Insomnia

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I’ve been writing a lot about some of the activities that we have been doing. So this time I thought I would write a little more about the everyday life here in Uganda, more specifically my sleeping habits, or lack there of.
I have always thought of Africa as quite a hectic place, specially the cities. But I thought one could easily find places to escape and relax. Well I’ve been here for nearly three weeks and I haven’t found any peace yet. There is always some noise screeching in your ears. This would be a typical day described in its acoustic form:

05.00 The roosters start their morning call. It’s like they are greeting each other. Our rooster starts, the neighbors’ answers, then another joins in and so on.

06.00 Ewas alarm goes off and she gets up.

07.00 The family gets up! TV goes on (at full volume), the children shout and the small ones cry.

08.30 Ewa comes in and tells me its time to get up by lying and saying its 09.00, when its not!!!

09.00 – 13.00 We sit and work in the living room while the TV stays on and the kids run around. Or they sit and watch “Hidden Passion”, Uganda’s favorite TV soap. It is actually a South American telenovela dubbed into English and is so extremely bad that I can’t stop laughing, "Fernaaando what are you doing here!"

14.00 – 16.00 After lunch we normally take a walk, which is intended to be relaxing. But when you are the only, lets say “foreigners” in town, then you attract a lot of attention. Kids run up and shout “Mzungu, how are you?” or “Mzungu, byebye!” Don’t get me wrong they are the sweetest kids in the world but after a while I feel like the Queen and my waving arm starts to hurt.

16.00 – 22.00 The afternoon is pretty much the same as the morning: work, TV on, children running around.

23.00 – 05.00 Finally when its time to sleep and the kids have gone to bed you would expect some silence and peace. But you would be wrong. Nigh time is Rat time! When everyone is in bed they come out and look for food, knock over things and fight. They are loud, very loud and they go on until the sound of the roosters scare the off, then the day starts all over again.

However I have found my sanctuary. Outside there is a space with an old red sofa. The sofa sits under a straw roof, covered from the sun and there is nearly always a nice breeze. Here is where I take my notebook (or travel guide) and my Ipod. It is heaven on earth and without this red, dirty, torn sofa I would probably go crazy.

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