I'll explain the title of this post first: my principal contact here, Bruce, describes Cape Town as "the 1st 3rd World". It's first world in so many ways, but you can't help but notice the third world aspects as well. That description describes my first week here pretty well; I've been amazed at much of the city (beautiful, clean, modern, efficient), but also quite distressed at other parts of the city and surrounding region (like the "informal" communities that house isiXhosa speakers all across the region).
This week, I've been busy at my office at the Cathedral scheduling meetings and figuring out transportation logistics (which are much more complicated here than Kampala, since safety is a bigger concern and the public transportation is not as efficient…gotta love the million minibus taxis on the Kampala Roads). I've also met with several interesting research contacts, but won't spend time talking about that now. As always, contact me if you're interested.
So, on to the big event: On Tuesday, a public holiday, Bruce picked me up in the morning for the drive of a summer! We left from the City Center, where I live, and drove down the Atlantic Seaboard on a road that literally is right on the ocean. Then, we climbed up the mountain, and crossed into an area called Hout Bay. There, we walked among working ships before driving up Chapman's Peak, a road that leads to an overlook of the Bay and Atlantic Ocean. It was beautiful. After that, we drove through the wine country, stopping at Groot Constantia (Great Constantia) to look around. My biggest observation was the similarity to the antebellum plantations in the South, from the tree-lined entrance road to architecture to the building layout. The similarities were uncanny, really. Then, we drove down the peninsula to Simon's Town (the Annapolis, MD of South Africa) to see False Bay. Next, we stopped to look at the penguins on Boulder Beach (don't worry Beth, I have pictures!), before proceeding to drive up the peninsula through towns that remind me of towns in the Outer Banks. Finally, we drove back up the city area and to a place named Bloubergstrand (Afrikaans for Blue Mountain Beach), which must have one of the best views in the world! It looked out across Table Bay to the city center, surrounded by Table Mountain. During this entire trip, we had a great conversation about Anglicanism (among other things). He's a "star" of the liturgical field, having been the chair of the Episcopal Liturgical Committee when he was in the United States (for 20 years) before returning to be the leading liturgist in South Africa. Among other postings, he served as the Canon Precentor at the National Cathedral in DC for ten years.
After the drive, he invited me to his house for dinner and I was treated to a five-star meal of traditional South African foods! He is a fantastic cook as well as a foodie, so I learned a lot about the food I was eating. We had a traditional soup, bobootie with rice and veggies, a traditional salad, and a South African specialty, bush tea (which is made out of a tree). Dessert was a creamy cheese and guava juice mixture that was way better than anything I've ever had in a restaurant.
Needless to say, Tuesday was quite memorable. The drive showed me the entire Cape Peninsula, and Bruce was able to point out the interesting points along the way (though many were disheartening). He also has a tremendous personal story…from the walls of apartheid that surrounded him growing up to his time in the US to his decision to return home.
My computer battery is running down, so I'll give quick highlights of the rest of the week:
○ Wednesday I visited the South African Museum and District 6 Museum (District 6 was a vibrant, artsy, mixed neighborhood that was declared "whites-only" in the 1960s by apartheid officials).
○ Thursday, I spent the day researching at the University of Cape Town, which is beautiful! It's built into the side of the mountain, and the views are stunning.
○ Today, I interview a couple of priests (one of whom is working on the Fikelela AIDS project and had a lot of interesting thoughts about the role of religion in that fight…most essentially, that churches have a building and volunteers in each community, and that those resources must be used)
Sorry to run off! Tomorrow, I'm going to the theatre with Bruce (he's really rolled out the red carpet welcome mat for me), and Sunday I'll be in Langa (the oldest township here) for the day.
Will
PS-Just saw in an email that Chastain beat Windward. Way to go Tidal Waves!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
A Quick Update...Cape Town is BEAUTIFUL!
Hello there,
Coming to you from an office in the "People's Cathedral" where Desmond Tutu sat for several years (it's now a workroom they given me as an office for my time here...free internet and free phone!). Just wanted to type a brief update about the beauty of Cape Town; it's been overcast, but this morning was clear and the views of Table Mountain are specatcular!
Will
Coming to you from an office in the "People's Cathedral" where Desmond Tutu sat for several years (it's now a workroom they given me as an office for my time here...free internet and free phone!). Just wanted to type a brief update about the beauty of Cape Town; it's been overcast, but this morning was clear and the views of Table Mountain are specatcular!
Will
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Hello Cape Town!
Greetings from Cape Town, South Africa! I've been here for almost 24 hours now, but I definitely still haven't adjusted to my new environment. I was prepared for culture shock going from the States to Uganda, but I'm not sure I was prepared to come here. This place is very, very different than Uganda, and much more difficult in many ways (the racial issue still looms very, very large, and I know less about the area and about the subject of my research…which is becoming liturgy here). With that said, my research here will be good (I'm actually in way over my head in terms of who I'm going to be speaking with…all three Bishops in the area want to meet with me).
Here's the play-by-play:
Saturday morning, I left Entebbe at 7 AM bound for Johannesburg. I was really looking forward to the flight, since it was dark when I flew in three weeks ago, and I wasn't disappointed. The views of Lake Victoria were great upon departure (it is really, really large!), and the rural countryside of Tanzania and Zimbabwe was also very interesting. Once crossing into South Africa, the infrastructure changes are immediate. For the first time, I saw highways and towns. Approaching Johannesburg, you really couldn't tell the difference between South Africa and the US from the air.
In Johannesburg, I was cleared through immigration with no trouble at all and proceeded to Cape Town. The flight to Cape Town was above cloud cover, so I didn’t see much. I assume, though, that the view from the air is similar…much like the US.
The view from the ground, though, is a bit different; coming from the airport, you pass Guguletu, one of the most infamous townships in this area. Then, though, you're greeted with views of million-dollar homes on the slopes of Table Mountain. The contrast was quite stark.
