Reverse culture shock

I quickly forgot my peoples’ ways.
Once, I mocked bazungu who wore flip flops and less than descent clothing. I thought they were making an effort to fit in, how wrong I was. You see, Americans for the most part are not snazzy dressers, except in New York and Dallas but don’t quote me. Smart is relative and I seem to have adopted the culture too. I’m embarrassed when I step onto Kampala’s streets with a rack sack and sandals and everybody is dressed as though they were attending a function; high heels, trendy clothes, suit and tie eeish! It’s hot, it’s dusty, it’s muddy, lighten up people!

My rack sack makes life easy, I throw what I need in there, but lately it has caused me trouble. A guard in Nakumatt would not let me in, boy! That ruffled my feathers. He couldn’t give a good reason why I had to leave my bag at the check in desk except that it was the rule, well, I insisted. Something about exposure to efficient systems doesn’t allow me to settle for less. 20 minutes later I saw a mzungu with her rack sack strolling down the shopping aisles and I wanted to scream. Double standards and robots make me mad.

So, we finalized the deal with our landlady. Next day I received a passionate message from the broker claiming we betrayed him by telling her we had paid him. The intensity of that text could have blown up my phone; Brokers didn’t feature in our conversation with the lady. Apparently it was a code to say, he was given less money than expected and we were supposed to top it up. After reading the story of a landlord burnt by tenants because they suspected he wanted to change up his quarters, it gets really scary.

The men in Owino still tag and pull at ladies hands as though we are their property. I could have sued them all for sexual harassment. Some things don’t change.
Ugandan’s still push and shove without shame; clearly the idea of personal space has no place here.

Everybody and their brother has a car, unfortunately the roads are not experiencing the same multiplication effect. Costs of living are higher, gaps between the rich and the poor are widening and it doesn’t relate to the state of the country. Are companies paying better? Or is the good life disguised under unpaid loans? Are funds being misappropriated? The details remain a mystery (don’t ask, don’t tell). It might well be that we are catering for ourselves and leaving the country to whoever cares.

Owning a cell phone was once prestigious, it still is in some parts of America, but now Ugandans have at least 2 cell phones. One for each network provider?
And where did all these pretty little things sprout from? Kampala is blooming with gorgeous girls, wow! They are driving expensive cars and holding top positions in the corporate world.
Where are the older folk?