We received a letter in the mail from an elementary school in Texas. A second grade class read a book about a fictional character named Flat Stanley. Flat Stanley is a boy who was flattened by a bulletin board. When he wanted to go on a trip, his parents folded him up and mailed him to a new place.
Flat Stanley came to us with colored green and yellow clothing. And we took him on a few adventures in Uganda and learned a little more about this interesting place.
So if you would like to learn a little more about Uganda second-grade style, here is the return letter:
Thank you for sending Flat Stanley to my husband and me. We have enjoyed having him around for a few adventures.
Flat Stanley arrived at the post office in Kampala, Uganda. Uganda is a country in East Africa. Kenya borders Uganda to the east, Sudan to the north, Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, and Rwanda and Tanzania to the south. Lake Victoria is the southern border of Uganda. It is one of the biggest lakes in the world! Lake Victoria is also one of the places where the Nile River begins.
Flat Stanley’s first adventure was in the city. Kampala is the capital city of Uganda. It is a very busy city! There are many cars, motorcycles, and bicycles on the roads carrying many passengers. Some of the bicycles have cushions on the back, and people sit on the cushions for a bicycle taxi called a boda-boda. Many people also walk to the places they are going, so the sidewalks are also very crowded. Stanley and I walked to the market where fruits and vegetables are sold. When we crossed the street, Flat Stanley almost became flatter! He walked into the street in front of a boda-boda. He thought he was checking for traffic in the right direction, but in Uganda, vehicles drive on the left side of the road instead of the right side. Be careful, Stanley!
After Flat Stanley and I went to the market, we drove to our home which is on the top of a hill. From our house, Stanley could see Lake Victoria. There was a ferry (cargo boat) in one of the ports that travels back and forth between Uganda and Tanzania. We could hear the horn of the ferry all the way on the top of the hill!
Flat Stanley on top of Konge Hill–Lake Victoria behind him.
We have a dog named Leo. Leo is the Swahili word for “today”. Leo wanted to be Stanley’s friend, so he greeted him with a big, wet dog lick! Ewww!!! Greetings are very important in Uganda. When people meet here, they greet with a long handshake and many questions like “How are you?”, “How is home?”, “How is your family?”, ”How are your goats?”, “How are your bones?”, etc.
Flat Stanley and Leo.
Not too long after Stanley became slobbery from Leo’s kiss, he was rinsed off by a rain shower. When Stanley left Texas, it was winter. But the seasons are different in Uganda. Thank you for dressing Stanley in short-sleeves! Because Uganda is on the Equator, there is no winter, spring, or fall. It feels like summer all the time! Instead of having four seasons, Uganda has only two seasons—the rainy season and the dry season. During the rainy season, it rains every day at least one time during the day. And during the dry season it sometimes goes for several weeks without raining. Right now we are in the dry season, but we have gotten a few rain showers.
Stanley’s next adventure was climbing trees, but not just any trees—fruit trees! First Stanley climbed a banana tree. Banana trees are everywhere in Uganda. There are many types of bananas. Some are sweet and some are bitter. Matooke is a bitter kind of banana that is steamed and smashed up like mashed potatoes. Ugandan people love to eat matooke with beans or a sauce made of groundnuts (peanuts). Stanley tried matooke. It tasted a little funny at first, but after a few bites, he decided that he really liked it!
Flat Stanley swinging in the banana tree!
Flat Stanley under the papaya tree. Look out for falling pawpaws!
After eating matooke, Stanley climbed to the top of a papaya tree for another taste test. Papaya trees have long trunks with few branches. Most of the leaves are at the top of the tree where the fruit also grows. Papayas are smooth and green on the outside, but when you cut them open, they are bright orange and have small, round black seeds. Papaya fruit is very sweet and soft, even a little squishy. Stanley decided that he like papaya even better than matooke.
Stanley’s last adventure was to a local primary school called Coronation Memorial School. I took Stanley to a Primary One class (like kindergarten in the U.S.). Here is what Stanley had to say about his time in the P1 class:
“When I got to school, I saw a lot of kids sitting on long benches inside a small room. They were all wearing blue uniforms. I got to sit next to a girl named Sylvia. At first, I didn’t know what the kids were saying because they were speaking a different language called Luganda. But Teacher Florence began speaking in English so that I could understand. She always teaches in English so that the kids can learn English as their second language. The kids were asking me my name. I told them, ‘Erinya lyange nzee Flat Stanley.’ That means, ‘My name is Flat Stanley.’ After all of the kids told me their names, we read a book together. It was called Monday Morning. It was a funny story about the Dakile family. They woke up late, and as they were trying to get ready for school, everything went wrong. The baby was crying, the dad bumped his head, the porridge burned, the water spilled over the sink, and the bus left. But a nice man in a cart pulled by horses stopped and helped, and then everything went right.”
It sounds like Flat Stanley had a good day at school!
Flat Stanley with the P1 class at Coronation Memorial School in Kampala.
I hope this letter finds you well in Texas, and I hope you enjoy reading about Flat Stanley’s adventures in Uganda. Have a good day!
