Siiras rõõm. / Genuine happiness.

Inimeste igapäevaste rõõmude ja murede jälgimine on pannud mind mitmel korral pikemalt järele mõtlema. Viimane kord eelmisel kolmapäeval olin kohe nii sügavalt mõttesse vajunud, et taksopeatusest koju kõndides unustasin tuttava kraavi ületamiseks pikemat sammu võtta ning kukkusin tragikoomiliselt pikali, koos seljakoti, kiivri ja kandekotiga. Olin just teel koju pesu pesema ja tegin nõnda endale veel hulga tööd juurde.

Sageli märkan siin olles, kuidas erinevad inimesed väikestest asjadest suurt rõõmu tunnevad. Nii laste kui täiskasvanute jaoks on rõõmustamine siinses ühiskonnas kuidagi lihtsam ja siiram. Külalapsed võivad kümneid minuteid täispuhutus kilekotiga mängida ning nende näol peegeldub puhas nauding ja mängulust. Seda nähes meenuvad võrdluseks lapsed, kelle jaoks on ainult uusim nutitelefon väärt mänguasi ning kui pole parimaid mänge installitud, siis on ikkagi midagi puudu ja halvasti.

Minibussides külade ja pealinna vahet sõitvad reisijad vestlevad omavahel: teevad nalja vihma käest pääsenud kaassõitjate kohta, kurjustavad koos hooletu bussijuhi suunas, vaidlevad kirglikult õige hinna üle, elavad kaasa raadiost jälgitavale jalgpallimatšile jne. Kaasliiklejad on abivalmid, kaastundlikud ja lahked. Kaks nädalat tagasi unustasin oma telefoni Blueskysse sõites minibussi, kuid märkasin seda alles siis kui minu enda telefonilt keegi Siisile helistas. Selgus, et leidja soovib mulle telefoni tagasi anda ja järgmisel hommikul saime selleks Nansanas kokku. Helistasin veel eelmisel õhtul igaks juhuks üle ja kinnitasin kohtumise ning hommikul ootasin pisut närviliselt kohtumispaigas. Esimese asjana ütles abivalmis noormees, et talle tundus, et ma olen üsna stressis telefoni kaotamise pärast. Ilmselt oli seda märgata minu mitmekordsest helistamisest ja kannatamatusest kui ta kohtumispaika mõnikümmend minutit hiljem kohale jõudis. Ta oli lihtsalt rõõmus, et sai mulle abiks olla. Erinevalt eelarvamustest ei küsinud ta minu käest raha ega tahtnud minuga abielluda vms. Tänutäheks ulatasin pisikese leiutasu, ütlesin korduvalt aitäh ja peaaegu oleksin kallistanud ka, kuid see poleks siinmail avalikus kohas päris sobilik.

Emotsioonide väljendamine tundub siin võrreldes Eestiga oluliselt vahetum ja seda märkab väga paljudes erinevates hetkedes. Kampalas tantsuetendust jälgides plaksutatakse, hõigatakse ja naerdakse rohkem ning minu luganda keele katsetuste peale itsitavad kohalikud sageli. Samas ma tean, et nad imestavad ja rõõmustavad kui olen mõne uue sõna ära õppinud ning need naerupahvakud ei ole kuidagi solvavalt mõeldud. Kõik pigem kiidavad püüdlusi ja aitavad õppimisele kaasa. 

Mingil moel on rõõmustamine nakatanud ka vabatahtlikke ja me oskame vaikselt nautida asju, mis muidu on niivõrd tavalised. Elektrita päeva järel küünlavalgel õhtusööki süües tervitatakse laelambi süttimist rõõmuhüüetega. Olles mõne öö Bluesky kooli juures ööbinud tunnen UPA-sse tagasi tulles mõnu voolavast veest, olgugi, et dušš on siiski jahe ja vägagi värskendav. Samas pole tegu ainult mugavuste igatsusega, sest tunnen, et ka igapäevaselt märkan ümbritsevat rohkem ning naeran ja naeratan väikeste sündmuste peale. 

Mulle meeldib, kuidas Bluesky õpilased ja õpetajad koos töötades oma rõõmu jagavad, käsitööd tehes omavahel vestlevad ja muusikat kuulavad. Selles on midagi rohkemat kui lihtsalt sõnad, seal sees on äratuntav koosolemise ja koostegutsemise rõõm. Kuid muidugi tahan ma ka jutu sisust rohkem aru saada ja jätkan selleks usinalt luganda õpinguid. Njagala okuyiiga oluganda!

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Observing the little joys and worries in the everyday lives of people has made me think several times. On last Wednesday I was already preparing this blogpost in my head and was so deep in my thoughts that on my way home late in the evening I forgot to take a longer step over a ditch I come across every day and fell in a very funny way straight to the ground, with my backpack, helmet, and another bag. I was just on my way home to do my laundry and thus, I created a lot of extra work for me.

While living here I often notice how different people feel great happiness and joy from small things. For both children and adults the happiness is somehow easier and more genuine in this society. The children in the village can enjoy themselves for a long time playing with a plastic bag filled with air and their faces reflect pure joy and fun. In comparison I then think about children who only appreciate the newest smartphone as their favourite toy and if it does not have the newest games installed then still something is missing and wrong and worth complaining about.

Passengers traveling between smaller villages and the capital talk lively to each other: they joke about fellow travelers who have escaped the rain, complain together about the reckless driver, argue passionately about the correct price, comment on the football match on the radio etc. People sharing a ride are helpful, compassionate and kind. Two weeks ago I forgot my phone into a minibus while going to Bluesky and I discovered it just when someone was calling Siisi from my phone. It came out that the guy who found my phone wanted to return it and we managed to arrange a meeting for the next morning in Nansana. In the evening I called him once again to confirm the meeting and was waiting and a bit nervous next morning. The first thing that the helpful man told me was that I seemed to have been very stressed about loosing my phone. Apparently one could notice that from my several phone calls and impatience when he arrived at the meeting point some twenty minutes later. He was just glad that he could help me. Contradicting all prejudice, he did not ask for money nor did he want to marry me. As a sign of gratitude I gave him a small amount of shillings, thanked him several times, and almost gave him a hug but this would not be very appropriate in a public place around here.

In general, displaying emotions seems to be more natural and genuine in Uganda compared to other countries I have lived in and this is seen at various occasions. At a dance show in Kampala you see people clapping, shouting and laughing a lot more and my clumsy experiments of speaking luganda are usually met with giggling from the locals. At the same time I know that they are surprised that I want to learn their language and they are glad when I have mastered another word or new phrase. These giggles are not meant to be insulting in any way and I would say that I rather feel supported and helped in learning the language.

Somehow the volunteers have been infected by the happiness as well and slowly we have learned to appreciate and enjoy things that otherwise are just seen as normal. After a day without electricity (no-power-day) we shout with joy when the living room lamp shines bright again. After spending some nights at Bluesky school I enjoy the running water in the UPA guesthouse, although it is still rather cold and refreshing. At the same time, it is not only modern conveniences that we miss or enjoy because I feel that also in my everyday journeys I observe and see the surroundings more and laugh and smile at small things happening around me.

I really like how students and teachers at Bluesky share their happiness while working together, talking to each other during weaving or painting and listening to music. There is something in it besides the words that are heard, it is a feeling of enjoying working and being together. But of course I also want to understand the content of the talk and thus, I shall continue eagerly with learning luganda. Njagala okuyiiga oluganda!

Children at Bluesky kindergarten.