TWT Immigrants Raw

okay so what we start with is you say where you were born? Mexico, where in Mexico? Guanajuato, okay and where in Mexico is that that's central in the nation? Atrezzo, yeah yeah and what is it like there? Well it is nice when I was living over there I really like it and I still like it you know? Is it is it is it jungle? Is it forest? Is it like here? Was it just open? Yeah so it's flyer? No, nothing. No flyer, okay. Pampus? No, nothing. Just roaming. Yeah, playing kind of you know the ground hole was nothing. It's playing everything. So a lot of cattle. Mostly cattle. Goats. What did your father do? My father, he has a, he's a Lynn. He has a Carlos and Kuwait cone. So he's a farmer ranger? Did he have a lot of land or a smoke? There was a lot of land. Yeah. Yeah. Did he have field hands who

work? Yeah. And did you work on the farm? Yes, I helped with my dad every day in the fields. Yeah. Me and my sisters. Did you have brothers? Yes, two brothers and seven sisters. And when you were growing up was there any kind of festival when you would have a harvest or anything like that? I don't remember with that. You just day in day out, do the work. What kind of holidays did you celebrate? Christmas. Mother's Day. I don't remember something else. Birthdays? Oh yes. Okay. A lot of birthdays. Big party for birthdays. Yeah, my mom cooked everything for us. So then when did you come to America? I came in 1971. Okay. When you were a young bride? Yes. And what was your first Thanksgiving here? The fall in November. So just a few months later? Yes. Great. Well, I was living with my aunt and she cooked everything like it used to do over

here. And I had almost all the Thanksgiving food, you know, and I like it. Yeah. So she had like turkey or what did she have? Yeah, she kept, you know, turkey pies. What everything you guys like to cook over here, you know? And so what, what kind of things were you maybe not so sure about? I don't like that. But under the turkey, I don't like that. But not like it. At first you didn't like it. What was it? Was it just that it looked funny or was it? It looked kind of funny to me and I said, I don't want to taste it. So when did you start doing things, giving it your house? The first Thanksgiving was that your husband's aunt or your aunt? No, when my mama got her own house, he started cooking for us every 10 and then we used to eat everything, you know, for Thanksgiving. Okay. And I got married and I started cooking for my kids and I cooked everything for them and my kids like it like America food. They're born over here, you know. So you

make stuffing? Mm-hmm. Do you mean plain stuffing? I make myself. You know, I cut the bread and I fix myself. Not out of a box? No. I run for my mama. So what else do you make to make everything from scratch? Yes. My pies and everything. What's the favorite? Does everybody have a different favorite? Yes. My husband like him. My kid's like a turkey, you know, different. What about the grandkids? Oh, they like everything. Yeah. What kind of pies do you make? I make sweet potato and pumpkin and cherry. Oh, they're three kinds I make. When you were growing up, did they make pies at Christmas time or birthdays or anything like that? What kind of pies did your mama make? My mama used to make all the time at a pumpkin and cherry and sweet potato. That's what I learned too, you know. So those are Thanksgiving foods, but those were foods from when you grew up. Yeah. So what

was different? I mean, obviously the turkey and the stuffing, did you eat turkey when you were growing up? When I come to America. Yeah. We eat turkey in Mexico, but mama make it like a moly. You're the different, different way to do it. So she didn't roast. No. A turkey. What were some of the Thanksgiving foods that you've never had before? I don't remember what else. Do you make any foods from when you were growing up and have them at Thanksgiving? I mean, do you make enchiladas or burritos? Oh, yes. I make all the makest comforts for my kids every day. I even make my first tortillas. So at your Thanksgiving, you have all the regular Thanksgiving foods, the turkey, the stuffing and all that, but

then you also have, do you also have the Mexican food from when you were growing up? Mm-hmm. Oh, the Mexican food. How many people come to your house? Only my kids and my grandkids. So how many is that? Patin. That's my husband and me. That's not too much. Do you spend all day together? Mm-hmm. All day. Elanchen. Sapper. And what kind of things do the kids go outside to play? It's nice. What is nice about play outside or what downstairs playing games? Who's your fan? So it's a good family day. Oh, yes. Very good. I really keep it with my kids and my husband. Do you have any other traditions at Thanksgiving time that you always do or you try to do? No. Is there any music? Well, always play music and my husband is music for this. So is there a particular song or artist singer that

you like to have or band that you like to listen to? I like it almost all of them. I record it, you know. I love the kind of music. You like the pocas? Oh, yes. Do you dance? Oh, yes. Your husband will dance with you. Oh, that's awesome. Yes. We enjoy it. That's not too much. Yes. Well, thank you so much. I appreciate it. Okay. Thank you. Do you need a drink? No. Okay. Okay. So start by telling us your name and where you were born. Okay. Oh, wait. We got closer to where I can hear Jackie. Thank you, Cindy. So your name and where you were born? A Korean.

Start with your name. Suri. Lockburn. And then where were you born in Korea? South Korea. Okay. What was the name of your village? Gujedo. Gujedo. And where is that? This is Little Arlin. It's an island. It was beautiful. Oh, yeah. Do you remember? When did you come to America? Oh, 72. So you were young? 1972. I come to America. Yeah. You were young? How old were you? I'm 27. Okay. I really should go home. I really should go home. I'm 27. And so were you a bride? Or you immigrated to America? Yeah. I come in the fiancee. Okay. Mary, courthouse. I chose courthouse. It was a big place. So you got engaged and you came to America and you got married here?

Okay. And so when you were growing up, were there any kind of harvest festivals or anything like that that was celebrated on the island? Yeah, we got a lot of rice cake. A lot of stuff. We eat a lot of vegetables. A lot of fish. So then when you came to America, what was the first Thanksgiving like for you when your new husband said, come on Suni, we're going to my mom's for Thanksgiving. What was that like? Well, they eat a lot of turkey every then how they eat Korean meat. Was it very weird? It was good. I like it.

