Graduation Season

A while ago I wrote about my dilemma regarding Maureen and Gerald’s Christmas dinner. I opted not to buy a chicken and gave them money for Christmas instead.

On Monday I helped cook for a graduation party – I was to prepare the salad. It made me realize that Ugandans are very set in their ways and don’t like experimenting with recipes. They have about ten dishes that everyone seems to know how to prepare and the variations when different people prepare these dishes are slight. The whole time I was preparing my cabbage salad I had to listen to comments such as, “What’s this?” “What’s that?” “What are you adding now? You can’t add that!” “That’s strange…” [all accompanied with strange looks]. In the end they were satisfied with it but oh man, I had to have patience while preparing it (especially when one of my friends ran off with one of the bowls because he didn’t want me to add sugar).

But back to chickens. While helping with the preparations of the party I also had to go to the market to buy some of the remaining ingredients – including six chickens (which were delicious by the way). I felt terrible, especially when they hung them (still alive) on the motorbike. But the best part is that they got a vegetarian to slaughter them all! I think he still feels bad about it, but sometimes you have to make sacrifices for your friends. I documented the whole process, so if any of you need chickens slaughtered when I am back in Canada, I know all the steps in theory. I should have known better than to think that I would be able to leave this place without witnessing the death of an animal.

I have now been to three graduation parties in three days and also have the option of going to two more this weekend, but have decided to dodge them by visiting the source of the Nile and Gandhi’s ashes instead (in Jinja). Going to parties as a mzungu can be trying at times. On Monday, for example, my friend Gladys graduated. For no reason I can see other than my skin color, I suddenly got called up for the cutting of the cake. Gladys was told to put her hand on the knife by the MC. Then her fiancé Jeff did the same. And on top of those I had to put mine, as ordered by the MC. Talk about weird – I was actually slightly put off by the whole thing.

Then, on Wednesday, a friend asked me to another party, so off I went. I did not know anyone there – I didn’t even know the name of the graduate. Suddenly, towards the end of the speeches, the MC says, “And we have another very important guest who should say some few words.” I felt a moment of anxiety. Did he mean me? But he didn’t walk directly towards me, so I thought, “silly me for thinking that… Why would I?” But then suddenly the microphone was thrust in my hand, all because I am white. I looked at Stephen, my friend, in alarm… Then I looked at the graduate with a pleading look. But I had no choice and had to speak. Luckily I was able to say something that pleased everyone but I really do wonder how shy people survive in Uganda. I constantly have to give impromptu speeches here.