Hair/Luweero

Chalk up Friday as one of the most frustrating days in Africa so far.

-Spent Thursday night at Holly & Joy’s. Woke up at 4. Needed to use the latrine. Badly. Didn’t go out until 5:40. Terrible.

-Went with Holly to get our hair braided. Started at around 8 a.m. 13 ½ hours (of sitting on the floor and being uncomfortable) later…I was done. Poor Holly still isn’t finished. I still had to trim the ends and twist some strands. Terrible.

-As we were leaving the salon, I slipped and scraped my ankle. Ouch.

-When I was dropped off at my house, I fell down my driveway. Double ouch.

Overall, it was just a LONG day. And unexpected. Other girls had gotten their hair braided and it took them 8 hours. And we heard of others who it only took them 4 hours. Apparently we went to the wrong place. Luckily my head does not hurt. It’s a bit uncomfortable to sleep on, and it’s heavy, but I’ll get used to it. And I can do a lot with it, which is nice.

I think at this point I have a few strands done in the back. Holly is looking good though.




Finally finished.

Saturday and Sunday we went to Luweero. We listened to two Ugandans; a Catholic Priest and an Anglican Bishop. They both had good things to say about helping the poor and wrestling with all the oppression, suffering, HIV/AIDS, and death they see in their congregations and communities.

Saturday afternoon we went to a Compassion site, where we played and sang with the kids and got drenched in a rainstorm. Most of the kids and other IMME students went into the building, but a few of us ran onto our bus and waited out the rain there. We had a few kids with us, and one little girl was passing by and stopped and stared at the bus, so they motioned for her to come on, but she wasn’t one of the Compassion kids. She sat on my lap and just stared and was kind of frightened the whole time, which was understandable—being on a bus with mzungus and other people she has never seen before. After the rain was no longer a torrential downpour, we had the kids go back to the building (and some went and played soccer in the mud) and we went back to the Luweero Diocese Guesthouse (where we were staying).

I got to room with Hanna. It was a good time. And Sunday we went to a Catholic service. It was interesting, and lively, and there was a lot of singing. It was also all in Luganda. It was a fun weekend.

It’s almost the halfway point of this semester. Crazy. I should be writing papers right now. I have a significant amount of things due this week.

Have a good week :)