The Mzungu Experience

I am a mzungu, which is technically a white person, however it's used for just about all non-africans here.  It's not meant to be derogitory, it's just what we are; and we are strange, foreign creatures to many people out here, especially in the villages.  You should see the looks on the kids' faces, sometimes you feel a bit like a zoo exhibit, and you are never incognito - never gonna happen!  Walking down the street is like your own private parade, kids literally run up to the side of the street, EVERYDAY as we walk by and yell "mzungu, mzungu, hi mzungu!"  Then you have to respond of course, we walk to town and back, at least once a day, smiling and waving and saying hi to people.  It's quite sweet, a little overwhelming and slightly embarrassing sometimes. It's mostly kids, but the occasional adult chimes in too.  It's mostly okay from the kids, but it gets a little overdone and annoying at times: for instance yesterday after spending all day in the rain and mud and trying to make it home without falling on my ass in more mud :)
On Saturday, the Bugandan King was in town to kick-off some soccer league, so we went down to take a look and see some soccer.  Haha.  We were the only two mzungus there and quite the spectacle ourselves.  First, the field had no seating around it, just a chainlink fence that people were standing 3 deep at - there was no chance of seeing the game, so we just stopped to take in and enjoy everything else:  guys playing drums with people dancing around, people selling souvenirs, the massive amounts of men sitting on the top of giant trucks - yelling at the game, and us (surprise!).  Then there was the kid that wanted to chat us up, and the other strange kid that was quite obviously taking video and pictures of us on his cell phone!  Then it became clear that the guy talking to me was buddies with this photographer, and I was like "you can please stop that now".  I mean, I know we're different and weird, but that was just obvious and awkward!
Oh, and thieves here get the shit beat out of them and then get stripped naked apparently.  (no, I didn't try to steal anything) While we were standing there, talking and being photographed, a mob came through that included police and people: the police trying to escort the thief out and keep him alive, while the people tried to attack him, and the control went back and forth - really nice. 
On the way out we stopped by the roped off VIP section because you could actually see a little bit of the game and the guy just held up the rope and ushered us right into the section - mzungu perk!  We got to sit in the grass in the shade and actually watch, but it wasn't long until we had kids all around us, practically in our laps.  One girl took my sunglasses off my face and put them on - kind of sweet and adorable.  Then the press walked by and actually stopped to take OUR picture....TWICE!  I felt ridiculous!