Christmas Part One: Christmas Eve

(this is the second time I’ve written this post… I lost it once, so I’m sorry if it’s not well written)

Christmas eve dawned an over cast day.  The morning proved wet and rainy, which made leaving on time to go to Carol’s was impossible.  I spent the morning packing and singing Christmas carols.  I left my house about midday.  I hadn’t been to Carol’s house before, but I followed her instructions.  I had to wait a long time for the right taxi, but finally it came and I communicated with the distracted conductor that where I needed to be let off.  We drove around at high speeds, until finally the driver looked and me and said “You get out here”.  I jumped out.

It feels like every trading center in Uganda looks the same.  Once you learn to find things in one, you feel comfortable in all.  Most people who are not African would be intimidated, and not understand how people can function in trading centers… but really it’s not hard at all.  I got out and stood with my things.  A boda pulled up quickly, and we haggled a price.

I arrived to the place Carol told me, and she came to meet me.  We walked down to her family’s beautiful house and compound.  She was in the middle of cooking, but set me up to wait in the family room.  I slowly met the children, her mom and eventually her wonderful Father, Papa Henry.  I was served tea in a very African style, and was kept company by strange boy band videos and the two youngest children. 

Carol knows that I hate sitting around.  So she allowed me to come and help cook!  This is incredibly rare in Uganda.  I felt really loved.  They have a traditional outdoor kitchen, which uses fire wood and charcoal for cooking.  I was given my own charcoal stove and the things I needed to make African Spaghetti… it’s pretty different from ours.  I had never used a charcoal stove before, but it was a success!  I learned a lot about how it’s impossible to keep anything clean… no wonder germs find their way everywhere. 

We ate lunch after cooking, I sat with Papa Henry and he proudly told me about his family.  It’s a sad situation:  He had a job for a long time with an Italian NGO.  Then the NGO lost funding, and so he lost his job.  None of the family member have paying employment.  While he worked at the NGO he was proactive, and started a chicken farm.  But right when he lost his job, the price of chicken feed went up.  Due to rampant dishonesty, the people selling the chicken feed started mixing the corn meal with sand, and other things which eventually kill the chickens… just to make extra money.  All of the 1000 chickens eventually died.  Now the family only has a small number of roosters, which they sell and eat.  They also have a small farm.  But this is the real face of 80% unemployment and the price of corruption and dishonesty.  Poverty is a lack of justice.

playing Snakes and Ladders

Dora

Then we had a family game.  I had brought snakes and ladders, almost everyone played except for Papa!  Even Mama Bernadette played and enjoyed herself.  I realized how family deprived I am, as I was part of a laughing, joking, joyful group that really love each other. I need more family. It was the highlight of Christmas Eve I think.  Jude, who is 10 year old and down syndrome, won the game!

Carol hoping...

Mama got really in to the game, and laughed constantly!

Then I rested for a little while, and went back to the kitchen.  More cooking, this time chips… which I didn’t do great at.  But oh well.  Cooking took a very long time, and a rooster lost its life at Carol’s hand!  I didn’t watch.  We had planned to eat before going to church, but there was no time.  We ran to get ready after finishing the food and then Carol, Dora (the one who follows Carol, she is super sweet!) and I got on bodas and went to the church.  I wore my orange kitenga to celebrate. 

Carol and our soon to be dinner

peak-a-boo while peeling potatoes with Jude

making chips :)

We cooked for so long it got dark... this is my charcoal stove at night.

Their son/brother works at Serena hotel, and gives the family bags of slippers!

We got there late, just during the first reading, but found comfortable seats.  The mass was in Luganda, but Carol is an excellent translator, so for the homily/sermon she filled me in.  The dancing was beautiful as they brought the gifts up to the front of the church.  Always the highlight of big feast days like Christmas.

The mass lasted from 8-9:40, not bad at all.  But I was tired and hungry and ready to speak English… when the announcements started.  I am not joking… they took a WHOLE hour.  I was Dying.  I actually pulled out my book and read while people endlessly talked. If you ever need to fill time, just give a Ugandan a microphone… oh.dear.god.

So by 11 pm we were out of the church, I was about ready to pop a lid.  We walked for a long ways, and I got a phone call while walking.  So I talked/listened to Sr. Linda talk to me while trying not to die walking on the pot holed and pitted shoulder of the road, dodging ankle breaking holes, people, cars, and motorcycles.  Yeah, it was fun.     

We got bodas, and went home.  As we walked from the road to the house, we looked at the stars and joked about being three queens… we loudly sang, or at least tried to sing, “We Three Kings” as we linked arms and tried not to fall on the rough road. 

We were greeted at home by the whole household.  The food was lukewarm… no microwaves remember.  We served up dinner and I set up to see if I could skype with my family.  It ended up being a huge family event which was great.  Carol’s whole family got to meet my family over skype!  It was such an awesome experience for all of us.

The whole family got to skype (not all in the photo)

Late night dinner after church

I headed to bed, tired but happy to be celebrating Christmas with a real family.