UgandAshis 4: It is what it is!

UgandAshis 4: It is what it is.
Kampala, Uganda, November 13, 2008
It is what it is
“How much to Protea, near the Golf course?”
“Five thousand shilling sebu!”
“Make it 4 and it is a deal”
“Deal!”
“There is one question you must answer ok… Do you like matooke (banana dish)?”
The boda-boda driver (moped driver) looks at me startled.
“Yes I do, it is my favorite food”
“O so if you could choose between matooke, rice, poosho, sweet potato, yam, Irish potato and cassava you would eat it first”
“Yes I would sebo (sir)”
“Ok so tell how is it that after eating matooke I am hungry after 2 hours”
“Well matooke is 95% water, that is why we eat it with yam or potato sebo”
“Wanji (ok) so that is why I should not only eat matooke, thank you sebo”
As our boda is swerving through the hills of Kampala I continue my friendly banter.
“So my friend I hear boda-boda drivers are like rock stars, how many girlfriends do you have?”
“Sebo I really have only one!”
“Good man, how come?”
“Well I lost my 5 closest friends to HIV/AIDS and I love my life to much”
HIV/AIDS is well known entity in many Ugandans lives.
“By the way sebo, if you crash the boda into a car and kill me the first thing I will do when I am dead is kill you”
“Sebo how is that possible dead is dead!”
“Trust me on that one”
I have safely arrived on my destination, time to upload videos, respond to e-mails. “Thank you for you safe delivery Mr. boda boda.”