Lunch With A Local

Yesterday I received a random phone call from my cheese guy, Henry. 

Henry owns a small supermarket in town.  That sells cheese.  Hence, my cheese guy.  He was requesting my presence for lunch. 

After a five minute phone call where he had to have asked me at least six times how I was doing, I finally agreed and we planned on meeting at 1:00p at Crane Resort Hotel.

In true Ugandan fashion, I showed up at 1:30p.

 The whole morning I was anxious for this lunch, as I was wondering if he would be requesting money for schooling or requesting my hand in marriage so I could bring him back to America. 

After placing our orders, we got to talking.  He asked the classic questions that every Ugandan tends to ask, “How do you find Uganda?  Are you married?”  Thanks to Jesse Copeland’s wild imagination, I told him all about my kite designer boyfriend, Vikrum. 

Then the conversation got real.  He shared about his international travels to Afghanistan and Iraq, where he spent a year and a half working alongside American soldiers.  He shared his dream to go back to school and get a second degree in business administration; he already has one in computer technology.  He then talked about his passion for cultural exchange and thanked me endless times for the work I am doing here in Uganda.  He wanted to know all about America and I talked about the good, the bad, and the ugly.  I chose to direct the conversation about my family, friends, politics, the 99%, gender roles and disparities, and food.  I asked him about cultural norms in Uganda, such as the word muzungu.  He was very receptive, open, and interested in everything I was asking and saying.  It was a breakthrough!

After an hour and a half, our conversation had to end because I had a follow-up meeting to a solar lamp project my organization is implementing in a neighboring village.  Henry’s hospitability truly showed when I brought out my money to pay and he responded by saying that he could take care of the bill.  I knew I should have ordered more than a fruit salad and soda.  Then I thought to myself, my meal cost 5,000 UGX ($2.00 USD) and for a local, that is enough to buy dinner and enough airtime (phone credit) to send 40 text messages and make some few short phone calls.

This will not be the last of my encounters with Henry.