What do you bring to Thanksgiving now? Because of course you've celebrated Thanksgiving all these years. Sometimes for our rice, sometimes it rolls. And is that something that your husband's family has come to look forward to? Yeah. They like it. So they like my food. So it's become a very different kind of Thanksgiving from what your husband had growing up. To what it's like now. Are there any other additions to your family Thanksgiving? Then the traditional year. Yeah. So what is the many going to be like this year? Give or take. Do you see it? Maybe for our rice cake. Food, you know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah, fried rice. They like my fried rice. That's pretty easy to make too. No, it's okay to tell you how do you make fried rice?

All the basics of what you have to fry first, you know, take your mom that or ham or swim whatever we have to fry again and everything supper first to fry. Then last minute you put together. And then you take it. Now do you cook it at home and then take it to your mother? Okay. So you take it as the one dish rather than putting it all together there? Yeah. Very good. So I don't eat. What did the kids when they were growing up? Did you have Thanksgiving at your house or did you always go to your mother's house? My house. Yeah. The little one. My daughter. Go everybody family. So it's cousins and everybody they all go to your mother and mom. Yeah. Yeah. And now Gina has a family. She still go to Grandma's house. Did she go to your mother and mom's house for Thanksgiving or did she have Thanksgiving? Yeah, she got my house. Grandma's house and then she goes to her husband's side too. Two meals in one day. Yeah.

How's the baby doing? Is she getting big? Oh yeah, two girls. Two girls say I missed out on the second one all together. So you let him fit great? Wow. That's hard to believe isn't it? The little one is fun like kids. Yeah. Well very good. Okay. You did. Any other thoughts on Thanksgiving in general? It's not an important holiday. What's your favorite holiday? Christmas. Yes. Did you celebrate Christmas in Korea? Most of the church people in the church celebrate but now they do a long time ago. It wasn't. Was your village Christian? When you were growing up? Pretty Christian? Yeah. So they had some Christmas but it was just at church. People didn't do Christmas at their homes.

Just to celebrate the program you step this far. Okay. All right. Well, I was living with my aunt and she cooked everything like it used to do over here. I had almost all the Thanksgiving food you know and I like it. You know, turkey pies. Whatever thing you guys like to cook over here, you know. I don't like that. Put under the turkey. I said I don't want to taste it but not I like it. I make myself. Cut the bread and I fix myself. Run for my mama. My pies and I make a sweet potato and pumpkin and cherry. My mama used to make all the time at a pumpkin and cherry and super-data.

And I got married and I started cooking for my kids and I cook everything for them and my kids like it. Like a medical food that we're going to be here. My husband like him. My kids like a turkey. All the like everything. We eat turkey and Mexico but my mama make it like a moly. You have a different way to do it. I didn't even make my first 30 years. All the Mexican food. Only my kids and my grandkids. But then it was my husband and me. Surrey Lockburn. Potato. Little Arlen. South Korea. 1972 I come. America. Yeah, I come in the fiance. Then we marry courthouse. At this courthouse, it will be a big place. I like it. They eat a lot of turkey and we didn't hardly eat the Korean meat. We've got a lot of rice cake.

We eat a lot of vegetable. Fish. They like my food. Sometimes fried rice, sometimes egg rolls. Maybe fried rice game. All the vegetables will have the fried rice. You know, take them out. Let our ham or some whatever we have fried in. And then last minute you put together. Positive. Okay. Okay. Okay. So let's begin by, go ahead and say your name again and where you were born. My name is Annette Maitwe. I was born in Uganda. It's South Africa. What's the name of your village? The village is called Kitabazi Masaka Town. It is in the south east of Uganda. And what is the land? The land. Oh, the land is... Mountain. Mountain, yes. And that's where most of the part of Lake Victoria is.

So most of the people are farmers. And yeah, I remember my parents were a peasant. So I didn't know that we have to grow food. I mean to buy food. Most of it was grown. Where they said, the farmers, they grew just what they need or they also sold. So, the setting came after when they knew that you can make money. Because I remember the time I was growing fruits could even fall down. I wrote without any intention of setting anything. And now, as I say, the people have changed. So there is a lot of selling to get some money. Okay. My name is Patrick Maitwe. Born in Buinda, a small village in central Uganda. And in the district of Busoga. I say for green, because it rains almost every year. I mean every month. The people there are so friendly.

They grow fruits. They rare cattle, goats, the chicken. And they feast quite a lot when the festive seasons come. Is it jungle or forest? Because there is quite a number of people living in a small village. You will find that the trees have been cut. Much of it is really grassland. And there are lots of small gardens or farms that people till the soil to grow the food they will be able to sell or eat. Recently, they have perhaps improved on the storage part of it. Otherwise, they would grow the food and eat it fresh. Because the weather is so favorable that you can grow food at any time. Or groups at any time. Yeah, I didn't go on what Patrick says. You hear the difference in the foods.

Because he comes from the other part of Uganda. Our type of food are different. They grow different types of food from us. That would be like in Western Kansas, where we grow mostly wheat. It's hard for us to grow corn because it takes so much water. But in Northeast Kansas, they mostly grow corn. Because they have so much water naturally. Even though it's such a small state, and Uganda is a much larger country, it is a large area, but within a short distance. Yeah, adding on to it. And it said, we grow mainly sweet potatoes. And then they grow finger millet, which I haven't seen around here. But it looks like sogum. But the other one has got smaller grains than sogum would have. And that one takes about two to three months to grow and reap. And then they do grow cassava, which is called tapioca some places. And they also grow beans, peas, corn.

