Little Delights

- 4th-graders jumping up to stand beside me in the circle
- Afternoon thunder and fresh sprinkling rain
- True multiculturalism
- "That's my new favorite teacher"
- A hug from my husband
- Planning political theatre revolutions for grade 9/10
- Lake victoria glittering below the lush green fields
- Motorcycle taxis named after our pup
- An international talent show
- A glimpse at what may become our first house
- Fresh banana bread from the canteen
- "Are we gonna get to act today?!"

Routine laughter

Walking to school with the masses en route to work... heavy heads hang with the weight of late nights and early morning dreams still lingering in the corners of eyes glazed with what might be. Suddenly there is routine to my life - a morning commute Africa style, not quite the hustle and bustle of a subway or freeway but somehow that familiar look on faces painted with the stasis of struggle to survive be it in a boardroom or a streetside market.

I wonder if the laughing bird is mocking my hubris, thinking I might transform young minds through drama. Perhaps I too have fallen into the trap so beautifully expressed by Freire: the banking concept of teaching in which the teacher holds all knowledge and deposits it into the empty receptacle of the student mind with no regard for the intricacies of what comprises each individual - seeing all as void of content. Did I think I would fill these minds with a passion for theatre? Was I so blind to my own arrogance thinking they would open arms to the art I love? "Ha ha ha hahahaha," says the bird. I can't help but laugh along with him.

"Ms Eve"

Walking through the open courtyards on campus I hear, "Hi, Ms Eve," echoing from little mouths. I'm only just beginning to feel the weight of the word "teacher," the formality, the responsibility, the potential to ignite minds with a passion for creativity. Bright eyes and soft voices - shy girls with crossed arms blocking the buds of adolescence, eager boys bouncing out of their skin with sweat stained hair plastered to their faces. The awkward and the confident mingling as bodies morph from child to young adult. Perhaps these hours together will be an opportunity to step into the shoes of what they may become... Not to say they are all ready and willing, with teacher comes the testing the boundaries (I've heard those gone by have been reduced to tears), pushing hard against discipline to dangle limbs over the edge of disobedience. It seems unreal to give detention in drama class but so be it if the disturbances continue for there is much work to be done and I refuse to sacrifice our short time together for those who will not step in line. We shall see what is in store for Ms Eve as our saga continues: will she be coveted and loved or mocked and hated or a little bit of both?

Dancin' in the Streets

Dan and I walk hand in hand down the red dirt road to the local market, the sun blazing through the low hanging clouds in the late afternoon blue sky. A group of children stand by the road singing and beating a plastic tub as a drum. They spy us as we approach. A small girl in a bright indigo dress jumps to the center and points her fingers at me, a universal invitation to dance. I'm never one to refuse a dance so I shake my hips and we join hands and dance in a circle. The rest of the children run up to us and take our hands, hanging on us, joyful, bright, genuine, a momentary universal connection. Dan and I are left smiling as we wave goodbye and continue down the road basking in the glow of spontaneity.

a tiny princess

a tiny ugandan girl lies belly down on a retaining wall in a bright white dress - the contrast between skin and cloth is stark yet she looks like a disney princess bald head and all. she smiles one of those genuine open-hearted grins known specifically to this part of the world, the kind that lights up your soul and reminds you that we are all one.
our conversation goes like this:
girl: "how are you?"
me: "how are you?"
girl: "how are you?"
me: "how are you?"
girl: "how are yooooooou?!"
me: "how are yooooooou?!"
both: (giggle giggle giggle)

images

barefoot children standing in the red earth slowly turning a rotisserie of small skinned animals glazed in the juice of necessity. baskets of bananas perfectly balanced on heads bald regardless of gender. trash burning on the corner giving new meaning to pollution as smoke rises from a wilting plastic bag. matatus (taxi buses) filled to the brim fighting for space on the road with horns reminiscent of clown cars. faces stern on first glance melt into pure affection with the offer of a smile. giant maribu birds like vultures circling the city as if it were a cremation ground. green everywhere even in this dry season. the sound of life bold and unforgiving and beautiful.

TIA

TIA: This is Africa
lush, green, crickets and birds sounding day to night (most shocking is the laughing bird which sounds almost like the wiked witch of the west with wings), a crescent moon hung in the sky like a bowl spilling stars into the darkness, hot sun pouring golden light through my morning window, cool breeze swishing palm fronds in the evening, a lingering handshake and a genuine smile bring warmth to even the most stern faces from taxi drivers to street children nothing like a grin to change the mood, water that runs only sometimes, power shutting off in the grocery store, the faint smell of bodies and traffic wafting everywhere... this is Africa.

Thus far I've met kindness everywhere from my colleagues to strangers. The school is beautiful and while I'm far from knowing my exact responsibilities or schedule I have a feeling I will slide into place here. Having spent time in India and Nepal, I fall easily into the 3rd world sense of time - there is an ease here, a lack of hurry, a different time table for measuring when and if you give up the hurried worried mentality you find that there is really no need to barrel forward into the future, it's coming at whatever pace you move so why not greet it with a relaxed embrace. My apartment is lovely, though I've seen some of the houses and long already to move into one where there are yards not even Bodha could imagine (with avocado trees and sugar cane). I cannot say I'm without fear but I decided to burn it up for the New Year, to stop indulging in insecurity and to live in a space of "I can" (shout out to Obama who according to Uganda is "made in Africa!"). We are all capable of more - we can give more, learn more, teach more, love more, live more - we can step outside the boundaries we set for ourselves and dip our toes in the unknown without hesitation, even if it is just for a moment, the glimps might change us for lifetimes.