Training Camp Blog Series: Food & Culture

I just finished up my time in Gainesville, GA and made it back home. I cannot believe that Training Camp has come and gone. The past 12 days felt like a lifetime that was over in a blink. 

I decided to do a blog trilogy because Training Camp was SO WILD, there’s no way I can fit it all in one post (and because it’s fun). The trilogy will consist of food, God moments, and some fun stuff! So let’s start with what eveeeeryone is asking me – what did you eat?

CULTURE

To explain what we ate, I have to start with what we were doing every day. Each day we “traveled” to a different region of the world where we had to dress, eat, and act according to that region’s tradition. One of my favorites was India day (even though I won’t be traveling there, some other squads at our camp will be) because women have to wear head-coverings during meals and meetings. Below is a pic of me and my pal Betzaida in our head dressings (mine is a towel haha). 

In some countries men and women aren’t allowed to sit together, so we had designated tables for each gender. In other countries they only eat with their left hand or they make a toast before each meal, so we got to join in on their traditions for the day!

NEW THINGS

The question I got asked DAILY was, “EMILY! How have you never tried *insert commonly eaten food*?” It didn’t take long for my squad to notice how picky I am, so it became a fun game of pressuring Emily into trying new things. 

Here is a list of things I tried for the first time:

– Lentils

– Chicken gizzard (someone actually lied to me about what it was, so I ate it against my will. trust was lost)

– Pineapple

– Gravy

– Peppers

– Mystery mushy gray stuff 

– Grilled onion 

– green rice (it’s possible it was green food coloring)

Sidenote: One day they gave us a cup of crickets, and yes some people ate them. And no, I did not eat one. I’m not there yet, but who knows where I’ll be in 11 months!

THE MARKET 

One night for dinner, instead of our traditional arrangement eating on the dining patio at tables, we had a simulated marketplace! We had to haggle over prices, make sure the pick-pocketer walking around didn’t snag anything from our bags, had to watch out for the taxi driver that drove through the crowd every 5 minutes honking and yelling (they actually had a van driving through), and even had to stop and salute to the king that was passing by. Here are some highlights: 

This is my trainer Bella acting as a poor/homeless person in the market.

My squad mentor Jeremy relaxed on his scooter and would ask you “bota bota?” which is Uganda’s most common form of transportation. 

Another one of my trainer’s, Ronny, helped exchange currency – he wasn’t too fond of Americans. 

What an experience! I’ve already realized that my squadmates will do a great job at pushing me out of my comfort zone when it comes to food. They may not always be right about whether or not I will like something, but I don’t mind. In the past 12 days I realized that eating the food that is prepared for me isn’t about enjoying it; it’s about respecting and caring about the people who lovingly made it for me. I can’t say I won’t miss Chick-fil-a while I’m abroad, but I am definitely excited to get to share in community with new people around a dinner table. 

Keep an eye out for the second part of my trilogy! 

Love y’all, 

Em