We call it maize. We call it maize corn. And the other crops that are very common will be cotton. It used to be grown and people were getting money out of it, actually, to subsist if they wanted to buy clothes. These days it is declining because other modes of trade have come in. The same to sugar and tea also was so common. Actually, tea is still common grown. Coffee, sugar, tea. I think we don't, we don't import. Perhaps we export. Yeah, actually, there is not to be export and imports of sugar in Uganda until it came to power. Sort of the farming community, kind of lobster during his reign. And people had to import some sugar from neighboring Kenya or Tanzania.

But right now the growing seasons of sugar cane has come back. And the factor is the operation of full time. So they really grow sugar and make it in Uganda within Uganda. And export some to neighboring Kenya as well. Also tea, there are two big farms of tea in Uganda. One is in central parts of Uganda, near Victoria. And the other is in western Uganda, in a very lowland area. But it's also close to Uganda, like Victoria. Because like Victoria is a very huge lake covering almost the size of Uganda. And Uganda being having a population of over 30 million people in comparison to Kansas. And this yet it is smaller than Kansas.

Yeah. So then that makes a question. How did you meet? Oh, there's always people asking, especially those... You come from two. Yeah, exactly. Because people say we are separated by River Nile, or how did we meet? Or was it they asked? And it lives on the western side of River Nile. I live on the eastern side of the River Nile. And we speak different dialects. But we understand each other when we speak. However, because of education, we could go to any school within either east or west of River Nile, regardless of which one. So Annette was partly educated in the west. And then she migrated to the east to do her higher education. And as she was traveling back towards her place, we met along some way on the highways and started a conversation.

He picked you up on the road. Exactly. Actually, we were going... The public bus was leaving and I was the last one to go in. As I was going in the bus, the bus driver started. And fortunately, he was near the door. He grabbed me inside. I remember talking to him. Thank you. I didn't know it was the beginning of everything. And normally you had no grabbing, but it would be for the rest of your life. I didn't know that actually. It came by surprise. But we connected after that, it started to close to where I was. And we started talking casually. And then along the way, we were going a destination of about a hundred miles away. Along the way, the bus broke down. So we had time to sit together. I bought some coffee and... We started from there.

We started from there. Now, that's one of the things that I've heard a lot about in Africa and Asian nations. The buses are notorious. That's true. And so there is always a camaraderie, but this was a little bit different. Exactly. This was different actually. In fact, it provided me with the opportunity to speak to our longer. Because in the bus, we couldn't really say much, surrounded by so many people crossed by. But during the intervening time, when they were changing the tires and the wheels, we managed to exchange addresses and so on. No, we are murdered with satayas. Is that amazing when you think about sitting by the side of the road? I know, sitting here in Kansas. It is amazing actually. And when we reflect on it, it surprises us. We have kids grown and looking after their own business.

If you tell them the stories of how we met, they don't believe it. They don't believe it. Well, it seems like a different world. It's just a different time, but a different world. They've grown up into another culture. So if we take them to Uganda, literally, they know right now. Have you been able to go to Uganda with them? Yeah, we have taken them. And some few things they can't do. They even think it is a yacht. Why should we sit down and greet somebody for a long time? Instead of saying hi and go, they are to them. They think it is a waste of time. Yeah, because when you meet somebody, hello, how are you? Then continue. There is a way people prolong their greetings. Which kids they thought it was, it is necessary. Actually, we noticed that when we came to Kansas, especially Garden City, that people in Garden City as friendly as you would find in Uganda.

But they don't spend lots of time greeting or saluting each other. Like if the Ugandan is who would do. Because the Ugandan is overdoing it, I suppose. Well, as long as they meet it. That is one of the things that the group of refugee boys. Yes. I was watching a documentary about them. And they said, these were some of the boys who settled in I think Chicago. And they said, they had such a hard time. Because no one would look at them. No one would talk to them. And how can you live next to someone and not even know their name? Yeah. Before we immigrated to Canada, we had moved, traveled quite a few places within. And again, we used to live in cities, urban areas, developed urban areas.

So, mode of communication in the urban areas and rural areas, we were much aware of that. In cities you communicate with somebody you know. Outside that, well, whoever you meet, you greet and say, hello, hello, and you go. Many people would be willing to ask you many questions about what happened the other day and so on. Even though you haven't met them before, but they are prepared to develop a conversation that will last almost 10 to 15 minutes. And genuinely mean it. Yes, genuinely, yes. They want to know. And if you are a stranger, they haven't seen you. Oh, we haven't seen you here. Where are you going? Blah, blah. And they continue that way until they say, okay, I'm going. But obviously, those things are kind of dying a little bit because people have become busier. And then many people have migrated to cities where

you don't have time to speak to someone for such a long time. And much influence from the developed world. Recently, when I went to Uganda like a married woman, you are not supposed to put on pants. These days they can do it. We used to have a long attire, which we used to hide our feet or legs. I don't know why we couldn't see. Show our legs as women. It was the culture. But now I found that ladies are Hebrew. They can do what they want. So things are changing. Yeah. And some of it's for good and some of it's a loss. I think it is a loss. Much of it, maybe. Because the freedom. People never used to worry about a child getting lost, for instance. Because even if the neighbor didn't know the people around there or someone else walking by and finds the lost child will go enquiring within the neighborhood until that child's parents or relatives are located.

But this day is nobody cares. Yeah. There are many cases reported where kids are getting lost. People kidding up. People's children. Those were all rare cases. Ripping. I grew up not knowing there is a time like that. So yeah, you wonder things have changed. Well, I know in the more urban areas, it's some deplorable thing. Yeah, exactly. And when the military governments came in, people became armed with all sorts of bad ideas. To rob whoever is they can, you know, they find it has got more than them. Yeah. So that has kind of put a very bad, what, a scar on the population or the mind of the people. It has really spoiled the people. Yeah. Okay. Well, let's talk about otherwise we'll talk forever. Yeah.

