The Concept of Waiting

If there's one thing that I have not yet rightfully adjusted to or embraced in Uganda, it's the act of waiting. Waiting for things to happen. Waiting for people to show up to meetings. Waiting for students to show up to class. Waiting for food to be delivered. Waiting for the internet to work. Waiting for the power to return. Waiting for matatus (van taxis) to leave the taxi park. Waiting for promises to be kept. Waiting for lines at the ATM to move. Believe me, I've tried waiting, and I've been forced to wait. But it's simply not in my DNA. I'm a go-getter. I like getting things done. I selfishly like the satisfaction of a job well done. If I just wait or sit around, I personally feel like I'm being unproductive. Therefore, living in a host culture in which waiting is common, if not the norm, has deeply challenged my "get it done" mentality. Waiting is a habit I may never embrace nor understand while in Uganda, but I still have to accept it, because indeed, it's the way of life here.