I'm staying just a little bit away from the city center, so I've been able to explore a bit. The public transportation here is not as good in Kampala; the minibus taxis are far less frequent, and the trains only go certain places. I'll have to use them, though, to get to some of the parishes and townships where I'll be researching. I'm more than a bit nervous about conducting so much of my research in the township of Langa (Cape Town's oldest black township) and Retreat (a lower-middle-class "coloured" township), but it will also be an amazing opportunity to really learn about the life there and in Cape Town.
This morning, I went to the service at the headquarters church of the Diocese, St. George's Cathedral in the City Center. This is the church where Archbishop Tutu declared "we are the rainbow people of God," and it played a fundamental role in ending the apartheid struggle by harboring those who were being persecuted, organizing marches, and hosting Mandela for several events immediately upon his release. The Cathedral's leaders advertise their congregation as "the most diverse church in the worldwide Anglican Communion," and, from my brief experience, that might really be true. The service was incredibly different than anything in Uganda; here, the liturgy of worship is fundamental (and that's what everyone thinks I'm studying). In Uganda, liturgy was definitely second to praise and worship.
My contact there, Bruce, is fantastic! He's offered to help arrange meetings with all sorts of people, and will help me deal with the transportation issues to the townships of Langa and Retreat as best as possible. Although I wanted to cut down my research a bit, it looks like I'll be doing just as much if not more than I did in Uganda. That's not a bad thing, though.
Finally, it's a little bit of a downtime in the country right now. It's the school holiday season, and Tuesday is an official national holiday. Thus, many people are taking a four or five day weekend. Because of that, my research during the week won't start until Wednesday, though I'll meet much of the Cathedral staff on Monday, so Bruce offered to drive me on the road to the Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope Tuesday, which should be awesome. It's especially cool because public transportation doesn't run to that area during the winter (we're in Southern Hemisphere, so it's winter now), so I'll get a chance to see the stunning views.
On the subject of winter: it is chilly here! When I arrived, it was 45 degrees Fahrenheit and raining. Today, it's in the 50s and overcast. The people here are confident the sun will come out, but it's a definite change from the heat of Kampala.
Here are some bullet point observations I took on my first walk through Cape Town last night:
○ Infrastructure is great…roads, signs, streetlights, etc.
○ Dress is definitely more "European" than "African"; everybody (not just tourists) wear lots of tight jeans, etc.; My conservative clothing from my time in Uganda doesn't really fit in.
○ Doing money conversions in my head will take some getting used to…dividing by 8 is much harder than dividing by 2000.
○ There isn't really a local cuisine or food here, but rather a lot of fast food restaurants and places that serve food from other parts of Africa or the world. This assertion is echoed in a Guide Book I read….very interesting to me, but I guess it's the result of a long history of tight Dutch and British occupation and influence.
○ The city is much closer together than Kampala…which is a good thing! Kampala sprawled, and it took a long time to walk around. Here, the farthest walks are only 30 minutes or so.
Well, now it's time to return to St. George's for their Evensong and to meet the Dean and Sub-Dean. Then, Bruce gave me about 200 pages of reading to do, so I'll tackle that tonight!
Here's the play-by-play:
Saturday morning, I left Entebbe at 7 AM bound for Johannesburg. I was really looking forward to the flight, since it was dark when I flew in three weeks ago, and I wasn't disappointed. The views of Lake Victoria were great upon departure (it is really, really large!), and the rural countryside of Tanzania and Zimbabwe was also very interesting. Once crossing into South Africa, the infrastructure changes are immediate. For the first time, I saw highways and towns. Approaching Johannesburg, you really couldn't tell the difference between South Africa and the US from the air.
In Johannesburg, I was cleared through immigration with no trouble at all and proceeded to Cape Town. The flight to Cape Town was above cloud cover, so I didn’t see much. I assume, though, that the view from the air is similar…much like the US.
The view from the ground, though, is a bit different; coming from the airport, you pass Guguletu, one of the most infamous townships in this area. Then, though, you're greeted with views of million-dollar homes on the slopes of Table Mountain. The contrast was quite stark.
I'm staying just a little bit away from the city center, so I've been able to explore a bit. The public transportation here is not as good in Kampala; the minibus taxis are far less frequent, and the trains only go certain places. I'll have to use them, though, to get to some of the parishes and townships where I'll be researching. I'm more than a bit nervous about conducting so much of my research in the township of Langa (Cape Town's oldest black township) and Retreat (a lower-middle-class "coloured" township), but it will also be an amazing opportunity to really learn about the life there and in Cape Town.
This morning, I went to the service at the headquarters church of the Diocese, St. George's Cathedral in the City Center. This is the church where Archbishop Tutu declared "we are the rainbow people of God," and it played a fundamental role in ending the apartheid struggle by harboring those who were being persecuted, organizing marches, and hosting Mandela for several events immediately upon his release. The Cathedral's leaders advertise their congregation as "the most diverse church in the worldwide Anglican Communion," and, from my brief experience, that might really be true. The service was incredibly different than anything in Uganda; here, the liturgy of worship is fundamental (and that's what everyone thinks I'm studying). In Uganda, liturgy was definitely second to praise and worship.
My contact there, Bruce, is fantastic! He's offered to help arrange meetings with all sorts of people, and will help me deal with the transportation issues to the townships of Langa and Retreat as best as possible. Although I wanted to cut down my research a bit, it looks like I'll be doing just as much if not more than I did in Uganda. That's not a bad thing, though.
Finally, it's a little bit of a downtime in the country right now. It's the school holiday season, and Tuesday is an official national holiday. Thus, many people are taking a four or five day weekend. Because of that, my research during the week won't start until Wednesday, though I'll meet much of the Cathedral staff on Monday, so Bruce offered to drive me on the road to the Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope Tuesday, which should be awesome. It's especially cool because public transportation doesn't run to that area during the winter (we're in Southern Hemisphere, so it's winter now), so I'll get a chance to see the stunning views.
On the subject of winter: it is chilly here! When I arrived, it was 45 degrees Fahrenheit and raining. Today, it's in the 50s and overcast. The people here are confident the sun will come out, but it's a definite change from the heat of Kampala.
Here are some bullet point observations I took on my first walk through Cape Town last night:
○ Infrastructure is great…roads, signs, streetlights, etc.
