Ugandans use certain phrases that Americans find confusing and/or amusing. "It is not there" is a common one. When I ask a waiter "Can I have the fresh fish?" and they reply "I'm sorry, the fish isn't there." I'm tempted to ask "Where is it?" Sometimes I do, because the more you can turn things into a joke the better you fit in. But of course they are telling me the kitchen's sold out of fresh fish today.
I'm one to quickly adapt my vocabulary, so in Gulu it's become very common for me to ask "The power isn't there?" Today, the power was not there. All day. The power goes out pretty much every day here in Gulu, sometimes for 1 hour, sometimes for 10. For some this is a frustrating experience. But if you're smart you adapt pretty quickly. You own a propane stove instead of an electric one. You don't keep many perishable foods in your fridge/freezer that you don't plan on using in the very near future (in fact the only thing in the freezer at my house is reusable ice blocks, ice trays, and a couple bottles of whiskey). You have a lot of candles and flashlights and lanterns readily available. And when the power is there, you make sure anything with a battery is plugged in.
I really don't mind when the power goes out at home. Granted, at my office there is a generator, so that reduces a lot of possible frustrations. But at home, it just opens space for me to do things not associated with the internet or technology. Here's what I did today when I woke up and the power was out.
I'm one to quickly adapt my vocabulary, so in Gulu it's become very common for me to ask "The power isn't there?" Today, the power was not there. All day. The power goes out pretty much every day here in Gulu, sometimes for 1 hour, sometimes for 10. For some this is a frustrating experience. But if you're smart you adapt pretty quickly. You own a propane stove instead of an electric one. You don't keep many perishable foods in your fridge/freezer that you don't plan on using in the very near future (in fact the only thing in the freezer at my house is reusable ice blocks, ice trays, and a couple bottles of whiskey). You have a lot of candles and flashlights and lanterns readily available. And when the power is there, you make sure anything with a battery is plugged in.
I really don't mind when the power goes out at home. Granted, at my office there is a generator, so that reduces a lot of possible frustrations. But at home, it just opens space for me to do things not associated with the internet or technology. Here's what I did today when I woke up and the power was out.
- I made breakfast
- I put the reusable ice blocks from the freezer into the fridge to help keep the milk and leftovers from spoiling
- I went to a yoga class
- I went to the market (and discovered carrot powder! It's so pretty)
- I stopped on the way home for a rolex (which was cooked on a charcoal stove, smart vendors don't depend on electricity either!)
- I laid in my hammock and took a nap
- I picked flowers from the garden to make the dining room table pretty
- I cleaned the kitchen
- I took a cold shower (cause no power=no heat, I'm more grateful for these on hot days, which today was not, but nbd)
- I used mobile data on my phone to check in with my friend via viber
- I talked to my housemates
- I wrote a letter to my sister
It's now 10pm and I'm at the hotel down the road from my house where they have a generator. Charging my laptop (which I didn't plug in last night so it already had very little battery life when the power went out) and phone, checking fb and email, and looking at plane tickets for a trip I'm planning to Zanzibar. While I eat dinner. Not sure if the power will have come back when I get back, if it is I get to yell "The power is there!" just cause. If not, I'll probably read until I go to sleep.
All in all, I feel like it was a pretty good Saturday. This is the first time I've ever sought out power when it wasn't there, and today it was mostly only because we need to get those plane tickets booked for Zanzibar! Other times when the power goes, I may watch a movie on my laptop (if I was smart and had it charging while the power was there), or go for a walk, or find someone to talk to, and I do a lot of reading. I feel like I do a lot of cooking in the dark, too. Point is, there is always a way to entertain myself that doesn't require electricity. And if I'm not immediately grateful for the disconnect, I usually remind myself to be pretty quickly.
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| peanut butter cookies that I baked while the power was not there |
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