Got milk?

I live in a milk-drinking culture. Ugandans take so much milk in their coffee that I call their beige beverage "coffee-flavored milk." They, in turn, are often appalled by the tar-like substance many Americans consume.

Powered milk is the most common, affordable and, given power outages and lack of reliable refrigeration, durable form of milk. Powered milk, however, only comes in "full cream", which means that after a couple of months of that stuff, I'd surely be wedged in my own doorway. Some markets stock "long-life" milk, which comes in liquid form, requires no refrigeration, has a yellowish hue and a miraculous (unholy?) 1-year shelf life. Long-life milk comes in whole and lowfat varieties. Fresh milk is sold in sealed plastic pouches. Fresh milk is usually full cream, although a few stores with mzungu clientele occasionally stock lowfat or semi-skim fresh milk. Fresh milk costs more and spoils quickly. There is also uber-fresh milk, straight from the source, which I dare not partake.

Since my arrival, I've been making do with powdered and indestructible long-life milk. Then this week, I finally took the plunge and bought some fresh lowfat milk. Tasting fresh milk for the first time in over 8 months... it felt like a reunion with a long-lost friend.

Sip. "Ooooh... This is good."

Gulp. "I remember this. It's just like 1%."

Big gulp. "Wow. This is amazing."

Chug-chug-chug-chug. "I LOVE YOU!" Chug-chug-chug-chug-chug.

(Cue 50s love song as I skip in slow-motion through a sunny field of daisies, holding hands with a giant sack of lowfat milk.)