Bugs
I remember many years ago, when we were all living with my parents. The house was full, every single room occupied, we were about 15 of us. Brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, relatives close and distant, for some I can't quite decipher the relationship but that's okay, we were a big happy family.
The house was usually this full over the holidays, it's amazing how there was room for every one and nothing seemed odd about having all these people under one roof.
One time we got visitors, my dad had a friend who had moved to the States and he was coming to Uganda for a visit. He had a family - a wife and three kids, we welcomed them most excitedly. I think this added to the 10 or so of us who were at home at the time.
Simon and I were thrilled to have playmates because the kids were about our age - toys, chocolate, the whole nine yards. After dinner the kids were asked to take a shower and they turned it down - "We will just wipe ourselves with a damp cloth", shock, shock, shock! "how can these people not take a bath in the evening?", for us it was the order of the day. We concluded that it was something done by people in 'outside countries'. Now I laugh at that because I find Mich and I in the same position.
Next day we are at the table having breakfast and one of the girls screams and runs away from the table. Apparently there were bugs in the sugar bowl. Pssshhh! First of all they were not bugs they were ants. We were used to these big black ants, they loved sugar, all one had to do was shake the bowl and they would crawl out and be on their way. Again, Simon and I were just amused, sha! you mean there are no ants/ "bugs" in America?!
Fast forward and I'm beginning to see where these kids were coming from, Mich is introducing me to the idea. One hardly sees any flying insects in the winter and by the time summer comes around, the little creatures we saw last summer have quickly faded from our little minds.
I'm constantly seeing Mich jumping around, having imaginary sword fights and tip toeing around because he has seen a fly. I have to constantly remind him that flies don't bite, short of telling him how flies and ants are in abundance in Uganda and how "in our days" or "when we were growing up" they dined with us.
The house was usually this full over the holidays, it's amazing how there was room for every one and nothing seemed odd about having all these people under one roof.
One time we got visitors, my dad had a friend who had moved to the States and he was coming to Uganda for a visit. He had a family - a wife and three kids, we welcomed them most excitedly. I think this added to the 10 or so of us who were at home at the time.
Simon and I were thrilled to have playmates because the kids were about our age - toys, chocolate, the whole nine yards. After dinner the kids were asked to take a shower and they turned it down - "We will just wipe ourselves with a damp cloth", shock, shock, shock! "how can these people not take a bath in the evening?", for us it was the order of the day. We concluded that it was something done by people in 'outside countries'. Now I laugh at that because I find Mich and I in the same position.
Next day we are at the table having breakfast and one of the girls screams and runs away from the table. Apparently there were bugs in the sugar bowl. Pssshhh! First of all they were not bugs they were ants. We were used to these big black ants, they loved sugar, all one had to do was shake the bowl and they would crawl out and be on their way. Again, Simon and I were just amused, sha! you mean there are no ants/ "bugs" in America?!
Fast forward and I'm beginning to see where these kids were coming from, Mich is introducing me to the idea. One hardly sees any flying insects in the winter and by the time summer comes around, the little creatures we saw last summer have quickly faded from our little minds.
I'm constantly seeing Mich jumping around, having imaginary sword fights and tip toeing around because he has seen a fly. I have to constantly remind him that flies don't bite, short of telling him how flies and ants are in abundance in Uganda and how "in our days" or "when we were growing up" they dined with us.
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