There's a first time for everything

Greetings from Kampala! It's officially my third day in Uganda and I'm loving it already. Even though I'm not gone for good, last week in Chicago was full of lots of "lasts" - the last time I'd get to see the sunset from my favorite spot on the couch, the last time I'd grab dinner with the Chicago crew, hopefully my last Malort shot and trip to The Apartment, etc. But, what's exciting about being here, is that it's full of "firsts!"

• ​My first time living alone
  • I'm staying in a one bedroom apartment until I can figure out longer term housing towards the end of the year. It's a really nice place, but makes it more of an effort to to social and make friends. I think that the closest I've come to living alone is my hotel room each week while traveling for client work! Not sure I'm a fan...jury's still out
• My first time eating grasshopper
  • This earned me some serious street cred when introducing myself around the office on Monday. Apparently a local delicacy, I was happily greeted with some fried (?) grasshopper on Sunday afternoon. Like the crickets they sell in Thai markets, if you just don't really look or think about what you're eating, they kind of taste like chips...? 
• My first time having a local sim card enabled smart phone
  • I've never had data on a smart phone while traveling or living abroad. This makes it easier to plan on the go and find myself on google maps. Plus, Ugandans love WhatsApp, so it's a cheap and easy way to stay in touch with new friends
    • 3GB of data and 1hr of airtime cost me ~$22.5 USD
    • A sim card cost 0.65 cents
• My first time attending a breakdance showcase (see photos below)
  • I spent Sunday afternoon at Break Fast Jam 2015 which was at a local YMCA. It was an event put on by Breakdance Project Uganda which believes that dance can be a channel for social change. It seems to be a pretty commonly understood notion that providing children and adolescents after-school programs reduces their risk of getting in other trouble. From what I saw this past weekend, it seems like this organization is doing an incredible job of not only building a strong community dedicated to social responsibility but is also supporting the growth of a strong hip hop / breakdancing culture in Uganda and East Africa

• My first time using a toaster over and stove...at the same time!
  • Not recommended for the height disadvantaged...the hot plate is at about eye level.
• My first local Ugandan meal
  • Each day for the lunch, the office assistant takes orders and picks up lunch for only 5000 UGX ($1.60 USD). You choose what ingredients you want included and leave the rest up to them
  • There isn't a menu to order off of, so I just picked a few things at the suggestions of a colleague: rice, chicken leg, potato / yam (**edit, this was pumpkin), some sort of peanut sauce (the purple sauce you see), greens, and avocado
• My first time being called Justin
  • Just kidding...it seems like this is something I'll never escape...

While all these new experiences have been great, I'm looking forward to settling into a routine. So far, the options seem endless. Breakdance / modern dance classes, frisbee leagues, salsa dancing lessons, etc.

@Bennett and Brady - my biggest risk of getting sick is probably from eating or drinking contaminated food or water. That means that I have to remember to brush my teeth with bottled water! There were a few cases of Ebola in 2012 in Uganda, but what you heard about in the news was mainly about an epidemic outbreak in West Africa. In addition to using a mosquito net and lots of bug spray, I am also taking pills each day to try to prevent malaria, which I could get from a mosquito bite. Luckily, I haven't had any side effects from the medication - some people get hallucinations! If you go to the CDC website, you guys can read health information for travelers going anywhere in the world. Next time you guys go on vacation, you should check it out!

@Elaine Kaima - if you're offering me a North Face sponsorship, I'm all ears :)