18 May 2009

So, i thought it would be a good idea





-photos of home before a rainstorm and a tucked away garden-

I wanted to eat pancakes for dinner. It sounded like a good idea. One of my friends can't eat gluten, so we were substituting flour with oats. Then i realized we didn't have one ingredient that i didn't think was too important. Well, it turns out that maybe baking powder is kinda important and maybe substituting flour with oats might not make for good pancakes. Cause it was a mess. I'm talking "smoke-in-the-kitchen, dinner-talk-stopped, nuns-looking-on-worried/horrified" mess. The "pancakes" were a runny disaster. It smelled delicious at first and then was gradually overpowered by the smell of smoke. I'm not sure of the exact combination of "wrong turns" that led us to being laughed out of the kitchen, but somehow, we made it there. Who knows how i'm gonna redeem myself now. (Mom/Tia, you gotta send me some recipes.) We ended our cooking adventure by abandoning all hope of being able to flip the gooey glop and instead switched to scrambling it. oh yes, a scrambled pancake mess. But, we held our heads high as we marched with our pancake goop back to my house to eat it with a spoon.

Other than that, i've been good and busy doing small jobs at schools and with my neighbors. I can’t put my finger on what makes the days pass so quickly though. Maybe a toothache and some friends leaving have made it feel quicker than usual. Tooth is better by the way. It was taken out. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Lately it has been cold. Yes my friends, cold. I had chills and goose bumps the other day. I was very surprised and kinda happy to be cold. For most of last week here, even in Kampala (which is usually hot as heck compared to the coolness of Kisubi...) it has been windy, cool, and rainy. I used it as an excuse to purchase a very pretty blue scarf at the craft market in the city. It’s a really neat place with lots of odds and ends for foreigners to pick up on their way in or out of Uganda. The prices begin outrageously and then, depending on the time of day or how much effort you’re willing to put into bargaining, come down to a reasonable price. This is a bargaining culture so I’ve been having lotsa chances to haggle in the markets. I’m still learning my numbers in Luganda (not to mention still learning how to put together coherent sentences…) so I generally stumble quite a bit when I’m trying to tell shopkeepers how much I want to spend. Usually they’re just glad to see me trying and attempt to coach me along the way. Sometimes on-the-spot language learning is fun and easy and sometimes it’s just embarrassing and kinda like getting a pop quiz in public.

I miss you guys and send you all my Love!
XO

5 comments:

  1. Hey Celeste!! Mmm Pancakes-it did sound like a good idea! Too bad you couldn't use flour. Wish I could have been there to see that one! I'll owe you a short stack when you get back home!! Welita Bragita sends her Love and many Prayers. Glad your tooth is better (out)!Lucas says to keep practicing Luganda,he has really enjoyed your blogs & pictures.Tio Vincent sends his love as do I. Take Care- God Bless Lots of XOXOXO TIA

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  2. Hi!

    I just accepted my Uganda invite (the August group). I was wondering if there was anything that you packed that you didn't need and anything that you wished you had brought but didn't. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated! I'm not a very good packer :)

    Thanks,
    Sara

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  3. rule number one: dont touch my kitchen in my house

    rule number two: let your husband cook

    rule number three: if he cant cook (most likely situation) call mom

    rule number four: if mom does not answer call stefan

    rule number five: i am your last resort for food

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  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. i love you, even if you can not make pancakes! well, i will keep in mind to bring extra cash when we come to visit you so we can eat out.:) i know, "mom, you're not allowed to be funny." i enjoyed your 'adventure' of making pancakes, though probably not as much as the nuns. i am at cafe brazil with bean. It rained earlier today so the air is nice and cool. We went by to wish buelita a happy birthday. She was surprised to see martin, which pleased him~ i kept telling him no more surprises for buelita! So, so glad the tooth/pain is gone...it is hard to imagine the weather ever gets cool, but i am sure it is welcomed! i am enjoying the pictures, thinking of your smile, and looking forward to hearing from you soon.i love, love, love you mija. be good, con carino.

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