A Moment With Ian

Kick'n it Kampala Style

A little less than a year ago we took our son Ian out of his school, away from his Pittsburgh neighborhood, friends, and church and shipped him across the ocean to start a new adventure in Uganda.  Here’s a little check in I had with him to see how he’s doing, what he’s learned, and what he thinks about his African adventure.    

How are doing?

Good (we’re off to a solid start)

What do you think about Uganda? What’s your favorite part?

Hmmm… I like going on Safari and going Swimming.

When did you do that?

Well we went up to Murchison (Murchison Falls National Park), and we can go swimming anytime because it’s always sunny here.

What was the coolest thing you saw on Safari?

I would say crocodiles.

Did you wrestle any of them?

Noooo

Where did you see them?

When we were on the boat

Do you think it would be fun to be crocodile?

Maybe (He’s very political… doesn’t want to get boxed in on the crocodile issue)

(At this point our interview is interrupted by my 2-year-old daughter, Naomi, yelling: “I want ice cream”)

Ian and his class mates doing the "Mexican Hat Dance"  

What’s the biggest difference that you have seen between here and our home in the U.S.?

It has walls

Walls?

Yeah all the houses have walls around them, and a lot of places are made out of tree trunks and mud cause there’s a lot of poor places (Not exactly how I would describe it but I see what he’s getting at)

What’s different that has been a nice surprise?
It’s really sunny  (wouldn’t have thought it would have been a surprise that it’s sunny on the Equator)

(Naomi is again informing us of her interest in having Ice Cream… actually that sounds pretty good right now)

What do you miss about Pittsburgh?

There are a lot funner things to do there than here.  And I miss them and chicken nuggets… good chicken nuggets (Anyone want to mail us some Chick-fil-a?). 

What are the funner things you miss?

Play places.  You know like… the mall

(Of all the things he misses the mall… I’ve failed as a father.  Naomi chimes in repeating, “I want to go to the Mall”)

Interview Intermission while I try to stop Naomi from screaming about the mall. 

Welcome to the Jungle

So you were saying that you miss fun places.

I miss the Children’s Museum.  I miss going with my friends. Especially my friend Sebastion.

(He misses museums and friends. I guess I haven’t totally failed as a father)

What do you think about the work that mommy does here?  How would you describe her job to other people?

I like it

How would you explain what she does?   

She helps people when people try to take their land and push down their houses

Sounds like the big bad wolf blowing down houses

Noooo…. the big bad wolf doesn’t exist

How does she help?

She sends people to arrest them, but I don’t know the rest

What do you want to do when you grow up? 

I want to be a storywriter.

What kind of stories?

(Naomi starts yelling, “I’m hungry”)

Well I haven’t started yet

Tell me about some of the characters you have made up

Well there’s Goo Man he shots Goo out of his hand to stop villains

Fire Ball shoots fire out of his hand.  He’s a hero.  (I think I’d go with Fire Ball instead of a guy who shoots snot out of his hand)

The neighborhood gang admiring the "Dawntreader"

(Naomi interjects repeatedly yelling, “I want to watch dora … super baby dora”.  This results in our third intermission)

If you can be any super hero who would you be?

Can I be two?  Green Lantern and Super Man…. their powers together are really powerful and I would stop bad guys

Who would win a battle between both of them?

Super Man is the most powerful and green lantern is second.

Alright, always bet on the man of steal.