It’s Aight, I’m at site

So there I was…. Actually, here I am. Finally at my site and becoming acquainted with the town and my organization. I live on the grounds of where I work and my office has a view of the town and the mountain is across the way. On my way to work, I pass a barbed wire fence where our 20 cows, 12 goats, and 8 sheep greet me- I have yet to learn their names, but apparently, the cows are “exotic”. Meaning, they look like dairy cows, as the local cows have enormous horns protruding from either side of their head, that I feel they should have warned us about in our security training. I greet the workers in their local language, which still astounds them on Day 5, and they have yet to realize that I can’t comprehend past the simple greetings, but a simple “mmmmm” seems to do the trick and I’m on my way.
I ride my mountain bike (which was trekked here on the top of the Ugandan equivalent of a 12 passenger van along with 6 other volunteers times 2 years of living supplies and 5 other bikes) to the local health center and all around town. We are expected to wear our helmets at all times, and there’s no way around this rule, considering my introduction to the community was the following: “This is Diana. She is from America. She is a volunteer. Please do not call her “muzungu” Call her Diana. When she is riding around on her bicycle she will be wearing a what? A helmet” The word “what’ seems to take the place here of a conversational pause that I am now used to, but at first caught me off guard, thinking I needed to fill in the blanks. The best use of this I’ve heard yet is ‘Don’t talk to strange what? Strangers”
Today I finally had a day off and was able to do about 3 weeks worth of laundry, which was quite amusing to the local children who endlessly gather in my yard. Maybe I should stop giving them little bananas. In fact, as I type this, I am currently watched by 4 children all standing around me. I bet they say hi.
I live directly across the road from another volunteer, which is very convenient, because my stove is not working properly, ie- it emits large uncontrollable flames that spread across the table. I’m now without hair on my right arm, so I suppose the children will stop petting that arm- they are fascinated with my arm hair- just wait until my dad visits!