○ Dress is definitely more "European" than "African"; everybody (not just tourists) wear lots of tight jeans, etc.; My conservative clothing from my time in Uganda doesn't really fit in.
○ Doing money conversions in my head will take some getting used to…dividing by 8 is much harder than dividing by 2000.
○ There isn't really a local cuisine or food here, but rather a lot of fast food restaurants and places that serve food from other parts of Africa or the world. This assertion is echoed in a Guide Book I read….very interesting to me, but I guess it's the result of a long history of tight Dutch and British occupation and influence.
○ The city is much closer together than Kampala…which is a good thing! Kampala sprawled, and it took a long time to walk around. Here, the farthest walks are only 30 minutes or so.
Well, now it's time to return to St. George's for their Evensong and to meet the Dean and Sub-Dean. Then, Bruce gave me about 200 pages of reading to do, so I'll tackle that tonight!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Reflections and Transitions
Greetings from my last morning in Uganda. Tomorrow morning at 7:00, I'll depart Entebbe Airport for Johannesburg and, ultimately, Cape Town, South Africa. I finished my research here yesterday afternoon, and will take a taxi the 20 km or so to a guest house in Entebbe today (so that the 4:30 AM special hire taxi in the morning will cost less…though it will still be expensive).
On Tuesday, I mentioned that I enjoyed a conversation with a gentleman named "Uncle Ben," who is a true scholar of the church of Uganda as well as the country. I wanted to speak a little more about this conversation: we had a lot of talk about my research, but also the country. The most important topic we covered was the youth of the country. Due to several wars and the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Uganda is essentially missing a generation (the people who would have grown up in the 70s and 80s). As Ben pointed out, the taxi drivers, leaders in the church, politics, and business, and even MPs are all young (under 35). Per UNESCO (he gave these stats, so I haven't independently verified), Uganda is the youngest country in Africa. 86% of the population is under 18. As he spoke, I realized that I've encountered this all over the country; most of the people with whom I spoke are very, very young (compared to relative positions in the US), and the majority of the church attendance and involvement is "youth," or 13-18 year olds. More importantly, most of these "youth" are considered to be full members of society, and do such important tasks as drive those crazy minibus taxis (but also hold seats in Parliament, etc).
When thinking about these staggering numbers, I can't help but be filled with optimism. Right now, this is a stable country in an unstable part of the world, a country with a mostly positive economic, human rights, and political situation. There are certainly issues (I saw many of them Wednesday in Naguru II), but the resilience and current situation of this country (which is so young) can really make one hope for very positive things in the future.
Back to a description of my time here. On Wednesday, I woke early to meet a Parish Priest in the slum of Kiwuliriza at 7:30 AM. (Note: Slum in my context refers to the "informal" communities in Kampala that do not receive utilities or any support from the city because they are not actual, defined parts of the city. It doesn't necessarily refer to a distressed or poverty-stricken area, though there is generally a strong correlation). We spoke at length about his community and his work. He wasn't able to show me around (I had another appointment), but the largest population in the area is Acholi (from Northern Uganda). These people have suffered a lot, but the stories he told of their current situations (transitioning in the last few years from unemployed to a majority employed) hold a lot of hope.
My next appointment was in the Naguru slums. This meeting got off to a rather odd start when the priest I was meeting, who I had been introduced to through another priest, asked for a copy of my passport, student ID, and a letter of introduction. Since I didn't have an extra copy to give him handy, he sent me to the photocopier to make the copy. When I returned, he pored over the documents (much harder than the immigration officer at Entebbe, for sure). The auspicious start did not damper the meeting, however. His parish is composed of a plethora of people from all of the tribes in the nation. Much of it is in the slum of Naguru II. After our conversation, the Rev. Sam showed me around a bit. His main point, one that he emphasized all of the time, was that "we're not poor, but we use our resources ineffectively." He, and this was echoed by so many of the people I spoke with there, is determined for his community to break out of extreme poverty by accepting family planning, communal responsibility, and literacy education (especially for adults). Moreover, he challenged me again and again to "do this research to help communities, not just for your academic interest" and asked me to tell stories. Really, how could I not?
Yesterday, I traveled 25 km to Mukuno, the home of Uganda Christian University. This University, which is an official arm of the Church of Uganda (the Archbishop is Chancellor, for example), is about 15 years old. It's clear that there is a lot of money sent in by foreign donors (plaques, etc. make that clear), but it was also a vibrant campus. It has a beautiful quad, and seems alive! I was there for several reasons; first, it's the largest and most important theological center in this country, and makes no bones about it's mission to educate theologians to challenge the dominance of the west. Second, I've had a lot of experience in the field here, but I hadn't spoken with anyone involved in the education of those who will lead worship in the future. My conversation with the Dean was quite interesting; it was great for my research, but also interesting because he firmly believes (and teaches all of the M.Div students) that the "whole world is our parish" and that "we, the Global South, must have a role to play." Finally, he said "we live in a world of competition. We will compete with Pentecostals and Anglicans elsewhere."
Needless to say, it was important for me to visit UCU. I disagree with some of the motives, intentions, and beliefs personally, but they are vitally important to understanding the ground in which Anglicans are currently fighting. Moreover, it is vitally important for the west to realize that Anglicans here are not fundamentalist in a negative sense; rather, they are compassionate and caring, but take their interpretation of the Bible seriously.
In the end, I couldn't be happier with my time in Uganda. I really think I learned as much about this country as is possible in 17 days. That's not a whole lot, in the grand scheme of things, but I saw real cultures, real lives, and spoke with real people. I saw their challenges. I was inspired by their solutions and their optimism. And, most importantly, it's hard to describe my time here. That difficulty is a good thing; I can't just say "Africa was good" about my time in Uganda, as Paul Theroux laments is the observation of most visitors. (Thanks, Danny, for the book!) My experience was not good or bad, but a melting pot of sights, sounds, feelings, emotions, and people.
Now, I sit reflecting on a large amount of research and even more experiences after a small amount of time in this place. As is always the case, I feel the pang of regret that my time is not longer. But, alas, it's off to a different challenge and a dramatically different locale, Cape Town, to continue this research.
