It's a.....

-
Lime. No, really. It's a lime.



Nope, not that one.... that's an orange. (yes, really)




or that one.... that's a tangerine.




That one. The one in the middle. Lime.


Can you see why I spent an hour in the market trying to find limes? Not to mention the fact that there seems to be some debate on what they're actually called in Luganda. Obulimawa? or Kalimawo? I finally found them by asking about 10 people where the obulimawa...the very very small ones were.

Oh, and you'll never guess what color the lemons are. Yup. Green. Cracks me up that the only citrus fruit that should be green is actually yellow.

This is so descriptive of my life right now. In this very different life and culture, many things just look different than I think they will (and sometime should!) For example, American culture tends to be very direct, and Uganda culture in general is indirect. Someone might say to you, "You are most welcome to my home for lunch today" without any thought of you actually coming for lunch. To me, that looks like an invitation to eat. To them, it's really just saying, "I value your friendship, and want to show you that you're loved," not "the chicken is in the pot."

As I re-learn how to think, feel, interpret other people's thoughts and feelings, and in all actively demonstrate the love and compassion of Jesus, your prayers would be most appreciated!!!


Comments

  1. Linnea WheelerOctober 10, 2011 at 10:09 AM

    Whoa. That's incredible (and nice pictures too!). So funny! Except for the hour that you had to search for them...

    Thank you for letting us know specific ways to pray for you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hector & LaurenOctober 11, 2011 at 7:45 AM

    oh my! hahaha! i love the pictures...that's great. i especially love your explanation of "you are welcome to my home for lunch." i'm beginning to realize that's true in more than just one culture! in several asian cultures, people greet each other by asking "have you eaten today?" which really means "hi, how are you?" lol. love you & praying for you!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Washing Clothes

-
Image
Today I bring you a two in one! Many have been asking me how we really wash clothes over here, so I thought I'd give you a taste.....plus give you a bonus track of some of the language I've learned and practiced with my language helper!! Bwenti bwenjoza engoye zange: This is how I wash my clothes Njua amaazi mubafu: I fill a basin with water Nteka engoye zange mu maazi: I put my clothes in the water Nsiiga saboni ku lugoye: I put soap on the clothes Wemala nga nkunya engoye: I then scrub the clothes Nteka amaazi amayonjo nenyanika engoye zange: I use fresh water to rinse, then spread my clothes to dry Bwentio bwenjoza engoye zange! That is how I wash my clothes! While it is me speaking, the pictures are quite obviously NOT me washing ;) For some reason, I found washing and photographing simultaneously to be hazardous to the health of my camera!
Read more

I've Persevered!

-
Image
In my 6 1/2 years living in Africa, I’ve seen some really hard times. But this year has been different. A steady stream of one emergency, trial, and conflict after another has kept my spirit weary. Each one has not held the intensity or trauma that I’ve experienced in past years, but it’s been the never-ending tension that’s so hard. With at most a couple days of calm between each new struggle, the weariness of body, mind, and spirit has been overwhelming at times. From confronting malicious lies about me among the teachers, to grieving over the consequences of sin in some co-workers. From having to be the vet for my kittens (including learning how to put in a sub-cut IV, give injections, and do post-op care), and burying the ones that died in my arms, to cleaning out the fridge that either switches off, spoiling all the food, or freezes all the fresh fruit and veggies. From dealing with sullen teenagers in class, to battling the spiritual warfare that imprisons many of my teac
Read more

A Turn of Phrase

-
I love laughing at all the wonderful funny Ugandan sayings around here! I thought I would share a few of them with you so you could share my laughs! - Excuse me while I ease myself -- for going to the bathroom - Are you satisfied? --- have you eaten enough, are you full? (so much more descriptive than 'I'm fine,' or 'I'm good'!) - Well done --- no apparent association, as it's simply used as a greeting. Can be said whether or not they're working or doing a job. At first I couldn't figure out why in the world I would tell someone who was just sitting there 'well done'!! - Extend! -- scoot or move in a certain direction - Have you taken tea? -- did you eat breakfast? (this morning as I was walking from Namatala a small boy called out to me, 'Muzungu, muzungu! You want to take tea with me?" and he offered me his bread!! sooo precious!!!) - You have such a small leg! -- apparently my feet are very small and in Lugan
Read more