Transcultural Dialogue 2011

Something I also think of when thinking of Uganda is the displacement of people in Uganda because of violence. Also the huts the displaced people live in, is an image I associate with Uganda. Poor, Violence, Conflict, Displacement, Developing Country

When given our assignment to post what came to mind when we thought of Uganda, my mind kept spinning because I didn't know how I could sum it up all into one post. But then I recalled one blog, that was written by a good friend of mine, about his summer experience last year where he spend his time in Uganda. His post are from the heart, and give a range of feedback on his experiences. I decided to use this post because it is exactly what I would think about Uganda because of his first hand experiences and all the stories that he shared with me. Through his blog and discussions we have had, I was astonished at how little I knew. So, I felt it best to post this as my dialogue for what I think about Uganda.

My information about Uganda is admittedly limited, so I didn't know where to begin when looking for something to post. Then, I remembered hearing a lot about the criminalization of homosexuality and the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in the media a lot. These are issues in the world that I follow often and seemed relevant to my view. I searched for more recent articles on the issue and say that an Ugandan activist won this award and thought it was an interesting article.

I was completely fascinated by the diversity of birds that exist in Uganda. It is really incredible. I would love to study the birds there one day.

Growing up, I never heard about Uganda, let alone any country besides America or Mexico. It was not until I got to college that I was shown the vastness of our world, but Uganda was still not a country I was told much about. Up until a few weeks ago, I knew Uganda was a country in Africa. Now I know that it is much more than just a country in Africa. When Karen began to tell us of her experience in Uganda, the one thing that stood out to me was the boda boda, Uganda's name for a bicycle. I just really like saying the word: boda boda. I decided to search this term in google and came across an American's blog from 2006. His entry about boda bodas is about the pricing of boda bodas (they can be taken as taxis) and how, as an American, he essentially got ripped off. I thought this was an interesting thing to bookmark because it presents another person's interaction with Uganda and their own exploration of their journey.

I choose this image because it captured what I think of when I think of Uganda and other countries in Africa. Dance seems to be a central part of cultural life. Vibrant, spiritual, expressive, and community are ideas that I relate to dance and the culture of Uganda, that are also portrayed in this image. Celebration, Joy, Ritual, Tribal, Exuberant

I've never really heard much about Uganda growing up, only knowing that it was somewhere on the continent of Africa. I didn't know anything about the culture or anything that goes on down there - the image that I always have in my head when I think of anywhere in Africa is of lions and zebras running around, which is very sad I know and obviously not true (I'll blame it on watching too much Animal Planet). One of my best friends from high school is actually abroad in South Africa, and the first thing I thought of is "Oh my gosh you have to get all those shots!". Obviously, I know that our immune systems aren't capable of fighting many diseases down there because we are simply not used to them, and the thought of getting a million shots to go always turned me off from the idea of one day traveling there (I'm VERY squeamish). One shot that is vital to get when you are traveling to a country like Uganda is the shot to help prevent Malaria. Although it's very possible to get it in America, Malaria and the mention of Africa in general go hand-in-hand. I'll admit that I don't know much about the specifics of the disease, only that it is carried by mosquitos and can cause death. It's great to see that the president of Uganda, President Museveni, is trying to find a way to prevent mosquito larvae from becoming mature and then further spreading the disease. If achieved, this will help stop the many deaths caused each year by Malaria.