One of the Family

     I think the hardest part of traveling is finding your place.  Especially during an extended stay, there is a grey area between tourist and resident (for lack of better word).  Living with a family is great, but also a challenge.  I get the comforts of living in a home and being cared for by other people, but knowing my own role isn’t so simple.  When they cook, sometimes they want to teach me and sometimes they want me to sit back and relax.  Sometimes its okay to wash my own clothes, and other times its insulting to not let them care for me.  Its all about testing the water and seeing what works when and what doesn’t.  The fear is in messing up, but in reality, its never a big deal.

    Last night I think I went from being a guest to part of the family.  Mama was in Kampala and Dad was waiting out to pick her at the bus stop later on.  So it was just me and the youngins…  By the time 9:30 rolled around I was ready for sleep but since Janice hadn’t given them any instruction to settle down, the four year old twins were bouncing off the walls, quite literally.  Usually I just let it go and eventually someone will put them to bed, but around 10 I realized that just wasn’t going to happen.  They were so over tired they couldn’t even form words and were just crying and fighting each other.  So I decided maybe I should step in.  I’m still unsure of what my role is in this family but it was clear that nothing was going to happen if I didn’t do something.   I sat down on the coach, got Merina under one arm, Michelle on my lap, talked quietly, and in 5 minutes they were passed out.  It was so simple, but my sense of accomplishment was high because I actually felt like a participant in the family!

    Since I had a cooking lesson on Sunday, and also cooked dinner at a local friend’s house on Monday, Mama is giving me this Sunday to cook for the family.  She says its my turn.  Sharing food is such a bonding experience and so I feel that I have very high standards to meet. This could be the ultimate in to the family though so I hope whatever I attempt comes out to meet their taste!