Will
1st Addendum: In other news, I'm currently playing the game of trying to manage the money I have left so that I'm able to pay for everything through departure without having a inordinate amount of money left over. I'm sure you all know it. I want to leave with a few bills and coins as keepsakes, but not $25 worth!
2nd Addendum: I know I told you I wouldn't talk about my research. And I just did. I sincerely apologize. In a way, though, the views I am getting of society, culture, and real lives are coming through that research.
On Tuesday, I mentioned that I enjoyed a conversation with a gentleman named "Uncle Ben," who is a true scholar of the church of Uganda as well as the country. I wanted to speak a little more about this conversation: we had a lot of talk about my research, but also the country. The most important topic we covered was the youth of the country. Due to several wars and the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Uganda is essentially missing a generation (the people who would have grown up in the 70s and 80s). As Ben pointed out, the taxi drivers, leaders in the church, politics, and business, and even MPs are all young (under 35). Per UNESCO (he gave these stats, so I haven't independently verified), Uganda is the youngest country in Africa. 86% of the population is under 18. As he spoke, I realized that I've encountered this all over the country; most of the people with whom I spoke are very, very young (compared to relative positions in the US), and the majority of the church attendance and involvement is "youth," or 13-18 year olds. More importantly, most of these "youth" are considered to be full members of society, and do such important tasks as drive those crazy minibus taxis (but also hold seats in Parliament, etc).
When thinking about these staggering numbers, I can't help but be filled with optimism. Right now, this is a stable country in an unstable part of the world, a country with a mostly positive economic, human rights, and political situation. There are certainly issues (I saw many of them Wednesday in Naguru II), but the resilience and current situation of this country (which is so young) can really make one hope for very positive things in the future.
Back to a description of my time here. On Wednesday, I woke early to meet a Parish Priest in the slum of Kiwuliriza at 7:30 AM. (Note: Slum in my context refers to the "informal" communities in Kampala that do not receive utilities or any support from the city because they are not actual, defined parts of the city. It doesn't necessarily refer to a distressed or poverty-stricken area, though there is generally a strong correlation). We spoke at length about his community and his work. He wasn't able to show me around (I had another appointment), but the largest population in the area is Acholi (from Northern Uganda). These people have suffered a lot, but the stories he told of their current situations (transitioning in the last few years from unemployed to a majority employed) hold a lot of hope.
My next appointment was in the Naguru slums. This meeting got off to a rather odd start when the priest I was meeting, who I had been introduced to through another priest, asked for a copy of my passport, student ID, and a letter of introduction. Since I didn't have an extra copy to give him handy, he sent me to the photocopier to make the copy. When I returned, he pored over the documents (much harder than the immigration officer at Entebbe, for sure). The auspicious start did not damper the meeting, however. His parish is composed of a plethora of people from all of the tribes in the nation. Much of it is in the slum of Naguru II. After our conversation, the Rev. Sam showed me around a bit. His main point, one that he emphasized all of the time, was that "we're not poor, but we use our resources ineffectively." He, and this was echoed by so many of the people I spoke with there, is determined for his community to break out of extreme poverty by accepting family planning, communal responsibility, and literacy education (especially for adults). Moreover, he challenged me again and again to "do this research to help communities, not just for your academic interest" and asked me to tell stories. Really, how could I not?
Yesterday, I traveled 25 km to Mukuno, the home of Uganda Christian University. This University, which is an official arm of the Church of Uganda (the Archbishop is Chancellor, for example), is about 15 years old. It's clear that there is a lot of money sent in by foreign donors (plaques, etc. make that clear), but it was also a vibrant campus. It has a beautiful quad, and seems alive! I was there for several reasons; first, it's the largest and most important theological center in this country, and makes no bones about it's mission to educate theologians to challenge the dominance of the west. Second, I've had a lot of experience in the field here, but I hadn't spoken with anyone involved in the education of those who will lead worship in the future. My conversation with the Dean was quite interesting; it was great for my research, but also interesting because he firmly believes (and teaches all of the M.Div students) that the "whole world is our parish" and that "we, the Global South, must have a role to play." Finally, he said "we live in a world of competition. We will compete with Pentecostals and Anglicans elsewhere."
Needless to say, it was important for me to visit UCU. I disagree with some of the motives, intentions, and beliefs personally, but they are vitally important to understanding the ground in which Anglicans are currently fighting. Moreover, it is vitally important for the west to realize that Anglicans here are not fundamentalist in a negative sense; rather, they are compassionate and caring, but take their interpretation of the Bible seriously.
In the end, I couldn't be happier with my time in Uganda. I really think I learned as much about this country as is possible in 17 days. That's not a whole lot, in the grand scheme of things, but I saw real cultures, real lives, and spoke with real people. I saw their challenges. I was inspired by their solutions and their optimism. And, most importantly, it's hard to describe my time here. That difficulty is a good thing; I can't just say "Africa was good" about my time in Uganda, as Paul Theroux laments is the observation of most visitors. (Thanks, Danny, for the book!) My experience was not good or bad, but a melting pot of sights, sounds, feelings, emotions, and people.
Now, I sit reflecting on a large amount of research and even more experiences after a small amount of time in this place. As is always the case, I feel the pang of regret that my time is not longer. But, alas, it's off to a different challenge and a dramatically different locale, Cape Town, to continue this research.
Will
1st Addendum: In other news, I'm currently playing the game of trying to manage the money I have left so that I'm able to pay for everything through departure without having a inordinate amount of money left over. I'm sure you all know it. I want to leave with a few bills and coins as keepsakes, but not $25 worth!
2nd Addendum: I know I told you I wouldn't talk about my research. And I just did. I sincerely apologize. In a way, though, the views I am getting of society, culture, and real lives are coming through that research.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
A Trip to Jinja...and a transportation Success!
