bus system....for a great description of how it works, read Emily's blog posting.) I know the basic routes and I can distinguish the hand signals the conductors use to indicate which direction they will go. I know the etiquette of loading and unloading, the best seats to have, the right words to say to request a stop at the next street corner vs. the next taxi stand. And, I'm starting to get a feel for what the fare should be from this point to that point.
The challenge of knowing what to pay for things isn't limited to transportation. Outside of larger stores and restaurants, prices are rarely posted. There are some unwritten rules that generally hold for commodities: a samosa 200 shillings, a Coke 600 shillings, vegetables 1000 shillings a bundle. Many other items are negotiable. I'm learning.
I'm also adapting. I'm starting to tune out the incessant barking of the neighborhood dogs. I'm no longer alarmed by the sight or smell of smoke - someone is burning trash. 5000 shillings (about $3) seems like a fortune to pay for lunch. I look right crossing the street, and keep left on the sidewalk. When the power goes out, I barely flinch. It happens most days. If the pirated DVD from the rental store plays all the way through, I'm pleasantly suprised.
While I'm happy I feel at ease here, I don't want the wonderment to fade too quickly. Part of the great pleasure of travel is considering the kinds of things you long ago stopped considering in your own world. When did you last notice how the house next door is built, or think about where your clothes came from, or question why we eat 3 meals a day instead or 4 or 2?
There is value in seeing your world with fresh eyes. Being here makes me consider how to maintain an outside perspective every day.
My proudest achievement may be cracking the inscrutable taxi (or matatu) system. (More like a bus system....for a great description of how it works, read Emily's blog posting.) I know the basic routes and I can distinguish the hand signals the conductors use to indicate which direction they will go. I know the etiquette of loading and unloading, the best seats to have, the right words to say to request a stop at the next street corner vs. the next taxi stand. And, I'm starting to get a feel for what the fare should be from this point to that point.
The challenge of knowing what to pay for things isn't limited to transportation. Outside of larger stores and restaurants, prices are rarely posted. There are some unwritten rules that generally hold for commodities: a samosa 200 shillings, a Coke 600 shillings, vegetables 1000 shillings a bundle. Many other items are negotiable. I'm learning.
I'm also adapting. I'm starting to tune out the incessant barking of the neighborhood dogs. I'm no longer alarmed by the sight or smell of smoke - someone is burning trash. 5000 shillings (about $3) seems like a fortune to pay for lunch. I look right crossing the street, and keep left on the sidewalk. When the power goes out, I barely flinch. It happens most days. If the pirated DVD from the rental store plays all the way through, I'm pleasantly suprised.
While I'm happy I feel at ease here, I don't want the wonderment to fade too quickly. Part of the great pleasure of travel is considering the kinds of things you long ago stopped considering in your own world. When did you last notice how the house next door is built, or think about where your clothes came from, or question why we eat 3 meals a day instead or 4 or 2?
There is value in seeing your world with fresh eyes. Being here makes me consider how to maintain an outside perspective every day.
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