You Know that T.I.A. When...

Yesturday I took the bus back to Soroti and the whole time I felt that T.I.A. - This Is Africa. And maybe it felt more like Africa to me because I attended such a North American style church in the morning. My friends took me to Watoto Church / KPC where the music was amazing, the power point presentations were up-to-date and commercial like, and the audience was smartly dressed. I almost felt out of place. But I loved it at the same time. And straight from the church I was driven to the Teso Coach bus station to begin my journey back to Soroti.

I've added a shot of the floods from my journey into Kampala, but I'm not sure you can see the streets too well through the raindrops.

So why do I say T.I.A?

Well, starting in church already I had to make a short call, or susu, (or pee :) ) but there was no time or place to go, so I held on. When we got to the bus station, I rushed to buy my ticket and ended up getting a seat at the very back of the bus. I ended up holding on from 11 am til 7pm... and man was I glad to be home.

Then, on the bus trip I thought about things I would never see back home:

1. We would occasionally stop in a town to let people off, and instead of getting off the bus to buy as snack, the vendors came to us. I could buy chicken or pork on a stick, fried bananas, water or sodas, hair ties, perfume, shoes, oranges, air time for my fun, and much more... you just pass the money and products through the windows.

2. You ride the bus with live chickens sitting at your feet.

3. About three quarters of the way home the bus did pull over for a pit stop, but I wasn't about to susu in the bush with a line-up of men, or a bunch of creative women... it was right next to the highway, and I had a feeling that no matter what I did, someone would watch the mzungu.

4. The bus zoomed past a military check point, but ended up slowing down immediately and backing up. For ten minutes we sat on the side of the road while two soldiers checked the storage units under the bus and spoke with the driver and conductors of the bus. It was my first time seeing soldiers pull over a bus, usually it is two police officers.

5. And again, there is always room for one more person... people crowd into the aisles. Bags fall out of the luggage compartments above people's heads. It doesn't matter how many people are on the bus, the driver's fly at a wonderfully fast pace.

But guess what:

I love it! If I don't really have an appointment at the other end then I enjoy taking the bus. You meet interesting people - like coffee plantation owners, drivers, store keepers, and mothers. I also love that it only costs 15,000 UGS to go the 5.5 hour journey. That is close to $7.50.

Now I am back in Soroti. Teaching Lydia, holding baby Esther, catching up with my guard to see about all that has to be done since I am now alone on the compound, and greeting my neighbours.