Adjustments

We've been here in Kampala now for about a week. By now you've heard all about our various successes (and less about our failures, natch) meeting with people and getting our little fledgling organization off the ground. That whole aspect of the trip is going reasonably well.

But there's a completely different process also happening (and I can only speak for myself here). The one where I go from being totally overwhelmed, shocked at the things I see and just being generally at a loss to process life here. To be honest, when we landed, I really wasn't sure how I was going to survive six months here. Not survive, really, but settle in and enjoy the time here. It was just too hectic, too different. Too damn hot.

(some. other. business.)

(going. on. here.)

But here I am a week later, and things seem relatively normal. Still very unsettled, given that we haven't gotten to Lira yet and are living in a hostel, but I don't have that overwhelmed feeling of "what the hell have we gotten ourselves into?" mixed with "six months of this, are you effing serious?" I'm adjusting to the heat, meaning that I'm sweating all the time, but I'm not especially worried about keeling over.

There are moments when I really just feel like while these people may be dealing with some things that I may not have ever considered before landing here, they're also just people. Doing the same things people do. Like worrying about homework. Bitching about their jobs and kids. Try to figure out what to do for dinner. Swearing at the dude who just cut you off in traffic. When you get down to it, just another day in the big city.

(if you've seen one business meeting, you've seen 'em all)

Not to say there aren't plenty of things that totally catch me off guard. Baby steps, after all. For example, this is a relatively common sight in Kampala, suggesting that (a) the credit crisis hasn't yet affected construction around here and (b) neither has osha.

(shout out to the papa bear)