Okay. So let's talk about when you were growing up and obviously you come from two very different traditions even though they're within one country. So if you would each talk a little bit about a harvest festival or just, you know, when we had a festival or any kind of special occasion, here's what my family would do. Yeah. When do we have the harvest time? That is when actually people have real plenty of food. Actually, as he mentioned, in our place, we again grow mostly bananas. They are green bananas. It is typical in my area. So they are very big bunches. I haven't seen them here. When they are so green, there's people, people of the, the peels are taken off by a knife, boil.

In most cases, they are yellowish like a mashed potato. So then they make any gravely mostly vegetables because we used to grow a lot of vegetables ourselves. Occasionally, they can get meat because that is not something of daily use. Like maybe in these developed countries, here somebody can eat meat daily. Then it is like, be once a week or once a month. Or people, others wait until it is a big deal like Christmas. Then they kill a goat and then the time to eat. Well, the way they celebrate the harvest, the whole village come together, either cook, they cook, then they can make home brew. The local ones still from bananas. So they cook food from bananas, make home brew from bananas. Those bananas, the ones which are going to be used before brewing local alcohol, whatever you can call it,

is put underground until it ripens. Then they squash it, get how to juice, put sugar, then fermenting takes place. And that's when they use it for to drink. They know how to count the days to the time when it's going to be used for the celebration. It becomes a big celebration really because they, the brewing part of it of the alcohol takes three days. And when they get it, it's very toxicant because you don't know the concentration. Yeah, nothing is tested. People really get it drunk so fast. But the eating and dancing takes place for almost the whole day or two days. People are celebrating the harvest. We similarly do something like that in my area. At least the people used to do is to grow crops. And whoever had his, had his or theirs crops growing faster

than the other, would be able to pick a few and give it to neighbors to celebrate that, oh yes, the harvest has started. And that is the preliminary part of it. Thereafter, they collect themselves. Each one makes a meal. They gather together as a village and celebrate that we have got the harvest coming very good. They beat drums. They sing. They dance. And all those things are performed. To celebrate the harvest. And people, there were also people who would go to church. So during that harvest the time, when the first crops, the very first ones to grow, are taken to church to thank God that they have gotten something. In addition to distributing to neighbors, they take that to church. At least they have grains with us.

They carry that, a huge banana on their head. Protect to church. Grains would be a little easier. We had grains and potatoes, you know, sweet potatoes. Those are easy to carry. You get about three bulbs and you take to your neighbors. And so they celebrate together with you. As a sign of church. In church, you know the way they correct the emergency fund to give the needed ones that food also is given to need it. They don't give them money. So mostly that food correct equals to going to be dry beans, dry corn. Millet, as he said, sugar, all of that is given to those who are in need instead of money. So church is practiced that. And for someone who has not had a good harvest, they wouldn't suffer because the harvest wasn't good. The neighbors will be able to give so that they can survive through the season.

That begs the question. I've been reading history about pioneers here in Western Kansas. And it seems like there's always that one farmer who's just lazy. That doesn't do his work right. Yeah, they would identify who doesn't really do his job right. But at the same time, someone might have had a poor crop. Yeah, someone might have had a poor crop. So if it's just this year happened to be a bad year of course. In the next year, you'll be okay. And then he'll be the one to supply to the others. But you don't roll out today. Oh, the laziness is there. Some who are lazy. Well, that's one of the things. I have met very few Africans. But I had a wonderful professor. And he talked quite a bit because he traveled to a lot of countries in Africa. And he talked quite a bit.

One of the impressions that I got is there's just such a need to work. You just don't have a choice to be lazy. Whereas in America, we frequently create laziness. Yeah, talking on that laziness part of it. In fact, you'll find that the Africans of a long time ago used to be very proud to own a small plot of their own so they can grow some crops. And I'm not being a sexist here, but it showed that there is a family developing some way of manhood, you know. Yeah, that's what to show that one was a man. You needed a land. You needed a small house and a family. Anyone who doesn't have that would not be as much of a person in the community. He would be regarded as a human being, but then he's perhaps regarded as homeless sort of.

But homeless also is a new term or they are like that. Because you know, we don't make expensive houses. People go cut grass, put sticks together, and make such houses. But still they would not make that as habitable as say people who are more settled. Yeah, there's would be a ram, coming to Ramshak old thing, only for him to put his head and sleep after he has... By the way, one would go from one village to the other, eating throughout the whole year without cultivating. Those are the kind of... Most of any house you go in. Oh, you are welcome. They will do it. You go to the next. So they go from a village to a village. Those used to be men without... Yeah, this is it. Mainly men. Mainly the men used to do that, because they could go drink free, eat free, and they don't have any responsibility to have your wife or children. And it was worth it to a village to entertain them for maybe a week, knowing that then they go away

and you have the rest of the year. But it didn't take long to be identified. They would identify him and they would know that, well, his homeless come and eat, and then off he goes. If there is a festival, a festival somewhere, where they have to brew a lot of alcohol, they give them some alcohol. They, of course, drink one or two mags and get drunk. They would always wake him up or give him some way to sleep, and sleeping is not a big deal because you didn't have sophisticated bed sheets blast. You would just grass... grass and everything would help. And the weather is good too. Right. It is not cold. It knows very hot, so people don't mind sleeping out, maybe on a veranda and covered just with one sheet. Yeah. Okay, so, when you have a festival, you mentioned music. Yeah, the music. So are there traditional songs

