Ugandans and their ways.

Just sitting around thinking back to the time I spent in Uganda.
It is interesting the things one notices and learns about a place after being away for a while.

So, I walk into the bank to withdraw some money, I join the queue of about 7 people. I am just about to reach the teller when a young man walks up to me and asks if I could help him bank his money. Huh??? He said something about leaving his post of duty and how he has to get back before a certain time. I was in such shock, amazed at his boldness and also wondering why me? There were other people in the line you know?! Well as you may or may not guess I agreed and the rest is history.

Another day, I get into a taxi and remember that I need to send a text message. I pull out my phone and start typing, then my neighbor develops an interest in my message - reading as I typed. I pretend that I need to get something else out of my bag and the lady turns away, when I get back to writing, she is all interested again eh! Dryness! in fact it seemed like she was trying to help me think of what to write. I finished quickly and put the phone away.
Again, I’m in another taxi, I open my bag to get my fare and this guy eagerly without shame looks into my bag, I felt like saying “some privacy please?” I tried to cover up, like we did when we didn’t want people to copy us in an exam and it worked. But eh! What’s up Ugandans? I know we are touchy feely but I think this has moved to the nosy nosy level.

I have had quite a few taxi incidents, here is one more. It’s a hot, sticky, sweaty, Tuesday morning. I boarded a taxi headed to Kansanga and unfortunately I was sandwiched between two not so small people, it was literally tight. After a while I figure I would be more comfortable if I leaned forward. It worked for a little while before one of them leaned forward too, then I leaned back and she followed suit. What was a poor woman supposed to do?
I thought that was crazy, later that day I dropped into Shoprite to buy a drink (remember it was a hot, sticky and sweaty day), after walking a few meters I opened my bottle of juice, a beggar walks up to me with hand raised towards my drink asking for something. I immediately handed him the bottle because there were no subtle hints about it, he said thank you and walked away.

Oh and one more, this one happened while I was yet in another cue to enter UMA show grounds for the trade show. It was a really hot morning and the cue was pretty long too but I wasn’t discouraged I joined in at the back. When I was just about half way to the counter a lady walks up to me and asks if she could get a place in front of me. Her excuse? – “The line is long and it is really hot” duh! Like the rest of us didn’t know that?! Again I was taken by surprise, left a little speechless but I agreed to it. Thankfully the line was moving swiftly so we were not there for much too long.

Ugandans, we wouldn’t like to wait in line, we drive like mad men, are very impatient and what really nags me is the way we elbow and push to get a head. Even with that, we are concerned for each other, more on that in upcoming posts.