On Sunday Morning I wanted to get some cash out of my account, using my USA Debit card. It is the way we get money here and it has been wonderful to have it in recent years. It USED to be you had to drive into downtown Kampala with your checkbook and a few ID's to see Amin, the forex (foreign exchange) guy with the best rates. I thought some folks might be interested in how this all works- or at least how this story ends up- since there are several "typical" cultural points here...
If the local ATM "captures" your card (my machine on Sunday was acting weird), you can try to call the helpline numbers you find online, but oh yeah- why would they work?! There are (for real) about 15 listed, and not one worked. Cultural observations: when you need technology to work here, it often doesn't and it is usually related to electricity problems. They're trying, but alas, there are many failures. Also, when a phone number is given, don't be surprised if it is out of service or off. The cellphone companies seem to often struggle with consistency or proper information here.
I was not only concerned for my card and fraud, but also that I'd not get my cash which my online USA account said was indeed paid out...
After some tries, I got 2 numbers. The first lady told me they would destroy my card (!) and that my bank in the USA was responsible to pay me back my "lost" money. I thought she was crazy, and asked what location I might go to on Monday to speak with someone. She told me Crested Towers, twin tower-buildings downtown which house most of Stanbic's offices.
But the second person I got hold of, a man, told me to see him at another place across town and he would take care of it all. So I went to see him. He is our school and mission bank connection, so I figured he knows what he is talking about. Well, he DOES know what he is talking about- if he LISTENS to what your problem is. He was very nice, very much wanting to help me. But once he realized I had not lost my card at his ATM branch, he started calling around. I asked him about the money taken from my account. He was surprised money was gone. On the phone when I had first talked to him, he somehow didn't hear me say the branch name and that money was gone... he only knew I was connected to HIS and WGM. Now, he did apologize for not listening well, but the visit to him was a waste of time. Oh, and he wanted me to reopen a personal account with him so whenever I had trouble again, he could help me. I don't like using additional banks because of fees so I gave up on my former Stanbic account about 4 months after opening it 7 years ago. So I was not interested in a sales pitch just then. Cultural observation: Ugandans are incredibly kind and welcoming, and most try to be pretty polite and really want to help you. This is a wonderful blessing since I know some places around the world where the people are FAR from kind and welcoming.
Now, Helpful Man told me to go to Crested Towers (I asked him at least 3 times) to a certain man. Then he told me to add KOPC to my notes on who I was looking for. Crested Towers, in traffic in this horrible-traffic-city, SHOULD be a 10 min. drive away if there were no traffic, but because of lights, crowding, etc, I arrived 40 min. later. Cultural observation: never ever, ever expect traffic to work with you in Kampala. I saw 2 near -accidents which looked for sure like someone(s) was going to die.. a typical day in Kampala traffic.
I drove up to the gate and the guard, who didn't want me at that gate because it is only to be used for MTN (cell phone/internet company here). So he directed me to the immediate next gate opening around the corner. Those guards also didn't want me. They said I was to go to Gate 7 where "regular" customers go. After reaching the 4th and last gate (I'd skipped the 3rd one entirely), I finally could park. Cultural observation: Note that I went to gates 1, 2, skipped 3, and went to 7 (although in order of numbers it ought to have been 4-- what is up with that?! There are only 4 gates at the place but the last one is number 7. Odd). Anyway, when people don't know how to give directions here, they won't say that; they'll instead just direct you wrongly and will have thought they succeeded because they didn't turn you away without an answer.
After running around the Towers with another man who (very helpfully) stopped what he was doing to be sure I went to all the right places to check, we confirmed that indeed I was NOT to be at Crested Towers, but at the CHAM building. When Helpful Man told me to add KOPC that somehow actually indicated the CHAM building, not Crested Towers, but he had specifically told me to go to Crested Towers. I'm not sure what CHAM means, but I picture PacMan running rampant in that place. Cultural Observation: remember I said Ugandans are very helpful. I am always impressed with the kindness people show by going that extra mile, stopping what may be pressing matters, to be sure you are where you hope to be... Thanks to Ugandan Mommas who make their kids grow up mostly polite and kind!!
Leaving Crested Towers, once again I hopped into my car- well, I didn't hop. Cultural observation: VERY typical here is the "crooked parker". Many people here carry this disease of parking so crooked that sometimes you have to crawl in from the passenger's side. This time I was able to squeeze into my side, but not without knocking my neighbor's door a few times (lightly- I really tried to not touch his car). He sat there the whole time talking to his friends, watching me struggle, and didn't bother with me at all. Sigh.
There is someone very dear to me who shall remain nameless, but her name rhymes with CrAbby and her last name has most of the letters in Fisher.. who often has to stand on a map in order to give you directions. It is a completely endearing quality and I got to see the African equivalent today when I asked the information counter lady to tell me where to find the CHAM building downtown. She had to face the way you would when going downtown, and then was able to point LEFT and tell me the building was on the RIGHT. Funny! At least she MOSTLY got the directions correct.
Kampala Rd., meaning Main Street in the city, is awful. There are tons of businesses and interesting things to see, but most people I know try to avoid it- for years literally- because the traffic is the worst. And I had to go there. The worst stretch is about 1.5 miles (maybe) long and there never is any parking. I found where I was supposed to be, but it took about 40 more minutes up and down the main road, limited by space and certain street directions, no turn lanes, etc., in order to find a parking spot, which ended up (Praise the Lord!) being RIGHT at the corner outside the building! And for the first time ever in the city, I didn't have to pay for parking. Cultural observation: the city sells tickets for parking, and mark out proper parking areas in the streets with painted squares. Most people don't stay in just one square, but at least the markings help when you're driving to know if the space along the curb is a parking spot or not. the reason I didn't have to pay for my prime space was because I had business in that exact building. And YES, I put Sammy the Snake to work protecting my car while I was inside. I noted several concerned looks as I moved him around in the car. Grin!
Cultural Observation (Yes this whole paragraph)... The reason I decided to put this as a blog post is this: when I got into the CHAM building and went into the bank, I asked the security guard/information lady where to find the man I was to meet. She told me to go into the exit (of course! why didn't I think of that?!) and up to the (USA) second floor (here it is the first floor) and he'd be there. Following her instructions, I went into another section of the bank into the EXIT- which was clearly marked with huge bold letters- upstairs to see Solution Man. After signing in at the next security station (my friend Christy often put her name as Wilma Flintstone in these not-really security stations, and I was tempted to), I was directed to a place no visitors are allowed to go. But because I look foreign, apparently rules were being bent. Mr. Solution took all of 5 minutes to discuss my business and was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. In other words, had I known to go to him at first I would not have had my adventures through Kampala, and you'd not be reading this post.. Anyway, when I left the CHAM building, I tried to go OUT the EXIT but was corrected and told I wasn't allowed to go out the exit, but instead I had to follow the stairs further down. They sent me out the 'shady looking" parking garage, where oh yeah, nobody is allowed to park. Yep.
So today when I Skype-called my (now open- they're closed on Mondays and I say "grr" to that) Credit Union, I confirmed that indeed the "lost" money had been redeposited, including the "cross border fee" of nearly $3 (we're charged this per ATM withdrawal here). I was able to order a new card which, Lord willing, will be BROUGHT out to Uganda since I'm not confident the postal system here would actually deliver it to me. The old card will probably be destroyed but now it doesn't matter. Mr. Solution says he will still call me to confirm when/if it is destroyed. And I am breathing a sigh of relief, because this is a solve-able problem.
I know this took a long time to type/read, but if you're looking for interesting cultural-isms, you can find them every day here, but some days are just more "cultural" than others. :)