Yesterday, I caught a minibus taxi to Jinja for a purely sightseeing trip of (it turned out) 18 hours. I had planned to spend Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning in Jinja (a town on Lake Victoria about 80 km from Kampala). However, on the way to Jinja, the person I was supposed to meet Tuesday afternoon called to reschedule for Tuesday morning. He is a very important contact (essentially, he was the leader of the pentecostal movement within the Anglican church here and is an confidant to many a Bishop), and he could only meet at 10:00 AM in Wakiso Town, 20 km the other way out of Kampala. Thus, my time in Jinja was limited to Monday afternoon and I was going to need to put the transportation system of minibus taxis to the test.
Monday, I caught a taxi to Jinja around 11:00 (they depart when full), which only cost 4000 (about $1.80) for the 80 km trip. Once in Jinja, I began sightseeing in the town and then made my way to the Source of the Nile River.
The town is quite interesting: In many ways, it's everything that Kampala is not. It has a standard street layout that includes blocks, has street signs (well, more than Kampala), has generally good roads (and lots of paved roads) and appears clean and orderly. It's a town that was obviously affected quite a lot by the Asian community (mostly Indian) during the colonization years, and that influence still shows. There are monuments to India all over the place! At two schools I saw monuments to India's independence, and there are at least two Gandhi statues in the city (one in town and one at the Source of the Nile park). It's also a very spread out city; I walked through most of the town, and no place had any density like what is seen in Kampala (or even Fort Portal). I enjoyed the town (was able to get some very good local food…which I hadn't had since Fort Portal), and then I walked to the Source of the Nile (which was a bit hard to find…in many ways Jinja is a town hiding from the water).
At the source, there is a local park which, predictably, charges an insanely high fee to foreigners. Ugandans pay 500 shillings (.23 cents) to get in, while non-Ugandans are charged 10000 shillings ($4.50) per the sign. I managed to negotiate the price down to 3000 shillings for me (though it took a while…), but it still amazed me that the 80 km taxi ride cost just a bit more than the entrance to the "park". And it does go to show that EVERYTHING is negotiable around here. For that price, I honestly expected to be disappointed. That expectation couldn't be further from the truth.
I walked down to the foot of the river and found a rock to sit on. On the water's level, I wrote in my journal that "there may have been more beautiful lakes in Wyoming, or more meaningful monuments in DC, but never have I seen a sight more powerful." I can't really describe the beauty and power (and pictures won't do it justice), but sitting in that spot served as a humbling reminder that, just as I was growing quite comfortable in Uganda, I was so far from home (in a good way). I'll show pictures when I get home.
At the Nile, I was approached by a teenage boy offering to play his local instrument, a homemade harp, for a few thousand shillings. When I politely declined, he asked to sit down on the rock with me. I said I didn't mind, and he introduced himself as Robert. He started by apologizing for the interruption, and stated that he really hated bothering students. We proceeded to have a great conversation about his life and mine, about the power of the river, and about his plans to study so hard he gets a scholarship to the US. Unlike many people I've met, who list going to the US as a pipe dream, Robert understood the difficulty of the path. I was impressed and hopeful, however, because of his optimism and dedication.
I can't tell you how many times these kind of interactions (people asking me for my contact information so they can connect to the US) have happened here. For example, I have a list of several relatives of contacts that I'm supposed to call and pass along messages to when I return, since it's so expensive to call from here. I've also met ten or fifteen people in taxis or small, local restaurants that want to talk about the States. Like most, Robert asked for my email address, which I provided, and promised to keep in touch. I really hope he does.
After the Nile, I headed to the hostel I was staying and read a bit before bed. In the morning, I awoke for my test of the minibus taxi system. At 6:20, I caught a boda to the taxi park in Jinja. By 6:30, I was on a taxi headed to Kampala (for 4000shillings again…$1.80!!!). At 8:30, I arrived at the New Taxi Park and found my way to a taxi to Wakiso Town (20 km the other direction). About 9:20, I arrived in Wakiso Town, 30 minutes early for my appointment with Uncle Ben. Needless to say, I was really, really impressed with the ease, speed, and cost of the transportation today. For 5500 shillings ($2.36) and one transfer, I made my way 100 km in about three hours. Oh, and my meeting went really well.
Tomorrow, I'll start with a parish visit to one of the slums of Kampala at 8:00, then visit a second parish (in another slum) at 10:30. In the afternoon, I'm going to try to find someone with a sowing machine to patch up my khaki pants (which ripped on the edge of a seat in the minibus taxi). The good news about the pants is that they cost 10 dollars at Target; the bad news is that I only have two pairs with me.
Until next time,
Will
Monday, I caught a taxi to Jinja around 11:00 (they depart when full), which only cost 4000 (about $1.80) for the 80 km trip. Once in Jinja, I began sightseeing in the town and then made my way to the Source of the Nile River.
The town is quite interesting: In many ways, it's everything that Kampala is not. It has a standard street layout that includes blocks, has street signs (well, more than Kampala), has generally good roads (and lots of paved roads) and appears clean and orderly. It's a town that was obviously affected quite a lot by the Asian community (mostly Indian) during the colonization years, and that influence still shows. There are monuments to India all over the place! At two schools I saw monuments to India's independence, and there are at least two Gandhi statues in the city (one in town and one at the Source of the Nile park). It's also a very spread out city; I walked through most of the town, and no place had any density like what is seen in Kampala (or even Fort Portal). I enjoyed the town (was able to get some very good local food…which I hadn't had since Fort Portal), and then I walked to the Source of the Nile (which was a bit hard to find…in many ways Jinja is a town hiding from the water).
At the source, there is a local park which, predictably, charges an insanely high fee to foreigners. Ugandans pay 500 shillings (.23 cents) to get in, while non-Ugandans are charged 10000 shillings ($4.50) per the sign. I managed to negotiate the price down to 3000 shillings for me (though it took a while…), but it still amazed me that the 80 km taxi ride cost just a bit more than the entrance to the "park". And it does go to show that EVERYTHING is negotiable around here. For that price, I honestly expected to be disappointed. That expectation couldn't be further from the truth.
