Losing my "Ugandan-ness" one year at a time

There was a time I thought British Airways was calling my name to board a plane back to Uganda.
Things that were seemingly normal baffled me, the addiction to coffee for example, I didn't understand why it ruled the world. A cup or the lack thereof dictated whether one's day went well or not. While tea did a fantastic job keeping Ugandans calm (maybe too calm), here, life didn't begin until the "cup of coffee", then there were bursts of energy and sudden flat valleys or near zombie-ish states.

Then the "I'm late" panic. Just like Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, there was no time to spare, no time to chat. Run here, run there, run everywhere, one needed a reminder just to breath.
 Grim faces in the bus, snarls on the train. I made sure to keep to myself lest someone lashed out. I avoided eye contact and didn't smile unless I knew the person.

There was hardly a support network to speak of especially when one needed help with child care. No dates, no movie nights, just mopping, cleaning and cooking and out went romance.
"Uganda is paradise!" I thought. I missed Rajib, the little boy at Nakawa Market who called on Saturday morning to say he was available to help with my shopping.
I missed Nicole, who was ever ready to braid my hair in 4 hours or less for 20 bucks.
There was a salon at every corner. I could have my nails vanished in no time.
I missed the luscious fruits and local dishes like ebo, emalakany and atap.
I missed the days I could go out gallivanting knowing that someone was home to care for my kids.

One year down the road, there has been adaptation and assimilation.

"There has been an alteration in the structure and function of this organism, parts that have resulted from natural selection and by which this organism has become better fitted to survive and multiply in its environment".

I drink coffee almost each morning. It all started one morning, when I got to office feeling exhausted, I couldn't pay attention to the tasks set before me. I had deadlines to beat and things to do. Instead of drinking my usual cup of warm water, I made a cup of coffee and whoa! it was an instant energizer, amazing! I took one the next day and the next and tomorrow I will have another cup.

I roll my tongue when talking with colleagues. My Ugandan friends would deny me straight up if they heard me speak in office. This is one of the few times I'm  glad none of them are any where near. It's not exactly intentional but when you constantly interact with colleagues who speak a certain way, it rubs off. They pronounce words in a certain style and only seem to understand me better when I say it the way they do. So there I go strressing my "r's" and moving my lowerrr jaw this way and that :-). I have caught myself a few times and smiled because it is furrnny like that.

Because life is "chap-chap", I am "chap-chap". Unless it is lunch hour chances are I'm headed somewhere to accomplish a particular task. If I'm heading home, I've got to get to the train station by 4:50pm to catch the train that will arrive at Vienna by 5:20pm in order to catch my bus at 5:26pm, which will get home at 6:00pm so I can whip up a meal for my people and so on. If I meet friends around these times, it's gonna be a "hi - bye" situation. Any slight delay causes a domino effect on all plans for the day.

A typical day is filled  with scheduled meetings, assignments to finish, deadlines to beat. So, in the busy mechanics of the day, lunch hour is the only time the machine stops for a break, then I can sit and chat.

Please don't touch my weekends!

I used to get really upset when bazungu gave forced smiles on the streets of Kampala. They grinned obviously without feeling. The grin was wiped off as soon as they walked past which I considered rude.

Now, imagine my self chastising when I did the same thing in office. My thought process went something like this: "Hey! I know we work together, I don't know your name or what you do, I'm not about to stop to talk but I acknowledge you". 

There are more mannerisms that have crept in. I need to keep tabs on them lest I lose all my Ugandan-ness (If ever there was such a things).