USA! USA!

Tuesday was Women's Day in Uganda and it was awesome. Analyzing why I found it so awesome led me to realize the importance of cultural background in shaping my perspective and experiences.

On Tuesday, I started my day by going to the SIT resource center. School was canceled due to women's day  so the taxi was only half full (or half empty, either way). Once at SIT, I had a great run (6 miles with the last two uptempo), and then did an extensive abs and push-ups circuit. After a shower (well, shower is a relative term--basin bath in actuality) and lecture, the other students and I went to Garden City--a Western style mall in down town Kampala.

Garden City was like a little slice of the United States. At least half of the people there were international (read: white). The public restrooms had flushing toilets and were pretty clean. The food court brought you your food within 5 minutes (it normally takes at least 45 minutes). The stores were similar to ones in American malls as opposed to roadside shacks. And, best of all, there was a grocery store selling the holy grail--granola bars.

After eating a wonderful veggie hummus pita, the group and I went to see the movie "How Do You Know" in the cinema there. Was the movie good? Absolutely not. Did I enjoy it? Absolutely. For those two hours, I completely forgot I was in Uganda and was in the midst of American culture.

On the boda boda ride home (quick side note, boda bodas are dirt-bike type motorcycles which are used as taxis here. They are notoriously dangerous and strictly prohibited for SIT students, but also really, really fun to ride) I was thinking about how great the day had been and why I enjoyed it so much. Some things were obvious. I felt so good after my run because I have been conditioned to find satisfaction in running hard since I started running competatively at 13. I enjoyed lunch because I love hummus and it was nice to eat vegetables that hadn't been fried for the first time in a month. The movie was cool because it was set in DC and it was neat to see buildings on the screen I see frequently at home.

But, a closer analysis of the day revealed that my identity as an American had greatly influenced my perspective that day. (Can you tell I've been writing papers here and working on topic sentences?) The reason that I enjoyed the taxi ride that morning was because my personal space was not invaded. On a typical day, when I am crammed in with 20 other Ugandans in a 14 passenger van, I fell exhausted after teh commute due to the close quarters. For Ugandans, personal space is not a concern. It's a cultural difference that weighs on me differently because I grew up with personal space as a defined and respected social value.

Similarly, I enjoyed the convenience of getting food and the selection. I could have Lebanese food, Chinese food, American food--all within five minutes after ordering. Convenience and selection are two parts of American culture. Think of how much a bountiful buffet pleases you (at least it does for me). I can have pizza, salad, pasta, corn on the cob, AND there's a sundae bar?! And convenience. People pay money to have food or groceries brought straight to their door instead of going to the store themselves. In Uganda, people will spend an hour crushing cassava root to make cassava flour instead of spending 15 cents on it in the store (even when they can afford it). Even though I might be critical of these aspects of American culture, that doesn't change the fact that they are a part of me. I was thrilled to be able to choose my meal and to get it quickly.

I have always been very critical of the United States' history and culture. I get very frustrated with how my peers behave and teh things they value. But, no level of criticism (or kritiks) changes the fact that I grew up in the USA and I am a part of American culture. I like organization in the presentation of information (Ugandans have no organization whatsoever). I am not punctual by American standards, but I still try to keep appointments and be there within an hour of the right time (Ugandans just won't show up). I like eating lots of food at Thanksgiving and watching football. I think cricket is better than baseball and American football is better than rugby. I get happy when I hear cheesy American Christmas songs. And I want the US to dominate the Olympics next summer.

And why? Because my identity is influenced by the nation I have lived 20 years in.

This probably seems like a very obvious epiphany. But, I suppose I have been so pretentiously opposed to American culture for so long that I believed I was above it and not affected by it. And I think I needed to learn that while I can study and appreciate the values of other communities, I can't change my background and its influence on me. So, I blame my American identity for why I fully enjoyed a perfectly terrible rom-com on Women's Day.