Not Wrong, Just Different

The title of this blog comes from the letter my friend Jill Church wrote to me to read on the plane ride over to Uganda.  She basically reminded me that just because people in a different part of the world do things in a way that you are not used to, it is not wrong.  It seems to be this week's theme as I have experienced things are unusual or foreign to me while being here so far and with this week's classes on culture.  Here are a few cultural differences I have had to learn.

Public Restroom Etiquette:  So naturally wherever you go, there is ALWAYS a line up in the women’s washroom.  In Canada, we line up single-file and wait our turn for the few stalls.  Here in Uganda, I have come to realize that instead of making a line and waiting your turn for the next available stall, you must stand directly in front of the stall you will go to next.  The first time I encountered this, I was waiting in what I thought was a line and a woman cut in front of me.  I thought to myself how rude that was.  Then soon after that, another woman grabs the next stall, followed by the other.  I humbly came to the conclusion that they don't follow the same rules.

African Tea: One of our teachers this week shared with us her experience of when her husband, who is African, asked her to make him some tea (she is British).  When she served him tea from a kettle with boiled water, he was not impressed.  African tea is half water, half milk (or sometimes all milk) mixed together with tea.  It’s really good :)

Food:  There is something about food from your own culture that can be so tantalizingly comforting.  For my Ugandan friend Rosemary, her favorite dish is posho (a mashed type of corn meal with zero nutritional value) and beans.  Matoke, a mashed fried bland type of banana,  and rice are staple side dishes in Ugandan cuisine.  For my Australian friend Jack, he couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into a good ol’ western burger.  See some of the internationals devouring their burgers below.

Music:  For me personally, when I get even a remotely bit homesick, I have to listen to my music.  Artists that remind me of home include Mike Edel, Hey Rosetta!, Dan Mangan, and in desperate times, the Rankin Family or Great Big Sea.  Click on the artist names to hear some of my go-to songs.  

If you know me, then you know my eclectic taste in music and passion for folk music.  As far as international music that comes to Africa, it is mostly the top 40 pop music.  My taste in music is painfully foreign!  Yesterday, I was sharing music with two of my Ugandan friends.  I showed these guys Mumford and Sons’ The Cave and I kid you not, they laughed!  One expressed that “this slow country music, is what you would listen to at a funeral.”  THAT’S SOOOOOO WRONG, IT’S A CRIME…. Just kidding, again it’s not wrong, just different.  That genre of music with its banjo and driving folk beat is nowhere near the cultural music of Africa or the standard international pop music that is played here in Uganda.  I secretly think that one day they will learn to love Mumford and Sons.  I will make it my secret mission… 

Adopted behaviors/Phrases of Ugandans

1) “You look smart” : means that you are dressed well, fancy, or fashionable.

2) “Sorry”: So say I accidentally spill my glass everywhere or I trip over my feet.  The immediate response is for someone else to say “sorry”.  My impulse is to always say ‘Oh that’s okay, really’.  I’m getting used to that one.

3) “You are most welcome”:  You are not just greeted with a handshake and a ‘welcome’

4) Holding hands:  Everyone holds hands and by everyone, I mean everyone.  All ages, couples, friends, heterosexual guy and guy.  Sorry guys but I am bringing this one back to Canada!

5) Raising eyebrows: Instead of answering ‘yes’, all you need to do is raise both eyebrows

6) “Wow”:  response to pretty much anything…

7)  Auntie and Uncle:  Anyone who would be your elder, you call them your auntie or uncle.  I was chatting with some of the choir children and they were calling me Auntie Emily

Strange, awkward, or funny experiences aside, I love living in Uganda.  It has almost been a complete month since I set foot on the red dirt of Kampala.  The “honeymoon period” or “vacation mode” has come to a close and I feel quite at home here thanks to the help of all my amazing new friends.  Kingdom culture trumps all minor differences with the major similarity of wanting to follow Jesus with our entire hearts.

Peace and love