that you would sing? Oh, yeah. Quite a lot. They used to play the drums. They could have some in our house. Yeah. We have the drums at home. The TomTom, the TomTom is what? I think it's the wrong one. We have just a particular name in our language. In Galaby. It's a wrong one. Galaby. In Galaby. When the G, it's about G. Yeah. In Galaby. In G-A. L-A-B-I. In Galaby. Galaby. That one, it is long and the volume does both. We want to brought it to the church. It makes it the best. It makes it the best. Yeah. Then we have short ones, but again broad wider. That one also has a different world of sound. In fact, to make music, we have how many put together a set of it. There's one they use sticks to combine the long one wider than one just the part

of the poor poor. Then you get music. Yeah. We used to have, forget the name. The zyrophones. The zyrophones. Yes. Those ones. And then string the equip instruments, where one would just play using the string. Before the the guitars and so on were introduced. Then we used to have some small. The small. I don't know what you call that. A lot of people will call it a thumb piano. A thumb piano. Yes. Yeah, thumb piano. Yeah. That's right. That was so. Yeah. Exactly. It's so reasonable that people would dance. Then you add on a drum. Then you add on the tom tom and the cell. And it will be really very good dance for some of you. Okay. Will you sing some of us home?

Okay. He can speak one in his language and one in my language. Okay. This is welcoming. Some people say you have somebody who has been away and then you welcome them. You can say. That is his. Can we think of a mind? No, you think of it. Tell me a day. You know. I don't know. I want you to sing one. No, I don't think I remember any good one or festival. Yeah. Okay. Another one. Okay. Foodoo. Foodoo. Gagagamba. Gagagamba. Gagagamba. Gagagamba. Gagagamba. Gagagamba.

Gagagamba. Gagagamba. Gagagamba. Gagagamba. Gagagamba. Gagagamba. Gagagamba. Gagagamba. That's a accordion. That's a toldo. Does not leave the kid. The baby behind the like a toldo. What's with the little kid. And then he has a patched accordion. Like a patched God. It's a jacket, you know, the totias has got those smalls. Yeah. The thing is patched together. Okay. Great. You're right. So you have this really rich culture and tradition from two different places that have a lot together. Right. You're just a little bit different. Yeah. And so then you went to Canada? Yeah. So from Campala, the main city, we moved it to Kenya and spent there some time working for what they used to call the East African community.

That was linking Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. They used to work together in services like meteorology, post office, income tax and customs and exercise. Yeah. Those were combined and they would pick people from various parts of the East African. As the East Africans, to go and work. Until the Dominican and into power, that's when the East African community broke. So we lived quite a lot, even during the either mean time, we were in Kenya. And most of the Ugandans who fear the persecution had to move to Uganda, moved away from Uganda to Kenya or Tanzania. And then from there, we got a job to work in the Middle East. In Kata? Doha?

We went to Doha. Yeah. That was a different time. That was in the early 80s. Yeah. Yeah. The late 70s in Kenya, then the early 80s in Doha, Kata and then the next, Zimbabwe. We went to Zimbabwe that it has just changed the name from Rhodesia and Mugabe was the one who came in power up to now, I'm getting old, he's still there. So from Zimbabwe, you left us there. I left them in Zimbabwe and went to work in the Taks and Kaikos Islands. We followed him later. Yeah, they came after. We were there for about nine months and then went back to East Africa. That's when we emigrated to Canada in the early 90s, 1990s. Actually, it was the exact year, 1990s. Yeah. But otherwise, we had left Uganda in the late 70s, but we had been moving from one country to the other due to the nature of his Zimbabwe in 1990.

So we arrived, was it in January? February 4th. Yeah. 1990. Canada. Canada. I fell down. I put on my heel. I thought I was in Africa. I stay put. Just a flow. I thought it was clear. That was a welcome. At the airport. Very good welcome. But I learned something. Then from there, we became citizens. We became Canadians in 1994. When we went to university, we were looking for Canadians to go work in Namibia. And he was among those Canadians again. So we had to go back to Africa in Namibia South Africa. Wow. That's a huge difference. I know. It was much hotter than here. Yes.

We spent about six years in Namibia. Then we knew we were Canadians by birth, but we were taking us Canadians. So we could go meet other Canadians. It was fun. There were also fellow Canadians still. So we could speak the language and then they said, oh, so people are Canadians. Then we got to the other side of Canadians. Yeah. So you've really become ambassadors. For temporary days. None of the kids was born in Uganda. We have a big family. Really? No. Wow. Kenya. Yes. Then we have Doha Kata. Then we have Zimbabwe. Then Canada. Canada. Wow. Patrick was born in Canada. Canada, yes. Yeah. So then you're in Namibia. Namibia. And then Environment Canada, which is the weather department in Canada, gave me a job.

So bug. We flew back from Namibia. Namibia, back to Canada. Back to Canada. But in a different place, before we went to Namibia, we were in Toronto. Then going back after Namibia again, we went to our batter. Edmonton. Edmonton, yeah. Wow. Yes. And that unfortunate, that year didn't go well because we lost the daughter. She was 17. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We lost the daughter. She was 17 so. And she went crazy. Actually, that's when he left the job and he went to teaching. I see. Otherwise before teaching, Patrick used to be a meteorologist. Yeah. Weatherman. Yeah. Except he could tell me that they would be hot. And I put my clothes out and it rains. That's how you know you're a good weatherman. Yeah. It was good anyway. But we used to do well though. Yeah.

Actually, that was great because the forecasting in the tropics is hard. And I think I commend the forecasters here. They did it at least about 75% to 80% rate. I think they are most in most cases. But then they are working with the computers which we never used to have. Exactly. Transmission of data during the time we worked was through teleprinters. And you know how quick they are using codes. Yeah. And then we used most code. But now you get the weather picture through satellites and everything. And you are able to transfer, to extrapolate at least information to a certain degree. Not really correctly, but it gives you an idea. Well, I can tell you one of the things that makes me crazy is especially in the changes time.

