Ugandan culture is very communal. Have I written about this before? I can't remember. Well ownership and possession are viewed very differently here than they are in America. Actually this is sort of causing problems nationally. Land ownership is much disputed here. Traditionally every tribe does land possession differently often depending on whether they are agriculturalists or pastoralists. Anyway sometimes you see big signs or giant words spray painted on a house that say "This land is not for sale". Basically saying do not take this land, someone has claimed it. But that was a tangent.
In my Ug family it seems as though no one individual owns anything. Clothes would be the only exception to this although they are shared they seem to pretty much belong to individuals family members. Basically all other things are communal property. Communal shoes, communal food, communal hygiene products, communal treats. If one person in the family gets sweets they are distributed among everyone in the family. Sometimes I make a snack before dinner and I intend it to be for like me and my sisters but they will not let us not save some for my brothers. They will even take some of it and go put it on my brothers' bunk for when they get home. I have learned to never cook a small snack because regardless of intentions it will be split between 8 people.
Honestly I both admire and am very frustrated by this communal life. I wish it were something that was ingrained in me so that it was second nature. In general I like to share my things. But it still surprises to me to see one of my siblings visit me at school wearing my shoes. Or come home and find the syrup that I brought from Kampala for pancakes has been devoured. The other day I got home and went to go take Tums and found that an entire bottle of 300 Tums had been eaten like candy by my siblings. I gave a small lecture after that one about how these are medicine and not candy. I could not stop laughing so I am not sure how effective the lecture was. But I can just picture my sister Kevin eating the Tums all in one sitting, I wonder if that would give you a stomachache?
On a somewhat unrelated subject. I am winning (by a lot) for amount of packages received. Thank you!!!!!!!! And don't worry I will let you know when I get yours if you have sent one. They are taking a month to get here. Not bad. I got one today from my family and my American friends are starting to make requests for my friends and fam to send things hahaha. Semi sweet chocolate chips are being craved by all. Amanda would like sour patch kids and my brother, Sam, would like surfing magazines. J Anyway thank you tons mom and dad! Flashlight = awesome and the cookies were delicious and have already been devoured by the Americans. I am bringing home the valentine's stuff and candy to share with my family, will be eaten by tomorrow. But I am saving the dark chocolate for myself. Ugandans hate dark chocolate so I don't feel too entirely selfish doing that… Anyway thank you! Love you! Time to walk home so I make it before dark.
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