Arrival and Introductions

Well I arrived in Uganda in one piece despite the delays.  I met so many great people along the way. I met another stranded passanger from Fort McMurray, AB who was so gracious to help me with my luggage through the delays, a fellow that grew up in Amsterdam and now lives in Sarnia, ON and swore he saw me carrying the Olympic torch on TV (I'm not convinced it was me he saw), an Asian American teacher who thought I sounded British, an ex-pat French Canadian who is now American, a lady from Dubai on her way home from visiting her grandchildren, a plethera of people waiting for the same flight to Uganda as me, an Australian engineer that is doing work in The Congo and the list goes on.  I'll leave it at that, but people were so friendly and enjoyable to meet. 

Yesterday was my first full day in Uganda, and Bill & Ann who I am staying with wasted no time initiating me into the culture.  We attended an "Introductions" ceremony in the middle of nowhere (we had to drive through a coffee and matoke plantation with no road to get there).  At Introductions the grooms introduces his family to the brides family.  Since we were there on behalf of the groom we had to sit at the front facing everyone with about 150 Africans staring back at us.  It was quite an affair, the bride changed outfits about 5 times.

They then announced that it was time to bring in the gifts.  There was a guy behind me who didn't speak English but was very good at enthusiastically poking me and making gestures and sign language to let me know what I was supposed to do.  I was ushered out to bring in a gift basket.  It was a huge basket I had to balance on my shoulder which I was not so talanted at doing over steep and uneven terrain with 200 Ugandans watching.  I have attached a picture of Florence doing just this, although she makes it look much easier than it is.

Below is a picture of Elisha.  Bill & Ann from Eagles Wings Childrens Village have taken him under their wing as one of their own and he lives in the big house with them.  He is such a sweetie and loves me so much.  He is full of the dickens. . . that boy never sits still:)

Well we are off to the actual wedding.  I'm sure it will be just as interesting as the Introductions and I'm looking forward to going.