Home stays thus far.

I am going to be upfront and honest when I tell you that home stays are going to be a huge trial and growing period for me. This first weekend there was hard. I did not really have the weekend I expected and I am going to assume that part of that was because it was new for everyone, and that it will get better as the days go on.

At 10 o'clock on saturday they spilt us up and loaded us onto vans to drop us off. I was the second person dropped off and in a sort of haze. A small boy grabbed my hand and the mom led me down to the house. I am still confused as to who lives with who, but I think it is my host mom and dad, their three sons (7, 6, and 21 months), an aunt and her 4 year old daughter, a sick uncle, a grandma, a 15 (I think) year old who lives there to take care of the kids, and a brother. At least that is how it seems, I am honestly not sure who all lives there.

I arrived and they showed me my room and gave me tea, eggs, and three bananas which was so nice. Tea consists of a cup with lots of sugar and some tea leaves. You mix it all up and then let the leaves settle and drink until you reach them. Then I basically just sat around all day while they all spoke in Luganda. It was definitely an awkward weekend. We had lunch around 2:30 and then sat around some more. Another woman came to visit and they talked for about four hours, and we had tea together at five with rolls. (Apparently they were talking about demons, witchcraft, and prayer. I think they are a very religious family). Around 9 they told me to bathe and gave me a jerry can of hot water and a jerry can of cold water, a bucket and a cup. It was nice to have warm water although washing my hair was not the easiest feat, but I managed. Then about 9:30 we had dinner and after they told me i was "free to go to bed". I then went to my room and then they sang and prayed, I think, before they went to bed.

I think my allergies here are getting worse, or else I was allergic to something in the mosquito net perhaps, because my eyes itched so so bad and then I woke up with swollen eyes. I got dressed and then they told me to bathe again. So, I did, even though all I had done was sleep, but what can you do? We then had breakfast (bread and tea) and walked to church about 9. I spent from 9:30 to 2:30 in church, and then from 4:30-7:30. It was a long day.

Church was... different. They spent the first hour kind of just walking around and talking/yelling. An usher came up to me (I was the only Mnzugu - white person there) and asked if i knew what was going on. I of course said no, and he the proceeded to inform me that they were 'casting out the devils, and I could feel free to stand up and cast devils away too'. I decided to just sit. They then had worship and service. All in Luganda, there was some english but it was difficult to understand. They also tend to scream into their turned up too loud microphones... Making it hard to understand. This week is 'crusades week' so they have church every day from 3-8. My host mom was sad that I could not go, but I have classes and we may still go some, but I will not get 'home' until around 6:30. We went home and ate lunch and I read in my room for awhile (whenever we are all just sitting around they tell me to go rest.). Then at 4:30 we headed back to church, and stayed till around 7:30. It was about a 15 minute walk there and so we had to go home in the dark. It gets dark here around 7.

We then had tea at 8, and then shower, then dinner at 9, and then I went to bed around 10. I spend a lot of time in my room just reading for school, or the book I borrowed from a friend. They do not speak to me much, as I do not believe that they speak much english. They have hosted four other girls before me, yet still seem to not understand Americans at all. I feel as though they think I am some sort of a princess at home and will not let me help with anything. I know in other families they will not let the girls help cook cause it is 'too hard' or even use a knife for fear that they could 'cut themselves'. It is odd for me, as back home I cook all the time, I love it, and I clean. Maybe not to the extent or difficultly level that they do, because of more modern conveniences, but i am not waited on hand and foot in the United States as they seem to think I am, as they barely let me carry a tray!

There is no running water in the house and we use a 'latrine' or in other words a hole in the ground to go to the bathroom. I brush my teeth outside using the water from my nalgene. There is electricity, but it is not great and I generally use my flashlight too. There is no light at all in the shower room so i hang my flashlight up using a hair tie.

This morning I got up around 6:45, bathed, again. Then we had breakfast and about 7:45 I walked to school with my host mom. It is all straight so that makes it easier to remember. I will stay at school all day and then go back around 6:15 as I have about a 20 minute walk.

I have to say if I was to do this over, I probably would have been asked to be partnered with someone else. That first weekend is a lot to handle all by yourself, as I am sure parts of the next two weeks will be. But I do pray that it gets easier, or at least just more routine, and comfortable.

I hope that this was not depressing, I know that it will be a great experience for me its just hard to start off sometimes.