When I say I live in Africa, many people imagine me in the middle of a National Geographic Photo shoot, hunting wild animals, crossing large deserts or sitting in the middle of a slum full of kids with runny noses and swarming flies...
I realize that this view that people have comes from the images they see on television, or read in story books...and unfortunately I find that american TV, books, and even the education fall way short on giving us an accurate picture of what the rest of the world is really like...
SO...here is a little bit of a reality check aimed at giving you a small picture of what we have in Uganda and some of the things I enjoy that most people can't imagine I have access too...
In UG we have:
- TVs...and not just small ones, we have nice big flat screen ones...
- We have DSTV
- with MTV,
- E! Entertainment
- and all the other channels you may enjoy in the US
- We have tabloid newspapers...and yes, they are just as ridiculous as the ones in the states
- We have a movie theatre
- A bowling alley
- And a small roller skating rink
- We also have a paint ball field
- White water rafting
- and Bungie Jumping...but if we are being honest, I would never jump...no matter what country I was in!
- We have coffee shops
- with Iced Mochas, Lattes
- and sweets to munch on
- We use cell phones,
- and have internet access through blackberries and iphones.
- We also have traffic...lots of it...and personally I think its worse than the 405 morning drive
- During the week, you will see business women and men in their business suits
- carrying laptops and
- sitting in cafes, having important business meetings
- We also have shopping malls
- Food courts
- Elevators
- and fancy restaurants
- We have spa's
- Swimming pools
- local celebrities
- and Five star hotels
- We also have Two story houses
- Dogs and Cats as pets
- and Ice Cream shops
- You can find Pringle potato chips in our stories (on most days)
- along with twix candy bars
- and oreo cookies
- We also have pizza parlors,
- Chinese food
- A sushi restaurant
- and a beauty parlor that does eyebrow threading, mani's and pedi's
- We have banks,
- ATM machines
- Fireworks on New Years
- and Night clubs
- We have motorcycle cops
- Police cars
- and highways
- Our cars have radios,
- CD players,
- and air conditioning
- English is our national language
- and Uganda is a country, making Africa a CONTINENT
- We have lakes,
- Mountains,
- and Valleys
- And despite what you may think...Uganda is generally green year-round
- We have great weather (ranging from mid 60's to mid 90's depending on the time of year)
- We have car dealerships
- Auto repair shops
- and photo studios
- We have mormon missionaries in black trousers, white shirts, black ties and name tags, just like the USA
- We also have Jehovah witness temples,
- Mosques
- Catholic Churches
- and a variety of protestant churches
- We have universities offering Phd's
- MA's
- and BA's
- And, just like in the US, people in UG spend absurd amounts of money on their weddings
I am sure there are more things I haven't mentioned but well...If I tried to kill all the stereotypes that people hold about Africa in one blog, that blog might be a few miles long...
I hope this gives a clearer picture of life though, and just how much Uganda really has to offer!
1 comment:
Trust me you have mentioned everything!!
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