Uganda Local Customs

 
by muguruki
 
  •   Local Customs
    by muguruki
  •   Local Customs
    by muguruki
  • school kids hungry for the words of Christ.
      school kids hungry for the words of...
    by Andykall
  •   Local Customs
    by DAO
  •   Local Customs
    by DAO
 
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THE FLAG OF UGANDA

by DAO

The very colourful flag of Uganda is one of the most striking national flags of the world. It is comprised of 2 stripes each of Black, Yellow and Red and Red with a crested crane in full colour on a white disk in the middle. Black represents the African people, Yellow stands for sunshine and the Red symbolizes the brotherhood of man. The 3 colours were the colours of the Uganda People's Congress party, who came to power in elections in April 1962. The flag was officially adopted on the day of Uganda’s Independence from Britain on 9 Oct 1962. The crested crane was a symbol used for Uganda during colonial rule. Despite the many bloody upheavals and changes in political power – the flag has never been changed.

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Flip flops/slippers/thongs

by muguruki

Ugandans have a real thing about shoes and I don't just mean that Ugandan men like wearing elaborately pointy things. Ugandan friends have told me that slippers should only be warn in the bathroom. The wearing of slippers/flip flops/ thongs in the street is really frowned upon by Ugandans especially in the towns and cities. I’m not sure where this kind of footwear snobbery comes from. It may have existed for years but it was widely reported that in the time of Idi Amin he would send out some of his goons on the streets and get them to order people to eat their slippers if they were found to be wearing the offending footwear on the streets. The photo here is of a standard pair of flip-flops that were provided for me in my room in Kampala to use in the shower. Even some very down at heel places will provide shower flip flops. The reason each foot is a different colour is to stop guests...

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Drink an Obama

by muguruki

Senator lager is produced in East Africa and aimed at the cheaper end of the market. The beer appeared on the market around 2004 just as some chap in Illinois with a Kenyan dad became Senator there. Now not surprisingly a beer called President is available. The nice cool bottle you see in the photo cost me all of 1200 UGX at a shop cum bar in Kitgum, 1200 is about the equivalent of 30p in the UK. 30p for a 6% strength beer is alright in my books.

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Muzungu direct translates English speaking person!

by Andykall

Mazungu is the term for English speaking person, derived from the fact the the language we speak is named Luzungu. I love how the kids shout out muzungu by... I guess one thing to rememmber in this culture is that it is always custom to greet everyone in the room when you enter, and never forget to greet anyone you know who you may see on the road as you walk pass. It is very rude to bypass someone. Ugandans are very hospitible peoples, so when offered a gift, please do not decline. You don't have to eat what you have been given or even use it, but do not refuse to accept a gift. The last thing I would say about this beautiful culture is that the best way to learn about their customs, language, or to get inside of the culture for yourself, is by spending quality time with the children. GOd Bless those who have a heart for these beautiful people.

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Manicure

by muguruki

You don’t have to go far in any Ugandan town before you come across a group of young men armed with a small basket full of their tools of the trade; nail clippers, files, assorted abrasive pads and a hotchpotch of different coloured nail varnish. These young men (always men) that will cut file scrub and paint your finger and toe nails for a reasonable fee tend to congregate around markets or wander around the town looking for business. In Kampala hair salons double as nail bars. In one such place on my last visit to Uganda I was to meet a friend of mine. I met her there as planned but what was not planned was for me to get my nails done as well. The first I new of this was when the young lad that had soaked and scrubbed my friend Edith’s feet and toe nails, he once again filled up the basin and told me to put my feet in the hot water. “You put your feet in there. I am paying for the...

CLIMATE

by DAO

Uganda sits right on top of the Equator. That makes it hot every day of the year. Every day. Because Uganda is mountainous the temperature can vary a little bit. The highlands o the South West experience a cooler average temperature of 16° C while the North East temperatures exceeding 30° C about 254 days per year! Except for the North East corner of the country, rainfall is well distributed. The southern region has 2 rainy seasons, beginning in early April and again in October. June to December is relatively dry. The North has some rain between April and October is dry from November to March. Near Lake Victoria rainfall exceeds 2,100 millimetres a year! The mountain regions of the South East and South West receive more than 1,500 millimetres of rain.Even in dry months you can get a day’s rain especially near the lake. Have a light rain jacket and umbrella for any journeys to Entebbe or...

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A POT OF COFFEE

by DAO

This is a great local custom. If you order a cup of coffee in Uganda, they bring you a little pot of coffee that holds about 3 cups. The prices are reasonably low so this is a great idea that just keeps getting better. The coffee? Gorgeous. They grow it here. I didn’t see any of those high-priced coffee multi-national chains and I hope they never come here. This picture was taken at the Imperial Hotel veranda in Kampala.

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Police arrogancy - hope it was news of a day

by croisbeauty

I didn't follow tv program in Uganda, cannot say wheter this accident was news of a day on a local network, however, have read newspapers the next day. Belive it or not, there was short article on a front page with no details about the accident and, without any picture.Why I am telling this? While I was taking this pictures a guy dressed in a normal suit approached to me asking to see what I did snaped. I pretended not to speak english answering him in my Croatian language. He insisted to see what did I snaped about the accident but I switched memory cards (have two type of cards in my Sony R1) displayed pictures I took the other day.

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Cooking method

by yurxlnc

Bananas or plantains are a staple in the Ugandan diet and can be cooked in every way possible: baked, roasted, boiled, fried,stewed, steamed, grilled. The leaves of the banana are also used to wrap food before cooking it, instead of cooking in a metal or steel pot. No washing of dirty pans!

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greet everyone, and watch you hands

by JessiLee

when in the rural areas, not greeting people is seen as very rude, and if you can do it in Luganda people get very excited it's oleyotea nnyabo for a women and oleyotea ssebo for a man... or you can just say Jebale ko, which means well done, but people say it when they pass others and do not feel like talking.Another thing i learned, is that when shaking someones hand it is seen as rude to have your other hand doing something else, like you are not giving meeting this person you full attention. People either use both hands to shake, or place their other hand on the inside of their elbow.

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Questions and Answers

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Q:  At begin of december,coming by bus from Nairobi,i have 7 days to spend in Uganda before get Tanzania overland,i wonder if you can... 

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A: Hello there, Seven days to discover Uganda, this must be a BLITZ visit. If I had 7 days I would go for - Bwindi Impenetrable forests or Mgahinga National Park to... 

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