So the spring and the fall and the time is when it changes. Yeah. You will start out and I will be reading weather forecast. Right. Two hours. And I have to check it every half hour. Because the morning I will say it is going to rain in Northwest Kansas. But it is going to be sunny in Southwest Kansas. And then two hours later it is going to rain in Southwest Kansas. And it is just because we have got the jet stream. But then we also have the Gulf effect. It is going to be coming down again. No, those things. Yes. All of those things. And we have crazy weather here. So it used to trick us sometimes. But there is a monoton in some areas in Africa. You almost rely on afternoon showers. Man, so on. So that's when we could get afternoon showers wrong. Because she waited until it is afternoon to put back on time. But the only most cases they used to predict prior to that afternoon.

Of course it was before the evening before. Yes. And we never used to get it right many times. And was this some of this was because of the convection effect? Yes. And so you never knew if it was really going to get hot enough. Exactly. So then you go from Edmonton. And from Edmonton after we kind of learned a little bit after the shock of the death of our daughter. In 2005 we moved North Carolina. And we were there for one year. And then there was an advertisement on the internet that they needed teachers here. So we applied and I was afraid. They welcomed him so quick. They already formed him. They gave him a hand with our accommodation. We thought, wow, even from our spot. That's when he came and then when he was interviewed. He just called me from here.

Are you ready to move? I said, okay. He told me the place is small. Like what we would have liked. North Carolina is fucked of people. Our daughter is there in Charlotte University and when she comes here she's laughing. There's a time when I say, wow, that's traffic. She said, oh, that's one because actually it was a large time when you know cancer. To hate you, maybe her love. So we came because we like to stay in a quiet small city. The more than bigger ones. We have lived in big cities and we've been on the suburbs most of the time, leaving outside the main area. Like even when we're in Zimbabwe, we lived there. Not in Harari, in the middle of the city. We tried to get in the suburbs. About 15 miles from the center. Okay, so you had Canadian Thanksgiving. Yes.

That's different than ours. That's very different also. I remember going there, they gave us a hockey. I had never made it. I shot what it in the oven. I think we didn't have any time to take it out. It was as hard. I had to call the lady who gave it to us asking, that how do you make this big chicken you gave us. From that, they really told me how to stuff. I learned that. That's why I can also make Canadian. With the syrup. Canadian syrup. The Canadian also takes the crops to the church. For Thanksgiving. But I don't know, I haven't seen it here. If they do it's just a display. Yes, a display. The Canada, they do take some crops there too. In the Canadian. In addition to the takipat. When I lived in a town called Linsborg, Kansas,

and they're Swedish, and one of the things that they do, and they really do, is after harvest, they cut some of the grains and they mix them and put them into big bundles like this. And they're so pretty. From which vine, and they put them all on all the light poles, and then you put them in your yard for the birds. Okay. So that is giving it to the birds, to the neck to neck, yes. But with us, you've got to, on that note, because the crop is grown in the farm. There are many birds. There are many birds. Actually, they do welcome themselves without permission. So they feed onto the crop, even before you get into it. So you don't have like, you know, in America, we have scarecrow. This is the one I was going to say, that you make something like a puzzle, and they feel just... They have to scare them off, but then they don't make it.

They know, they get used to the thing, it's not moving. So, except when maybe there is wind. I was trying to remember, I read in a book once, and I don't know which African nation it was, a story about this little boy before he was brought as a slave to America. But he was the boy who would run through the fields to scare the birds, and he was always getting in trouble, because he would fall asleep at the edge of the field. Oh! Can you write it down? Yeah. Parents used to tell us, like, you know, they put, let me say, corn in the reins. Yeah. Yeah, we used to do that. But, even, how did you see it? Yeah. But even then, the birds, they are through many. And sometimes they've come in swarms, you know, these little, query birds or something. I'm not sure what to write name for them. If they come so many of them, because they think the field will be so wide, you chase them from here, they go to the other part. So you keep running from one side to the other. If you get tired,

maybe you fall asleep. So what are you going to have for Thanksgiving this year? In this place, I do it in Canadian way. We always buy a turkey. I buy the syrup. And then, we would have liked all our kids to be here, but it is not always easy. They are scattered. One is in Wichita, we have one in Toronto, one in Arubata, one in Portland. Yeah, North Carolina. It is only the public who is here. Perhaps we mostly celebrate on Christmas, if at all they all come, if not the few who come. But I would do it in Canadian way because I don't have the banana. I don't have the home bro. Banana is here. Friend of mine from California said you could get something which looks like the ones we have in Uganda, but they come from Hawaii.

Plantain? Yeah, and the plantain is this. These ones that they are huge, fat bananas. Yeah, they are shaped more like this. Yeah, that's what she was saying. If you peel them, you cook. They are as soft as the ones we are used to. So I will share with you to Canadian way here. We go for prayers, we come home, eat our turkey. You make pies? No, not much. I used to do when the family was still big. As soon as the kids also moved out, I think I've reduced the cooking. I no longer bake in poor hatchery. I stopped baking, I don't know. We have the, it's kind of a rabbit actually. When you have wheat, you make it into a flatish. They call it chapati. With us we call it chapati here, they call it tortilla. That what I do mix and yes, it goes also with our turkey. That is another special thing I can make.