I walked down to the foot of the river and found a rock to sit on. On the water's level, I wrote in my journal that "there may have been more beautiful lakes in Wyoming, or more meaningful monuments in DC, but never have I seen a sight more powerful." I can't really describe the beauty and power (and pictures won't do it justice), but sitting in that spot served as a humbling reminder that, just as I was growing quite comfortable in Uganda, I was so far from home (in a good way). I'll show pictures when I get home.
At the Nile, I was approached by a teenage boy offering to play his local instrument, a homemade harp, for a few thousand shillings. When I politely declined, he asked to sit down on the rock with me. I said I didn't mind, and he introduced himself as Robert. He started by apologizing for the interruption, and stated that he really hated bothering students. We proceeded to have a great conversation about his life and mine, about the power of the river, and about his plans to study so hard he gets a scholarship to the US. Unlike many people I've met, who list going to the US as a pipe dream, Robert understood the difficulty of the path. I was impressed and hopeful, however, because of his optimism and dedication.
I can't tell you how many times these kind of interactions (people asking me for my contact information so they can connect to the US) have happened here. For example, I have a list of several relatives of contacts that I'm supposed to call and pass along messages to when I return, since it's so expensive to call from here. I've also met ten or fifteen people in taxis or small, local restaurants that want to talk about the States. Like most, Robert asked for my email address, which I provided, and promised to keep in touch. I really hope he does.
After the Nile, I headed to the hostel I was staying and read a bit before bed. In the morning, I awoke for my test of the minibus taxi system. At 6:20, I caught a boda to the taxi park in Jinja. By 6:30, I was on a taxi headed to Kampala (for 4000shillings again…$1.80!!!). At 8:30, I arrived at the New Taxi Park and found my way to a taxi to Wakiso Town (20 km the other direction). About 9:20, I arrived in Wakiso Town, 30 minutes early for my appointment with Uncle Ben. Needless to say, I was really, really impressed with the ease, speed, and cost of the transportation today. For 5500 shillings ($2.36) and one transfer, I made my way 100 km in about three hours. Oh, and my meeting went really well.
Tomorrow, I'll start with a parish visit to one of the slums of Kampala at 8:00, then visit a second parish (in another slum) at 10:30. In the afternoon, I'm going to try to find someone with a sowing machine to patch up my khaki pants (which ripped on the edge of a seat in the minibus taxi). The good news about the pants is that they cost 10 dollars at Target; the bad news is that I only have two pairs with me.
Until next time,
Will
Sunday, June 7, 2009
What a Day!
So, in my first post I promised you I wouldn't write about my research. Now, I'm going to break that promise, just a little, and tell you about today. Being Sunday, most of my day was spent in research mode! Here was my programme (what they call a schedule here...thanks to the British) for the day:
6:30 - Wake up and wash up; Definitely annoyed all the other people in the hostel (though I tried very hard to be silent!);
7:00 - Catch a minibus taxi to town (thank goodness they run just as often on Sunday as other days!)
7:30 - Walked the 3 km to Namirembe. Got very, very hot and dusty.
8:30 - Worship Service at Namirembe Cathedral (English "blended"…old hymns and a lot of contemporary/Uganda music)
10:00 - Worship Service at Namirembe Cathedral (Luganda traditional 1662 prayer book); left early to walk to St. Francis, Makerere (another 3 or 4 km); Again got very, very dusty
11:00 - Worship service at St. Francis, Makerere (English "blended" with more freedom)
1:00 - Worship service at St. Francis, Makerere (Lugbara, "blended")
The last service let out at 3:30, so it was a long day physically (especially since I just snacked on some "Little x's," essentially graham crackers because I had no time for a meal) and mentally. But it was also a really, really cool and informational day! I won't run through all of my notes, because that definitely would bore you, but I'll give you the highlights.
Namirembe Cathedral is the oldest church in Uganda, and is a really beautiful cathedral on top of a hill overlooking the main city. And I mean BEAUTIFUL! It also was one of the most technologically up-to-date churches I've ever seen; it had probably 15 TVs around that broadcast a live view of the service as well as the words to music, scripture, etc. It definitely was more tech-savvy than most churches in the US.
The first service I attended was what we call a "blended" service, with a mixture of traditional Anglican hymns and praise songs/free-form music, etc. The service began with twenty minutes of praise, which is unusual for the blended services, which usually begin with Anglican liturgy. Actually, the liturgy was mostly removed to make room for praise and a long sermon.
Interestingly, the next service is a Luganda (the language of the Kampala area) only service, but using the 1662 Anglican Prayer Book (so the service is as traditional as it gets). That service had a men and boys choir and utilized winds and the organ as instruments. It was definitely a really beautiful service (in the way a really great orchestral concert is beautiful).
What was most interesting to me was the language of each service. The less traditional and more African service, the first, was in English while the second, very traditional service, was in Luganda. That seems like a flip-flop of what it should be.
From there, I walked to St. Francis, which is the on the campus of the main University here. I attended their 11:00 service, a blended English service in an absolutely PACKED church (I sat just outside the door in front of another 100 people or so). The service was a bit more lively than the Namirembe one, but was very similar.
After that service came the really good part of the day. At 1:00, there is a Lugbara service for people from that area of Uganda (500 km northwest of here), and I was invited as a special guest. A professor at Makerere translated for me (as much as possible), and they also had a projector screen showing words to hymns, etc. (It's much cheaper for churches here to buy one projector and computer than lots of hymnbooks or songbooks, so many churches have projectors). The service was very, very lively; it was truly a celebration of life. I was definitely inspired by the energy and enthusiasm of everyone, from the priest to the musicians (all instruments from the Lugbara region) to every person there. Moreover, the research I got there was fantastic, and I was invited back for their Wednesday night service (actually, I was told that I better be there…). What was especially impressive was the generosity of this church; the people were obviously less well-off than any of the 11:00 attendees, but they gave everything they had in 2 offerings. Giving is definitely a central part of the Ugandan church, but I hadn't yet seen people so happy to give all of their coins or money to the church like I did today. The church is definitely the most important part of their lives.
Now, I'm reflecting on the day's research and preparing for follow-up meetings this week. I'll also visit a parish in one of the slums of Kampala, Kywililiza, with the parish priest on Wednesday. There, he has a very large population of displaced Northern Ugandans (Acholi people), who have suffered greatly.
