Peter's 3rd Update - Or should I say, "Yiga's" 3rd Update

Olitya! In Luganda that means “Hello, how are you?” I have to get some practice in because the local family that is hosting me in their home for two weeks is requiring that I learn to speak their language. They even renamed me! Apparently, I am now to be known as Yiga. I don’t know if it has a meaning, but it’s my new name, and the mother of the family – whom I call “Ma’ami” – doesn’t even call me Peter at all anymore. Just one of the eccentric features of my new home.

A little background before I continue. The Uganda Studies Program sets us up with local homestays for two weeks at the beginning of the semester. So, my regular home, a dormitory on campus at Uganda Christian University, is temporarily replaced by a home 20 minutes away in the Mukono Town. I walk to and from the university, where I continue taking my normal classes. In two weeks, I’ll living on campus again, but for now, I am like a regular family member, living with Ma’ami, Ta’ata, Julius, Jonathan, Edward, and Juliette.

I have now been living with them for three days. My older “brother” Julius is the closest to my age, at 23. I am staying in his room and do most of my activities with him by my side. His younger brothers and sisters are very nice, and they even bring our food directly to our room. Julius is a water engineering student at a local university and enjoys basketball, television, and spending time with his two close friends, Brian and Freddy. The four of us have spent the last two evenings together, and tonight we are going to watch an English soccer match downtown.

I don’t see much of the father during the evening, but the mother is ever present and as boisterous as any woman I’ve met. When we were introduced, I extended my arm for the traditional handshake greeting, but before I knew it I was being bear hugged – twice – and then given a very firm handshake. She is large, loud, and extremely welcoming. Last night, when I said I was full from all her food, she had me run laps around her yard, “so the food will spread throughout your body faster.” I’m not sure if it worked, but it had us all laughing. She also gives me candy every morning as I walk by her shop to go to my classes. This morning she gave me cough drops.

The homestay has its own challenges to go along with the great hospitality and laughter, including frequent power outages, the language barrier, cockroaches, and sudden deluges of rain that feel like hail storms. But overall, it has been a good experience. On Saturday, I will not have classes, so I will spend the whole day with the family, watching television, working in their shop, and visiting a local school to play soccer and take photos. I’ll have a lot to say about all of that next week, I’m sure. Bye for now!