counting

I learned to count to 10 in Lwo. The building blocks, the ABCs--I am a toddler now. Wide-eyed, curious, asserting an independence that I have not earned.

1, Acel

I can do my laundry by hand now and I have done it exactly once. It takes two bins--one for soaping, one for rinsing. My wrists ache as I wring out each item and carefully hang it to dry.

2, Aryo

I have eaten two restaurant meals by myself since being here. I had chicken and potatoes once and rice another time.

3, Adek

Dek means food. I think Adek is three because you eat 3 times a day (in theory).

4, Agwen

The number of books I have read since being here.

5, Abic

The oranges in Uganda are green.

6, Abicel

I never feel very clean, but taking a bath in a bucket is ok now. I brace myself for the cold water I pour over my head. Some days it feels like my personal form of torture. Other days it feels very normal.

7, Abiro

The number of people who work in my office. Mostly very nice men who care a lot about how much tea/coffee I am (not) consuming.

8, Aboro

The number of mosquito bites on my left arm alone.

9, Abungwen

By 9pm, I am usually reading in bed.

10, Apar

My walk to work takes about 10 minutes. It is the time that I feel most present in my life here.