Tomorrow, however, I'm hoping to take a minibus taxi to Jinja (the "source of the Nile") to spend a night there, since I've the town is beautiful. I honestly can't believe I'm on the back-half of my time in Uganda, and definitely have grown very fond of this country.
Much love to you all,
Will
6:30 - Wake up and wash up; Definitely annoyed all the other people in the hostel (though I tried very hard to be silent!);
7:00 - Catch a minibus taxi to town (thank goodness they run just as often on Sunday as other days!)
7:30 - Walked the 3 km to Namirembe. Got very, very hot and dusty.
8:30 - Worship Service at Namirembe Cathedral (English "blended"…old hymns and a lot of contemporary/Uganda music)
10:00 - Worship Service at Namirembe Cathedral (Luganda traditional 1662 prayer book); left early to walk to St. Francis, Makerere (another 3 or 4 km); Again got very, very dusty
11:00 - Worship service at St. Francis, Makerere (English "blended" with more freedom)
1:00 - Worship service at St. Francis, Makerere (Lugbara, "blended")
The last service let out at 3:30, so it was a long day physically (especially since I just snacked on some "Little x's," essentially graham crackers because I had no time for a meal) and mentally. But it was also a really, really cool and informational day! I won't run through all of my notes, because that definitely would bore you, but I'll give you the highlights.
Namirembe Cathedral is the oldest church in Uganda, and is a really beautiful cathedral on top of a hill overlooking the main city. And I mean BEAUTIFUL! It also was one of the most technologically up-to-date churches I've ever seen; it had probably 15 TVs around that broadcast a live view of the service as well as the words to music, scripture, etc. It definitely was more tech-savvy than most churches in the US.
The first service I attended was what we call a "blended" service, with a mixture of traditional Anglican hymns and praise songs/free-form music, etc. The service began with twenty minutes of praise, which is unusual for the blended services, which usually begin with Anglican liturgy. Actually, the liturgy was mostly removed to make room for praise and a long sermon.
Interestingly, the next service is a Luganda (the language of the Kampala area) only service, but using the 1662 Anglican Prayer Book (so the service is as traditional as it gets). That service had a men and boys choir and utilized winds and the organ as instruments. It was definitely a really beautiful service (in the way a really great orchestral concert is beautiful).
What was most interesting to me was the language of each service. The less traditional and more African service, the first, was in English while the second, very traditional service, was in Luganda. That seems like a flip-flop of what it should be.
From there, I walked to St. Francis, which is the on the campus of the main University here. I attended their 11:00 service, a blended English service in an absolutely PACKED church (I sat just outside the door in front of another 100 people or so). The service was a bit more lively than the Namirembe one, but was very similar.
After that service came the really good part of the day. At 1:00, there is a Lugbara service for people from that area of Uganda (500 km northwest of here), and I was invited as a special guest. A professor at Makerere translated for me (as much as possible), and they also had a projector screen showing words to hymns, etc. (It's much cheaper for churches here to buy one projector and computer than lots of hymnbooks or songbooks, so many churches have projectors). The service was very, very lively; it was truly a celebration of life. I was definitely inspired by the energy and enthusiasm of everyone, from the priest to the musicians (all instruments from the Lugbara region) to every person there. Moreover, the research I got there was fantastic, and I was invited back for their Wednesday night service (actually, I was told that I better be there…). What was especially impressive was the generosity of this church; the people were obviously less well-off than any of the 11:00 attendees, but they gave everything they had in 2 offerings. Giving is definitely a central part of the Ugandan church, but I hadn't yet seen people so happy to give all of their coins or money to the church like I did today. The church is definitely the most important part of their lives.
Now, I'm reflecting on the day's research and preparing for follow-up meetings this week. I'll also visit a parish in one of the slums of Kampala, Kywililiza, with the parish priest on Wednesday. There, he has a very large population of displaced Northern Ugandans (Acholi people), who have suffered greatly.
Tomorrow, however, I'm hoping to take a minibus taxi to Jinja (the "source of the Nile") to spend a night there, since I've the town is beautiful. I honestly can't believe I'm on the back-half of my time in Uganda, and definitely have grown very fond of this country.
Much love to you all,
Will
Friday, June 5, 2009
Thoughts from Some Long Walks
The past two days, I've spent a lot of time exploring Kampala on foot. So much so, actually, that my legs are really sore. That's a bit sad, I know, but there are a LOT of hills here!
Thursday, I took the day "off" from research (only making calls to contacts), and headed into the heart of Kampala to walk around and learn the city. Through the day, I ended up wandering from the dirty, dusty, crazy (and also fun!) lower market and taxi park area to quiet, serene avenues of the upper hill to the parking lot for the MPs (Members of Parliament) for the State of the Union address…where I got told to leave rather quickly! I really, really enjoyed walking around, though it was a walk only Bill Bryson or Paul Theroux could describe adequately. So I won't even try. I ate lunch at a local restaurant of sorts (a huge plate of rice, matooke, and beans for just about a dollar!). Most importantly, I found myself much more comfortable with the street layout in "downtown" Kampala, or the Kampala city center. Some highlights of the day:
○ I got a great view of the main mosque and Namirembe Cathedral from the top of Nakasero Hill!
○ Passing people on the side of the street (there is rarely a sidewalk), I always make the mistake of yielding to the right to an oncoming person, which always leads to the awkward dance in front of each other. Driving on opposite sides of the street causes problems for pedestrians as well!
○ I managed to get mingled in with some schoolchildren, who were very willing to talk to me. The asked my opinion of Obama, and were very glad to hear I voted for him.
○ The Ugandan Army really takes defense of the parking lot at the State Building seriously! I counted 8 anti-tank weapons, at least 50 AK-47s, and a sniper on the roof of several buildings. I'm glad I left the area quickly!
○ The newspapers here are fascinating; there are probably 5 major dailies and most tend towards tabloid. In the past few days, there have been screaming headlines about a sodomy scandal alleged at one of the main Pentecostal pastors in the city. It's essentially a fight between rival pastors (who may or may not have introduced the allegations) apparently, but it's definitely being played out in the media. I've really enjoyed reading the New Vision every day (the most reputable paper here).
