I mentioned in the past how friendly Ugandans are. I wish I could share with you in person of the many experiences that illustrate this. I can share a few stories though; I love seeing children waving at us as we drive through various streets. I wave back of course, but what you may not expect is that whenever you wave to an adult they will also wave back and many times they do so with a wide smile on their face.
Today after returning from the orphanage and the local church in Jinja, I decided to go to the pool here at the hotel we are staying at. There at the pool I saw Hope, the young lady that serves breakfast at the hotel. She was in the pool playing with a boy and a girl (her friend's kids). I approached her and said hello. It wasn't long before we were all tossing a frisbee. Then some other young adult (Kato) joined in. Perhaps this isn't an extraordinary thing, but there is something about the Ugandan culture that is so welcoming.
Two days ago I visited a very small local shop where they sell touristy stuff. I recognized the lady working there from my last trip here. I helped refresh her memory by reminding her that I gave her a string backpack so she could copy the design. When she remembered me she reached out and gave me a warm hug. I wasn't expecting that reaction at all.
Some other day I gave a mostly melted small candy bar to a little girl that was sitting on a chair, watching after some items for sale. She got up from her chair, reached out for the treat and then bowed to the ground with her hands together to say thank you. This is the same thing my Ugandan son Jessee did (twice!) when he found out I had decided to sponsor him.
On New Years Eve, a few from our team stayed up late to welcome the new year. They played cards for hours. Later I found out a couple of workers from the hotel had joined in and taught my friends some new card games. I wasn't surprised at all. In fact, it seems we are making new friends everywhere.
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