So instead of having like rolls, yes, you have our own chapati. Yeah, you mix dough, put little salt, put some oil to soften it, and yes, you roll, get that around the shape, secure, and just put on it, a flat, a pan, and a tirity, it dries a bit at the bottom, turn and put it fairly to cooking oil or any margarine or butter, anything you have to. That one is also good. It is not like the ones they buy in Walmart. This is really, it has the smell, the smell is... And it tastes. It tastes different and good. Yeah, we do make those too. So you have cranberry? Yeah, cranberry. Cranberry. Yeah, we do. We buy from Walmart. Another thing which perhaps could be unique, which we make pumpkin, with us we just cut pieces and boil. We don't make pie out of it.

You boil? We boil the pumpkin. Okay. Like a potato, like you would... Yeah, the way you would have done with it potato. Also, we... The sweet potatoes... I see some sweet potatoes and yum. We forgot to talk about yum. They are also in Walmart. Yeah, we find those in Walmart, which they are so expensive around here. And then that is the main food in Uganda. People just go to the garden. You would find it cheaper. Something you would find expensive if they are apples. Yes. In Uganda, they are grown in a very small area in Uganda. I don't know what weather they are... No, it is because of the hot weather. The apples need a bit of food. A bit of food issue weather. So we don't have those in Uganda, not most of them. Yeah. But we can grow rice, and cassava, potato... Maze? Maze or corn? The type of yum, we have also... We have three types, I think, of yum. But we don't know their names.

We call them yum. Then we call the other sweet potato. But I think he is also a yum. We make that mistake. That's one of them. We can enter in things. So with us, yum is something different. We know how they grow. They are different. And how they are grown, some are grown. With the big, large leaves, that type is very good when you get it. So... And you would just cut them up into... Yes, also cut. And you know the way we cook, we use banana leaves is so often. So you make a banana leaf in a way that you take out that stem. Is it the stem of the leaf? And then fold it. We normally wrap our food in that. So we wash them without taking off the peels. We always, I think, feel the food is within the peel. So we boil when the peels are on. It is when they are ready again. We just take off the peel, celery, and eat those yams. Yeah, that's...

Mostly we make our food like that. Apart from the bananas we peel, before we wrap them in a banana leaf. Do you put any sauce or spices, cinnamon? Not often, which is... That goes into the... The common spices. The common spices would be hot pepper and onions and... Garlic. Yeah, garlic is a bit... Yeah, common. What else do we use? Yeah, we have other spices. We wash them, but we use them fresh. Not the ones. You go get the leaf and just put it in the onion. And there is... We used to make tea from a special type of grass. It tastes very nice, it smells nice. But we don't know the name in English. Yeah, you boil... What is it in your native? You boil that? It's called Kisagazi.

Kisagazi. Yeah, it's just like grass, if you... Actually, the other thing here, type of wild... People put them for gardening, like a flower. But those ones like a shrub. This one has got a distinct smell or taste. It's smell when you smell it. It tastes when you boil it. Oh, it is so good. It would make very beautiful tea. People who need like this... What do you call it? Green tea or something? Yeah, I think it would be a substitute for that. Green tea. And so what does it taste like? Is it sweet? Is it spicy? It is sweet. When you put it in water, it has no bitterness. Nothing, apart from its smell. And it tastes. I think also the mujaja. I don't know, you call it. And that is like a small shrub. Also, you could pluck off leaves.

You put them also in water. The same store. You get that type of... The smell out of the water. I think people who would have a tea would like that. So, if you needed a variation, you would take that, she says, mujaja, that grass... And then orange leaves. Those three boil them. You get a different taste. Yeah, the orange leaves, leaves, or lemon leaves. People used to pluck them to prevent fever from young kids. Your boil? Because of the vitamin C. Yeah, maybe because kids with this fever could just be okay with just boil, drink the leaves. But then we could use the lemon or the orange itself, squeeze in hot water as tea. Ginger, I think that is also here. Yeah, that's right. We have found it expensive. Just a small roti. But others, we use it at home. It was for tea.

Would you grade it? Yeah, we do pound it and pound it. Yeah, sometimes. In fact, one way of storing some of the foods we grow. If what we call drought in Uganda, particularly, is about two to three months. It's about two to three months. So to prepare for those three months when you can't grow fresh food, people tend to dry whatever they have, like the millet, like the bananas. They cut them into small pieces, they cut them with the sun and store them in small bugs. That is for future, if there is a drought. But what about the huge thing they put in the coat? Yeah, and that's a storage. Yeah, they build it through small basket, but huge. Then they tend to put mud inside. Yeah, to keep it. More than it. So then they drink. Yeah, after they pour everything in

and then they have also a cover made through like a basket. Oh, grass. Oh, grass. They use grass to make all that. So there is food in that thing when you sit in one's courtyard, you know, oh, there must be grains inside it. How big would it be like this? Oh, to be huge. It could be as huge as a small place like this. Yeah. Yeah, big. That is if he's got a large family. Yeah. A very family means marrying four wives. I think it's a large family. And each wife, each wife forgetting kids as much as they can, 12 or 17. What is that? It is a large family. I know. But that is our trust side. Okay, but that would that necessarily have been a Christian family? No, no. Christian family is the same as here. It's one wife. Yeah. Actually, you don't have any wife.

No, no, no, no. No, no, no. She's quite enough. And she's like it. Yeah, those ones are Christian family that are supposed to have one. Yeah. These are people who are still... Are you the Muslims? Most of them are so kind. And they're talking about the time before Christianity and they call it development. The time when we were growing up, that's when people used to have more than one wife. And many of them, Christian, but then they didn't really go seriously to Christian. They have more two or three. And they wanted a huge family. So they built small cottages for each wife. And then they go and live in one week or another week and so on. I don't know whether people would bear that. But that was another way to spread the AIDS.