Today, I departed early to catch a taxi to the city and then walked three or four kilometers to Makerere University, the main University in Kampala and in Uganda. I will attend worship at a service for relocated Northern Ugandans there on Sunday, and wanted to scout out the walk. I also had a short meeting with a research contact there. It was really interesting to see a University here…definitely a different atmosphere than the Kampala city streets. I walked up to a vista at the Faculty of Food Science and was able to see many of the outlying hills of Kampala. Then, I walked back to the city (stopping for lunch in a small restaurant), and visited All Saints Cathedral this afternoon, which is the headquarters of the Church here. It's not especially interesting for my research (they tend to have very anglo-catholic worship services), but it was definitely a place I had to visit. I had a great time talking with the office staff there and had a productive meeting with several worship leaders and priests.
I know that the updates of my journeys aren't especially interesting to most of you, so I've decided to try to do a short anecdote or story or description of something here every day or so. I hope that many of these will relate to your travel experiences (in Africa or elsewhere), and they'll be fun for me to write. I also promise I'll keep them under four hundred words…I know I tend to write really long posts.
So, today the topic is the minibus taxis! Many of you have experienced them all of the world. I've enjoyed riding them for several reasons:
a. They go everywhere! I've taken them to town, to outlying suburbs, and to Namugongo. Next week, I'll take one to Jinja. I still haven't figured out how to take them for short journeys, but they're great for the long ones! There are literally tens of thousands in the Kampala area.
b. They are CHEAP!!! I pay about one dollar a day for transit 10 km round trip to town and back. That's really pretty good. Moreover, they really can't charge a "mzungu" price…according to one of those economics laws I don't remember, if everyone is paying the same price and knows the price being paid, there is no way to price discriminate.
c. They're surprisingly easy to ride! The only difficulty is finding the one headed to my destination.
On that note, I'm definitely going to get on one going to the wrong place at some point…the conductors shout the destinations so quickly that it's very, very hard for me to understand. If/when that happens, however, I'll just have to get back to Kampala to start over and will consider it part of the journey.
That's all for tonight. And thanks for reading!
Will
Thursday, I took the day "off" from research (only making calls to contacts), and headed into the heart of Kampala to walk around and learn the city. Through the day, I ended up wandering from the dirty, dusty, crazy (and also fun!) lower market and taxi park area to quiet, serene avenues of the upper hill to the parking lot for the MPs (Members of Parliament) for the State of the Union address…where I got told to leave rather quickly! I really, really enjoyed walking around, though it was a walk only Bill Bryson or Paul Theroux could describe adequately. So I won't even try. I ate lunch at a local restaurant of sorts (a huge plate of rice, matooke, and beans for just about a dollar!). Most importantly, I found myself much more comfortable with the street layout in "downtown" Kampala, or the Kampala city center. Some highlights of the day:
○ I got a great view of the main mosque and Namirembe Cathedral from the top of Nakasero Hill!
○ Passing people on the side of the street (there is rarely a sidewalk), I always make the mistake of yielding to the right to an oncoming person, which always leads to the awkward dance in front of each other. Driving on opposite sides of the street causes problems for pedestrians as well!
○ I managed to get mingled in with some schoolchildren, who were very willing to talk to me. The asked my opinion of Obama, and were very glad to hear I voted for him.
○ The Ugandan Army really takes defense of the parking lot at the State Building seriously! I counted 8 anti-tank weapons, at least 50 AK-47s, and a sniper on the roof of several buildings. I'm glad I left the area quickly!
○ The newspapers here are fascinating; there are probably 5 major dailies and most tend towards tabloid. In the past few days, there have been screaming headlines about a sodomy scandal alleged at one of the main Pentecostal pastors in the city. It's essentially a fight between rival pastors (who may or may not have introduced the allegations) apparently, but it's definitely being played out in the media. I've really enjoyed reading the New Vision every day (the most reputable paper here).
Today, I departed early to catch a taxi to the city and then walked three or four kilometers to Makerere University, the main University in Kampala and in Uganda. I will attend worship at a service for relocated Northern Ugandans there on Sunday, and wanted to scout out the walk. I also had a short meeting with a research contact there. It was really interesting to see a University here…definitely a different atmosphere than the Kampala city streets. I walked up to a vista at the Faculty of Food Science and was able to see many of the outlying hills of Kampala. Then, I walked back to the city (stopping for lunch in a small restaurant), and visited All Saints Cathedral this afternoon, which is the headquarters of the Church here. It's not especially interesting for my research (they tend to have very anglo-catholic worship services), but it was definitely a place I had to visit. I had a great time talking with the office staff there and had a productive meeting with several worship leaders and priests.
I know that the updates of my journeys aren't especially interesting to most of you, so I've decided to try to do a short anecdote or story or description of something here every day or so. I hope that many of these will relate to your travel experiences (in Africa or elsewhere), and they'll be fun for me to write. I also promise I'll keep them under four hundred words…I know I tend to write really long posts.
So, today the topic is the minibus taxis! Many of you have experienced them all of the world. I've enjoyed riding them for several reasons:
a. They go everywhere! I've taken them to town, to outlying suburbs, and to Namugongo. Next week, I'll take one to Jinja. I still haven't figured out how to take them for short journeys, but they're great for the long ones! There are literally tens of thousands in the Kampala area.
b. They are CHEAP!!! I pay about one dollar a day for transit 10 km round trip to town and back. That's really pretty good. Moreover, they really can't charge a "mzungu" price…according to one of those economics laws I don't remember, if everyone is paying the same price and knows the price being paid, there is no way to price discriminate.
c. They're surprisingly easy to ride! The only difficulty is finding the one headed to my destination.
On that note, I'm definitely going to get on one going to the wrong place at some point…the conductors shout the destinations so quickly that it's very, very hard for me to understand. If/when that happens, however, I'll just have to get back to Kampala to start over and will consider it part of the journey.
That's all for tonight. And thanks for reading!
Will
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