Yeah, I think that's why AIDS was... No, but the AIDS is the recent thing to come in the 90s. Yeah, but then many still had those wives. Well, and if you still had the attitude of promiscuity and that's a norm, which is why it's spread here, is because of the promiscuity outside of marriage. Part of it, yes. Outside of marriage. And when you have the commitment of one to another, that seriously reduces. Yes, that's true. No, they used to have numbers. Wife number one, number two, number three. So number one is really the one who got married. Perhaps they let me say in the church. All those following you can't go to church. And it is the first one I was passed. Wow. Yeah, because the church, I was one wife. Right. So those they bring after, they are not really... That's why they give for number two, three, four.

Yeah. Yeah. And what is about marriage? About that? About the homesteads. Well, they walk together. Homesteads used to be, you know, you build it. And very well looked after, actually. Because each house, it's a small hut, would be... The lady would be responsible for that, for the cleanliness of the environment. And for everything, that happens within that area. So the other one would be there. But they would be facing each other. And kids grew up together. And then kids, you can imagine one family like having a school. Yeah. Because there are so many of the same age it would be a class. Right. Well, in our culture of monogamy and single marriage, there is jealousy. Oh, yeah. That one is... In that culture, there's probably... I don't know how cooperative it is.

There was... There was still... It was still... Yeah. And now it is common. But these days... Then you have two women or more, you hear stories. They won't allow one woman who don't like to face the other. They will be talking. They used to stay in one group, not any more. Do they... I know in a lot of cultures where they would marry multiple wives. Frequently they would do sisters or cousins, women who were kindred and they wouldn't have the jealousy, supposedly. It used to be... The only thing... I have... I remember... is that the aunt said, she's my sister. And then I have a daughter. She goes and marry them. And she can take my daughter as an assistant to her. In such marriages, then my daughter would always be obeying her as a number one wife.

And she being a number two. And auntie. And auntie. The sister to the father. Right. Now, that was a bit queer because my daughter shouldn't go and marry the same man. You see, as a grown-up, into another culture. So that's what I know. I think I tested it from a long time ago when I was a small kid. I didn't see the connection. I mean, I thought they were breaking some relationship there. Yeah. Wherever it happened. But it was common in families during the time I was growing up. Also, something that has changed some cultures. If the wife dies, the sister just goes in automatic. On the other hand, or if the husband dies, the other brother will take over. I think... So that one also has a reduced, but it used to work out. Yeah, but it is also in the body, but it used to happen. A lot of cultures would have that

where the family member. That was with Ruth. Yes. Everything. And her mother-in-law. That was also common. The time when we grew up. Yeah. So it's... It's changed a lot. This day is, of course, with the economy. Technology. And technology. And technologies. And technologies from out. People are watching too much TV. Young kids also put on lachama. Americans, genes. Those are the things we grew up with, not knowing. Yeah. Until I went to Canada, I used to know to put on parts. In fact, that's why I fell down. I was in a dress in a high heels, so. It is when I went to Canada saying, oh, it is extremely cold. You can't do without a point. So, yeah. Yeah. And with these days, of course, the information is so much. You will be surprised. Uganda and she went there in May. They knew more about the American election than we do.

People were even asking me. I said, I don't know that. So they hear news more than us. Who are here? Of course, we are so busy. Well, and, of course, Obama is. From Kenya, I think that's why. It's so close to Uganda. Yeah, but that wouldn't be the, oh, yeah, that could be. He's going to be a special program on Wednesday, from the BBC, and it's called World Have Your Say. And it's a phone and show from all over the world, and there, or people with text message. And there was several people from many different nations in Africa who were saying, Obama is our president. He's the world president. That's what they, how they took it, all the people in the village, in fact, they didn't know how to pronounce it. They named it the way they were telling me, you know, Obama, I said, what is Obama? We mean that gentleman, who is going to rule us, they have taken it like a wild white thing. They don't believe he's an, for America alone, and now it is, that's how they took.

I came and told him that you know, people there know Obama more than I see him. Yeah, and he really, it's like on one hand, it is a hope and an opportunity for us to change and improve our role in the world, but what rest on that young man's shoulders? I don't know because people have a lot of confidence in him when I hope the confidence remains well, and the expectations are so unrealistic. Exactly. Somebody from Africa might need something with him, he can't, he can't, he can't, he can't do, they're rules to be for it. That's what they think. They do, they really do it, and in this colon show, somebody sent a message, he thinks an email message and said, Africans, what is the matter with you? Take care of yourself. Exactly.

Now, our president, this is America's president, you should wake up and take the Americans example when you vote next, that's what I thought. That was good. That was good. Yeah, very good. He looks like being taken by somebody just born or a father was born in Africa, they have taken it to different, even instead of breading. Now I hear in Kenya, I think, fourth of November is declared Obama day. So that means people want to go to work, that means less production, and the guy is for America, not theirs. I thought this is the president. I hope they didn't declare it for all the years, they did it for them, they did it for them. Otherwise, they'll be in November 4th. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. Anybody wants any san? Banana, we use it benefited the first

thing. We use it from America. You know that from America. No, then I said. So Banana, also you don't know that the great man I said to which one. I said, oh, he has not even been elected in May when he was. When are you left? Nothing was even happening. He had not even finished the primary. He's anywhere. Africa. They thought he is the one. I think whether he won or not, he was going to stand the mind of Africans, that that is they are. Well, I think we are done. That's politics. That's politics. Or something. What I thought I would do is if you would, because I wanted people to hear the difference in your languages. OK. I don't know if there would be a difference if you said happy Thanksgiving or happy day or something like that,

if that would sound different? Yes. OK. I'm a congular. I'm a congular. I'm a congular. I'm a congular. You see? They are breaking the language. They are the ones who do it. They break it. Thank you. Welcome.